MULTIPLE DEPTH OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY SYSTEM AND METHOD AND LASER EYE SURGERY SYSTEM INCORPORATING THE SAME

摘要

An OCT system for imaging multiple depth positions includes a light source, a sample arm and two or more reference arms. The sample arm propagates light to the object and directs object return light having a first return light beam from a first position and a second return light beam from a second position, the second return light having a dispersion level higher than the first return light beam by a dispersion difference amount. The first and second reference arms produce light beams having substantially the same dispersion as the first and second return light beams, respectively. The optical pathway combines all of the object return light and the reference light beams. An OCT detector measures the resulting interferogram. Imaging information is obtained for both the first position and the second position based on the dispersion difference amount.

主权项

1. A multiple depth optical coherence tomography (OCT) system for imaging positions at multiple depth positions in a sample, the OCT system comprising:
a light source for providing a beam of light; an optical path comprising:
a) a sample arm configured to propagate the beam of light from a beam splitter to the object and to direct an object return light comprising a first return light beam reflected from a first position in the object and a second return light beam reflected from a second position in the object, the second return light having a second dispersion level that is larger than a first dispersion level of the first return light beam by a dispersion difference amount.b) a first reference arm configured to produce a first reference light beam at the first dispersion level and a second reference arm configured produce a second reference light beam at the second dispersion level; andc) one or more optical elements configured to combine all of the object return light, the first reference light beam and the second reference light beam and to direct the combined beams; and an OCT detector configured to measure an interferogram based on the combined beams, wherein imaging information is obtained for both the first position and the second position based on based on the dispersion difference amount.