| US 7,508,525 B2 | ||
| High efficiency balanced detection interferometer | ||
| Yan Zhou, Pleasanton, Calif. (US); Matthew J. Everett, Livermore, Calif. (US); and Martin Hacker, Pleasanton, Calif. (US) | ||
| Assigned to Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc., Dublin, Calif. (US) | ||
| Filed on Apr. 28, 2008, as Appl. No. 12/150,375. | ||
| Application 12/150375 is a division of application No. 11/264871, filed on Nov. 02, 2005, granted, now 7,388,672. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/629429, filed on Nov. 19, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2008/0239294 A1, Oct. 02, 2008 | ||
| Int. Cl. G01B 9/02 (2006.01); G01B 11/02 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 356—479 [356/497] | 28 Claims |
| 1. An interferometer for use in an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system comprising:
a light source;
a 3×3 coupler having six ports, with light from the source being coupled to a first port of the coupler, with the coupler
dividing the light between a sample and a reference path, with the light exiting the coupler into the sample path from a second
port and, after scattering from the sample, returning to the coupler via a third port and with the light exiting the coupler
into the reference path from a fourth port and returning to the coupler via said fourth port;
a first detector for receiving light returned from both the sample and the reference paths via the coupler through a fifth
port of the coupler and generating first output signals in response thereto; and
a second detector for receiving light returned from both the sample and the reference paths via the coupler through a sixth
port of the coupler and generating second output signals in response thereto, said first and second output signals containing
information about the light scattering properties of the sample.
|