Optical sensing based on measurements of displacements induced by optical scattering forces in viscoelastic media using phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016341539-A1
Application number	US-201615162608-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	May 23, 2016
Priority date	May 22, 2015
Publication date	Nov 24, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are devices and techniques based on optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology in combination with optical actuation. A system for providing optical actuation and optical sensing can include an optical coherence tomography (OCT) device that performs optical imaging of a sample based on optical interferometry from an optical sampling beam interacting with an optical sample and an optical reference beam; an OCT light source to provide an OCT imaging beam into the OCT device which splits the OCT imaging beam into the optical sampling beam and the optical reference beam; and a light source that produces an optical actuation beam that is coupled along with the optical sampling beam to be directed to the sample to actuate particles or structures in the sample so that the optical imaging captures information of the sample under the optical actuation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for providing optical actuation and optical sensing, comprising:
an optical coherence tomography (OCT) device that performs optical imaging of a sample based on optical interferometry from an optical sampling beam interacting with an optical sample and an optical reference beam; an OCT light source to provide an OCT imaging beam into the OCT device which splits the OCT imaging beam into the optical sampling beam and the optical reference beam; a light source that produces an optical actuation beam that is coupled along with the optical sampling beam to be directed to the sample to actuate particles or structures in the sample so that the optical imaging captures information of the sample under the optical actuation.

2 . The system as in claim 1 , wherein the optical actuation beam is modulated at a modulation frequency.

3 . The system as in claim 2 , wherein the optical actuation beam is modulated in amplitude or power.

4 . The system as in claim 1 , further comprising an OCT detection and processing module that processes optical imaging information from OCT device output based on varying mechanical properties of different sample materials to distinguish one sample material from another.

5 . The system as in claim 1 , further comprising an OCT detection and processing module that processes optical imaging information from OCT device output based on varying optical scattering properties of different sample materials to distinguish one sample material from another.

6 . The system as in claim 1 , further comprising an OCT detection and processing module that processes optical imaging information from OCT device output based on varying optical absorption properties of different sample materials to distinguish one sample material from another.

7 . The system as in claim 1 , wherein the OCT light source provides an OCT imaging beam at an optical wavelength different from an optical wavelength of the optical actuation beam.

8 . The system as in claim 1 , comprising a scanner that scans both the optical activation beam and the optical sampling beam over the sample together in performing the optical imaging.

9 . The system as in claim 1 , comprising a beam guiding optics module that directs the optical activation beam to spatially overlap with the optical sampling beam over the sample in performing the optical imaging.

10 . The system as in claim 1 , comprising a beam guiding optics module that manipulates a location of the optical actuation beam in an axial direction or transverse direction or both relative to a location of the optical sampling beam.

11 . A method for sensing a sample based on optical actuation of the sample, comprising:
operating an optical coherence tomography (OCT) device to obtain optical images of a sample based on optical interference of an optical sampling beam interacting with an optical sample and an optical reference beam from an OCT light source emitting light within an optical spectral band of different optical wavelengths; operating a light source to produce an optical actuation beam at an optical wavelength different from the light of the OCT light source; and directing the optical actuation beam along with the optical sampling beam to the sample to actuate particles or structures in the sample so that the optical imaging captures information of the sample under the optical actuation.

12 . The method as in claim 11 , comprising modulating the optical actuation beam at a modulation frequency.

13 . The method as in claim 12 , wherein the optical actuation beam is modulated in amplitude or power.

14 . The method as in claim 11 , further comprising processing optical imaging information from OCT device output based on varying mechanical properties of different sample materials to distinguish one sample material from another.

15 . The method as in claim 11 , further comprising processing optical imaging information from OCT device output based on varying optical scattering properties of different sample materials to distinguish one sample material from another.

16 . The method as in claim 11 , further comprising processing optical imaging information from OCT device output based on varying optical absorption properties of different sample materials to distinguish one sample material from another.

17 . The method as in claim 11 , further comprising processing optical imaging information from OCT device output based on varying optical actuation schemes or OCT imaging schemes or both to distinguish responses from mechanical properties from optical absorption properties.

18 . The method as in claim 11 , comprising rendering the OCT imaging beam at an optical wavelength different from an optical wavelength of the optical actuation beam.

19 . The method as in claim 11 , comprising scanning both the optical activation beam and the optical sampling beam over the sample together in performing the optical imaging.

20 . The method as in claim 11 , comprising directing the optical activation beam to spatially overlap with the optical sampling beam over the sample in performing the optical imaging.

21 . The method as in claim 11 , comprising controlling a location of the optical actuation beam in an axial direction or transverse direction or both relative to a location of the optical sampling beam.

Assignees

• Univ Cornell

Inventors

• Adie Steven
• Untracht Gavrielle

Classifications

• G01B9/02091 Primary

  Tomographic interferometers, e.g. based on optical coherence · CPC title

• G01B9/02012

  using temporal intensity variation · CPC title

• G01B9/02015

  characterised by the beam path configuration · CPC title

• A61B5/0066

  Optical coherence imaging · CPC title