Engineering Optimization of Fourier Domain OCT Systems

描述（由申请人提供）： 该探索性/开发性研究（R21）申请通过将工程优化原理应用于光学相干断层扫描（OCT）的系统设计，在微米级解剖和功能生物医学成像领域取得了巨大进步。我们提出了OCT系统设计中的三个关键创新，一旦单独演示，然后组合，将导致新一代OCT成像仪与当前技术水平相比具有更高的灵敏度，采集速率和鲁棒性。这些创新建立在傅立叶域OCT领域的最新工作基础上，OCT数据收集的替代方法，其利用并行阵列检测技术代替常规使用的单个传感器。然而，所提出的方法通过引入特定的设计创新而远远超出了傅里叶域OCT的当前技术水平，所述设计创新优化了系统灵敏度（定义为理想反射样本的信噪比，并且可以针对采集速率进行权衡）和鲁棒性（定义为系统可制造性和耐久性），与在这两个领域中表现出严重限制的当前设计形成对比。该研究和开发应产生紧凑、高灵敏度、鲁棒的复杂傅立叶域OCT引擎，其可容易地并入正在进行的临床（例如眼科、内窥镜）和生物（例如小动物成像）应用中。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This Exploratory/Developmental Research (R21) application proposes a dramatic advance in the state of the art of micron-scale anatomical and functional biomedical imaging by applying the principles of engineering optimization to system design in Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). We propose three key innovations in OCT system design which, once demonstrated separately and then combined, will result in a new generation of OCT imagers with increased sensitivity, acquisition rate, and robustness as compared to the current state of the art. These innovations build upon recent work in the field on Fourier-Domain OCT, an alternative approach to OCT data collection which takes advantage of parallel array detection technology in place of single sensors as conventionally used. However, the proposed approach extends well beyond the current state of the art in Fourier-Domain OCT by introducing specific design innovations which optimize system sensitivity (defined as the signal-to-noise ratio for an ideal reflective sample, and which can be traded off for acquisition rate) and robustness (defined as system manufacturability and durability), in contrast to current designs which exhibit severe limitations in both areas. This research and development should result in a compact, high sensitivity, robust complex Fourier-Domain OCT engine that readily can be incorporated into ongoing clinical (e.g. ophthalmic, endoscopic) and biological (e.g. small animal imaging) applications.