Ultrahigh speed and resolution OCT/OCM using broadband swept VCSEL technology

这项工作的最终目标是开发、验证超宽调谐范围并将其商业化， 超高扫描速率、扫描激光光源成像引擎，将使下一代光学 相干层析/光学相干显微镜(OCT/OCM)系统。OCT和OCM支持3D 通过检测背向反射和背向反射的回波时延进行组织病理学的体内体积成像 反向散射光。OCT和OCM作为一种癌症成像手段具有强大的优势，因为它们 实时提供组织病理学信息，无需切除和处理样本 在传统的切除活检和组织病理学中。OCT的轴向图像分辨率为~5-10微米， 可以在比传统夹点活检更广泛的区域内对组织进行成像。在内窥镜检查中 OCT，成像可以在几平方厘米的管腔内进行。OCM具有横向 分辨率为1-2微米，并可提供细胞级别的3D图像信息。 使用紧凑型VCSEL(垂直腔面发射)的扫频源/傅里叶域OCT/OCM 激光)承诺以比现有商业OCT高得多的成像速度进行成像 技术我们建议开发一种扫描源成像引擎，其轴向扫描率为1 MHZ，比商用眼科OCT仪器(25 kHz轴向扫描速率)快约40倍。此外， 使用VCSEL技术的扫描源OCT/OCM可以设计成紧凑型成像引擎 它比笔记本电脑还小。高性能OCT/OCM成像系统的研制 OEM市场的引擎将使范围广泛的老牌和 初创的医疗公司。这一发展战略与专注于 单一临床应用的商业化，降低风险，并将加快开发和 这项技术在癌症成像的广泛临床应用中的影响。 这项拟议的努力建立在半导体材料技术和可调谐激光器的进步基础上。 由Praevium Research，Inc.在NCI Grant 4R44CA101067和后续商业投资中开发 由全球最大的研究OCT技术制造商ThorLabs，Inc.的商业合作伙伴提供。这 工作涉及主组织Praevium Reseach，Inc. 合伙人ThorLabs和麻省理工学院的OCT小组，他们负责 为OCT的发明和发展做出贡献。

The ultimate goal of this effort is to develop, validate, and commercialize an ultra-broad tuning range, ultrahigh scan rate, swept laser source imaging engine that will enable the next generation of Optical Coherence Tomography / Optical Coherence Microscopy (OCT/OCM) systems. OCT and OCM enable 3D in vivo volumetric imaging of tissue pathology by detecting the echo time delay of back-reflected and backscattered light. OCT and OCM have powerful advantages as a cancer imaging modality because they provide information on tissue pathology in real time, without the need to excise and process specimens as in conventional excisional biopsy and histopathology. OCT has an axial image resolution of ~5-10 um and can image tissue over a much wider area than possible using conventional pinch biopsy. In endoscopic OCT, imaging can be performed over several square centimeters of the lumen. OCM has transverse resolutions of 1-2 um and can provide 3D image information at the cellular level. Swept source / Fourier domain OCT/OCM using compact VCSEL (vertical cavity surface emitting lasers) promises to enable imaging with significantly higher imaging speeds than existing commercial OCT technology. We propose to develop a swept source imaging engine which achieves an axial scan rate of 1 MHz, ~40x faster than commercial ophthalmic OCT instruments (25 kHz axial scan rate). Furthermore, swept source OCT/OCM using VCSEL technologies can be engineered into a compact imaging engine which is smaller than a laptop computer. The development of a high performance OCT/OCM imaging engine for the OEM market will enable access to the technology by a wide range of both established and start-up medical companies. This development strategy, which contrasts with focusing on commercialization for a single clinical application, reduces risks and will accelerate the development and impact of the technology across a broad range of clinical applications for cancer imaging. This proposed effort builds upon advances in semiconductor materials technology and tunable lasers developed by Praevium Research, Inc. in NCI grant 4R44CA101067 and follow-on commercial investment by commercial partner, Thorlabs, Inc., the world's largest manufacturer of research OCT technology. This work involves a collaboration between the primary organization Praevium Reseach, Inc. commercial partner Thorlabs, and the OCT group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who was responsible for the invention and development of OCT.