Extraordinary Dispersion Engineering In Enabling Ultrafast Swept Source visiblelight Optical Coherence Tomography

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Project Summary This SBIR Phase 1 project focuses on developing, characterizing, and validating a new swept-source laser system to enable the next-generation clinical visible-light optical coherence tomography (vis-OCT). We will develop a novel design of photonic bandgap fiber that comprises Fiber Bragg Grating array to temporally disperse broadband picosecond-pulses to create a wavelength sweeping pulse train. The new swept source can operate up to tens of MHz frequencies without mechanical moving parts, enabling ultra-high-speed swept-source vis-OCT (SS-vis-OCT) for the first time. The new light source will also enable truly shot-noise-limited performance in vis-OCT while mitigating the artifacts caused by both eye motions and fringe washout. During the project period, we will design, fabricate, and optimize the new swept-source laser to achieve the desired sweeping frequency, bandwidth, and phase stability. We will further develop a prototype SS-vis-OCT and fully test its performance in phantom eyeballs, ex vivo bovine eyes, and blood vessel phantoms.