Single mode fiber based polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography using a swept laser source

Abstract

We report the development of a near real time single mode fiber-optic based polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PSOCT) setup utilizing a swept source. The setup has a polarization modulator (PM) and polarizer in a sample arm to serve as a polarization state generator and analyzer. Since only intensity information is used to retrieve the polarization parameters of the sample, the problem of phase jitters present in the swept source is avoided. Further, the use of polarization elements after the sample arm fiber makes the approach insensitive to the random birefringence of fibers. The swept source based PSOCT (SS-PSOCT) setup was calibrated by carrying out measurements on a quarter-wave plate whose fast axis orientation was rotated from 0° to 360° in steps of 10°. The setup has been used for imaging birefringence of mice tail tendon, thigh muscle ex vivo and human nail fold in vivo.