Polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) with a handheld probe for clinical oral screening use

Ting Chang^1*, Ting-Yun Deng¹, Wen-Chuan Kuo¹

¹Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan

* Presenter:Ting Chang, email:karischang1017@gmail.com

Optical coherent tomography (OCT) is a three-dimensional image technique based on the principle of low coherent interference. The polarization-sensitive optical coherent tomography (PS-OCT) also provides the sample's linear birefringence characteristics (including the phase retardation angle and the fast axis angle). Here, we propose a PS-OCT with a handheld probe and all polarization-maintaining fiber. Compared with the single-mode fiber-based PS-OCT, it has the following advantages: (1) Portability, improved stability, and overall size reduction, (2) Efficiency, the imaging system we proposed can perform multi-directional images and only take 10 seconds to collect a 3D backscattered intensity images and phase retardation images. Furthermore, by analyzing phase retardation to perform an enface map, we apply the proposed system to observe human oral cavity, which may help the early detection of the oral lesion.

Keywords: Handheld probe, PS-OCT, Polarization-maintaining fiber, Phase-retardation images