Wavelength Dependence of Ultrahigh-Resolution Optical Coherence Tomography Using Supercontinuum for Biomedical Imaging

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a noninvasive cross-sectional imaging technique with micrometer resolution. The theoretical axial resolution is determined by the center wavelength and bandwidth of the light source, and the wider the bandwidth, the higher the axial resolution. The characteristics of OCT imaging depend on the optical wavelength used. In this paper, we investigated the wavelength dependence of ultrahigh-resolution (UHR) OCT using a supercontinuum for biomedical imaging. Wideband, high-power, low-noise supercontinua (SC) were generated at <italic> λ</italic> = 0.8, 1.1, 1.3, and 1.7 <italic>μ</italic>m based on ultrashort pulses and nonlinear fibers. The wavelength dependence of OCT imaging was examined quantitatively using biological phantoms. Ultrahigh-resolution imaging of a rat lung was demonstrated with <italic>λ</italic> = 0.8–1.0 <italic>μ</italic>m UHR-OCT. The variation of alveolar volume was estimated using three-dimensional image analysis. Finally, UHR-spectral domain-OCT and optical coherence microscopy at 1.7 <italic>μ</italic>m were developed, and high-resolution and high-penetration imaging of turbid tissue, especially mouse brain, was demonstrated.

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