Adaptive Beam Divergence, and Intensity Decay Compensation in OCT for Enhanced Tissue Imaging

Abstract

This paper expands on our foundational research in numerical dispersion compensation within Fourier Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (FD-OCT), by introducing a sophisticated method that synchronizes adaptive beam divergence compensation with our established dispersion correction techniques, now further refined to address intensity decay due to tissue layers reflectance. Our prior work set a significant benchmark, achieving substantial reductions in thickness measurement errors. The present study escalates our pursuit to conquer the added complexities within OCT imaging—beam divergence, intensity decay during light propagation, and dispersion effects due to tissue layer refractive index, which collectively impact image fidelity, especially in the intricate milieu of heterogeneous tissue samples. We have applied this comprehensive approach to a real human tooth, obtaining promising results that underscore the efficacy of the method. The improvements in visualizing tissue microstructures and interfaces were substantial, demonstrating the potential of this integrated approach for complex tissue imaging.