| US 7,362,444 B2 | ||
| Interferometers for optical coherence domain reflectometry | ||
| Joseph A. Izatt, Pepper Pike, Ohio (US); and Andrew M. Rollins, Bedford, Ohio (US) | ||
| Assigned to Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (US) | ||
| Filed on Sep. 05, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/470,079. | ||
| Application 10/646202 is a division of application No. 09/393761, filed on Sep. 10, 1999, granted, now 6,657,727, filed on Dec. 02, 2003. | ||
| Application 11/470079 is a continuation of application No. 10/646202, filed on Aug. 22, 2003, granted, now 7,102,756, filed on Sep. 05, 2006. | ||
| Claims priority of provisional application 60/100032, filed on Sep. 11, 1998. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2007/0024868 A1, Feb. 01, 2007 | ||
| This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer. | ||
| Int. Cl. G01B 11/02 (2006.01); G01B 9/02 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 356—479 [356/497] | 20 Claims |
| 1. An interferometer for use in an OCDR or OCT imaging system to image a sample, comprising:
an optical radiation source;
a nonreciprocal optical element having a first input connected to receive optical radiation from the optical radiation source
and a combination first output/second input; and
a beamsplitter having a first input connected to the combination first output/second input of the nonreciprocal optical element,
the beamsplitter having a first output connected for directing optical radiation to a sample to be imaged and for receiving
reflected optical radiation from the sample to be imaged, and the beamsplitter having a second output connected for directing
optical radiation to a reference delay element and for receiving reflected optical radiation from the reference delay element.
|