En-face tomographic imaging of scattering objects using single broadband light emitting diode based full-field optical coherence microscopy

Abstract

Structural and morphological elucidation of soft scattering objects such as biological tissues is an important aspect of study for the development of diagnostic tools. Optical methods suffer from the limitation of scattering and absorption of light in such kind of objects; limiting the applicability in deep tissue characterizations. In this present work, we used a high-resolution full-field optical coherence microscopy (FF-OCM) with a single broadband light emitting diode (470–850 nm) as illumination source for the imaging of scattering biological objects. The FF-OCM system was based on the Linnik geometry and a two-dimensional charge complementary oxide semiconductor camera (CMOS). The sequential two-dimensional spatial multiple phase-shifted interferograms were obtained by moving the sample stage using a piezoelectric transducer and the en-face FF-OCM images were subsequently reconstructed by a fast derivative-based method. The spatial resolution of the present system was 0.9 (air) and 1.38 µm axially and laterally, respectively. The present system was demonstrated for the imaging highly scattering artificial skin dressing, onion, and fish skin samples. Our results show the capability of the present system to clearly discern the structural features of the fish skin as evident from the depth intensity profiles at different positions. The present system is significantly stable, compact, and cost-effective with comparable spatial resolution compared to conventional FF-OCM systems and can be further used to distinguish a normal tissue from a diseased tissue.