Masahiro AKIBA^1,2,*, Kin Pui CHAN^1,2 and Naohiro TANNO^1,2

¹Japan Science and Technology Corporation, Regional Joint Research Project of Yamagata Prefecture, 2-2-1 Matsuei, Yamagata, Yamagata 990-2473, Japan ²Graduate Program of Human Sensing and Functional Sensor Engineering, Yamagata University, 4-3-16 Jyonan, Yonezawa, Yamagata 992-8510, Japan

(Received March 20, 2002; Accepted May 20, 2002)

The performance of a two-dimensional heterodyne detection technique in optical coherence tomography (OCT) was studied. This technique, which is based on the frequency synchronous detection method, enables the use of an imager such as a charge coupled device (CCD) camera as a heterodyne sensor array, so that horizontal cross-sectional image can be acquired in real time without lateral scanning. OCT measurements of scattering media including a biological object were demonstrated. To evaluate the influence of phase fluctuations on the present technique, we measured and analyzed the statistical relative-standard-deviation of heterodyne signal intensity as a function of the random phase shifts between two consecutive CCD frames. Practical limitations in the signal stability and possible solutions are discussed.

Key words: optical coherence tomography, two-dimensional heterodyne detection, interferometric imaging, frequency synchronous detection, phase drift