US 12,292,558 B2
Dual-mode optical coherence tomography and optical coherence microscopy imaging systems and methods
Eric L. Buckland, Hickory, NC (US); and Cristina Canavesi, West Henrietta, NY (US)
Assigned to LighTopTech Corp., West Henrietta, NY (US)
Filed by LighTopTech Corp., West Henrietta, NY (US)
Filed on Aug. 9, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/397,557.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/172,385, filed on Apr. 8, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0326495 A1, Oct. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. G02B 21/00 (2006.01); G01B 9/02091 (2022.01); G02B 7/14 (2021.01); G02B 7/16 (2021.01); G02B 21/36 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 21/0056 (2013.01) [G01B 9/02091 (2013.01); G02B 7/14 (2013.01); G02B 7/16 (2013.01); G02B 21/361 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optical assembly comprising:
(a) a scanning system having an optical axis configured to scan a sample under test with an illuminating beam;
(b) an imaging objective; and
(c) an afocal relay optically intermediate the scanning system and the imaging objective, the afocal relay comprising an entrance pupil located to receive the illumination beam and an exit pupil located substantially at a back focal plane of the imaging objective, the afocal relay configurable between a first mode having a first magnification, a first field of view, a first lateral resolution, and a first physical path length and a second mode having a higher second magnification, a smaller second field of view, a higher second lateral resolution, and a second physical path length, wherein the first mode is an optical coherence tomography (OCT) mode having a first depth of image and the second mode is an optical coherence microscopy (OCM) mode having a second depth of image;
wherein the afocal relay is configured to maintain (i) the entrance pupil in a first fixed physical location in both the optical coherence tomography (OCT) mode and the optical coherence microscopy (OCM) mode of the afocal relay and (ii) the exit pupil in a second fixed physical location in both the optical coherence tomography (OCT) mode and the optical coherence microscopy (OCM) mode of the afocal relay.