Time-domain full-field optical coherence tomography with digital confocal line scanning

Abstract

Full-field optical coherence tomography (FF-OCT) is a camera-based interferometric microscopy technique that can image deep in tissue with high spatial resolution. However, the absence of confocal gating leads to suboptimal imaging depth. Here, we implement digital confocal line scanning in time-domain FF-OCT by exploiting the row-by-row detection feature of a rolling-shutter camera. A digital micromirror device (DMD) is used in conjunction with the camera to produce synchronized line illumination. An improvement in the SNR by an order of magnitude is demonstrated on a sample of a US Air Force (USAF) target mounted behind a scattering layer.