The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Apr. 25, 2000
Filed:
May. 15, 1998
Jay Wei, Fremont, CA (US);
David Huang, Atlanta, GA (US);
Christopher L Petersen, Danville, CA (US);
Carl Zeiss, Inc., Thornwood, NY (US);
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention are method and apparatus for simply and economically providing efficient scanning in an optical coherence tomography ('OCT') apparatus. In particular, an embodiment of the present invention is an OCT apparatus which examines an object, which OCT apparatus comprises: (a) a source of short coherence radiation; (b) a coupler which (i) couples a first portion of the radiation to a reference arm; (ii) couples a second portion of the radiation to a sample arm; (iii) combines radiation transmitted thereto from the reference path and the sample path; and (iv) couples the combined radiation to an analyzer; wherein (c) the reference arm transmits the first portion of the radiation to a measurement range variation apparatus and transmits radiation output from the measurement range variation apparatus back to the coupler; (d) the sample path transmits the second portion of the radiation to the object and transmits radiation scattered by the object back to the coupler; and (e) the measurement range variation apparatus comprises: (i) a transmitter which transmits a portion of the radiation incident thereupon; (ii) a reflector which reflects radiation transmitted by the transmitter; and (iii) a scanner coupled to scan the reflector.