Abstract
The optical coherence tomography(OCT)can be utilized to measure high-resolution cross-sectional in vivo and in situ images of microstructure in transparent and nontransparent biological tissues. OCT is based on the low-coherence interferometry and its axial and lateral resolutions are given by the half of coherence length of light source and the beam diameter of an incident beam at the beam waist. Using the solid state laser as a light source the OCT images of in vitro human colorectal adenocarcinoma cells have been measured with A:0.5-μm axial and L:2.5-μm transverse resolution. By the full-field OCT using CCD camera OCT images of biological tissues have also been measured with A:17-μm, L:4-μm and the speed of 100 frames/s. Developing the endoscopic OCT and the imaging catheter for OCT, the clinical applications of OCT is spreading into the fields of gastrointestinal system, cardiovascular system, ophthalmology, dermatology and so on.
