Optical Coherence Tomography

Traditional methods of surface imaging include classical interferometry at micrometer scale and classical profilometry at millimeter scale. The recently developed Optical Coherence Tomography technique fills this gap and arrives at the sub-millimeter scale. In comparison with classical profilometry, it has improved ability to measure shapes of semi-transparent surfaces, as human skin. Unfortunately, the currently used OCT solutions are complicated and relatively large and expensive.

Our portfolio of diagnostic tools will be soon enhanced with low-cost systems of surface analysis based on Optical Coherence Tomography, using a self-developed technical solution resulting in a compact and robust setup free of any moving parts. Its key features will be cost-efficiency and mobility, which opens new branches of medicine and technology for application of OCT devices. We work also on combining our OCT solutions with either our bio-impedance solutions or classical camera-based imaging into a series of hybrid devices offering unique capabilities for medical and technical applications:

• in dentistry – combined with bio-impedance for early caries detection, and alone for pros-thetics;
• in dermatology and cosmetology – for measuring size of pathological skin changes and advanced profilometry of scars and wrinkles;
• in ophthalmology – for measuring the cornea shape before vision correction surgical pro-cedure or selecting contact lenses;
• in biometrics – for fooling-proof fingerprint sensing;
• in renovation of works of art – for advanced high-resolution profilometry of damages;
• in forensics – for investigation of micro-traces.

We have already built several working prototypes.

The resolution of the OCT device is currently about 20 micrometers in all directions. The 2D scans can be combined into full 3D models.