IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,339,114
Granted Patent B2
US 12,339,114 · App. 15/840,490 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Hybrid Raman and optical coherence tomography imaging

Inventor: Michael Eggleston (New York, NY)
Assignee: Nokia of America Corporation
G01B11/22G01B9/02004G01B9/02007G01B9/02091G01N21/65G01N21/4795G01N2021/655
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,339,114
App. No.
15/840,490
Granted
Jun 24, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus includes first and second light sources, an optical interferometer, one or more light detectors, and an electronic processor. The second light source is configured to output light of a different wavelength than the first source. The optical interferometer has optical reference and sample arms. The optical sample arm has a first optical path to transmit light received from the first and second light sources to an area of a target and has a second optical path to transmit light collected from the area of the target to one or more interference regions. The optical reference arm is configured to transmit light received from the first light source to the one or more interference regions. Each light detector is configured to produce electrical signals indicative of measured intensities of interfered light in a corresponding one of the one or more interference regions. The electronic processor is configured to determine, from the electrical signals, information indicative of a depth dependence of stimulated Raman optical emission in the area of the target.

Claims (31)

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first light source;

a second light source to output light of a different wavelength than the first light source;

an optical interferometer having optical reference and sample arms and an optical hybrid, the optical sample arm having a first optical path to transmit to an area of a target light from both light sources in first intervals and light from a single one of the light sources in second intervals, the optical sample arm having a second optical path to transmit light collected from the area of the target to the optical hybrid, the optical reference arm being configured to transmit light received from the first light source to the optical hybrid; and

a light detector configured to produce an electrical signal, for phase-sensitive detection of light from the target, from light interfered by the optical hybrid; and

an electronic processor configured to determine information indicative of a depth dependence of stimulated Raman optical emission in the area of the target based on a difference between the electrical signals produced by the light detector from pulsed light from the first light source and the second light source to remove noise light from Rayleigh scattering using an unmodulated beam of light transmitted from the optical reference arm, the light detector being responsive to the optical hybrid receiving light emitted by the area of the target in one of the first intervals and receiving light emitted by the area of the target in one of the second intervals;

wherein the first light source has a first frequency swept over a fixed range and the second light source has a second frequency fixed such that the electrical signal produced by the light detector exhibits a beat frequency that provides a measure of a depth of the optical emission in the area of the target.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second light source is configured to output light of a shorter wavelength than the first source.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises a differential electrical amplifier, the light detector being configured to deliver said electrical signal produced thereby to a corresponding input of the differential electrical amplifier.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the differential electrical amplifier is connected simultaneously to receive at one input thereof one of the electrical signals produced in response to the second light source transmitting light to the optical sample arm and to receive at another input thereof another of the electrical signals produced in response to the second light source not transmitting light to the optical sample arm.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a scanner to laterally scan light from the optical sample arm over an area of the target.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the optical interferometer further comprises first and second optical hybrids, each optical hybrid being connected to receive light from the optical reference arm and the optical sample arm.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the second light source is configured to transmit light to the optical sample arm during first intervals and to not transmit light to the optical sample arm during second intervals and the electronic processor is configured to determine said information based on the intensities measured in response to the optical sample arm receiving light in the first and second intervals.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first light source is configured to transmit light to the optical sample arm during both the first intervals and the second intervals.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the electronic processor is configured to sweep an output wavelength of, at least, one of the light sources.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electronic processor is configured to sweep the output wavelength of one of the light sources.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electronic processor is configured to produce an optical coherence tomography image of a part of the target based on the information.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electrical signal produced by the light detector comprises a first phase-sensitive electrical measurement of light from the target by measuring interference, by the optical hybrid, of light from the first light source with light emitted from a region of the target in response to the region being illuminated with light from both the second light source and the first light source, and wherein a second phase-sensitive electrical measurement of light from the target by measuring interference, by the optical hybrid, of light from the first light source with light emitted from the region of the target in response to the region being illuminated with light from the first light source while not being illuminated with light from the second light source.

13. A method, comprising:

producing a first phase-sensitive electrical measurement of light from a target by measuring interference, by an optical hybrid, of light from a first light source with light emitted from a region of the target in response to the region being illuminated with light from both a second light source and the first light source, the light from the second light source having a different wavelength than the light from the first light source, light from the first light source being able to stimulate Raman light emission from the region in response to the region being illuminated with light from the second light source;

producing a second phase-sensitive electrical measurement of light from the target by measuring interference, by the optical hybrid, of light from the first light source with light emitted from the region of the target in response to the region being illuminated with light from the first light source while not being illuminated with light from the second light source; and

producing image data for the region of the target based on a difference between the first phase-sensitive electrical measurement and the second phase-sensitive electrical measurement;

wherein the light from both the first light source and the second light source is pulsed to remove noise light from Rayleigh scattering using an unmodulated beam of light transmitted from an optical reference arm; and

wherein the first light source has a first frequency swept over a fixed range and the second light source has a second frequency fixed such that the electrical signal produced by the light detector exhibits a beat frequency that provides a measure of a depth of the light emission in the area of the target.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the light from the second light source has a shorter wavelength than the light from the first light source.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising producing an optical coherence tomography image of the region based on the image data.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising laterally scanning light of the first light source over the region to produce the light emitted from the region.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising laterally scanning light of the second light source over the region to produce the first light intensities.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising sweeping an output wavelength of, at least, one of the light sources while performing the laterally scanning.

19. The method of claim 13 , further comprising sweeping an output wavelength of one of the light sources.

20. The method of claim 14 , further comprising sweeping an output wavelength of one of the light sources.

Assignments (2)
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 5, 2022
From: ALCATEL-LUCENT USA INC.; NOKIA SOLUTIONS AND NETWORKS US LLC; NOKIA OF AMERICA CORPORATION
To: NOKIA OF AMERICA CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 059831/0507 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 13, 2017
From: EGGLESTON, MICHAEL
To: ALCATEL-LUCENT USA INC.
Reel/Frame 044387/0097 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62441337 · Dec 31, 2016
Related Publication 20180188019A1 · Jul 5, 2018
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