ABSTRACT
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) detects the intensity of light
reflected or backscattered from structures within the sample to
provide cross-sectional images with micrometer resolution. Several
technological extensions of OCT have been developed for revealing
features of biological or material samples not readily visible in
conventional OCT and/or for noninvasive functional imaging (see
Fig. 13.1). These extensions provide for example measurements
of the polarization [1-3] or spectroscopic [4-7] response of the
sample. OCT has been combined with other imaging modalities, in-
cluding in particular fluorescence microscopy, to obtain microstruc-
ture and molecular information simultaneously [8-14]. Elastic
properties of biological tissues can be used as a contrast mechanism
to form images in optical coherence elastography, which is based
on OCT as an underlying imaging modality [15-18]. Work has also
been carried out on the development of OCT systems operating at
multiple wavelengths to maximize either the imaging penetration
depth or the spatial resolution and/or to enable better visualization
and differentiation of specific structures within the sample [19-22].
