Broadband Light Source for Optical Coherence Tomography

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed program will develop a novel light source for optical coherence tomography (OCT). OCT has the potential to detect and diagnose early stages of disease before physical symptoms and irreversible pathological changes occur. The major drawbacks of the existing OCT technologies are a relatively low resolution and high rate of motion artifacts. In order to increase the axial resolution light sources with the very broad spectrum (several hundred nanometers) are required. The reduction of motion artifacts can be achieved through high-speed real time imaging, which in turn requires high power light sources. There are no light sources on the market that would satisfy these two requirements. The Supercontinuum light source we propose to develop and test is expected to exhibit superior power, spectral bandwidth, and noise, and therefore allow better resolution and sensitivity. This technology promises to produce a fundamental improvement in resolution of OCT imaging systems necessary for in-vivo diagnose of cancer and pre-cancerous conditions. It will have a major impact on the public health issues arising from cancer. Phase I of this project will determine the feasibility of the proposed approach by construction a prototype light source operating in 1650nm water transmission window, and testing it in a commercial OCT system. During Phase II of this project we will fully develop this novel proprietary technology of ultra- broadband spectral sources, and bring this development to the stage of commercialization. There are number of industries that this technology could provide benefits to. Besides obvious applications in medical devices, it can be used in food and pharmaceutical industries, test equipment, as well as for environmental monitoring and industrial safety.