title: Speckle reduction in optical coherence tomography by frequency compounding.
abstract: We are investigating the possibility of a frequency compounding method for speckle reduction in optical coherence tomography. The method is based on incoherent summation of the magnitudes of two independent interferometric signals, which were recorded at two different center wavelengths simultaneously. We derive the corresponding statistics and compare the theoretical results with measurements obtained in a uniformly scattering sample. Finally we demonstrate our method by comparing images of human skin recorded in vivo with and without frequency compounding. The compounding method results in an increased contrast and improved image quality without loss of resolution.
authors.affiliation: University of Vienna, Institute of Medical Physics, Wahringerstrasse 13, A-1090, Vienna, Austria. michael.pircher@univie.ac.at
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pircher
authors.forename: Erich
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gotzinger
authors.forename: Rainer
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Leitgeb
authors.forename: Adolf F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Fercher
authors.forename: Christoph K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Hitzenberger
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D016477:Artifacts; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005385:Fingers / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D008954:Models, Biological; D011786:Quality Control; D012867:Skin / Q000166:cytology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*