title: Multiple scattering in optical coherence tomography. II. Experimental and theoretical investigation of cross talk in wide-field optical coherence tomography.
abstract: We present a comprehensive study of multiple-scattering effects in wide-field optical coherence tomography (OCT) realized with spatially coherent illumination. Imaging a sample made of a cleaved mirror embedded in an aqueous suspension of microspheres revealed that, despite temporal coherence gating, multiple scattering can induce significant coherent optical cross talk. The latter is a serious limitation to the method, since it prevents shot-noise-limited detection and diffraction-limited imaging in scattering samples. We investigate the dependence of cross talk on important system design parameters, as well as on some relevant sample properties. The agreement between theoretical and experimental results for the wide range of parameters investigated was very good, in both the lateral and the axial dimensions. This further confirms the validity of the model developed in our companion paper [J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 22, 1369-1379 (2005)].
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire d'Optique Biomédicale, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. boris.karamata@a3.epfl.ch
authors.forename: Boris
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Karamata
authors.forename: Marcel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leutenegger
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Laubscher
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bourquin
authors.forename: Theo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lasser
authors.forename: Patrick
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lambelet
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D016477:Artifacts; D003198:Computer Simulation; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008027:Light; D008954:Models, Biological; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods*