title: Polarimetry noise in fiber-based optical coherence tomography instrumentation.
abstract: High noise levels in fiber-based polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PS-OCT) have broadly limited its clinical utility. In this study we investigate contribution of polarization mode dispersion (PMD) to the polarimetry noise. We develop numerical models of the PS-OCT system including PMD and validate these models with empirical data. Using these models, we provide a framework for predicting noise levels, for processing signals to reduce noise, and for designing an optimized system.
authors.affiliation: Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02114, USA. zzhang0@partners.org
authors.forename: Ellen Ziyi
authors.initials: EZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Vakoc
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001718:Birefringence; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D055100:Optical Fibers; D055620:Optical Phenomena; D012542:Scattering, Radiation; D059629:Signal-To-Noise Ratio; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data