Analyzing quantitative light scattering spectra of phantoms measured with optical coherence tomography

Published

March 1, 2008

Author(s)

Tasshi Dennis, Shellee D. Dyer, Andrew Dienstfrey, Gurpreet Singh, Paul Rice

Abstract

We demonstrate the ability of multiple forms of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in the frequency domain to quantitatively size scatterers. Combined with a variety of distinct phantoms, we gain insight into the measurement uncertainties associated with using scattering spectra to size scatterers. We size spherical scatterers on a surface using swept source OCT with an analysis based on a simple slab-mode resonance model. Automating this technique, a two-dimensional (2-D) image is created by raster scanning across a surface phantom designed to have a distinct size transition to demonstrate accuracy and repeatability. We also investigate the potential of a novel sphere-nanotube structure as a quantitative calibration artifact for use in comparing measured intensity and phase scattering spectra directly to Mie theory predictions. In another experiment, we demonstrate tissue-relevant sizing of scatterers as small as 5 υ on a surface by use of a Fourier domain OCT system with 280 nm of bandwidth from a super-continuum source. We perform an uncertainty analysis for our high resolution sizing system, estimating a sizing error of 9% for measurements of spheres with a diameter of 15 υ. With appropriate modifications, our uncertainty analysis has general applicability to other sizing techniques utilizing scattering spectra.

Citation

Journal of Biomedical Optics

Volume

13

Issue

(2)

Pub Type

Journals

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Keywords

dispersion, group delay, Mie, nanotube, optical coherence tomography, phantom, phase, spectral domain

Citation

Dennis, T. , Dyer, S. , Dienstfrey, A. , Singh, G. and Rice, P. (2008), Analyzing quantitative light scattering spectra of phantoms measured with optical coherence tomography, Journal of Biomedical Optics, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=32640 (Accessed October 16, 2025)