In vivo ultrahigh-resolution ophthalmic optical coherence tomography using Gaussian-shaped supercontinuum

We have demonstrated the in vivo ultrahigh-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of the human eye using a Gaussian-shaped supercontinuum source. Using an ultrashort-pulse Ti:sapphire laser and a polarization- maintaining single-mode fiber, a linearly polarized, high-power, low-noise, Gaussian-shaped supercontinuum is generated in the wavelength region from 700 to 950 nm. For ophthalmic imaging, a wideband Gaussian-shaped supercontinuum with a bandwidth of 140nm is generated at a center wavelength of 830 nm. The observed axial resolutions are 2.9 μm in air and 2.1μm in tissue. The generated supercontinuum is combined with a modified ophthalmic OCT system, and sidelobe-free ultrahigh-resolution OCT images of the human retina and cornea are obtained.