Patent ID: 9414748
Filing Date: 2016-08-16
CPC Classification: A61B

Claim Text:
1. An in-line optical probe suitable for medical or dental tomography comprising: (a) an optical fiber suitable for connecting the probe to an optical signal source and an optical data analyzer; (b) at least a first lens disposed in-line with the optical fiber; (c) a reference reflector disposed in-line with the optical fiber and the first lens; wherein: (d) one or more Faraday rotators disposed in-line with the optical fiber, the reference reflector and the first lens; wherein the one or more Faraday rotators are selected, configured and arranged such that they are switchable between a rotating mode where the one or more Faraday rotators are operative to rotate a polarization state of optical signals by about 90° and a non-rotating mode where the polarization state of optical signals is rotated by about 0° as signals traverse the probe in both directions; whereby the optical probe is configured to provide the optical fiber with the optical reference signal generated from the optical source signal as well as provide (i) an optical data signal which has been reflected from the target and has a polarization state which has been rotated about 90° by one or more Faraday rotators in the rotating mode and (ii) an optical data signal which has been reflected from the target and has a polarization state which has been rotated about 0° by one or more Faraday rotators in the non-rotating mode such that optical interference between the optical reference signal and the optical data signals which have been reflected from the target is controlled by selection of the rotating mode or the non-rotating mode of the probe; and (e) a probe signal input/output for providing the source optical signal to the target and collecting optical data signals which have been reflected from the target.