Patent ID: 7570364
Filing Date: 2009-08-04
Classification: G01B,G01N

Abstract:
1. An optical tomographic imaging apparatus, comprising: a light source unit having a first light source that outputs a first light beam which is swept in wavelength repeatedly within a first wavelength range, and a second light source that outputs a second light beam which is swept in wavelength repeatedly within a second wavelength range which is different in range from the first wavelength range, in which a part of the wavelength sweep of the first light beam and a part of the wavelength sweep of the second light beam are performed at the same time; a beam splitting means that splits the first and second light beams into first measuring and reference beams, and second measuring and reference beams respectively; a beam combining means that combines first and second reflected beams, which are the reflected beams from a measuring object when the first and second measuring beams are irradiated on the measuring object, with the first and second reference beams respectively; a wavelength dividing means that divides a first interference beam produced when the first reflected beam is combined with the first reference beam by the beam combining means and a second interference beam produced when the second reflected beam is combined with the second reference beam by the beam combining means into at least a third wavelength range which includes a portion of the first wavelength range and a portion of the second wavelength range, a fourth wavelength range which is shifted on the short wavelength side of the third wavelength range, and a fifth wavelength range which is shifted on the long wavelength side of the third wavelength range; a first interference beam detection means that detects an interference beam within the third wavelength range as a first interference signal, a second interference beam detection means that detects an interference beam within the fourth wavelength range as a second interference signal, and a third interference beam detection means that detects an interference beam within the fifth wavelength range as a third interference signal; and a tomographic image processing means that generates a tomographic image of the measuring object using the first, second, and third interference signals detected by the first, second, and third interference beam detection means respectively.