Patent ID: 9044165
Filing Date: 2015-06-02
Classification: A61B,G01B

Abstract:
1. An imaging method for picking up an optical coherence tomographic image of an object using combined lights obtained by combining a plurality of return lights from the object irradiated with the plurality of measurement lights with the plurality of reference lights corresponding to the plurality of measurement lights, respectively, the method comprising: a step of irradiating different spot positions in the object with the plurality of measurement lights; a step of scanning the plurality of measurement lights such that irradiation spots of the plurality of measurement lights are apart in a direction intersecting with a main scanning direction, by a length not greater than the sum of diameters of the spots; a step of forming the optical coherence tomographic image of the object based on the combined lights and a displacement amount between the different spot positions in a plane scanned with the plurality of measurement lights; a step of detecting interference signals from the respective combined lights; and a step of executing an arithmetic process on the detected interference signals based on a displacement amount between different spot positions, using interference signals corresponding to at least two of the spot positions out of the interference signals corresponding to the respective spot positions and the displacement amount between the at least two spot positions, to thereby improve the signal-to-noise ratio as compared to using only one of the interference signals corresponding to the at least two spot positions.