Patent ID: 8860945

Claim:
A fiber optic probe for a Fourier domain low coherence interferometry apparatus for obtaining angle-resolved back-scattered light from a sample, the fiber optic probe comprising: an optical element having an optical axis; a single mode delivery fiber for carrying a sample beam from a light source and maintaining the polarization of the sample beam; and a fiber bundle receiver comprising a plurality of optical fibers having substantially matching path lengths and having a proximal end and a distal end, the distal end of the fiber bundle receiver positioned at one focus of the optical element and in the optical axis, wherein the delivery fiber is positioned offset from the optical axis for directing the sample beam such that the sample beam travels from the delivery fiber through the optical element to provide a beam incident on the sample at an oblique angle relative to the optical axis, and wherein the fiber bundle receiver is adapted to receive a scattered sample beam from the sample positioned at the other focus of the optical element such that the plurality of optical fibers receives an angular distribution of the scattered sample beam via a Fourier transform property of the optical element.