Patent ID: 7215429

Claim:
A MEMS-based optical coherence tomography imaging system, comprising: a beam splitter; a vertically scanning MEMS micromirror coupled to beam splitter; a bi-directionally movable MEMS micromirror coupled to beam splitter for conducting a transverse sample scan; a photodetector coupled to beam splitter for detecting signals from reference MEMS micromirror and scanning MEMS micromirror; wherein the vertically scanning MEMS micromirror is supported by a MEMS vertical displacement device, comprising: an anchor; at first frame rotatable about the anchor and having a first side and a second side opposing the first side; at least one first thermal actuator coupled to the first side of the first frame and to the anchor enabling the first frame to rotate about the anchor; wherein the vertically scanning MEMS micromirror is rotatable about the second side of the first frame; and at least one second thermal actuator coupled to the second side of the first frame and to the vertically scanning micromirror enabling the vertically scanning micromirror to rotate about the second side of the first frame.