Patent ID: 7486402

Claim:
An optical image measuring apparatus, comprising: light beam outputting means for selectively outputting one of a plurality of light beams having different wavelengths, intensities of the light beams being periodically modulated; first converting means for converting a polarization characteristic of the outputted one of the light beams to linear polarization; dividing means for dividing the outputted one of the light beams into signal light propagating through an object to be measured and reference light propagating through a reference object; second converting means for converting a polarization characteristic of one of the signal light and the reference light, which is the linear polarization; frequency shifting means for shifting a frequency of the signal light and a frequency of the reference light relative to each other; superimposing means for superimposing the signal light propagating through the object to be measured and the reference light propagating through the reference object on each other to produce interference light, each of the signal light and the reference light including a polarization characteristic converted by the first converting means and the second converting means, the frequency of the signal light and the frequency of the reference light being shifted by the frequency shifting means; extracting means for extracting a plurality of polarized light components from the produced interference light, the polarized light components being different from one another; two-dimensional detection means for detecting each of the polarized light components extracted from the interference light; and image forming means for forming an image of a distribution of oxygen saturation of the object to be measured by determining state information of the light with respect to each of at least two light beams of the plurality of light beams having the different wavelengths, wherein the scattering and absorption coefficients of the object are used together for the image formation.