Patent ID: 8363225

Claim:
Currently amended) A Dual Detection-Frequency Domain-Optical Coherence Tomography (DD-FD-OCT) apparatus, comprising: a swept source having a central wavelength output, λ; a swept source output splitting component that can split the swept source output into a sample beam S and a reference beam R; and a free-space-based sample beam and reference beam interfering portion further comprising: a first non-polarizing beam splitter disposed at a point where the sample beam and the reference beam coincide that creates a first interfering sample and reference beam path S 1 R 1 having respective sample and reference beam path lengths L S1 , L R1 , and a second interfering sample and reference beam path S 2 R 2 having respective sample and reference beam path lengths L S2 , L R2 ; a first detector disposed in the first interfering sample and reference beam path; and a second detector disposed in the second interfering sample and reference beam path, wherein the first non-polarizing beam splitter has at least one of an adjustable rotational axis and an adjustable displacement axis such that at least one of the rotational axis and the displacement axis have a respective value θ≠0, δ≠0, such that the sample and reference beam optical paths are misaligned, further such that [(L S2 −L R2 )−(L S1 −L R1 )]=λ/4, which corresponds to a π/2 phase shift between the interfering S 1 R 1 signal at the first detector and the interfering S 2 R 2 signal at the second detector.