Patent ID: 7271916

Claim:
A Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FDOCT) arrangement for measuring predetermined characteristics of an optically transparent object, the FDOCT arrangement comprising a broadband lightwave source for generating a broadband optical test signal; an optical beam splitter including a pair of input arms and a pair of output arms, a first input arm coupled to the output of the broadband lightwave source for supporting the propagation of the broadband optical test signal through the optical beam splitter, a lensing arrangement coupled to a first output arm of the optical beam splitter, the lensing arrangement for first collimating and then focusing the broadband optical test signal toward an optically transparent object to be measured; and an optical Fourier transform device, coupled to a second input arm of the pair of input arms of the optical beam splitter, said optical Fourier transform device receptive to a plurality of interfering reflected signals from the optically transparent object disposed beyond the lensing arrangement, the optical Fourier transform device for providing a spectrogram signal of the plurality of interfering reflected signals and generating a fast Fourier transform of the spectrogram signal associated with the optical path length of the optically transparent object, wherein signal peaks within the fast Fourier transform are related to transition interfaces between materials in the optically transparent object and are associated with the predetermined characteristics of the optically transparent object.