Patent ID: 7342659

Claim:
A spectral domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) system for creating images of tissue structure in situ and in real time comprising: a broadband light source; a beam splitter for dividing the light along a sample and a reference path; a spectrometer for receiving light returned from both the sample and the reference paths, said spectrometer including a grating for angularly dispersing the light as a function of wavelength along a first axis and wherein at least two diffraction orders corresponding to different wavelength regions within the spectrum of the broadband light source spatially overlap along said first axis, said spectrometer further including an optical element for separating the diffraction orders along an axis perpendicular to the first axis, said spectrometer further including a photodetector including at least two linear detector arrays, said arrays extending along said first axis, with one of said arrays being positioned to receive one of said diffraction orders and the other array being positioned to receive the other diffraction order, each array for generating output signals as a function of wavelength and wherein the output signals from the arrays are generated at a speed sufficient to allow the creation of images of tissue structure in situ and in real time; and a processor for analyzing the output signals to derive a reflectance distribution along the sample path.