Patent ID: 7508524

Claim:
An apparatus that uses Raman spectroscopy and optical coherence tomography for non-invasively evaluating a target of interest of a living subject, comprising: a. a first light source for generating a broadband light characterized with a center wavelength, λ 1 , and a spectral bandwidth, Δ; b. a second light source for generating a monochromatic light at a single wavelength, λ 2 ; c. a beamsplitter optically coupled to the first light source for receiving the broadband light and splitting the received broadband light into a reference light and a sample light; d. a reference arm optically coupled to the beamsplitter for receiving the reference light and returning the received reference light into the beamsplitter; e. a probe having a working end placed proximal to a target of interest of a living subject, optically coupled to the beamsplitter and the second light source for receiving the sample light and the monochromatic light, delivering them from the working end onto the target of interest, collecting from the working end a backscattering light and a Raman scattering light that are obtained from interaction of the sample light and the monochromatic light with the target of interest, respectively, and returning the backscattering light into the beamsplitter so as to generate an interference signal between the returned backscattering light and the returned reference light in the beamsplitter, wherein the probe, the beamsplitter and the second light source are arranged such that the monochromatic light generated by the second light source is delivered into the probe without passing through the beamsplitter; f. a first detecting device optically coupled to the beamsplitter for collecting the interference signal to provide an interference pattern of the returned backscattering light and the returned reference light; and g. a second detecting device optically coupled to the probe for collecting the Raman scattering light to provide a frequency spectrum of the returned Raman scattering light, wherein the second detecting device and the probe are arranged such that the Raman scattering light returned from the probe is directly collected by the second detecting device without passing through the beamsplitter.