Dual window method for processing spectroscopic optical coherence tomography signals with simultaneously high spectral and temporal resolution

• Published in: Optics express Vol. 17; no. 8; pp. 6799 - 6812
• Main Authors: Robles, Francisco, Graf, Robert N, Wax, Adam
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 13.04.2009
• Subjects: Algorithms; Image Enhancement - methods; Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted - methods; Imaging, Three-Dimensional - methods; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Spectrum Analysis - methods; Tomography, Optical Coherence - methods
• ISSN: 1094-4087; 1094-4087
• DOI: 10.1364/OE.17.006799

Current methods for analysis of spectroscopic optical coherence tomography (SOCT) signals suffer from an inherent tradeoff between time (depth) and frequency (wavelength) resolution. Here, we present a dual window (DW) method for reconstructing time frequency distributions (TFDs) that applies two orthogonal Gaussian windows that independently determine the spectral and temporal resolution. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated in simulations and in processing of measured OCT signals that contain fields which vary in time and frequency. The DW method yields TFDs that maintain high spectral and temporal resolution and are free from the artifacts and limitations commonly observed with other processing methods.