Diffractive catheter for ultrahigh-resolution spectral-domain volumetric OCT imaging

We present a novel design for an endoscopic imaging catheter utilizing diffractive optics for ultrahigh-resolution optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging at 800 nm. A diffractive microlens was developed to alleviate severe chromatic aberration when a broadband light source was employed at the 800 nm wavelength range. Combined with a home-built fiber rotary joint and a broadband Ti:sapphire laser, the imaging catheter achieved a lateral resolution of 6.2 μm and an axial resolution of 3.0 μm in air. The performance of the catheter was demonstrated by three-dimensional full-circumferential endoscopic OCT imaging of guinea pig esophagus in vivo.