Interferometric synthetic aperture microscopy eliminates OCT compromises

The new computed imaging technique, interferometric synthetic aperture microscopy (ISAM), requires the concurrence of developments in hardware, theory, and available computing power. The computing power available in the modern desktop computer provides the means to process large data sets with the complexity needed to implement fast Fourier transform (FFT) and interpolate data. The average point-spread function with a phantom of sub-resolution-sized particles for Optical coherence tomography (OCT) and ISAM can be measured. ISAM enables the development of a small-form-factor instrument that has a fixed focal plane and high resolution but large depth-of-field limited only by signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The instrument could greatly expand the reach of low-coherence optical imaging in medicine. ISAM offers an in situ view of high-resolution cell and tissue microstructure over larger volumes in order to reduce re-operation rates.