Our Technology
OCT Resolution Comparison
The Michelson Diagnostics Optical Coherence Tomography works by obtaining images of sub-surface microstructure at a higher resolution (<10 µm) than other imaging techniques such as MRI or ultrasound. The technique works at a depth of 1 - 2 mm in opaque materials such as soft and hard biological tissue, silicon and some plastics and ceramics.
OCT is based on light, rather than sound or radio waves, and works by projecting a laser into tissue and detecting ONLY the reflected light that has NOT been multiply-scattered and can therefore form an image.
This 'coherent' non-scattered light is detected by an optical interferometer, which discards the scattered light and uses depth and intensity information to generate an image.
- Live sub-surface images at near-microscopic resolution in 2D and 3D
- Instant, direct imaging of sub-surface microstructure from hand-held probe
- Eye-safe near infrared light used no sample damage likely
- No ionising radiation for use in office, clinic or lab
Multi-Beam OCT, the Michelson Diagnostics advantage: Four beams give twice the resolution, for clearer, more detailed images!
This breakthrough invention, patented in 2001, provides Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) images at unprecedented lateral resolution at least double that of competitor instruments using just one beam providing the user with much higher detail of sub-surface tissue than would otherwise be possible. Due to the physics of light, a single 1300 nm wavelength laser beam cannot be brought to a focus of better than 20 µm over a desired depth of focus of 1 mm.
The diagram above shows a single beam, focused over 1.0 mm, in comparison with four individual beams, each focused over 0.25 mm, but at adjacent depths. Notice how each of the four individual beams comes to a much narrower focus: half the diameter of the single beam focus.
This tighter, sharper focus available from four beams instead of one, provides double the image resolution, producing much crisper, clearer and more informative images.
Michelson Diagnostics' patented optical design ensures that the beams scan the subject together so there is no danger of misalignment or motion artefacts between channels and our advanced processing blends the data from each beam seamlessly into a beautifully detailed composite image.
