Single camera based spectral domain polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography

We developed a new spectral domain polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (SD PS-OCT) system that requires only a single spectrometer CCD camera. The spectra of the horizontal and vertical polarization channels are imaged adjacent to each other on a 2048 pixel line scan camera, using 1024 pixels for each channel. Advantages of the system are reduced costs and complexity, lower demands on timing and triggering circuitry, and higher robustness against camera misalignments. We discuss the additional postprocessing required to accommodate for spectral distortions, show calibration measurements in a test sample, and finally demonstrate the system for measuring human ocular tissue in vivo. (c) 2007 Optical Society of America.