Integrated optic Static OCT based on LLIFTS – OCT-LLIFTS

The aim of this project is the design and the realisation of an OCT (Optical Coherence Tomograph) demonstrator compact and fully static. This demonstrator associates an optical glass integrated chip with a large bandwith optical source and a linear camera. This system will have a cost drastically less than the existing systems. It must also allow a high acquisition speed rate in order to investigate in vivo measurement. The main component used in this system is a novel structure named LLIFTS. It has been developed by IMEP-LAHC and IPAG in order to realize integrated spectrometer with spectral resolution close to one nanometer. With this component, Fourier interferogram of the optical source injected is obtained. The spectrum is then calculated applying an inverse Fourier transform on this interferogram. In this project, this property to obtain directly the interferogram is used to measure the tomography along an axis corresponding of the skin thickness for example. This interferogram will be issued from the interference between a reference signal and the signal reflected by the analysed area. So, using a large optical bandwith source, small interference packets will be detected corresponding to all backscattered light in the thickness axis. We expect to have a system easier to use with a high acquisition rate. These properties must to make this system competitive with the most powerful OCT proposed now in the literature. A start up is developed now with the aim to incease this kind of integrated optic systems. To realize a demonstrator, the project is divided in six tasks with the collaboration of three partners IMEP-LAHC, IPAG and FLORALIS which are already in relation with Grenoble manufacturers as TEEM Photonics and E2V. The first task will be supervised by the FLORALIS a filial of université of Joseph Fourier. It will help us on the project supervision and the technology transfer. The second task will be focused on the modelization and the conception of the glass integrated components. The fourth task will be devoted to the development of set-up to glue together the bulk components with the glass chip as the linear photodetector. The fifth task will be devoted to the characterisation of the different components and especially the OCT demonstrator. Finally, the last task will be devoted to develop data process to analyse the measured signals. The abilities of each partner are well defined and different. IMEP-LAHC is an expert in glass integrated technology. IPAG will share its knowledge on the realization of complex measurement systems using different technologies. Moreover, its expertise in the signal processing domain will be also appreciated.