Three-Dimensional Microscopy Through White Light Interferometry

A very simple OCT system has been developed, based on a Linnik interferometric microscope with its reference mirror mounted on a piezoelectric translator. The geometrical extension of the optics allows efficient illumination of this device with a low power (3 W) light bulb, yielding full field interferometric images at 50 Hz acquisition rate with a fast CCD camera. Due to the very broad spectral width of the light source and camera response, a longitudinal resolution of 1.5 mum is achieved. Tomographic images of cell smears are shown.