Optical apparatus for dual beam heterodyne Fourier domain optical coherence tomography, has detector that synchronizes phase shift such that sample signal or sample interface moving at arbitrary velocity is detected by phase change

NOVELTY - The apparatus has an optical unit for splitting a source field to produce and combine reference and biomedical sample light fields. An optical and electronic unit records a spectral interference pattern between combined light fields. A controlled dynamic phase shift between the sample and reference light field is introduced during signal integration. A detector synchronizes introduced phase shift such that sample signal or sample interface moving at an arbitrary velocity is detected by phase change without depending on signal detection rate.