Us. Sathyam et al., Evaluation of optical coherence quantitation of analytes in turbid media by use of two wavelengths, APPL OPTICS, 38(10), 1999, pp. 2097-2104
We introduce a novel method for determining analyte concentration as a func
tion of depth in a highly scattering media by use of a dual-wavelength opti
cal coherence tomography system. We account for the effect of scattering on
the measured attenuation by using a second wavelength that is not absorbed
by the sample. We assess the applicability of this technique by measuring
the concentration of water in an Intralipid phantom, using a probe waveleng
th of 1.53 mu m and a reference wavelength of 1.31 mu m. The results of our
study show a strong correlation between the measured absorption and the wa
ter content of the sample. The accuracy of the technique, however, was limi
ted by the dominance of scattering over absorption in the turbid media. Thu
s, although the effects of scattering were minimized, significant errors re
mained in the calculated absorption values. More-accurate results could be
obtained with the use of more powerful superluminescent diodes and a choice
of wavelengths at which absorption effects are more significant relative t
o scattering. (C) 1999 Optical Society of America.