CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION (S)

| _. 0001j This application relates to and claims priority from U.S. Patent Application Serial

No. 61 /759,580 filed February I , 2013, and U.S, Patent Application Serial No. 61/784,991 Sled March 14, 2013, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

10

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

[ΘΘΘ2) The present disclosure relates to exemplary embodiments of systems, methods and computer-accessible medium for optical imaging and computer -accessible medium associated therewith, and in particular to systems, methods and computer-accessible medium which I S utilize synthetic aperture(s) for extending depth~of~focus of optical coherence tomography imaging,

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

[0003] Optical coherence tomography ("OCT") provides depth-resolved, imaging of 0 biological scattering medium. It has been developed ra both time domain and Fourier domain.

The conventional lime domain system is described, in. detail by D. .Huang el al. [see, e.g., Ret ] |. in general, OCT systems and methods measure a complex field of the light bacfcscattered from multiple depths in samples through an mierferometric detection scheme with a local oscillator (e.g., a reference light Held). The Fourier transform of the measured interference 25 spectrum produces a depth-profile (called A-scan) of the sample.

|0004j The Fourier domain OCT procedures and/or configurations can be implemented in two ways, which are spectrometer based (calied spectral domain OCT, described in U.S. Patent Publication No, 2005/001820.1 } and swept source based (which can be called optical frequency domain imaging, described in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2006/0244973). The axial resolution of an OCT image ai moderate numerical aperture is determined primarily by the central wavelength and optical bandwidth, of the light source and consequently remains constant over the entire imaging depth, in comparison, the transverse resolution is dependent on the light wavelength A , beam diameter d and the objective focal length/ in the .focus, the lateral resolution, can be given by the focus diameter: Δτ =4 f jttd . The depth range over which the lateral resolution is maintained within a factor of v'2 is given by the Rayleigh range (zR ~ The distance over which the lateral resolution can be maintained (e.g., the depth of focus) can be, in general, defined by twice the Rayleigh range. Current broadband laser sources enable axial resolutions below 10 urn over several, centimeters of imaging depth. However, with standard Gaussian beams it is not possible to maintain a similar transverse resolution over a depth range of more than a few hundred micrometers. The relatively short focal-depth, of imaging optics limits the application of high lateral resolution OCT to thin, slices.

|ΘΘΘ5) Various methods have been proposed to address the limited depth-of-foois of OCT, including dynamic focus [see, e.g., efs. 4, 5 ^' j, multi-focus [ ^' see, e.g., Ref. 6], Bessel beam illumination with axicon lenses [see, e.g., Refs. 7, 8], phase apodization [see, e.g., Ref. 9), interferometric synthetic aperture methods (ISAM) [see, e.g., Ref. 10], deconvolution methods [see, e.g., Re , 1 1 }, and scalar diffraction models [see, e.g., Ref. 12 j.

|0006j Another exemplary technique, e.g., self-interference fluorescence microscopy, uses the wavefront curvature of the collected fluorescence light ai the objective's backiocai plane to determine the depth position of a fluorophore in samples, as described in U.S. Patent Publication No, 2.009/0059360. For example, when the source is located in the focal plane, the wavefront at the backi cai plane of the objective is planar. In comparison, when the source is slightly out of focus, the wavefront at the backfocal plane of the objective becomes concave (object before the focal plane) or convex (object after the focal plane). The curvature of the wavefront leads to a subtle optical path length difference between the central part and die edge part of the beam.. This subtle optical path length difference can. be used to determine the distance of the object to the real focal plane.

[ΘΘΘ7] ere may exist some deficiencies associated with those reported depih-of-focus extension methods above, and it may be preferable to address and/or overcome such deficiencies. SUMMARY OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

(ΘΘΘ8) To address arid/or overcome such deficiencies, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be provided, e.g., such as systems, methods and computer-accessible medium, which utilize synthetic aperture(s) for extending depth-of-focus of optical coherence tomography imaging, according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

f ΘΘΘ9| For example, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to separate the light field from different optical apertures in the optical imaging system by using a special phase-retarding optical element. The comple light field (or a field of another electro-magnetic radiation) through different optical apertures can be obtained by an interferometric detection scheme and/or configuration, with a local oscillator field. This allows for light-field .manipulation and re-synthesis to improve the lateral resolution and extend the depth-of-focus,

[Θ0103 According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure,, exemplary embodiments of systems, methods and computer-accessible medium can be provided to separate the detected light fields from different optical aperiitres through adding different delays to the light fields from different optical apertures. This can be performed by, e.g.. inserting a phase plate, for instance an annular phase plate into the sample arm at. the back focal plane of the imaging lens. The annular phase plate can be made in polycarbonate, plastic, glass, or other materials which have a transmission for the OCT light. The light or other electro-magnetic radiation through the solid edge part of the phase plate can be delayed, as compared to the light or other eleciro-magnetic radiation through the hollow center of the phase plate Alternatively or in addition, the light or other electro-magnetic radiation, through the hollow center of the phase plate can be delayed as compared to the solid edge part of the phase plate. The delay cm be determined by the optical thickness of the phase plate, and. can lead to a depth-separation of the signals formed by the light through the edge pan and. the hollow center in the OCT A-lines.

[0011| According to some exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the wave front of the collected light (or other electro-magnetic radiation) at the backfocal. plane of the objective can be curved when the scattering object is oiu-of-focus. This curvature can induce a small extra path length difference between the edge part and central part of the beam, e.g., with respect to a delay with the depth separation by the phase plate. This small extra path length difference can be corrected by applying a constant phase to the detected light field of the edge part of the beam. Then, the detected OCT signals formed by the central part and edge part, of the beam can be summed to produce a new image with defoeus effect corrected. The lateral resolution of the image is consequently improved,

[0002 j According to further exemplary embodiment of the present discourse, due to the reflection mode of the OCT measurement, three separate signals from different optical apertures can be acquired in parallel in a single A-hne, when a phase plate is inserted into the sample arm. This can be because the phase plate creates three different paths for the sample arm light to reach the detector via a scattering object in the sample: the first, light path passes through the center of the phase plate both on the way to the scattering object and back. The second path can pass through the center on the way to the scattering object and travels back through the edge, or, passes through the edge on the way to the scattering object and travels back through the center. Finally, the third light path can pass through the edge of the phase ^• plate both on the way to the scattering object and back. The three different light paths can. cause different light propagation path lengths, which can encode the three images into different ^; depths of a single OCT cross-section, image. This depth-encoding can facilitate a manipulation, of the phase of the three signals to correct the phase difference due to the wave front curvature, if a phase plate of different shape .and with multiple optical thickness is used, more than three signals can be produced that can be manipulated to improve the lateral or depth, resolution of the imaging.

(ΘΘΘ3) In one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, an exemplary apparatus can be provided for generating at least one image of a structure. The apparatus can include at least one first arrangement that has a structural configuration with a first aperture and a second aperture. At least one detector second arrangement can be provided which is configured to detect (i) a first electro-magnetic signal provided to or from the structure via the first aperture, and (si) a second electro-magnetic signal provided to or from the structure via the second aperture. The first and second signals can. be associated with data regarding at least one portion of the structure. The exemplary apparatus can further include at least one processing third arrangement which is configured to combine an amplitude and a phase of each of the first and second signals with one another to form a combined amplitude and a combined phase of a combined signal, and then generate the image(s) based on the combined signal.

[ΘΘΘ4} The first signal and/or the second signal can be an optical coherence tomography signal. The first and second signals can be provided at different, depths of an optical coherence tomography depth profile of the structure. The structural configuration can include a third aperture, and the detector second arrangements) ca be configured to detect a third electro-magnetic signal associated with data regarding the portion of the structure provided from the structure via the third aperture. The processing third arrangement can be further configured to combine an amplitude and a phase of each of th lu st, second and third signals with one another to form the combined amplitude and the combined phase of the combined signal. Prior to forming the combined amplitude and the combined phase of the combined signal, the processing third arrangement can be configured to actively manipulate the phase of the first signal, the second signal and/or the third signal. A amount of phase manipulation of at least one of the first signal, the second signal or the third signal is optimizable with a criteria related to at least one property of the image at a particular depth. The processing third arrangement can be further configured to actively manipulate the phase of the first signal, the second signal and/or the third signal differently for separate sections of the structure which are provided at different depths thereof.

1 0051 According to still another exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the structure can be a biological structure. The structural configuration can. include a. material that provides (i) the first and second apertures therein, and (ii) a path length of the first signal that is different from a path length of the second signal. A difference between the path lengths of the first and second signals can be greater than a length or a thickness of the portion of the structur being imaged. The material ean include a. glass, a phase grating, a deformable mirror, and/or a spatial phase modulator. The detector second arrangement can include at least one single-mode fiber which collects the first and second signals. The first arrangement can be provided in an endoscope. The structural configuration can have first and second structures, the first structure can include the first aperture, and the second structure can include the second aperture. The first arrangement can be provided in a microscope. [ΘΘΘ6 _. Ι Further features and advantages of the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure will become apparent taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures and drawings and upon reading the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure, and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWI GS

(ΘΘ67) Further objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures showing illustrative embodiments of the present disclosure, in which:

[00J 2j Figures 1(a)- 1(d) are a set of diagrams illustrating an exemplary principle of a depth-encoded synthetic aperture method for extending depih-of-focus of optical coherence tomography according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

|ΘΘ13| Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a synthetic aperture OCT system according to an exemplary embodiment of ihe present disclosure;

(ΘΘ.141 Figure 3 is a diagram of a refocusing process implementing exemplary synthetic aperture OCT techniques and systems according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure;

jOOlSj Figure 4(a)-4(h) is a. set of exemplary intensity images produced by truncated Gaussian beam OCT, conventional full Gaussian beam OCT, and exemplary synthetic aperture OCT techniques and systems, e.g., when phantom is moved awa from the objective at a physical step of about SO μιη;

[ΘΘ163 Figures 5(a)~5(c) are exemplary lateral profiles of three selected spheres for different displacement of phantom relative ihe objective for truncated Gaussian beam, full Gaussian beam and exemplary synthetic apenure OCT imaging techniques and systems; (ΘΘ17) Figures 6(a)-«>(d) are exemplar ' graphs of a fall width at half maximum (FWRM) of the three selected spheres as a function of the phantom displacement relative to the objective for truncated Gaussian beam, full Gaussian beam and exemplary synthetic aperture OCT imaging techniques and systems, and point spread function of full Gaussian beam imaging generated from physical optics simulation;

[0018] Figures 7(a)-7(c} are exemplary graphs of scattered energy of the spheres in truncated Gaussian beam imaging, full Gaussian beam imaging and refocused imaging;

[0919] Figure 8 is exemplary graph providing a phase factor applied to middle and bottom images for the image refocusing.

[0020] Figure 9 is an exemplary graph illustrating a system efficiency of traditional

Gaussian beam OCT imaging as opposed to exemplary synthetic aperture OCT imaging techniques and systems:

[ΘΘ21] Figure 10 is an illustration of a set of exemplary embodiments of phase plate design for synthetic aperture OCT according to the present disclosure;

(0022) Figure 1 1 is an illustration of a set of exemplary embodiments of sample arm designs for implementing synthetic aperture OCT techniques and systems according to the present disclosure; and

[ΘΘ23] Figures 12(a)- 12(c) are side schematic views of exemplary embodiments of OCT catheter designs for implementing synthetic aperture OCT according to the present disclosure.

(0024) Throughout the drawings, the same reference numerals and characters, unless otherwise stated, are used to denote like features, elements, components, or portions of the illustrated embodiments. Moreover, while the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the figures, it is done so in connection with the illustrative embodiments and is not limited by the particular embodiments illustrated in the figures, or the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Exemplary procedures of synthetic aperture OCT imaging

|0025| The exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can extend the depth-of- focus of the OCT image, in addition, the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure also provides various different phase retarding optics designs and different sample ami designs for implementing, synthetic aperture OCT.

|ΘΘ26| According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, as shown in Figures 1 (a)- 1(d), the annular phase piate (HO) positioned at the baekfocal plane of the objective ( 120) separates the collected light wavefront into two parts: central beam (130) through the central hole of the phase plate, and edge beam (140) through the solid edge pari of the phase plate (1 10). When the object ( 150) is in-focus, the collected light goes through the phase plate (1 10) with a planar wavefront. The edge beam (.140) is delayed with respect to the centra! beam (130) due the longer optical path length, given by Δζ η~1) , with the thickness of the phase plate (110), and n the refractive index of the phase plate ( 110) (see Figure 1(a)). in a single OCT 8~scan, the central beam image and the edge beam image are encoded to two different depth locations separated by 1.) . A. new image can he constructed by correcting the delay (or depth-separation Δε ( » - 1. ) ) in post processing and coherently adding those two images (see Figure 1(h)). The newly constructed image can have a comparable lateral resolution as the image acquired without the phase plate (11.0). When the object ( I SO) is defoensed (see Figure 1(c)) (in this example - above the focal plane), the edge beam (140) can undergo the same delay due to the phase plate ( 1.10) as in the in-focus ease.. In addition, a. small extra delay ( <¾) can occur due to the curvature of the wavefront (130, 140). An image with an improved focus can be constructed by correcting the edge beam (140) wavefront for both the terms Ar(» -l) and S∑ (Figure 1 (d)).

(0027) Mathematically, the detected OCT signal i (k) in. spectral domain OCT and optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) for a single scattering object can be expressed by the following equation: where k is the wave number, is the square root of the scattering object reflectivity at depth z, ./,. (£ ) and / _s {k ) on the right-hand side of Eq. (1.) are the wavelength-dependent intensity reflected from the reference arm and sample ami, respectively, and are also called DC terms. The third term is the interference between the reference arm and sample arm that contains the depth information. The DC terms are from now on omitted since they carry no depth information and only the interference term is retained.

(00:28) According to an exemplary embodiment of the system according to the present disclosure, as shown in Figure 2, when a phase plate (PP) (205) is inserted into the sample arm, there can be, e.g., three or more different paths for the sample arm light to reach the detector (218) via a scattering object in the sample (200): the first light path passes through the center of the phase plate PP (205) both on the way to the scattering object and back. The second path can pass through the center on the way to the scattering object and travels hack through the edge, or, can pass through the edge on the way to the scattering object and travels back through the center. Finally, the third light path can pass through the edge of the phase plate (205) both on the way to the scattering object and back. These three exemplary paths can generate three different depth encoded images, where each image corresponds to the light detected through a distinct circular (or annular) aperture or a combination of apertures. The interference of the sample arm lighi with a local oscillator field (e.g. , the reference field) can provide both the amplitude and the phase of these three images.

[6029] The interference term for a single object with the phase plate in the beam path is dins given, by :

/ ( k) = ψ, ( A ) /, (k {[exp ( 2te)

+ exp (i 2kz + ikl (&z (« - 1} + £z))] + C.C j where Δ~(« ~ 1) is the single pass optical path length difference between the central beam

( 130) and edge be m ( 140), C.C. indicates the complex conjugate, and δζ is the small extra optical path length difference between the central beam (130) and edge beam. (1.40) resulting from the defocus-induced wavefront curvature, which becomes zero when the object is in focus.

[0030] To facilitate the exemplary image processing of summing coherently the three terms in Eq. (2) into a single image, the k value can be written as k ~ k _l} -i- k for the terms that contain products with and & , As an example, the second term on the right hand side of Eq. (2) (the middle image) can be rewritten as:

i(k) k l k) ^ (0)

10031 ^' j The wavelength-dependent phase term ( AkSz ) can be neglected, since Sz is smaller than a wavelength, and the optical bandwidth or the tuning range of the laser source is in general smaller than ±5% of the central wavelength. Then, Eq. (3) am be written as follows, with the constant phase (^--independent) terms separated out;

/ (k ) = e (i¾. ^ } i _y (k)I _t (Α·)αβχρ|72Α χρ(/ Δ -·!))+ C/\

with (p _a w _is - " _(ι ,¾ΐ {« - 1 } + k _(t Sz The third term on the right hand side of Eq. (2) (the bottom image) is now given

with ~ 2* _(ί Δζ w - l + 2k _& z compared to Eq, ( 1 ) for the OCT signal detected without phase plate, an extra osciiiation phase (&k&z(n ~l) ) mi a constant phase ψ are added m Eq. (4) and (5), resulting from the phase plate and defocus effect. The phase term. {k _{! Sz } is negative when the focal plane is below the imaging target and positive when the focal plane is above the imaging target. From the description above, it is possible to extract the individual light .field from different optical apertures from the measured OCT B-scasi. [0033) Figure 3 illustrates a diagram of an exemplar? refoeusmg process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. For example, three images can be clearly seen in parallel in single B-scan (310). The top image can be formed by the light through shortest optical path (incident and backscattered through the central hole of the phase plate (205)). The middle image can be attributed to the light incident through the central hole and backscattered through the phase plate (205) or the other way around. The bottom image can be attributed to the light (incident and backscattered. through the solid edge part of the phase plate (205)}. The refoeusing procedure and/or method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure can include the following steps: (a) Exemplary depth-decoding (350) the middle and bottom images to the depth position of the top image to correct the depth-offset due to the phase plate — Ϊ) ). This can be done, e.g., using the Fourier shift-theorem;

/,.(A-) = (A')exp( A ) (0) where l \ k) and / _f (£} are the spectrum before and after the frequency-shift, respectively; and A$ is the frequency-shift, factor for depth-decoding (350) the middle and bottom images relative to ihe top image m the spectra! domain, in theory, Δ0 is equal to Δζ{η ~ \ ) for the middle image and to 2Δζ(η—1) for the bottom image. In the experimental calculation, the frequency-shift factor Αψ can, for example, be determined by maxi mizing the energy of the sum of the magnitude of the top image with the shifted middle and bottom images (incoherent sum).

Exemplary correction of the defocus-induced .additional phase change Ο60). This phase change can be \ we umber-independent and therefore can be corrected simply by applying a constant phase factor to the Fourier-transformed spectrum which undergoes a frequency-shift in the first step. Then, all three complex images can be coherently summed to reconstruct a new image. This can be expressed, as:

- ¾ _Ψ + S _* **, expHif ) + e i-ty^) (0) where <S ^* .., _tl is the original complex Fourier-transformed B-scan, =V _Mj . _ia¾ and ¾ _{fi pjK} are the complex Fourier-transformed B-scans with the middle and bottom images being depth-decoded (350), respectively; ^„ _H ,. _¾ . and ψ^,, are phase factors (0-2%) applied to 5 _HfsVfc and .¾ _, ,,..,„„ respectively. In principle, ^ _s¾fe¾ and ψ}..,,^ are the wrapped phase of k _e &z {« - 1)+ +k _x , Sz) . in practical calculation, these two phase factors (if _mism and above can be determined by maximizing the energy of ihe reconstructed or refocused image (i'^,,, _, ......, )- The exemplary images with two beads (320,330,340, 380) as an example in the windows shown in Figure 3 can provide detailed insight into the reconstruction process and how the focus is improved. The phase manipulation leads to constructive interference on the center part of the focus spot and destructive interference on the edge part of the .focus spot (i.e., side lobe in middle and bottom images}.

[0034] This exemplary combined constructive and deconstruct! ve interference process can improve the lateral resolution.

[0035] Figure 4 shows exemplary illustrations of a direct comparison between three different imaging modes for different positions of the lens focus: (i) the foil beam image without phase plate, (2) the truncated Gaussian beam image (e.g., top image of the original B- scan), and (3) the reiocused image, where the three images are shown as the top, middle and bottom in each subflgure. The subflgures (Figures 4(a)~4(h)) are exemplary images of the phantom being moved away from, the objective (20 ) at 80~um step size. Due to the refractive index mismatch, the step size should be scaled by the refractive index of the phantom to represent the actual focal plane shift (see, e.g., Re j. Thus, the physical phantom movement of 80 .urn. can. lead to a I i S,2-pm displacement of the focal plane. As shown in Figures 4(a)- 4(h), the spheres in the truncated beam images appeared to have a very slow change in width over the detbcus process. This can be because the light beam is truncated from 3,4 mm to 1.8 mm (diameter) by the phase plate which results in an extension of Rayleigh range at the cost of an increased lateral focal spot size. In contrast, the corresponding full beam image without phase plate (205) experienced a much more rapid change in the sphere's width during the same defocus process. For th reiocused images, as compared to the full beam image, the reiocused image had comparable focus size and maintained the focus over a much larger depth range.

[00363 Figures S(a)-5(c) show exemplary normalized intensity profiles of three spheres (I , 2, 3) selected in Figure 4„ respectively, on a linear scale. From top to bottom row profiles are shown as a function of the translation of the phantom away from the ob jective with 80- um step size, corresponding to the images provided in Figure 4. Overall, the three spheres showed a similar profile change (broad-uarrow-broad) and the best focus occurred at the fourth row from, die top. For the truncated beam (520) and refocused images (510), the sphere's profiles were all single-peak shaped. For the full beam image (530) however, the spheres showed a profile w th side lobes hi die first two rows. The behavio is consistent with the physical optics simulation, showing that the lateral profile at the depth between objective and actual focal plane exhibits multiple-maxima.

(ΘΘ37) Figures 6(a)-6(d) show exemplary graphs of the foil width at half maximum (f W ^' HM) yielded, from Gaussian fitting on the exemplary intensity profile graphs in Figures 5(a)-5(c). The FWHM is plotted in Figures 6(a)-6(d) as a function of the phantom displacement relative to the focal plane. For all three spheres, the slowest variation, in. FWHM daring deibcus occurred for the truncated Gaussian beam image (612, 622, 632) (fo this image the resolution is always poor). The most rapid FWHM change is observed for the lull beam image (613, 623, 633). As for the refocused image (61 1 , 621 , 631), it was focused better than the truncated Gaussian beam image (612, 622, 632) over the whole range. This can indicate that the refocusing technique, method, system and computer-accessible medium according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure not only extends the depth-focus as beam truncation does, but can also produce a better resolution than that of the beam truncation.

ΙΘΘ38] As compared to the full beam image (613, 623, 633), the exemplary refocused image (61.1, 621 631) yielded a comparable resolution within a short range around actual focal plane. Moreover, the resolution of the refocused image (611 , 621 , 631) degraded much more slowly than thai of the full beam image (6.13, 623, 633). For example, spheres I and 3 showed the smallest FWHM in the refocused image (61 1 , 631) and full beam image (613, 633) when the phantom was at around 200 pra. As the phantom position increased from 200 um, the FWHM increased much more quickly for the full beam image (6.13, 633) than for the refocused image (6.U , 631 ). To determine the difference in depth~of~focus between the full beam and the refocused beam, the slope of the FWHM as a function of phantom position at. the right side of the focus position in Figures 6(a)-6(c) was determined. On average, e.g., the FWHM increase m the full beam image (613, 623, 633) was about 5 times faster than the refocused image (61 1 , 621 _» 631 ). Figure 6(d) illustrates an. exemplary comparison between the full beam FWHM (613, 623, 633) measured from, the experiment: and the FWHM calculated from, the physical optics simulation (640), The experimentai results match the simulation very well.

(0039) Figures 7(a)- 7(c) illustrate exemplary graphs providing an exemplary energy efficiency of the refocusing technique utilized, by die exemplary method, system and computer-accessible medium of the exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, in comparison with the procedures utilizing the truncated beam and the Gaussian beam, e.g., where the energy of the selected spheres is provided, as a function of the phantom displacement relative to the objective. For example, the energy defined as the intensity integrated over the area of the three selected spheres was calculated for three imaging modes (e.g., truncated beam (712, 722, 732), refocused (71 1 , 721, 73 1 ), full beam imaging (713, 723, 733)). As shown in Figures 7{a)-7(c), in truncated beam imaging mode (712, 722, 732), the three spheres showed a slow continuous change in energy incre3se-maxinmm"dec.rease). In contrast, in both the exemplary refocused imaging (71 1 , 721 , 731) and full beam imaging (713, 723, 733), the three spheres experienced a faster energy change over different phantom positions. Moreover, the energy difference between those two imaging modes was also very consistent among those three spheres. The energy efficiency of the exemplary refocusing technique (711 , 721, 73 1 ) utilized by the exemplary method, system and compuier-accessibie medium can he evaluated on the three spheres at three depths around the optima! focus position (phantom at 200, 240, and 280 μιη). The exemplary results indicate thai the exemplary refocusing technkme (71 1. 721 , 731) utilized by the exemplary method, system and computer-accessible medium suffered onl from, e.g., a -1.9 to -4.1 dB energy efficiency loss as compared to the Ml beam imaging (713, 723, 733). This is close to the expected value (-3 dB) based on the theoretical considerations,

(0040] Figure 8 illustrates an exemplary graph providing art exemplary relationship of the phase (e.g., factor) which can be used for refocusing with the defoeus extent for both the middle ( 10) and bottom, images (820). For example, the exemplary phase factors obtained based on the maximum energy criterion described above can indicate a linear relationship with the defocnsed depth, as predicted by theory. Moreover, the slope of the plot for the bottom image (840) was about twice of that for the middle image (830). The slopes yielded by least square linear fitting are 6.81 and 13.69 mrad pm, respectively. The slope for the middle image (6.81 mrad/pm) (830) is very close to the slope (7.25 mrad/μι») predicted by the physical optics simulation.

|0041 j Figure 9 illustrates an exemplary graph providing an exemplary system efficiency of conventional Gaussian beam imaging without phase plate ( 10) and with phase plate (920) using physical optics simulation. As seen in Figure 9, e.g., when the defocus becomes larger than about 250 μηι (corresponding to about 2 times ayleigh range), the introduction of phase plate can actually gain a little efficiency as compared to the case of no phase plate.

ΘΘ42] Figure 10 shows exemplary designs of several different possible phase plates for the synthetic aperture OCT system, method and computer-accessible medium according to the exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0043] Figure I I illustrates exemplary schematic diagrams of the exemplary systems according to the present disclosure providing different exemplary sample arm design with phase plates. For example, the phase plate (PP) (1 105, 1107) can be positioned at the real backfocai plane. The gafvo scanner ( 1102) can be provided at relayed backfocal plane by a pair of lens (1 103, 1 104). Alternatively, beam scanning by the gaivo scanner can be replaced by sample scanning using, e.g., a motorized translation stage (1 1 10).

|ΘΘ44| Figures 12(a)-] 2(c) show a set of schematic diagrams of three different OCT catheter designs with respective phase plates according to further exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, (he phase plate (1214, 1224,) can b positioned before or after a GRIN or other type lens (.12.13, 1223). Alternatively, the phase plate ( 1233) can be positioned in the back focal plane of an imaging lens beam ( 1232),

[ΘΘ45| The foregoing merely illustrates the principles of the disclosure. Various modifications and alterations to the described embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the teachings herein, indeed, the arrangements, systems and methods according to the exemplary embodiments of (he present disclosure can be ased with and/or implemented in any OC T system, OFDI system, SD-OCT system or other imaging systems, and for example with those described in International Patent Application PCT/US2004/02 148, filed September 8, 2004 which published as International Patent Publication No. WO 2005/047813 on May 26, 2005, U.S. Patent Application. No. 1 1/266,779, filed November 2, 2005 which published as U.S. Patent Publication No, 2006/0093276 on May 4, 2006, and U.S. Patent Application Ho. 10/501 ,276, filed July 9, 2004 which published as U.S. Patent Publication No. 2005/0018201 on January 27, 2005, and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0122246, published on May 9, 2002, the disclosures of which are incorporated fay reference herein in their entireties. It wi.il thus be appreciated thai those skilled in the art will be able to devise numerous systems, arrangements, and procedures which, although not explicitly shown or described herein, embody the principles of the disclosure and can be thus within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. In addition, all publications and references referred to above can be incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, it should be understood that the exemplary procedures described herein can be stored on any computer accessible medium, including a bard drive, RAM, ROM, removable disks, CD-ROM, memory sticks, etc, and executed by a processing arrangement and/or computing arrangement which can be arid/or include a hardware processors, microprocessor, mini, macro, mainframe, etc., including a plurality and/or combination thereof. In addition, certain terms used in the present disclosure, including the specification, drawings and claims thereof, can be used synonymously in certain instances, including, but not limited to, e.g., data, and information. It should be understood that, while these words, and/or other words that can be synonymous to one another, can be used, synonymously herein, that there can be instances when such words can be intended to not be used, synonymously. Further, to the extent that the prior art knowledge has not been explicitly incorporated by reference herein above, it can be explicitly being incorporated herein in its entirety. All publications referenced above can be incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

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