Importance

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Abstract

An endoscope system is provided with first and second light guides, which are optically coupled by an optical coupler. A low-coherent light source is provided, and the light emitted therefrom is incident on the first or second light guide. Further provided is a scanning unit that causes the light beam emerged from the first light guide to scan on a predetermined surface of the object. The light beam reflected by the object is directed, by the scanning unit, to the first light guide as a detection light beam. A light beam emerged from the second light guide is reflected by a reflector and returned to the second light guide as a reference beam. By varying the optical path length of the reference beam relative to that of the detection beam, two beams interfere. A signal processing system generates OCT image based on the signal detected by a light detecting device which receives the interfering beams.

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First Claim