Ultrabroadband VIS-NIR spectrometer for mouse retinal OCT

Hyperspectral OCT imaging of retina within the visible-near-infrared wavelengths could further improve the achievable axial resolution and harness the spectroscopic information for biomarker of retinal diseases. Previous efforts to develop OCT covering both visible and near-infrared wavelengths were hampered by the challenges in designing broadband spectrometer with adequate performance. Here, we described a design and implementation of a broadband spectrometer that could achieve spectral range of more than 450 nm with central wavelength around 680 nm. With it, we further demonstrate in vivo imaging of mouse retina using a fiber-based OCT system.