IV-PSOCT (intravascular polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography) delivers depth-resolved tissue birefringence, which can be utilised to assess a plaque's mechanical stability. A new technique for constructing polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography in a microscope platform was described in a prior paper. We showed how this technology may be used in an endoscopic platform, which has a wide range of therapeutic uses. A 12-m polarization-maintaining fiber-based imaging probe can be added to a standard intravascular OCT system to enable IV-PSOCT. Its two polarisation modes provide OCT images of polarisation detection channels that are spatially separated by a 2.7 mm image separation. With chicken tendon, chicken breast, and coronary artery as image examples, we experimentally validated our IV-PSOCT. Our IV-PSOCT was able to successfully visualise the birefringent characteristics.
