Medical Optical Imaging
OCT, ophthalmic, endoscopic, and skin imaging optical modules — with OEM design-in support and quality documentation.
Step 1 — Define your goal
What are you trying to achieve?
Pick the experiment / project closest to yours. We'll route you to the right system architecture and BOM.
Step 2 — Confirm the problem
Common project challenges
If any of these sound familiar, you're in the right place. WaveQuanta engineers have seen — and solved — every one of them.
Light source selection
SLD, swept-source, supercontinuum, broadband LED — sets axial resolution and cost.
Fiber coupling and delivery
Single-mode, polarization-maintaining, double-clad. Loss budget over flex / wear cycles.
Scanning architecture
MEMS, galvo, resonant — affects field of view, frame rate, and form factor.
Filter and dichroic stack
Wavelength-selective light routing; mismatch leads to crosstalk and ghost images.
Detector selection
Line-scan camera, balanced photodiode, sCMOS — determines sensitivity and frame rate.
Miniaturization for handheld / endoscope
All optics in < 30 mm³ envelope is hard.
Mechanical and thermal stability
Image quality must survive shipping, temperature swings, and 5+ years of use.
Medical quality docs and long-term supply
ISO 13485 batch records, 5+ year supply, change-control discipline.
Step 3 — Understand the system
Typical system architecture
Most projects in this area follow a similar signal flow. Your specific architecture depends on resolution, throughput, and form-factor targets.
SLD, swept-source, supercontinuum, or broadband LED — pre-validated for the modality.
PM / SM / DCF fiber + connectors + flex management. Loss-budgeted end-to-end.
MEMS / galvo / resonant scanning + telecentric or flat-field objective.
Wavelength routing for excitation, emission, reference arm.
Line-scan camera, balanced photodiode, or sCMOS — paired to source.
Step 4 — Pick the modules
Recommended system modules
These are the building blocks. Each module is a category of products — pick the right brand and grade for your project stage below.
Light Source Module
SLD, swept-source, supercontinuum, or broadband LED — pre-validated for the modality.
- SLD 800 / 1300 nm
- Swept-source 1300 nm
- Supercontinuum visible–NIR
- Low-noise current driver
Fiber Delivery Subassembly
PM / SM / DCF fiber + connectors + flex management. Loss-budgeted end-to-end.
- Single-mode 1310 / 1550
- PM fiber for polarization-sensitive OCT
- Double-clad for confocal endoscopy
- FC/APC, LC connectors
Scanning Optics
MEMS / galvo / resonant scanning + telecentric or flat-field objective.
- MEMS 2-axis (≤ 5 mm aperture)
- Galvo for benchtop
- Resonant scanner for high frame rate
Filter & Dichroic Package
Wavelength routing for excitation, emission, reference arm.
- Bandpass / longpass filters
- Dichroic mirrors
- Notch filters for confocal
- AR coatings
Detection Module
Line-scan camera, balanced photodiode, or sCMOS — paired to source.
- Line-scan InGaAs (1300 nm)
- Balanced photodiode (SS-OCT)
- sCMOS for fluorescence
Compact Optical Subassembly
Folded optical paths, athermalized mounts, drop-in modules.
- Athermalized mount design
- Fold mirrors / prisms
- Pre-aligned subassembly
Reference Arm / Interferometer
Mach-Zehnder, Michelson, balanced — depends on OCT topology.
- Balanced detection arm
- Dispersion-matched
- Variable delay
OEM Design-in Support
Joint engineering for production-ready optics with full quality docs.
- Joint design review
- Tolerance analysis
- Qualification testing
- Long-term supply contract
Step 5 — Match your project stage
Choose your project stage
Same modules, three configurations sized for where your project is today. Move up the tiers as you progress from research to validation to OEM.
Research Starter
Clinical research / pilot
First-pass benchtop optical engine for clinical proof-of-concept. Validates source-detector-scanning combination on real samples.
- Off-the-shelf SLD or swept source
- Manual fiber coupling
- Galvo scanner + Plossl objective
- Line-scan or balanced detection
- Reference design BOM
BOM tier: $50k – $150k
Engineering Validation
Pre-production · Tier 1 OEM
Engineering build of the optical engine for design verification. Includes athermalization, tolerance budgeting, and reliability test plan.
- Custom-spec light source
- PM fiber delivery, athermalized
- Pre-aligned scanning subassembly
- Filtered, dispersion-matched arms
- Full tolerance & reliability docs
BOM tier: $200k – $500k
OEM Production
Volume manufacturing
Production-released optical engine with locked BOM, ISO 13485 quality records, and 5+ year supply contract.
- Locked-spec optical engine
- ISO 13485 batch records
- Incoming inspection criteria
- Engineering change control
- 5+ year supply contract
- FTE OEM engineer dedicated
BOM tier: $500k+ · per-unit + NRE
Step 6 — Run the numbers
Recommended calculators
Sanity-check your design before talking to an engineer.
Step 7 — Configure the system
Configure your setup with our engineering tools
Two ways to go from "this is what I want to do" to "this is the BOM I need".
Open Medical Imaging Optical Engine VL
Place SLD, fiber, scanner, objective, and detector on a 3D layout. Verify loss budget end-to-end. Export a manufacturable BOM.
Launch Virtual LabAsk AI to spec my imaging optical module
Describe the modality (OCT / endoscopic / skin), wavelength, resolution target, frame rate, and form-factor constraints. AI Concierge proposes a complete optical engine spec.
Open AI ConciergeStep 8 — Anchor SKUs
Featured products for this application
Common picks for this application area. Your final BOM will pull from a wider catalog and be sized to your project tier.
Princeton Instruments
Princeton sCMOS Camera
WaveQuanta
1120–1750 nm OCT Light Source
LBTek
Single-Mode Fiber Patch Cable
LBTek
MEMS Scanning Micromirror
WaveQuanta
Bandpass Filter Set
LBTek
Shortpass Dichroic Mirror DM10-805SP
Princeton Instruments
NIRvana InGaAs Camera (1310 nm Detection)
LBTek
Telecentric Objective
Step 9 — Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the questions our application engineers hear most often.
Which OCT wavelength: 800, 1060, or 1300 nm?
800 nm: best axial resolution (~3 µm) but limited penetration. Mostly retinal imaging. 1060 nm: deeper than 800, lower water absorption, popular for choroidal imaging. 1300 nm: deepest penetration (3+ mm), preferred for anterior segment, cardiology, dermatology, endoscopy. Wavelength choice cascades into source / fiber / detector selection.
SD-OCT vs SS-OCT — which to use?
SD-OCT: simpler, lower cost, mature for retina. Limited by spectrometer pixel count. SS-OCT: faster A-scan rates (100 kHz–MHz), better roll-off depth, and PM fiber compatibility. Most new commercial systems are moving to SS-OCT.
How tight is the fiber loss budget?
For OCT, every dB of loss costs you SNR (= image quality) directly. Typical budget: source → splitter → sample arm → reflection → detector total < 6 dB single-pass for good SNR. Coupling losses, connector losses, and component returns all add up. WaveQuanta provides per-component loss data and an end-to-end loss model in Engineering Validation tier.
Can the optical engine survive ophthalmic surgical environments?
Operating room conditions (humidity swings, temperature, sterilization cycles) require athermalized mounts, sealed packaging, and tolerance budgets that account for thermal-mechanical drift. Our Engineering Validation tier includes accelerated environmental testing per IEC 60601-1.
Do you support FDA 510(k) submissions?
We don't author the 510(k) ourselves — that's your regulatory team's job — but we provide all the supporting evidence: BOM with components and traceability, optical performance test data, environmental qualification, and change-control records. Our docs are written to be 510(k)-ready.
What's the minimum order quantity for OEM production?
We typically engage at 100+ units/year. Below that, our Engineering Validation tier is more cost-effective. Above 1000 units/year, custom optical-engine pricing kicks in.
How long does design-in take?
Engineering Validation tier: typically 16–24 weeks from spec freeze to first qualified prototype. OEM Production: another 12–20 weeks for design verification, supplier qualification, and first article inspection.
Confocal endoscopy — what's special?
Confocal endoscopy demands double-clad fiber (DCF) for simultaneous excitation and signal collection, with a confocal pinhole strategy in the detection path. Bend tolerance over thousands of flexures is the tough engineering problem — we co-design the fiber, distal optics, and pinhole.
Step 10 — Engineering Review
Application Engineering Review
Tell us your application, current setup, and project context. A WaveQuanta application engineer will return initial recommendations within 1 business day.
- 1 Application
- 2 Current setup
- 3 Project & purchase