Matrix approach to quantitative refractive index analysis by Fourier domain optical coherence tomography.

The rapid development in the field of optical coherence tomography has demanded increasingly sophisticated numerical models to enable the interpretation of image data and extract quantitative results. We use a matrix formulation of Fresnel's equations for multilayered media to extract layer-dependent thickness and refractive index directly from Fourier domain optical coherence tomography spectrograms. An eigenanalysis spectral decomposition approach is used to constrain the least squares fitting algorithm, avoiding the need for initial estimates of the parameter values. We demonstrate this novel quantitative analysis approach by using a multilayered phantom and show good agreement with the known layer parameter values. This approach introduces a powerful tool for the analysis of layer-dependent optical properties that could have an important role in the differentiation of healthy and diseased tissue.