Fourier Domain (FD) Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) interferograms require a Fourier transformation in order to be converted to A-Scans representing the backscattering intensity from the different depths of the tissue microstructure. Most often, this transformation is performed using a discrete Fourier transform, i.e. the well-known Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). However, there are many alternatives for performing the necessary spectral conversion. Autoregressive (AR) spectral estimation techniques are one such example. The parametric nature of AR techniques offers several advantages, compared to the commonly-used FFT, including better convergence and less susceptibility to noise. They can also be adjusted to represent more or less of the signal detail depending on the order of the autoregression. These features make them uniquely suited for processing the FD OCT data. The advantages of the proposed methodology are illustrated on in vivo skin imaging data and the resolution is verified on single back-reflections from a glass surface. AR spectral estimation can be used to convert the interferograms to A-Scans while at the same time reducing the artifacts caused by high intensity back-reflections (by -20 dB) and diminishing the speckle (by -12 dB) all without the degradation in the resolution associated with other techniques.
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