Doppler angle and flow velocity mapping by combined Doppler shift and Doppler bandwidth measurements in optical Doppler tomography.

Accurate estimation of flow velocity requires measurement of Doppler angle, which is not available in general clinical applications. We describe a novel method of direct Doppler angle and flow velocity mapping that uses a conventional single-beam optical Doppler tomography system. The Doppler angle is estimated by combination of Doppler shift and Doppler bandwidth measurements, and flow velocity is calculated from the Doppler shift and the estimated Doppler angle. In vivo study of lip microvascularization demonstrates that this method is capable of providing both flow speed and flow direction information.