Confocal enhanced optical coherence tomography for nondestructive evaluation of paints and coatings

We investigate confocal enhanced optical coherence tomography as a nondestructive evaluation tool for imaging with improved image contrast and depth resolution through a highly scattering paint layer. The depth responses provided by confocal microscopy, optical coherence tomography, and confocal enhanced optical coherence tomography for imaging through paint are investigated. We demonstrate that a new combination of confocal microscopy and optical coherence tomography provides significantly improved resolution and contrast for coherence gated imaging of substrate structures under the paint.