An optical imaging device includes a reference scanning unit offering a
high signal-to-noise ratio and capable of scanning an object rapidly. An
interference optical system can be realized inexpensively. In the optical
imaging device, low coherent light passed through an optical coupler and
another optical coupler, irradiated from an optical scanner probe,
reflected from an observed point in a living tissue, returned to the
optical coupler, propagated over a fourth SM optical fiber, and routed to
another optical coupler shall be referred to as sample light. Light
passed through an optical length variation optical system via the optical
coupler and routed to the optical coupler shall be referred to as
reference light. At this time, a difference between a delay time
undergone by the sample light and a delay time undergone by the reference
light is proportional to a difference between an optical length for the
sample light and an optical length for the reference light. When the
optical length difference falls within a coherence length, the sample
light and reference light interfere with each other. An interfering
signal is acquired into a computer through detectors, a differential
amplifier, a demodulator, and an A/D converter.