Speckle, a factor reducing 
image quality in 
optical coherence tomography (“OCT”), can limit the ability to identify cellular structures that are important for the diagnosis of a variety of diseases. Exemplary embodiments of the present invention can facilitate an implementation of an angular compounding, angular compounding by 
path length encoding (“ACPE”) for reducing speckle in OCT images. By averaging images obtained at different incident angles, with each image encoded by 
path length, ACPE maintains high-speed 
image acquisition and implements minimal modifications to OCT probe 
optics. ACPE images obtained from tissue phantoms and 
human skin in vivo demonstrate a qualitative improvement over traditional OCT and an increased 
signal-to-
noise ratio (“SNR”). Accordingly, exemplary embodiments of an apparatus probe 
catheter and method can be provided for irradiating a structure. In particular, an interferometer may forward forwarding an 
electromagnetic radiation. In addition, a sample arm may receive the 
electromagnetic radiation, and can include an arrangement which facilitates a production of at least two radiations from the 
electromagnetic radiation so as to irradiate the structure. Such exemplary arrangement can be configured to 
delay a first 
radiation of the at least two radiations with respect to a second 
radiation of the at least two radiations.