SCANNING FIBER-OPTIC NONLINEAR OPTICAL IMAGING AND SPECTROSCOPY ENDOSCOPE
First Claim
1. A system for capturing light emissions from a target region within a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
- (a) a light source that produces a pulsed light;
(b) an optical fiber having a core covered by a plurality of claddings, a proximal end, and a distal end, the core being configured to couple at the proximal end of the optical fiber to the light source producing the pulsed light, for conveying the pulsed light to the distal end of the optical fiber through the core;
(c) a cantilevered optical fiber that includes a core within a plurality of claddings, the cantilevered optical fiber being coupled to the distal end of the optical fiber to receive the pulsed light that is conveyed through the optical fiber, so that the pulsed light is conveyed through the core of the cantilevered optical fiber and exits from a free end of the cantilevered optical fiber;
(d) an actuator for driving the cantilevered optical fiber to move, so that the pulsed light exiting from the free end scans in a desired scanning pattern;
(e) a lens to focus the pulsed light traveling from the free end of the cantilevered optical fiber toward a target region within a patient'"'"'s body, so that the pulsed light excites molecules at the target region to emit light in response to the pulsed light, and to focus emitted light received from the target region back into the core and an inner cladding of the cantilevered optical fiber, the emitted light being conveyed through the cantilevered optical fiber and through the core and an inner cladding of the optical fiber that is coupled thereto toward the proximal end of the optical fiber;
(f) a splitter that separates the emitted light conveyed back through the optical fiber from the pulsed light that is produced by the light source, so that the emitted light exiting the proximal end of the optical fiber is conveyed along a detection path, while the pulsed light is introduced into the proximal end of the optical fiber and conveyed thereby to the target region;
(g) a photodetector disposed in the detection path, for responding to the emitted light and producing a corresponding electrical output signal; and
(h) a processor for processing the electrical output signal, for use in determining a characteristic of the target region based upon the emitted light.
5 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A miniature, flexible, fiber-optic scanning endoscope for nonlinear optical imaging and spectroscopy. The endoscope uses a tubular piezoelectric actuator for activating a cantilevered optical fiber from which pulsed light produced by a laser source exits and is directed to a target region through a micro-lens. The actuator is activated by two modulated signals that achieve two-dimensional beam scanning in a desired scan pattern. A double-clad optical fiber is employed for delivery of the excitation pulsed light and collection of emitted light received from the target region. The pulsed light travels through a core of the double-clad optical fiber, and the emitted light from the target region is directed into the core and inner cladding of the optical fiber and conveyed to a proximal end, for detection and processing. The emitted light can include multiphoton fluorescence, second harmonic generation light, and spectroscopic information, for use in imaging.
-
Citations
35 Claims
-
1. A system for capturing light emissions from a target region within a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
-
(a) a light source that produces a pulsed light;
(b) an optical fiber having a core covered by a plurality of claddings, a proximal end, and a distal end, the core being configured to couple at the proximal end of the optical fiber to the light source producing the pulsed light, for conveying the pulsed light to the distal end of the optical fiber through the core;
(c) a cantilevered optical fiber that includes a core within a plurality of claddings, the cantilevered optical fiber being coupled to the distal end of the optical fiber to receive the pulsed light that is conveyed through the optical fiber, so that the pulsed light is conveyed through the core of the cantilevered optical fiber and exits from a free end of the cantilevered optical fiber;
(d) an actuator for driving the cantilevered optical fiber to move, so that the pulsed light exiting from the free end scans in a desired scanning pattern;
(e) a lens to focus the pulsed light traveling from the free end of the cantilevered optical fiber toward a target region within a patient'"'"'s body, so that the pulsed light excites molecules at the target region to emit light in response to the pulsed light, and to focus emitted light received from the target region back into the core and an inner cladding of the cantilevered optical fiber, the emitted light being conveyed through the cantilevered optical fiber and through the core and an inner cladding of the optical fiber that is coupled thereto toward the proximal end of the optical fiber;
(f) a splitter that separates the emitted light conveyed back through the optical fiber from the pulsed light that is produced by the light source, so that the emitted light exiting the proximal end of the optical fiber is conveyed along a detection path, while the pulsed light is introduced into the proximal end of the optical fiber and conveyed thereby to the target region;
(g) a photodetector disposed in the detection path, for responding to the emitted light and producing a corresponding electrical output signal; and
(h) a processor for processing the electrical output signal, for use in determining a characteristic of the target region based upon the emitted light. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
20. A scope for use in producing and collecting light emissions from a target region within a patient'"'"'s body, comprising:
-
(a) an optical fiber having a core covered by a plurality of claddings, a proximal end, and a distal end, the core being configured to couple at the proximal end of the optical fiber to a light source producing a pulsed light, for conveying the pulsed light to the distal end of the optical fiber through the core;
(b) an elongate housing, which is disposed at the distal end of the optical fiber;
(c) a scanning device that is disposed within the housing and is coupled to the distal end of the optical fiber to receive the pulsed light conveyed through the core of the optical fiber, the scanning device having a free end that is actuated to scan in a desired scanning pattern, so that the pulsed light exiting from the free end scans a target region within a patient'"'"'s body; and
(d) a lens disposed within the housing and configured for focusing the pulsed light exiting from the free end of the scanning device onto a target region and for focusing emitted light from the target region back into the scanning device, the emitted light being conveyed through the core and an inner cladding of the optical fiber to the proximal end of the optical fiber, which is configured to couple the emitted light onto a photodetector. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
-
-
25. A method for producing light emissions from a target region in a patient'"'"'s body, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) introducing pulsed light into a proximal end of an optical fiber having a core and a plurality of cladding layers, the pulsed light being conveyed by the core to a distal end of the optical fiber that is configured to be advanced to a position proximate to the target region;
(b) actuating a scanning device disposed at the distal end of the optical fiber where the scanning device receives the pulsed light, movement of the scanning device causing the pulsed light to scan the target region in a desired scanning pattern;
(c) focusing the pulsed light from the scanning device onto the target region;
(d) focusing emitted light received from the target region into the scanning device, the emitted light being produced in response to excitation of molecules at the target region by the pulsed light;
(e) conveying the emitted light received from the target region back through the core and an inner cladding layer of the optical fiber, to the proximal end of the optical fiber;
(f) directing the emitted light exiting the optical fiber so that the emitted light is incident on a photodetector, the photodetector producing a signal indicative of a characteristic of the target region; and
(g) producing an image responsive to the signal output by the photodetector for evaluating a condition of the target region. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
-
Specification