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SCANNING FIBER-OPTIC NONLINEAR OPTICAL IMAGING AND SPECTROSCOPY ENDOSCOPE

  • US 20070213618A1
  • Filed: 01/17/2007
  • Published: 09/13/2007
  • Est. Priority Date: 01/17/2006
  • Status: Abandoned Application
First Claim
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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.

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