Imaging system and related techniques

• US 7,809,225 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Issued: 10/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yelin, Dvir, Tearney, Guillermo J., Bouma, Brett E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Uyen-Chau N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prince; Kajli
• Application Number:
  US12/205,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20090022463A1
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 385/123, 385/126
• US Class Current: 385/123
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/47 Scattering, i.e. diffuse reflection G01N21/25, G01N21/41 take precedence G01N21/55 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/474 Details of optical heads therefor, e.g. using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2469 using optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/26 using light guides for illumination G02B23/2469
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/10 Scanning systems
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 27/48 Laser speckle optics
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02 Optical fibres with cladding with or without a coating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02042 Multicore optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/036 core or cladding comprising multiple layers multicore optical fibres G02B6/02042; microstructured properties G02B6/02295; omniguide fibres G02B6/023
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/03605 Highest refractive index not on central axis
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/03622 having 2 layers only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/03638 having 3 layers only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4298 coupling with non-coherent light sources and/or radiation detectors, e.g. lamps, incandescent bulbs, scintillation chambers

Abstract

A method and apparatus for imaging using a double-clad fiber is described.

Claims

1. An arrangement comprising:

a light transmission path arrangement which includes at least one of an optical fiber or an optical waveguide for propagating at least one electro-magnetic radiation, wherein the at least one electro-magnetic radiation is propagated to illuminate a sample with a beam of light, the light transmission path arrangement including a first fiber cladding region; and

a light collection path arrangement which is separate from the light transmission path arrangement, the light collection path arrangement including only a second fiber cladding region configured to receive a further radiation from the sample, wherein the light transmission path arrangement includes a fiber core and the first fiber cladding region.

2. The arrangement of claim 1, further comprising at least one of:

(a) a double-clad fiber;

(b) a multi-clad fiber;

(c) one single-mode and one multimode fiber;

(d) a single-mode fiber for illumination and one or more multi mode waveguides for signal collection;

or

(e) a plurality of a single-mode fibers for illumination and one or more multi-mode waveguides for signal collection.

3. The arrangement of claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one first cladding region or the at least one second cladding region comprises an irregularly shaped cladding layer.

4. The arrangement of claim 3, further comprising a coherence detection arrangement coupled to a connection portion of the arrangement so as to receive signals from at least one of:

a single-mode illuminating core which includes the further fiber core;

or

a single-mode waveguide which is one of the optical waveguides in a probe such that at least one coherence detection procedure can be performed.

5. An arrangement comprising:

a light transmission path arrangement which includes at least one of an optical fiber or an optical waveguide for propagating at least one electro-magnetic radiation, wherein the at least one electro-magnetic radiation is propagated to illuminate a sample with a beam of light, the light transmission path arrangement including a first fiber cladding region; and

a light collection path arrangement which is separate from the light transmission path arrangement, the light collection path arrangement including a particular fiber core and a second fiber cladding region, wherein the first fiber cladding region propagates the at least one electromagnetic radiation to illuminate the sample.