Method and apparatus for optical imaging via spectral encoding

• US 8,384,907 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The General Hospital Corporation (Mass General Brigham, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tearney, Guillermo J., Yelin, Dvir, Bouma, Brett E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lyons, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US12/946,635
• Publication Number:
  US 20110144504A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 356/451, 356/456, 356/479, 250/227.19, 250/227.27, 600/476
• US Class Current: 356/456
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0062 Arrangements for scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0066 Optical coherence imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0068 Confocal scanning
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0073 by tomography, i.e. reconstruction of 3D images from 2D projections A61B5/0066 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0075 by spectroscopy, i.e. measuring spectra, e.g. Raman spectroscopy, infrared absorption spectroscopy A61B5/0071 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0084 for introduction into the body, e.g. by catheters A61B5/1459 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02 Interferometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02027 Two or more interferometric channels or interferometers
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02049 characterised by particular mechanical design details
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02064 by particular adjustment of coherence gate, i.e. adjusting position of zero path difference in low coherence interferometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02087 Combining two or more images of the same region
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02091 Tomographic interferometers, e.g. based on optical coherence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/04 Measuring microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/1765 Method using an image detector and processing of image signal
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/25 Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/27 using photo-electric detection G01N21/31 takes precedence; circuits for computing concentration logarithmic circuits G06G7/24; photometric circuits in general G01J
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/4795 spatially resolved investigating of object in scattering medium in vivo A61B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6458 Fluorescence microscopy fluorescence microscopes per se G02B21/0076 and G02B21/16
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/6486 Measuring fluorescence of biological material, e.g. DNA, RNA, cells G01N21/6428 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2223/419 : computed tomograph
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/046 : using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT]
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/4833 : of solid biological material, e.g. tissue samples, cell cultures tissue in vivo A61B5/00; cell suspensions G01N33/48735
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/0028 : specially adapted for specific applications, e.g. for endoscopes, ophthalmoscopes, attachments to conventional microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2423 : of the distal end
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/243 : Objectives for endoscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2461 : Illumination
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/2476 : Non-optical details, e.g. housings, mountings, supports

Abstract

Method, apparatus and arrangement according an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be provided for generating an image of at least one portion of an anatomical structure. For example, the portion can have an area greater than about 1 mm², and the image can have a resolution a transverse resolution that is below about 10 μm. For example, light can be scanned over such portion so as to generate first information which is related to the portion, where the light may be provided through a diffraction arrangement to generate a spectrally dispersed line. Method, apparatus and arrangement according to a further exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be provided for positioning a radiation or optical beam within an anatomical structure based on signals generated by scanning a portion of the structure using the same or a different beam.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

at least one first arrangement configured to forward an electromagnetic radiation to an anatomical structure, and continuously scan an entire region of at least one portion of the anatomical structure using the electromagnetic radiation to generate at least one signal, wherein the entire region has an area that is greater than 1 mm²; and

at least one second arrangement configured to receive the signal and to generate at least one image based on the signal that has a transverse resolution that is better than 10 μ

m.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the entire region is a volume of the structure.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one image is contiguous without substantial gaps therein.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one portion is provided on a surface of the anatomical structure.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one portion is provided below a surface of the anatomical structure.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises a plurality of wavelengths.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic radiation comprises one or more wavelengths that vary over time.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one first arrangement or the at least one second arrangement includes a microscope arrangement, and where the microscope arrangement is at least one of a multiphoton microscope arrangement or a confocal microscope arrangement.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the microscope arrangement includes a spectral encoding arrangement.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one anatomical structure is an internal organ.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the at least one first arrangement forwards the electromagnetic radiation via an optical fiber arrangement, or at least one second arrangement receives the signal via an optical fiber arrangement.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the optical fiber arrangement includes a plurality of electromagnetic radiation guiding arrangements.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal is associated with at least one portion of an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation received from the anatomical structure.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first arrangement is provided in a probe.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first arrangement includes at least one optical component which is configured to compensate for at least one optical aberration.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the at least one optical component comprises a curved surface.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein the at least one optical aberration is an astigmatism.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a positioning arrangement configured to position at least one of the at least one first arrangement or the at least one second arrangement at a particular location relative to the anatomical structure.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first arrangement is further configured to position a focus of the electromagnetic radiation at a plurality of depths within the anatomical structure.

20. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one third arrangement configured to:

generate a further signal;

determine at least one location of a particular section associated with the anatomical structure based on the further signal; and

control at least one of a motion or a position of a focus of the at least one electromagnetic radiation to a further location within the anatomical structure based on the further signal.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the further signal is the signal.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21, wherein the further signal is at least one of an interferometric signal, a time-of-flight signal, or an intensity of the electromagnetic radiation.

23. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the further signal is associated with at least one distance between at least one location within the region of the anatomical structure and at least one component of the at least one first arrangement.

24. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

at least one third arrangement which is different from the first and second arrangements and configured to receive the signal and an additional signal from a reference to generate an interferometric signal.

25. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising at least one third arrangement configured to automatically control a position of a focus of the at least one first arrangement as a function of the signal to a predetermined location within the anatomical structure.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the automatic control of the position of the focus by the at least one third arrangement is performed approximately parallel to an optical axis of the electromagnetic radiation that impinges on the anatomical structure.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25, wherein the predetermined location is determined based on an interferometric signal.

28. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the signal is at least one signal provided from the anatomical structure.

29. A method for imaging a region of an anatomical structure, comprising:

forwarding at least one electromagnetic radiation to an anatomical structure;

continuously scanning an entire region of at least one portion of the anatomical structure using the electromagnetic radiation, wherein the entire region has an area that is greater than 1 mm²;

obtaining at least one signal based on the electromagnetic radiation; and

generating at least one image based on the signal, wherein the image has a transverse resolution that is better than 10 μ

m.