Imaging system using and related techniques

• US 8,676,013 B2
• Filed: 02/04/2013
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• 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: Bouma, Brett Eugene, Tearney, Guillermo J., Yelin, Dvir
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Uyen Chau N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prince, Kajli
• Application Number:
  US13/758,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20130215427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 407 Days
• Field of Search: 385/116
• US Class Current: 385/116
• 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. A method for imaging a sample through an optical fiber having at least one core, at least one first cladding region and at least a second cladding region, comprising:

transmitting at least one electro-magnetic radiation through the at least one core and the at least one first cladding region of the optical fiber toward the sample; and

collecting a scattered light from the sample in the at least one core and the at least one second cladding region, wherein the second cladding region is separate from the first cladding region.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber further comprises at least one third cladding region, and further comprising collecting the scattered light from the sample in the second and third cladding regions of the optical fiber.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the at least one electro-magnetic radiation comprises:

transmitting a spatially coherent light through the at least one first cladding region of the optical fiber, and focusing the spatially coherent light onto at least one spot of at least one surface of the sample, and wherein the collecting of the scattered light is obtained from a surface of the sample.

4. An apparatus, comprising:

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

a collection path arrangement which is separate from the light transmission path arrangement, the collection path arrangement including the at least one core and the at least one second cladding region which are configured to receive at least one second electro-magnetic radiation.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising at least one third cladding region, and wherein the collection path arrangement is configured to receive the at least one second electro-magnetic radiation from the sample in the second and third cladding regions of the optical fiber.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the transmission path arrangement is configured to transmit a spatially coherent light through the at least one first cladding region of the optical fiber, and focuses the spatially coherent light onto at least one spot of at least one surface of the sample, and wherein the collection path arrangement is configured to obtain the scattered light from a surface of the sample.