Spectrally encoded miniature endoscopic imaging probe
First Claim
1. An apparatus for obtaining information associated with an anatomical structure, comprising:
- a housing;
at least one lens that is different from the housing, and which is configured to provide there through electro-magnetic radiation, wherein the electro-magnetic radiation is provided by at least one of a broadband source or a wavelength tuned source;
an optical waveguide configured to transmit the electro-magnetic radiation from the structure;
at least one further arrangement including a computer which is structured to obtain the information based on the electro-magnetic radiation obtained from the structure, wherein the information is at least one of a two-dimensional image or a three dimensional image; and
a dispersive arrangement including a grating which is configured to receive at least one portion of the electro-magnetic radiation and forward a dispersed radiation thereof to at least one section of the structure regarding which the information is being obtained, wherein the grating has a groove density that is at least 1200 lines/mm, wherein the lens and the dispersive arrangement are provided within at least one portion of the housing and in an optical path between the optical waveguide and a location of the apparatus at which the electro-magnetic radiation is received from the anatomical structure, and wherein the at least one portion of the housing has a diameter of at most 1 mm.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A spectrally encoded endoscopic probe having high resolution and small diameter comprising at least one flexible optical fiber; an energy source; a grating through which said energy is transmitted such that the energy spectrum is dispersed; a lens for focusing the dispersed energy spectrum onto a sample such that the impingement spot for each wavelength is a separate position on the sample, the wavelength spectrum defining a wavelength encoded axis; means for mechanically scanning the sample with focused energy in a direction perpendicular to the wavelength encoded axis; a means for receiving energy reflected from the sample; and, a means for detecting the received reflected energy. The probe grating and lens delivers a beam of multi-spectral light having spectral components extending in one dimension across a target region and which is moved to scan in another direction. The reflected spectrum is measured to provide two dimensional imaging of the region.
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Citations
81 Claims
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1. An apparatus for obtaining information associated with an anatomical structure, comprising:
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a housing; at least one lens that is different from the housing, and which is configured to provide there through electro-magnetic radiation, wherein the electro-magnetic radiation is provided by at least one of a broadband source or a wavelength tuned source; an optical waveguide configured to transmit the electro-magnetic radiation from the structure; at least one further arrangement including a computer which is structured to obtain the information based on the electro-magnetic radiation obtained from the structure, wherein the information is at least one of a two-dimensional image or a three dimensional image; and a dispersive arrangement including a grating which is configured to receive at least one portion of the electro-magnetic radiation and forward a dispersed radiation thereof to at least one section of the structure regarding which the information is being obtained, wherein the grating has a groove density that is at least 1200 lines/mm, wherein the lens and the dispersive arrangement are provided within at least one portion of the housing and in an optical path between the optical waveguide and a location of the apparatus at which the electro-magnetic radiation is received from the anatomical structure, and wherein the at least one portion of the housing has a diameter of at most 1 mm. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An apparatus for obtaining diagnostic information associated with an anatomical structure and modifying at least one property of at least one portion of the structure, comprising:
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a housing; at least one lens that is different from the housing; an optical waveguide configured to transmit and receive an electro-magnetic radiation from the structure, and including a plurality of fibers which are configured to provide there through the electro-magnetic radiation, at least one first fiber of the fibers being configured to provide a first electro-magnetic radiation to the at least one portion so as to obtain the information, and at least one second fiber of the fibers configured to provide a second electro-magnetic radiation to the at least one section of the structure regarding which the information is being obtained so as to modify the at least one property, wherein the electro-magnetic radiation is provided by at least one of a broadband source or a wavelength tuned source; at least one further arrangement including a computer which is structured to obtain the information based on a radiation obtained from the structure, wherein the information is at least one of a two-dimensional image or a three dimensional image; and a dispersive arrangement including a grating configured to receive the first and second electromagnetic radiations and forward a dispersed radiation thereof to the at least one section of the structure, wherein the grating has a groove density that is at least 1200 lines/mm, wherein the at least one lens and the dispersive arrangement are provided in at least one portion of the housing and in an optical path between the optical waveguide and a location of the apparatus at which the electro-magnetic radiation is received from the anatomical structure, and wherein the at least one portion of the housing has a diameter of at most 1 mm. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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47. An apparatus for obtaining information associated with an anatomical structure, comprising:
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a housing; at least one lens that is different from the housing, and which is configured to provide a plurality of electro-magnetic radiations, and a dispersive arrangement including a grating configured to receive the electro-magnetic radiations and forward a dispersed radiation of each of the electro-magnetic radiations to at least one section of the structure regarding which the information is being obtained and at least partially overlap the at least one portion, wherein one of the electro-magnetic radiations has a wavelength in a first range, and another one of the electro-magnetic radiations has a wavelength in a second range, and wherein each of the first and second ranges are at least one element that is different from another one of the second ranges, wherein the electro-magnetic radiations are provided by at least one of a broadband source or a wavelength tuned source; an optical waveguide configured to transmit and receive the electro-magnetic radiation to and from the structure; and at least one further arrangement including a computer which is structured to obtain the information based on a radiation obtained from the structure, wherein the information is at least one of a two-dimensional image or a three dimensional image, wherein the grating has a groove density that is at least 1200 lines/mm, wherein the at least one lens and the dispersive arrangement are provided within at least one portion of the housing and in an optical path between the optical waveguide and a location of the apparatus at which the electro-magnetic radiation is received from the anatomical structure, and wherein the at least one portion of the housing has a diameter of at most 1 mm. - View Dependent Claims (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59)
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60. An apparatus for obtaining information associated with an anatomical structure, comprising:
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a housing; at least one lens that is different from the housing, and which is configured to provide an electro-magnetic radiation, wherein the electro-magnetic radiation is provided by at least one of a broadband source or a wavelength tuned source; a dispersive arrangement including a grating configured to receive at least one portion of the electro-magnetic radiation and forward a dispersed radiation thereof to a particular location on at least one section of the structure regarding which the information is being obtained; an optical waveguide configured to transmit and receive the electro-magnetic radiation to and from the structure; and at least one further arrangement including a computer which is structured to obtain the information based on a radiation obtained from the structure, wherein the information is at least one of a two-dimensional image or a three dimensional image, wherein at least one of a property, an orientation or a position of the dispersive grating arrangement is capable of being modified to provide a further radiation to the particular location of the at least one section, and wherein at least one property of the dispersed radiation is capable of being different from a property of the further radiation, wherein the grating has a groove density that is at least 1200 lines/mm, wherein the at least one lens and the dispersive arrangement are provided within at least one portion of the housing and in an optical path between the optical waveguide and a location of the apparatus at which the electro-magnetic radiation is received from the anatomical structure, and wherein the at least one portion of the housing has a diameter of at most 1 mm. - View Dependent Claims (61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. An apparatus for obtaining information associated with an anatomical structure, comprising:
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a housing; at least one lens that is different from the housing, and which is configured to provide there through electro-magnetic radiation, wherein the electro-magnetic radiation is provided by at least one of a broadband source or a wavelength tuned source; an optical waveguide including a single mode fiber which is configured and designed to transmit the electro-magnetic radiation to and from the structure; at least one further arrangement including a computer which is structured to obtain the information based on a radiation obtained from the structure, wherein the information is at least one of a two-dimensional image or a three dimensional image; and a dispersive arrangement including a grating which is configured to receive at least one portion of the electro-magnetic radiation and forward a dispersed radiation thereof to at least one section of the structure regarding which the information is being obtained, wherein the lens and dispersive arrangements are sized so as to be encompassed within a needle having a gauge of about 20 or smaller, wherein the grating has a groove density that is at least 1200 lines/mm, wherein the at least one lens and the dispersive arrangement are provided within at least one portion of the housing and in an optical path between the single mode fiber and a location of the apparatus at which the electro-magnetic radiation is received from the anatomical structure. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75)
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76. An apparatus for obtaining information associated with a structure, comprising:
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a lens arrangement which is configured to provide there through an electro-magnetic radiation; and a dispersive arrangement including a light dispersive element which is configured to receive at least one portion of the electro-magnetic radiation and forward a dispersed radiation thereof to at least one section of the structure regarding which the information is being obtained, wherein the light dispersive element has a groove density that is at least 1200 lines/mm without a controlled mechanical motion, and wherein the lens arrangement and the dispersive arrangement are provided in a structure that has a diameter of at most 1 mm.
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77. An apparatus for obtaining diagnostic information associated with a structure and modifying at least one property of at least one portion of the structure, comprising:
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a lens arrangement and a plurality of fibers which are configured to provide there through the electro-magnetic radiation, at least one first fiber of the fibers being configured to provide a first electro-magnetic radiation to the at least one portion so as to obtain the information, and at least one second fiber of the fibers configured to provide a second electro-magnetic radiation to the at least one portion of the structure regarding which the information is being obtained so as to modify the at least one property; and a dispersive arrangement including a light dispersive element configured to receive the first and second electromagnetic radiations and forward a dispersed radiation thereof to at least one section of the structure regarding which the information is being obtained, wherein the light dispersive element has a groove density that is at least 1200 lines/mm, and wherein the lens arrangement and the light dispersive element are provided in a structure that has a diameter of at most 1 mm.
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78. An apparatus for obtaining information associated with a structure, comprising:
a lens arrangement which is configured to provide a plurality of electro-magnetic radiations and a dispersive arrangement including a light dispersive element configured to receive the electro-magnetic radiations and forward a dispersed radiation of each of the electro-magnetic radiations to at least one portion of the structure regarding which the information is being obtained, and at least partially overlap the at least one portion, wherein one of the electro-magnetic radiations has a wavelength in a first range, and another one of the electro-magnetic radiations has a wavelength in a second range, wherein each of the first and second ranges are at least one element that is different from another one of the second ranges, wherein the light dispersive element has a groove density that is at least 1200 lines/mm, and wherein the lens arrangement and the dispersive arrangement are provided in a structure that has a diameter of at most 1 mm.
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79. An apparatus for obtaining information associated with a structure, comprising:
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a lens arrangement which is configured to provide an electro-magnetic radiation; and a dispersive arrangement including a light dispersive element configured to receive at least one portion of the electro-magnetic radiation and forward a dispersed radiation thereof to a particular location on at least one portion of the structure regarding which the information is being obtained, wherein at least one of a property, an orientation or a position of the dispersive arrangement is capable of being modified to provide a further radiation to the particular location of the at least one portion, wherein at least one property of the dispersed radiation is capable of being different from a property of the further radiation, and wherein the light dispersive element has a groove density that is at least 1200 lines/mm, and wherein the lens arrangement and the dispersive arrangement are provided in a structure that has a diameter of at most 1 mm.
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80. An apparatus for obtaining information associated with a structure, comprising:
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a lens arrangement which is configured to provide there through electro-magnetic radiation; and a dispersive arrangement including a light dispersive element which is configured to receive at least one portion of the electro-magnetic radiation and forward a dispersed radiation thereof to at least one portion of the structure regarding which the information is being obtained, wherein the light dispersive element has a groove density that is at least 1200 lines/mm in a field size of below about 1 mm2, and wherein the lens arrangement and the dispersive arrangement are provided in a structure that has a diameter of at most 1 mm.
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81. An apparatus for obtaining information associated with a structure, comprising:
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a lens arrangement which is configured to provide there through an electro-magnetic radiation; and a dispersive arrangement including a light dispersive element which is configured to receive at least one portion of the electro-magnetic radiation and forward a dispersed radiation thereof to at least one section of the structure regarding which the information is being obtained, wherein the light dispersive element has a groove density that is at least 1200 lines/mm, and wherein the lens arrangement and the dispersive arrangement are provided in a structure that has a diameter of at most 1 mm.
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Specification