Imaging system and related techniques

• US 9,664,615 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2013
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• 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): Stahl, Mike
• Application Number:
  US14/089,454
• Publication Number:
  US 20140204604A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,282 Days
• 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 optical system for imaging, comprising:

a light source first arrangement which is configured to provide at least one first electromagnetic radiation;

a waveguide second arrangement which is configured to receive and forward the at least one electromagnetic radiation as at least one second radiation;

a spectrally-dispersive third arrangement which is configured to receive the at least one second radiation from the second arrangement, and disperse the at least one second radiation on a sample; and

a waveguide fourth arrangement including a plurality of waveguides which are configured to receive at least one third radiation from the sample that is based on the at least one dispersed second radiation, wherein the second and fourth arrangements are at least partially different from one another,

wherein the third and fourth arrangements are housed in a probe.

2. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the second arrangement is a single mode fiber.

3. The optical system according to claim 1, wherein the second arrangement is a multi-mode fiber.

4. An optical system for imaging a sample, comprising:

a light source first arrangement which is configured to provide at least one first electromagnetic radiation;

a waveguide second arrangement which is configured to receive and forward the at least one first electromagnetic radiation on the sample;

a spectrally-dispersive third arrangement which is configured to receive at least one third radiation from the sample that is based on the at least one second electromagnetic radiation, and provide at least one fourth radiation; and

a waveguide fourth arrangement including a plurality of waveguides which are configured to receive the at least one fourth radiation from the third arrangement, wherein the second and fourth arrangements are at least partially different from one another, and wherein the third and fourth arrangements are housed in a probe.

5. The optical system according to claim 4, wherein the second arrangement is a single mode fiber.

6. The optical system according to claim 4, wherein the second arrangement is a multi-mode fiber.