IMAGING SYSTEM AND RELATED TECHNIQUES

• US 20090003765A1
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Published: 01/01/2009
• 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.
• Granted Patent: US 7,925,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/14
• 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

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A method for imaging a sample through an optical fiber having a core and at least one cladding region, comprising:

transmitting a first propagating light through the core of the optical fiber toward the sample; and

collecting scattered light from the sample in at least a first one of the at least one cladding regions of the optical fiber.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the optical fiber is provided having a plurality of cladding regions and the method further comprises collecting scattered light from the sample in more than one of the plurality of cladding regions of the optical fiber.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising collecting scattered light from the sample in each of the cladding regions of the optical fiber.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the optical fiber is provided having a plurality of cladding regions and the method further comprises collecting scattered light from the sample in more than one of the cladding regions of the optical fiber.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising collecting scattered light from the sample in the core of the optical fiber.

25. The method of claim 20, wherein transmitting a first propagating mode of light through the core of the optical fiber toward the sample comprises:

transmitting spatially coherent light through the core of the fiber. focusing the spatially coherent light onto a spot on a surface of a sample; and

collecting, in an inner cladding region of the fiber, light scattered from the sample surface.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein transmitting a first propagating mode of light through the core of the optical fiber toward the sample further comprises focusing the spatially coherent light onto a spot on a surface of a sample.

27. An arrangement, comprising:

a light transmission path arrangement which includes at least one of an optical fiber and an optical waveguide, the light transmission is capable of being propagated to illuminate the sample with a beam of light, the light transmission path arrangement including a first fiber core; and

a light collection path arrangement which is separate from the light transmission path arrangement, the light collection path arrangement including a second fiber core and a cladding region.

28. An apparatus, comprising:

a light transmission path arrangement which includes at least one of an optical fiber and an optical waveguide, the light transmission is capable of being propagated to illuminate the sample with a beam of light, the light transmission path arrangement including a first fiber core; and

a light collection path arrangement which is separate from the light transmission path arrangement, the light collection path arrangement including a second fiber core and a cladding region.

29. An optical system for spectrally-encoded imaging, comprising:

a light source;

a beam splitter configured to intercept light transmitted by the light source;

a double clad fiber configured to intercept light directed thereto by the beam splitter and to allow light to propagate along a first light transmission path thereof;

a collimating lens configured to intercept light from the double clad fiber; and

an imaging probe configured to receive light directed thereto from the collimating lens and including a second light transmission path to direct light toward the sample and a light collection path to receive light reflected from the sample,

wherein the double clad fiber includes (i) a first fiber cladding region configured to propagate the light to the sample, and (ii) at least one of a fiber core region or a second fiber cladding region configured to propagate the light reflected from the sample;

the light source is a broadband light source, and the imaging probe is a miniature imaging probe;

the light source transmits a first propagating mode of spatially coherent light toward the sample through at least one of;

a core of the optical fiber or a cladding region of the optical fiber;

the imaging probe focuses the spatially coherent light onto a spot on a surface of a sample;

the imaging probe transmits light toward the sample through at least one of a further fiber core region or the first fiber cladding region; and

the imaging probe collects light reflected from the sample in at least one of;

the second fiber cladding region of fiber or the fiber core region.