Imaging system and related techniques

• US 7,925,133 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2008
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• 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.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Uyen-Chau N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Prince; Kajli
• Application Number:
  US12/205,758
• Publication Number:
  US 20090003765A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 385/123, 385/126
• US Class Current: 385/126
• 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 first cladding region and at least one second cladding region, comprising:

transmitting a first propagating light through 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 second cladding region.

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

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising collecting scattered light from the sample in each of the first and second cladding regions of the optical fiber.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising collecting scattered light from the sample additionally in a core of the optical fiber.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the first propagating mode of light comprises:

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

6. An apparatus, comprising:

a light transmission path arrangement which includes at least one of an optical fiber and an optical waveguide, the light transmission path arrangement illuminating a sample with a beam of light, the light transmission path arrangement including at least one first cladding region; and

a light collection path arrangement which is separate from the light transmission path arrangement, the light collection path arrangement including a fiber core and at least one second cladding region receiving light reflected from the sample.