Fiber optic needle probes for optical coherence tomography imaging

US6564087B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Massachusetts Institute of Technology · US

Inventors

• Constantinos Pitris · Boston, US
• Stephen A. Boppart · Champaign, US
• Xingde Li · Seattle, US
• Mark Brezinski · Malden, US
• Eric Swanson · Gloucester, US
• Edward McNamara · Chelmsford, US
• James G. Fujimoto · Cambridge, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 22, 1999
• Grant date: May 13, 2003
• Expiry date: Jul 22, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H01S5/141
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A fiber optic needle probe for measuring or imaging the internal structure of a specimen includes a needle defining a bore, an optical fiber substantially positioned within the bore, and a beam director in optical communication with the optical fiber. At least a portion of the wall of the needle is capable of transmitting light. The beam director directs light from the optical fiber to an internal structure being imaged and receives light from the structure through a transparent portion of the wall. An actuating device causes motion of any, or all of, the needle, optical fiber, and beam director to scan the internal structure of the specimen. The fiber optic needle probe allows imaging inside a solid tissue or organ without intraluminal insertion. When used in conjunction with an OCT imaging system, the fiber optic needle probe enables tomographic imaging of the microstructure of internal organs and tissues which were previously impossible to image in a living subject.