Fibre bundle confocal endomicroscope
US8057083B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 20, 2006 |
| Grant date | Nov 15, 2011 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 29, 2027 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG02B23/2453
- WIPO fieldMedical technology
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A fiber bundle confocal microscope or endoscope (200), comprising a light source (142) for providing a beam of light (160), a coherent fiber bundle of optical fibers (152), a scanner (202) for receiving the beam and scanning the beam over a proximal end of the bundle (162), so that the beam is launched into a plurality of the fibers sequentially, a plurality of the fibers thereby acting sequentially as an at least one delivery fiber (204), a spatial filter (172), and a photodetector (174) operatively associated with the spatial filter to receive return light from one or more of the fibers. The return light from the delivery fiber is excluded from the photodetector by the spatial filter.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.