• Current Optics and Photonics
• /
• v.5 no.5
• /
• pp.532-537
• /
• 2021

We present a compact endoscopic probe in a needle form which has a fast beam-scanning capability for optical coherence tomography (OCT). In our study, a beam-scanning OCT imaging needle was fabricated with a 26G syringe needle (0.46 mm in outer diameter) and a thin OCT imaging probe based on the stepwise transitional core (STC) fiber. The imaging probe could freely rotate inside the needle for beam scans. Hence, OCT imaging could be performed without rotation or translation of the needle body. In our design, the structural integrity of the needle's steel tubing was preserved for mechanical robustness. Probing the optical signal was performed through the needle's own window formed at the end. For hand-held operation of our imaging needle, a light and compact scanner module (130 g and 45 × 53 × 60 mm³) was devised. Connected to the imaging needle, it could provide rotational actuation driven by a galvanometer. Because of its finite actuation range, our scanner module did not need a fiber rotary joint which might add undesirable complexity. The beam scan speed was 20 Hz and supported 20 frames per second at the maximum for endoscopic OCT imaging.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
• /
• v.21 no.5
• /
• pp.206-213
• /
• 2010

We fabricated and characterized a compact endoscopic catheter for optical coherence tomography. The optical delay line (ODL), composed of a cylindrical piezoelectric transducer (PZT) and an optical fiber, was operated with a 1 kHz sinusoidal driving wave in the time-domain. When the ODL was driven with a sinusoidal wave function, the axial scanning speed was 6 m/s and the axial acquisition rate was 2000 line/s at a depth of about 3 mm. Endoscopic OCT images of a human finger and earhole were successfully obtained with an image rate of ten frames per second.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.380-385
• /
• 2011

Common-path interferometers are widely used for endoscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT) because an arbitrary arm length can be chosen for the endoscopic imaging probe. However, the scheme suffers from the limited range of the sample position distance from the end of the imaging probe because the position between the reference reflector and the sample is limited by the optical path-length difference (OPD) to induce an interference signal. In this study, we developed a novel method for compensating the arbitrary sample position in common-path swept-source OCT by adding an extra Mach-Zehnder interferometer in the post-path of the interfered optical signal. Theoretical analysis and an experimental demonstration of imaging depth tuning for the flexible sample position of an endoscopic OCT image are discussed. After post-tuning of sample position distance, the positioning limitation between the reference reflector and the sample can be solved for various sample positions over a range of 26 mm for the cross-sectional images of a fish eye sample.

• Current Optics and Photonics
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.330-335
• /
• 2020

We have investigated optimization of the working distance (WD) for a highly miniaturized imaging probe for endoscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT). The WD is the axial distance from the distal end of the imaging probe to its beam focus, which is demanded for dimensional margins of protective structures, operational safety, or full utilization of the axial imaging range of OCT. With an objective lens smaller than a few hundred micrometers in diameter, a micro-optic imaging probe naturally exhibits a very short WD due to the down-scaled optical structure. For a maximized WD careful design is required with the optical aperture of the objective lens optimally filled by the incident beam. The diffraction-involved effect was taken into account in our analysis of the apertured beam. In this study, we developed a simple design formula on the maximum achievable WD based on our diffraction simulation. It was found that the maximum WD is proportional to the aperture size squared. In experiment, we designed and fabricated very compact OCT probes with long WDs. Our 165-㎛-thick fiber-optic probes provided WDs of 3 mm or longer w ith reasonable OCT imaging performance.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
• /
• v.30 no.6
• /
• pp.243-248
• /
• 2019

The respiratory tract is an essential part of the respiratory system involved in the process of respiration. However, if stenosis occurs, it interferes with breathing and can even lead to death. Asthma is a typical example of a reversible cause of airway narrowing, and the number of patients suffering from acute exacerbation is steadily increasing. Therefore, it is important to detect airway narrowing early and prevent the patient's condition from worsening. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), which has high resolution, is suitable for observing the microstructure of tissues. In this study we developed an endoscopic OCT system. We combined a 1300-nm OCT system with a servo motor, which can rotate at a high speed. A catheter was pulled back using a linear stage while imaging with 360° rotation by the motor. The motor was selected considering various requirements, such as torque, rotational speed, and gear ratio of pulleys. An ex vivo rabbit tracheal model was used as a sample, and the sample and catheter were immobilized by acrylic structures. The OCT images provided information about the structures of the mucosa and submucosa. The difference between normal and stenosed parts in the trachea was confirmed by OCT. Furthermore, through a three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction process, it was possible to identify and diagnose the stenosis in the 3-D image of the airway, as well as the cross-sectional image. This study would be useful not only for diagnosing airway stenosis, but also for realizing 3-D imaging.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.466-471
• /
• 2011

Optical coherence tomography(OCT) is an emerging medical diagnostic tool that draws great attention in medical and biological fields. It has a 10-100 times higher spatial resolution than that of the clinical ultrasound but lower imaging depth such as 1-2 mm. In order to image internal organs, OCT needs an endoscopic probe. In this paper, the principle of Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography with high-speed imaging capability was introduced. An OCT endoscope based on MEMS technology was developed. It was attached to the Fourier-domain OCT system to acquire three-dimensional tomographic images of gastrointestinal tract of New Zealand white rabbit. The endoscope had a two-axis scanning mirror that was driven by electrostatic force. The mirror stirred an incident light to sweep two-dimensional plane by scanning. The outer diameter of the endoscope was 6 mm and the mirror diameter was 1.2 mm. A three-dimensional image rendered by 200 two-dimensional tomographs with $200{\times}500$ pixels was displayed within 3.5 seconds. The spatial resolution of the OCT system was 8 ${\mu}m$ in air.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.335-343
• /
• 2010

This article presents a review of technologies for an endoscope. The classification according to the clinical applications and the imaging modalities are summarized. The major parts are focused on describing the gastrointestinal endoscope's structures and mechanisms. The details of the image enhanced endoscopic techniques, such as NBI (narrow band imaging), OCT (optical coherence tomography), and EUS (endoscopic ultrasound), are also explained. Finally, the trend of NOTES (natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery) which is new fusion technology in the field of endoscopic diagnosis and surgery is introduced.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
• /
• v.25 no.2
• /
• pp.67-71
• /
• 2014

Intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) enables imaging of the three-dimensional (3D) microstructure of a blood vessel wall. While 3D vascular visualization provides detailed information of the vessel wall and intraluminal structures, a longitudinal imaging pitch that is several times bigger than the imaging resolution of the system has limited true high-resolution 3D imaging. In this paper we demonstrate high-speed intravascular OCT in vivo, acquiring images at a rate of 350 frames per second. A 47-mm-long rabbit aorta was imaged in 3.7 seconds, after a short flush with contrast agent. The longitudinal imaging pitch was 34 micrometers, comparable to the transverse imaging resolution of the system. Three-dimensional volume rendering showed greatly enhanced visualization of tissue microstructure and stent struts, relative to what is provided by conventional intravascular imaging speeds.