A multi-spectral confocal microendoscope (MCME) for in-vivo imaging has been developed. The MCME employs a flexible fiber-optic catheter coupled to a slit-scan confocal microscope with an imaging spectrometer. The catheter consists of a fiber-optic imaging bundle linked to a miniature objective and focus assembly. The focus mechanism allows for imaging to a maximum tissue depth of 200 microns. The 3mm diameter catheter may be used on its own or routed though the instrument channel of a commercial endoscope. The confocal nature of the system provides optical sectioning with 3 micron lateral resolution and 30 micron axial resolution. The system incorporates two laser sources and is therefore capable of simultaneous acquisition of spectra from multiple dyes using dual excitation. The prism based multi-spectral detection assembly is typically configured to collect 30 spectral samples over the visible range. The spectral sampling rate varies from 4nm/pixel at 490nm to 8nm/pixel at 660nm and the minimum resolvable wavelength difference varies from 8nm to 16nm over the same spectral range. Each of these characteristics are primarily dictated by the dispersion characteristics of the prism. The MCME is designed to examine cellular structures during optical biopsy and to exploit the diagnostic information contained within the spectral domain. The primary applications for the system include diagnosis of disease in the gastro-intestinal tract and female reproductive system. In-vitro, and ex-vivo multi-spectral results are presented.

Date Published: 24 March 2005
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 5701, Three-Dimensional and Multidimensional Microscopy: Image Acquisition and Processing XII, (24 March 2005); doi: 10.1117/12.591097

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 5701:
Three-Dimensional and Multidimensional Microscopy: Image Acquisition and Processing XII
Jose-Angel Conchello; Carol J. Cogswell; Tony Wilson, Editor(s)