Spectrally-modulated full-field optical coherence microscopy for ultrahigh-resolution endoscopic imaging

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Microscopy Techniques
• Optical Imaging

Background:

• Full-field optical coherence microscopy (FFOCM) provides high-resolution optical sections in thick tissues.
• FFOCM is suitable for endoscopic microscopy due to its miniaturization potential, avoiding high NA objectives and beam scanning.
• Existing FFOCM methods may have limitations for endoscopic applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel FFOCM scheme for endoscopic microscopy.
• To demonstrate FFOCM through a single multimode fiber optic imaging bundle.
• To develop a miniaturized FFOCM system without moving parts in the probe.

Main Methods:

• Utilized spectrally modulated, spatially incoherent illumination.
• Employed a static Linnik interferometer.
• Conducted FFOCM through a single multimode fiber optic imaging bundle.

Main Results:

• Achieved high-resolution microscopic structural detail comparable to conventional FFOCM in free space.
• Successfully acquired high-resolution images through a multimode fiber bundle.
• Demonstrated the feasibility of FFOCM for endoscopic applications without requiring moving parts.

Conclusions:

• The novel FFOCM scheme is advantageous for endoscopic microscopy.
• This method allows for miniaturized, high-resolution imaging through a single fiber.
• The technology shows significant potential for in-situ cellular-level endoscopic imaging.