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Published on: April 16, 2017
Coherent hollow-core waveguide bundles for thermal imaging
Udi Gal1, James Harrington, Moshe Ben-David
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering,Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel. Udi.Gal@nuvoton.com
Applied Optics
|September 8, 2010
Summary
Researchers developed hollow glass waveguide (HGW) fiber bundles for infrared imaging. These advanced bundles show promise for transendoscopic thermal imaging applications.
Area of Science:
- Optics and Photonics
- Biomedical Engineering
- Materials Science
Background:
- Limited research exists on extending fiber image bundle wavelength range to infrared (IR).
- Lack of IR-transmissive fibers with suitable optical and mechanical properties hinders IR imaging development.
- Current visible fiber bundles use oxide glass fibers, which are not IR-transmissive.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop high-resolution hollow-core coherent IR fiber bundles for transendoscopic infrared imaging.
- To investigate the feasibility of endoscopic systems for capturing thermal images in the 8-10 µm spectral range.
- To assess the applicability of hollow waveguide (HGW) fiber bundles for medical thermal imaging.
Main Methods:
- Utilized hollow glass waveguide (HGW) technology with Ag/AgI thin film coatings to create coherent IR fiber bundles.
- Characterized optical properties including attenuation, resolution, and temperature response through experimental measurements.
- Developed theoretical models and simulation tools to analyze light propagation and predict optical properties of HGW bundles.
Main Results:
- Experimental results demonstrate improved resolution and thermal response in HGW fiber bundles.
- Transmitted thermal images of heated objects using HGW fiber bundles, showing consistency with simulation results.
- Theoretical models accurately predicted the optical properties of the HGW fiber bundles.
Conclusions:
- Hollow-core coherent IR fiber bundles show encouraging results for transendoscopic infrared imaging.
- The developed HGW fiber bundles offer improved resolution and thermal response compared to existing technologies.
- Further reduction in bundle attenuation is necessary for successful medical application of this technology.
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