Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 25, 2026
10:35
Multimodal Imaging and Spectroscopy Fiber-bundle Microendoscopy Platform for Non-invasive, In Vivo Tissue Analysis
Published on: October 17, 2016
Integrated multimodal endomicroscopy platform for simultaneous en face optical coherence and two-photon fluorescence
Jiefeng Xi1, Yongping Chen, Yuying Zhang
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21210, USA.
Optics Letters
|February 3, 2012
Summary
This study introduces a novel fiber-optic scanning endomicroscope for simultaneous optical coherence tomography (OCT) and two-photon fluorescence (TPF) imaging. This breakthrough enables real-time multimodal visualization in a compact endoscopic format.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Optics
- Medical Imaging
- Endoscopy
Background:
- Multimodal imaging offers complementary information for enhanced diagnostic capabilities.
- Current endoscopic imaging often relies on single modalities, limiting comprehensive tissue analysis.
- Integrating multiple imaging techniques into a single, miniaturized probe remains a significant challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and demonstrate an all-fiber-optic scanning endomicroscope capable of simultaneous Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and Two-Photon Fluorescence (TPF) imaging.
- To enable real-time, multimodal visualization within a compact endoscopic system.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a miniature fiber-optic scanning endomicroscope with a double-clad fiber operating in single mode at OCT (1310 nm) and TPF (1550 nm) wavelengths.
- Incorporated a piezoelectric two-dimensional fiber-optic beam scanner and a miniature aspherical compound lens for en face image acquisition.
- Employed a fiber-optic wavelength division multiplexer to combine OCT light source and femtosecond TPF laser into a single optical path.
Main Results:
- Successfully demonstrated simultaneous, real-time OCT and TPF imaging using the developed fiber-optic endomicroscope.
- Acquired en face OCT and TPF images concurrently from the same field of view.
- Preliminary imaging of cell cultures and ex vivo mouse tissue confirmed the system's feasibility.
Conclusions:
- The developed all-fiber-optic scanning endomicroscope represents the first successful integration of simultaneous OCT and TPF imaging in an endoscopic setting.
- This technology holds significant potential for advanced in vivo diagnostics and research applications requiring multimodal subsurface and molecular imaging.
Related Concept Videos
01:18Imaging Biological Samples with Optical Microscopy
Optical microscopy uses optic principles to provide detailed images of samples. Antonie van Leeuwenhoek designed the first compound optical microscope in the 17th century to visualize blood cells, bacteria, and yeast cells. In 1830, Joseph Jackson Lister created an essentially modern light microscope. The 20th century saw the development of microscopes with enhanced magnification and resolution.
In optical microscopy, the specimen to be viewed is placed on a glass slide and clipped on the stage...
In optical microscopy, the specimen to be viewed is placed on a glass slide and clipped on the stage...
01:16Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy
Confocal microscopy is an advanced microscopic technique. The prime advantage of the confocal microscope over other microscopy techniques is its ability to block the out-of-focus light from the illuminated samples using pinholes. It is widely used with fluorescence optics to obtain high-resolution, sharp contrast images. Unlike optical microscopes, confocal microscopes use a focused beam of light laser to scan the entire sample surface at different z-planes. These microscopes are, therefore,...
01:05Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence Microscopy
Total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy or TIRF is an advanced microscopic technique used to visualize fluorophores in samples close to a solid surface with a higher refractive index, such as a glass coverslip. TIRF only allows fluorophores in proximity to the solid surface to be excited. When light from a medium with a lower refractive index (such as air) hits the glass coverslip at a critical angle, the light undergoes total internal reflection stead of passing through the glass.
01:29Two-Dimensional Microscopy in Microbiology
Two-dimensional (2D) microscopy encompasses a range of optical techniques that capture images within a single focal plane, offering detailed representations of microscopic structures. These techniques are essential in biological and medical research, enabling the visualization of cellular and subcellular structures with different levels of contrast and specificity.There are several major types of 2D microscopy, each with strengths and applications.Bright-Field MicroscopyBright-field microscopy...