Toward a miniature endomicroscope: pixelation-free and diffraction-limited imaging through a fiber bundle

Area of Science:

• Optics and Photonics
• Biomedical Imaging
• Materials Science

Background:

• Fiber bundles are crucial for endoscopic imaging, offering direct image transmission.
• Pixelation artifacts in fiber bundles limit achievable spatial resolution.
• Existing methods struggle to overcome these inherent limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a method for eliminating pixelation artifacts in fiber bundle imaging.
• To achieve diffraction-limited spatial resolution in endoscopic imaging.
• To enable high-speed, high-resolution microendoscope development.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a digital micromirror device (DMD) for precise binary control.
• Measured the transmission matrix of the fiber bundle.
• Controlled mode mixing within individual fibers to correct artifacts.

Main Results:

• Achieved elimination of pixelation artifacts, resulting in diffraction-limited spatial resolution.
• Demonstrated a 22 kHz scanning rate for a diffraction-limited focused spot.
• Obtained fluorescence endoscope imaging with 58 μm × 58 μm resolution at 10.3 Hz acquisition rate.

Conclusions:

• The developed method effectively overcomes pixelation limitations in fiber bundle imaging.
• This technique paves the way for ultrathin, high-resolution microendoscopes.
• The study advances the field of endoscopic imaging with potential for clinical applications.