Design of flexible multi-mode fiber endoscope

Area of Science:

• Optical Engineering
• Biomedical Optics
• Fiber Optic Sensing

Background:

• Multi-mode fiber (MMF) endoscopes offer high resolution but are limited by rigidity or orientation requirements.
• Current MMF endoscope designs restrict medical applications due to their inflexibility.
• The need for adaptable endoscopic tools for minimally invasive procedures is growing.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel multi-mode fiber endoscope design enabling arbitrary bending during maneuverability.
• To enable imaging through a flexible MMF endoscope without prior knowledge of its orientation.
• To overcome the limitations of current MMF endoscopes in medical applications.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of a partial reflector at the distal end of the MMF.
• Measurement of mode coupling within the MMF using reflected light at the proximal end.
• Simulation of imaging through a flexible, step-index MMF with 1588 spatial modes.

Main Results:

• Demonstration of successful imaging through an arbitrarily bent MMF.
• Validation of the technique even with random alterations to the MMF's mode coupling matrix.
• Successful imaging despite unknown bending of the MMF.

Conclusions:

• The proposed MMF endoscope design allows for flexible maneuvering and imaging in complex anatomical sites.
• This technology expands the potential medical applications of MMF endoscopes.
• The developed method enables imaging without the need for real-time orientation tracking of the endoscope tip.