Optical fiber-based full Mueller polarimeter for endoscopic imaging using a two-wavelength simultaneous measurement...

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Optics
• Optical Engineering
• Materials Science

Background:

• Accurate polarimetric characterization of biological tissues is crucial for disease diagnosis.
• Existing Mueller matrix microscopy techniques often lack the flexibility for in-situ or endoscopic measurements.
• Optical fibers offer a pathway for minimally invasive biomedical imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a spectrally differential measurement technique for full Mueller matrix determination of biological samples using optical fibers.
• To enable fiber-optic polarimetry for advanced biomedical imaging applications.
• To demonstrate the feasibility of integrating this technique into endoscopic probes.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing spectrally differential measurements with two closely spaced wavelengths.
• Simultaneously characterizing the optical fiber and the fiber-sample assembly.
• Employing a decoupling algorithm to isolate the sample's Mueller matrix contribution.
• Experimental validation using calibrated optical components and human colon tissue samples.

Main Results:

• Successful determination of the full Mueller matrix for calibrated optical components through an optical fiber.
• Acquisition of polarimetric images (retardance, diattenuation, orientation) of human colon tissue histological cuts.
• Demonstrated comparability of the fiber-based results with a free-space Mueller microscope.
• The technique avoids moving parts, facilitating integration.

Conclusions:

• The spectrally differential measurement technique effectively determines the Mueller matrix of biological samples via optical fiber.
• This fiber-optic approach provides a viable alternative to free-space Mueller microscopy for tissue analysis.
• The absence of moving components makes the technique highly suitable for endoscopic probe development and in-vivo applications.