Hydrogel Fiber Endomicroscopy

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Optical Imaging
• Materials Science

Background:

• Multimode fibers are crucial for minimally invasive, high-resolution imaging in sensitive anatomical areas.
• Conventional silica-based fibers face limitations like mode scrambling, restricted fields of view, and mechanical rigidity.
• There is a need for advanced imaging platforms that overcome these challenges for improved diagnostic precision.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce HYFEN, a hydrogel-based endomicroscopic imaging platform.
• To demonstrate HYFEN's capability for flexible, biocompatible, and subcellular-scale fluorescence microscopy.
• To address the limitations of silica-based fibers in minimally invasive imaging.

Main Methods:

• Utilized hydrogel materials, adaptive optics, and pixel-wise image enhancement.
• Developed precise mode threading for controlled light propagation.
• Achieved rapid, diffraction-limited focusing at kilohertz speeds.
• Integrated high-fidelity fluorescence signal acquisition.

Main Results:

• HYFEN provides subcellular-scale fluorescence microscopy with high fidelity.
• The platform demonstrates precise mode threading and rapid focusing capabilities.
• Achieved enhanced fluorescence imaging under challenging fiber dimensions and bending conditions.
• Overcame limitations of conventional silica-based fibers.

Conclusions:

• HYFEN establishes a versatile platform for next-generation biointerfacing.
• The technology enables advanced minimally invasive imaging in biomedical and clinical settings.
• HYFEN offers superior flexibility and biocompatibility compared to existing modalities.