Abstract
We present an ultrathin fiber-optic endoscopy probe for optical coherence tomography (OCT), which is made of a series of fused optical fibers instead of the conventional scheme based on an objective lens. The large-core fiber with a core diameter of 20 μm was utilized for the probe, while a single-mode fiber of core diameter 8.2 μm mainly delivered the OCT light. Those fibers were spliced with a bridge fiber of an intermediate core size. The guided light was stepwise converted to a beam of a large mode-field diameter to be radiated with a larger depth of focus. We obtained a 125 μm thick all-fiber endoscopy probe with a side-viewing capability implemented by an angled fiber end. Successful OCT imaging was demonstrated with a swept-source OCT system and showed the practical applicability of our lens-free endoscopy probe.
Highlights
Is not practical for optical coherence tomography (OCT) endoscopy because of the unacceptably high bend sensitivity, which restricts the flexibility of the fiber [4,5]
In this Letter, we present an alternative OCT endoscopy approach to conventional lensbased optics
Our OCT endoscopy probe consists of a series of fused optical fibers that moderate the guided light for an enhanced DOF
Summary
T is not practical for OCT endoscopy because of the unacceptably high bend sensitivity, which restricts the flexibility of the fiber [4,5]. Our OCT endoscopy probe consists of a series of fused optical fibers that moderate the guided light for an enhanced DOF.
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