Mauna Kea Technologies

Frederic Berier

Bertrand Viellerobe

Magalie Genet

Francois Lacombe

Aymeric Perchant

Alexandre Loiseau

Sandra Marti

Georges Le Goualher

Sophie Clade

Benjamin Abrat

Pedro Santos

An optical head includes: a point source producing an excitation beam, optical elements adapted to converge the optical beam into an excitation point located in a subsurface plane relative to the surface of a sample, the plane being perpendicular to the optical axis of the optical head; and elements for scanning the excitation point so as to define an observation field in the subsurface plane along two perpendicular scanning directions, a rapid online scanning and a slow columnar scanning. The invention includes micro-electrical mechanical systems designed to move in translation along a selected displacement at least one of the optical elements, which is mobile along a direction perpendicular to the optical axis so as to obtain at least one of the scanning directions. The invention provides the advantages of maintaining an axial illumination of the sample and of using a miniature head.

Miniature confocal optical head with integrated scanning and confocal imaging system using same

A method for processing an image acquired through a guide consisting of a plurality of optical fibers includes, for each optical fiber, isolating on the acquired image a zone corresponding to the optical fiber, locally processing each zone individually to correct the photon flux detected in each optical fiber, then reconstructing the acquired image by eliminating the pattern caused by the optical fiber. The method also includes a sampling process for obtaining, for each optical fiber and from a sampling image, a sample injection rate which can be used for reconstructing the acquired images. The method also includes a prior step which consists in detecting the fibers from a target.

Method for processing an image acquired through a guide consisting of a plurality of optical fibers

A method using an image guide having several thousands of optical fibers, an excitation signal emitted by a source, deflected and injected by turns into the optical fibers, each excitation point of the tissue in the fiber output emitting in return a fluorescence signal collected by the fiber, then detected and digitized to form an image element. The method focuses the beam in the fiber output to excite a subsurface plane to produce a confocal image. The production of a divergent beam in the fiber output can excite a micro-volume of the tissue from the surface. The method deflects the excitation signal at a speed corresponding to acquisition of a number of images per second sufficient for real time use and in detecting the fluorescence signal at a detecting frequency corresponding to a minimum frequency for sampling the fibers one-by-one.

Method and equipment for fiber optic high-resolution, in particular confocal, fluorescence imaging

An optical head for equipping the distal end of a flexible optical fiber bundle, designed to be urged into contact with an analyzing surface and including optical elements for focusing an excitation signal into a so-called excitation focal point located at a specific depth beneath the analyzing surface and for sampling a signal backscattered by the excitation focal point which is carried back by the fiber bundle. The head includes an optics-holder tube wherein are inserted on one side the distal end portion of the fiber bundle and on the other optical elements, the latter including a plate placed in contact with the end of the fiber bundle whereof the index is close to that of the fiber core and a focusing optical block, an output window being further provided adapted to provide index adaptation so as to eliminate parasitic reflection occurring on the analyzing surface.

Miniaturized focusing optical head in particular for endoscope

Growing community of inventors

Courbevoie, France

Frederic Berier