Broadband, freeform focusing micro optics for side-viewing imaging catheters

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments relate to a system that implements a side-viewing imaging catheter. This system includes a catheter sheath enclosing an imaging core, wherein the imaging core resents an internal optical channel coupled to an optical element located at the distal end of the imaging core. The optical element includes an internal reflective surface that reflects and focuses light transmitted via the optical channel in a direction orthogonal to a rotational axis of the catheter toward a target location, and returns reflected light from the target location back through the optical channel. This internal reflective surface of the optical element is shaped to focus the light so that a resulting beam shape at the target location has a small cross section area and substantially equal axial and transaxial dimensions.