The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 13, 2003
Filed:
Jul. 22, 1999
Constantinos Pitris, Boston, MA (US);
Stephen A. Boppart, Boston, MA (US);
Xingde Li, Beverly, MA (US);
Mark Brezinski, Malden, MA (US);
Eric Swanson, Acton, MA (US);
Edward McNamara, Chelmsford, MA (US);
James G. Fujimoto, Cambridge, MA (US);
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA (US);
Abstract
A fiber optic needle probe for measuring or imaging the internal structure of a specimen includes a needle defining a bore, an optical fiber substantially positioned within the bore, and a beam director in optical communication with the optical fiber. At least a portion of the wall of the needle is capable of transmitting light. The beam director directs light from the optical fiber to an internal structure being imaged and receives light from the structure through a transparent portion of the wall. An actuating device causes motion of any, or all of, the needle, optical fiber, and beam director to scan the internal structure of the specimen. The fiber optic needle probe allows imaging inside a solid tissue or organ without intraluminal insertion. When used in conjunction with an OCT imaging system, the fiber optic needle probe enables tomographic imaging of the microstructure of internal organs and tissues which were previously impossible to image in a living subject.