Optical probe for producing tomogram of specimen by the use of low-coherence light

Abstract

On the side at hand of an optical probe, a whole rotation transfer connector rotates while being supported by a ball bearing and a slide bearing and, therefore, rotation is transferred to a flexible shaft. The relative position between the flexible shaft and an optical sheath is changed in accordance with the amount of screwing of a sheath stopping member on the side at hand into an outer cylinder by an external thread portion and an internal thread portion. When the optical sheath is moved furthermore, the flexible shaft is elongated due to elastic deformation because the length of the flexible shaft is regulated by the interval between a locking part of a locking member at the tip and a shaft stopping member. A tip housing is made to contact with the locking member while tension is applied to the flexible shaft by the rear end surface in the direction of the side at hand. During the use of optical probe, even when the optical probe is curved and the inner surface of the flexible shaft is contacted with the inner surface of the optical sheath, moving of the tip housing is canceled by the elongation amount of the flexible shaft elongated in advance and, therefore, the tip housing rotates at a constant position relative to the probe longitudinal direction on all occasions.