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:
Apr. 29, 2008
Filed:
Sep. 26, 2006
Changhuei Yang, Pasadena, CA (US);
Jigang Wu, Pasadena, CA (US);
Changhuei Yang, Pasadena, CA (US);
Jigang Wu, Pasadena, CA (US);
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA (US);
Abstract
Probes, and systems and methods for optically scanning a conical volume in front of a probe, for use with an imaging modality, such as Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). A probe includes an optical fiber having a proximal end and a distal end and defining an axis, with the proximal end of the optical fiber being proximate a light source, and the distal end having a first angled surface. A refractive lens element is positioned proximate the distal end of the optical fiber. The lens element and the fiber end are both configured to separately rotate about the axis so as to image a conical scan volume when light is provided by the source. Reflected light from a sample under investigation is collected by the fiber and analyzed by an imaging system. Such probes may be very compact, e.g., having a diameter 1 mm or less, and are advantageous for use in minimally invasive surgical procedures. A fluid medium can be introduced between two lens elements at the distal end of the probe to switch a mode from side viewing to forward viewing.