Miniaturized single-fiber-based needle probe for combined imaging and sensing in deep tissue

Opt Lett. 2018 Apr 15;43(8):1682-1685. doi: 10.1364/OL.43.001682.

Abstract

The ability to visualize structure while simultaneously measuring chemical or physical properties of a biological tissue has the potential to improve our understanding of complex biological processes. We report the first miniaturized single-fiber-based imaging+sensing probe capable of simultaneous optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging and temperature sensing. An OCT lens is fabricated at the distal end of a double-clad fiber, including a thin layer of rare-earth-doped tellurite glass to enable temperature measurements. The high refractive index of the tellurite glass enables a common-path interferometer configuration for OCT, allowing easy exchange of probes for biomedical applications. The simultaneous imaging+sensing capability is demonstrated on rat brains.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Body Temperature / physiology*
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging*
  • Diagnostic Imaging / methods*
  • Equipment Design
  • Fiber Optic Technology / instrumentation*
  • Optical Fibers*
  • Rats
  • Tomography, Optical Coherence / instrumentation*