Bibliographic Details
| Title: |
MINIATURIZED MULTIMODAL CARS ENDOSCOPE |
| Document Number: |
20120281211 |
| Publication Date: |
November 8, 2012 |
| Appl. No: |
13/289770 |
| Application Filed: |
November 04, 2011 |
| Abstract: |
A miniaturized imaging system is provided that operates in multiple modes, including a coherent anti-stokes Raman scattering (CARS) mode. The imaging system includes: a laser delivery subsystem that generates an excitation signal; a scanning mechanism configured to receive the excitation signal from the laser delivery subsystem and direct the excitation signal through an optics subsystem onto a sample, such that the optics subsystem compensates for chromatic aberration in the excitation signal; and a dichroic mirror that receives emission from the sample in a backward direction and directs the emission along a collection path to a detector. The light source for the laser delivery subsystem may be a single femtosecond pulse laser. |
| Inventors: |
Murugkar, Sangeeta (Ottawa, CA); Stys, Peter K. (Calgary, CA); Anis, Hanan (Kanata, CA) |
| Assignees: |
UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA (Ottawa, CA) |
| Claim: |
1. A miniaturized multimodal imaging system, comprising: a laser delivery subsystem operates to generate an excitation signal in one of two forms, a first form having a pump beam and a second form having a pump beam combined with a Stokes beam; a scanning mechanism configured to receive the excitation signal from the laser delivery subsystem and operates to direct the excitation signal in a given direction towards a sample; an optics subsystem configured to receive the excitation signal from the scanning mechanism and focus the excitation signal onto the sample, wherein the optics subsystem further operate to compensate for chromatic aberration in the excitation signal; an optical fiber that optically couples the laser delivery subsystem to the scanning mechanism; a detector configured to receive an emission resulting from non-linear interaction of the excitation signal with the sample; and a dichroic mirror disposed between the scanning mechanism and the optics subsystem, the dichroic mirror configured to receive the emission from the sample in a direction opposite the given direction and direct the emission along a collection path to the detector. |
| Claim: |
2. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein the laser delivery subsystem having a single femtosecond laser source tunable to different wavelengths. |
| Claim: |
3. The imaging system of claim 2 further comprises a first filter filters configured to receive the emissions from the sample and the system operates in a first mode such that the laser source is tuned to a first wavelength. |
| Claim: |
4. The imaging system of claim 3 further operates in a second operating mode such that the laser source is tuned to a second wavelength that is different than the first wavelength. |
| Claim: |
5. The imaging system of claim 3 further comprises a second filter configured, in a second operating mode, to receive the emissions from the sample, the second filter being different than the first filter. |
| Claim: |
6. The imaging system of claim 2 wherein the laser delivery subsystem further comprises an optical beam splitter configured to receive an input beam from the laser source and divide the input beam into the pump beam along a pump path and a Stokes beam along a Stokes path; a first prechirp unit disposed in the pump path and operable to compensate the pump beam for dispersion; a photonic crystal fiber disposed in the Stokes path; a second prechirp unit disposed in the Stokes path and operable to compensate the Stokes beam for dispersion; and a dichroic mirror configured to receive the pump beam and the Stokes beam and output an excitation signal formed from the pump beam and Stokes beam. |
| Claim: |
7. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein the scanning mechanism is further defined as a mirror actuated in a micro-electro-mechanical system. |
| Claim: |
8. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein the optics subsystem includes a field lens and a front end objective lens, each lens comprised of at least two different types of glass to compensate for chromatic aberration. |
| Claim: |
9. The imaging system of claim 1 wherein the detector is further defined as a photomultiplier tube. |
| Claim: |
10. The imaging system of claim 1 is further defined as an endoscope or a microscope. |
| Claim: |
11. A miniaturized multimodal imaging system, comprising: a laser delivery subsystem having a single laser source and operable to generate an excitation signal in one of two forms, a first form having a pump beam only and a second form having a pump beam combined with a Stokes beam; a scanning mechanism configured to receive the excitation signal from the laser delivery subsystem and operates to direct the excitation signal in a given direction towards a sample; an optics subsystem configured to receive the excitation signal from the scanning mechanism and focus the excitation signal onto the sample, wherein the optics subsystem operates to compensate for chromatic aberration in the excitation signal; an optical fiber that optically couples the excitation signal from the laser delivery subsystem to the scanning mechanism; a detector configured to receive emission resulting from non-linear interaction of the excitation signal with the sample; and a dichroic mirror disposed between the scanning mechanism and the optics subsystem, the dichroic mirror configured to receive emission from the sample in a direction opposite the given direction and direct the emission along a collection path to the detector. |
| Claim: |
12. The imaging system of claim 11 further comprises a first filter filters configured to receive the emissions from the sample and the system operates in a first mode such that the laser source is tuned to a first wavelength. |
| Claim: |
13. The imaging system of claim 12 further operates in a second operating mode such that the laser source is tuned to a second wavelength that is different than the first wavelength. |
| Claim: |
14. The imaging system of claim 13 further comprises a second filter configured, in a second operating mode, to receive the emissions from the sample, the second filter being different than the first filter. |
| Claim: |
15. The imaging system of claim 11 wherein the laser delivery subsystem further comprises an optical beam splitter configured to receive an input beam from the laser source and divide the input beam into the pump beam along a pump path and a Stokes beam along a Stokes path; a first prechirp unit disposed in the pump path and operable to compensate the pump beam for dispersion; a photonic crystal fiber disposed in the Stokes path; a second prechirp unit disposed in the Stokes path and operable to compensate the Stokes beam for dispersion; and a dichroic mirror configured to receive the pump beam and the Stokes beam and output an excitation signal formed from the pump beam and Stokes beam. |
| Claim: |
16. The imaging system of claim 11 wherein the scanning mechanism is further defined as a mirror actuated in a micro-electro-mechanical system. |
| Claim: |
17. The imaging system of claim 11 wherein the optics subsystem includes a field lens and a front end objective lens, each lens comprised of at least two different types of glass to compensate for chromatic aberration. |
| Claim: |
18. The imaging system of claim 11 wherein the detector is further defined as a photomultiplier tube optics subsystem is housed in a barrel having an outer diameter on the order of three millimeters. |
| Claim: |
19. The imaging system of claim 11 is further defined as an endoscope or a microscope. |
| Claim: |
20. The imaging system of claim 11 further comprises a probe configured to grasped by a user, wherein the probe houses the scanning mechanism, the optics subsystem and the dichroic mirror. |
| Current U.S. Class: |
356/301 |
| Current International Class: |
01 |
| Accession Number: |
edspap.20120281211 |
| Database: |
USPTO Patent Applications |
