MULTICORE FIBER ENDOSCOPES

摘要

Endoscopes, multicore endoscope fibers and configuration and operation methods are provided. The fibers may have hundreds or thousands of cores and possibly incorporate working channel(s) and additional fibers. The fiber may be used at different optical configurations to capture images of tissue and objects at the distal tip and to enhance a wide range of optical characteristics of the images such as resolution, field of view, depth of field, wavelength ranges etc. Near-field imaging as well as far-field imaging may be implemented in the endoscopes and the respective optical features may be utilized to optimize imaging. Optical elements may be used at the distal fiber tip, or the distal fiber tip may be lens-less. Diagnostics and optical treatment feedback loops may be implemented and illumination may be adapted to yield full color images, depth estimation, enhanced field of views and/or depths of field, and additional diagnostic data.

主权项

1. An endo scope having a distal tip and a proximal tip, the endo scope comprising:
at least one fiber module comprising at least one hundred cores distributed at a fill factor smaller than ¼, at least one optical element, in optical communication with the cores, at the distal tip, and a detector, in optical communication with the cores, at the proximal tip; wherein the endo scope is configured to implement super-resolved imaging by micro scanning over a pitch distance between the cores, and wherein the endo scope is configured to at least one of:
implement three dimensional sensing by handling the cores group-wise with respect to radiation delivered therethrough,enhance, by configuring the at least one optical element, a field of view of the endoscope beyond a region facing the cores at the distal tip, andenhance, by configuring the at least one optical element, a depth of field of the endoscope beyond a region congruent to the distal tip.