Design and demonstration of a miniature catheter for a confocal microendoscope.
The fluorescence confocal microendoscope provides high-resolution, in vivo imaging of cellular pathology during optical biopsy. The confocal microendoscope employs a flexible fiber-optic catheter coupled to a custom-built slit-scan confocal microscope. The catheter consists of a fiber-optic imaging bundle linked to a miniature objective and focus assembly. The 3-mm-diameter catheter may be used on its own or routed though the instrument channel of a commercial endoscope, adding microscopic imaging capability to conventional endoscopy. The design and performance of the miniature objective and focus assembly are discussed. Primary applications of the system include diagnosis of disease in the gastrointestinal tract and female reproductive system.
Rouse
Andrew R
AR
Optical Science Center and the Department of Radiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA.
Kano
Angelique
A
Udovich
Joshua A
JA
Kroto
Shona M
SM
Gmitro
Arthur F
AF
D002404:Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation*; D019723:Endoscopes; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D005831:Genital Diseases, Female / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008904:Miniaturization / Q000379:methods; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity