title: Ultra-slim plastic endomicroscope objective for non-linear microscopy.
abstract: Non-linear microscopy has the potential to provide clinically useful information on the structure of biological tissue in vivo via an endomicroscope. The ability to use plastic as the optical material in a multiphoton objective was evaluated based on several criteria including autofluorescence, injection molding induced birefringence, and pulse broadening due to group velocity dispersion. An all-plastic, refractive ultra-slim endoscope objective was built with design specifications of NA=0.4, FOV=250 μm, 1.27 mm outer diameter, and 0.8 mm clear aperture. Initial images of second-harmonic generation signal (illumination at 780 nm) in collagen fibers and two-photon excited fluorescence (illumination at 920 nm) of Convallaria rhizome are reported.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, MS 142, 6100 Main St., Houston, Texas 77005, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kyrish
authors.forename: Urs
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Utzinger
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Descour
authors.forename: Brenda K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Baggett
authors.forename: Tomasz S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Tkaczyk
mesh_terms: D001718:Birefringence; D031405:Convallaria; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging / Q000379:methods; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods; D007909:Lenses; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D027343:Rhizome / Q000737:chemistry*; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted