title: Miniature forward-viewing common-path OCT probe for imaging the renal pelvis.
abstract: We demonstrate an ultrathin flexible cone-scanning forward-viewing OCT probe which can fit through the working channel of a flexible ureteroscope for renal pelvis imaging. The probe is fabricated by splicing a 200 µm section of core-less fiber and a 150 µm section of gradient-index (GRIN) fiber to the end of a single mode (SM) fiber. The probe is designed for common-path OCT imaging where the back-reflection of the GRIN fiber/air interface is used as the reference signal. Optimum sensitivity was achieved with a 2 degree polished probe tip. A correlation algorithm was used to correct image distortion caused by non-uniform rotation of the probe. The probe is demonstrated by imaging human skin in vivo and porcine renal pelvis ex vivo and is suitable for imaging the renal pelvis in vivo for cancer staging.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 USA.
authors.forename: Xiaoyong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology and Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 USA.
authors.forename: Dhruti
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology and Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 USA.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology and Pathology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 USA.
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: MacLennan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 USA ; Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106 USA.
authors.forename: Yves T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 USA ; Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, 44106 USA.
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106 USA.
authors.forename: Andrew M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rollins
keywords: (110.4500) Optical coherence tomography; (170.2150) Endoscopic imaging; (170.3890) Medical optics instrumentation