title: Design and Performance of a Multi-Point Scan Confocal Microendoscope.
abstract: Confocal fluorescence microendoscopy provides high-resolution cellular-level imaging via a minimally invasive procedure, but requires fast scanning to achieve real-time imagingin vivo. Ideal confocal imaging performance is obtained with a point scanning system, but the scan rates required forin vivobiomedical imaging can be difficult to achieve. By scanning a line of illumination in one direction in conjunction with a stationary confocal slit aperture, very high image acquisition speeds can be achieved, but at the cost of a reduction in image quality. Here, the design, implementation, and experimental verification of a custom multi-point aperture modification to a line-scanning multi-spectral confocal microendoscope is presented. This new design improves the axial resolution of a line-scan system while maintaining high imaging rates. In addition, compared to the line-scanning configuration, previously reported simulations predicted that the multi-point aperture geometry greatly reduces the effects of tissue scatter on image quality. Experimental results confirming this prediction are presented.
authors.affiliation: College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, 1630 E. University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Medical Imaging, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, PO Box 245067, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Risi
authors.affiliation: College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, 1630 E. University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Medical Imaging, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, PO Box 245067, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
authors.forename: Houssine
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Makhlouf
authors.affiliation: College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, 1630 E. University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Medical Imaging, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, PO Box 245067, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Rouse
authors.affiliation: College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, 1630 E. University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Medical Imaging, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, PO Box 245067, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
authors.forename: Anthony A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Tanbakuchi
authors.affiliation: College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizona, 1630 E. University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85721, USA; Department of Medical Imaging, College of Medicine, University of Arizona, PO Box 245067, Tucson, AZ 85724, USA.
authors.forename: Arthur F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Gmitro
keywords: Nipkow; confocal microscopy; endomicroscopy; microendoscopy; multi-point imaging; optical biopsy