Vessel imaging system and method

An imaging probe for locating a target blood vessel located under a portion of a tissue surface, the imaging probe located outside the portion of the tissue surface, the imaging probe comprising:

• an objective lens;
• a background imaging channel comprising a background light source configured to illuminate a tissue region located under the portion of the tissue surface through the objective lens, using wide-field illumination comprising a background light component having a substantially high susceptibility to absorption by said particles;
• and
• an illuminating optical channel comprising an illuminating light source and an illumination light processing unit, respectively configured to illuminate and image through the objective lens a focal line within the tissue region;
• wherein said illuminating light source is coupled to a dispersing element to disperse illuminating light along the focal line;
• wherein the illuminating optical channel also comprises an optical arrangement configured to direct light backscattered from the focal line to the illumination light processing unit;
• wherein the illumination light processing unit is configured to decode position from illuminating light backscatter returning from the focal line, the focal line located under the portion of the tissue surface;
• wherein the illuminating optical channel is dispersed across the focal line, the focal line located under the portion of the tissue surface, the background light component and illuminating light both illuminate from the objective lens through an optically transparent surface of a cap of the imaging probe, wherein said optically transparent surface is attached to and forms an end surface of said cap, wherein said illuminating is through said optically transparent surface, wherein said imaging is through said optically transparent surface, and wherein said optically transparent surface of said cap is configured to be in contact with the portion of the tissue surface under which the target blood vessel is located, the optically transparent surface of the cap configured to be held in a fixed position relative to the portion of the tissue surface;
• and
• wherein, in addition to the illuminating optical channel which is dispersed across the focal line, a relative scanning position of the objective lens is adjustable relative to the optically transparent surface of the cap, to define an optical line of sight of confocal imaging of the background imaging channel and the illuminating optical channel, such that said probe is configured to image at least a portion of the target blood vessel located under the portion of the tissue surface when the cap is held in the fixed position relative to the portion of the tissue surface.