Pre-fabricated, on-demand interface for use in providing optical coupling between disposable and reusable members of a low coherence enhanced backscattering fiber-optic probe

A fiber optic probe comprising:

• a disposable insertion tip of a low coherence enhanced backscattering (LEBS) fiber optic probe configured for characterization of tissue of a human subject;
• the disposable insertion tip comprising:
• an elongated housing having a distal end and a proximal end, the distal end being insertable into a cavity of said human subject;
• an
• optical assembly disposed at the distal end of the elongated housing, the optical assembly including a proximal end that extends into a cavity provided within the elongated housing proximally of the distal end of the elongated housing;
• a connector disposed adjacent to the proximal end of the elongated housing, the connector including a first coupling that detachably couples to a mating, second coupling of a reusable portion of the LEBS fiber optic probe;
• a pre-cured, compressible optically-transmissive gel disposed inside the cavity provided within the elongated housing and contacting at least the proximal end of the optical assembly such that there are no gaps between the proximal end of the optical assembly and the gel;
• wherein the gel is positioned in an optical path of the disposable insertion tip;
• wherein the gel is index-matched to an optical material of the optical assembly;
• wherein the gel has a hardness of between about 60 shore 00 durometer and about 80 shore 00 durometer;
• wherein said disposable insertion tip is configured to transmit light from said tissue of said subject to said reusable portion of the LEBS fiber optic probe;
• and a reusable portion having
• (i) a connector disposed proximally of a distal end of the reusable portion, the connector having the mating, second coupling that detachably couples to the first coupling of the disposable insertion tip, and
• (ii) an optical assembly including a distal optical member disposed at the distal end of the reusable portion and which is located distally of the second coupling,
• wherein when the first and second couplings are engaged with each other, the pre-cured, compressible optically-transmissive gel is compressed against and contacts at least a surface of the distal optical member of the reusable portion.