# US 12,758,089 B2 · Three-dimensional light-field microendoscopy with a grin lens array > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,758,089 B2 - Document ID: US12758089B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/714,524 - Filed: 2022-12-02 - Published: 2025-02-06 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2021-12-03 - Assignees: Georgia Tech Research Corporation - Applicants: Georgia Tech Research Corporation - Inventors: Shu Jia; Tara Urner; Andrew Inman; Benjamin Lapid - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12758089B2 ## CPC - A61B 1/07: using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres - A61B 1/00057: {provided with means for testing or calibration} - G02B 3/0056: {arranged along two different directions in a plane, e.g. honeycomb arrangement of lenses (G02B3/0043 takes precedence; miniaturised objectives for electronic devices employing wafer level optics G02B13/0085)} - G02B 3/0087: {with index gradient} - G02B 23/243: {Objectives for endoscopes} - G02B 23/2469: {using optical fibres} - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract An optical microendoscopy includes an endoscopic probe that has a plurality of integrated fiber optics for uniform illumination and an array of gradient index (GRIN) lenses. The GRIN lenses are configured to capture a reflected light field from one or more on-axis sampling of the reflected light field and two or more off-axis sampling of the reflected light field. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An optical microendoscopy system, comprising: an endoscopic probe, the probe having a plurality of integrated fiber optics for uniform illumination and an array of gradient index (GRIN) lenses configured to capture a reflected light field from one or more on-axis sampling of the reflected light field and two or more off-axis sampling of the reflected light field; and an image processing unit configured to receive the reflected light field from the endoscopic probe to reconstruct an image using a ray-optics reconstruction operation, wherein the image processing unit is configured to employ point-spread function (PSF) calibration in the ray-optics reconstruction operation, and wherein the point-spread function (PSF) calibration involves fitting an experimental depth-dependent magnification function M (z) with a ray-optics model of magnification. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The optical microendoscopy system of claim 1, wherein the captured reflected light field comprises 6 off-axis samples. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The optical microendoscopy system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of integrated fiber optics comprises 3 or more fibers embedded within an endoscopic probe core, each having an illumination output. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The optical microendoscopy system of claim 1, wherein each of the fiber optics comprises an illumination output at an end of the endoscopic probe, wherein the illumination outputs are distributed equally at the end of the endoscopic probe. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The optical microendoscopy system of claim 1, wherein the GRIN lens array comprises 6 GRIN lenses. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The optical microendoscopy system of claim 5, wherein the 6 GRIN lenses are positioned in a hexagonal array at an end of the endoscopic probe, and wherein the system further includes a seventh GRIN lens at a center of the hexagonal array at the end of the endoscopic probe. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The optical microendoscopy system of claim 6, further comprising an illumination output of one of the integrated fiber optics at a center of the hexagonal array at the end of the endoscopic probe. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The optical microendoscopy system of claim 1, wherein GRIN lenses of the GRIN lens array alternate with illumination outputs of individual ones of the integrated fiber optic at an end of the endoscopic probe. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The optical microendoscopy system of claim 1, wherein a first subset of the GRIN lenses in the array comprises a first property and wherein a second subset of the GRIN lenses in the array comprises a second property different from the first. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The optical microendoscopy system of claim 9, wherein the first property is a first polarization and the second property is a second polarization. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The optical microendoscopy system of claim 9, further comprising a third subset of GRIN lenses comprise a third property different from the first property and the second property. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The optical microendoscopy system of claim 11, wherein the first property, the second property, and the third property are selected from polarization, fluorescence in addition to bright field, wavelength, and time-gated light. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The optical microendoscopy system of claim 1, wherein the integrated fiber optics comprises LED light sources. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The optical microendoscopy system of claim 1, wherein the endoscopic probe comprises a Hopkins rod lens or a gradient index relay. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The optical microendoscopy system of claim 1, further comprising a laser light source at an end of the endoscopic probe and a camera for receiving reflected laser light. ### Claim 16 A method of operating an optical microendoscopy system, the method comprising: providing illumination from an end of an endoscopic probe, the endoscopic probe having a plurality of integrated fiber optic illumination sources for uniform illumination; capturing a reflected light field, for light-field imaging, through an array of gradient index (GRIN) lenses, including (i) one or more on-axis sampling of the reflected light field and (ii) two or more off-axis sampling of the reflected light field; and reconstructing an image, via a ray-optics reconstruction algorithm employing a point-spread function (PSF) calibration, using (i) the one or more on-axis sampling of the reflected light field and (ii) the two or more off-axis sampling of the reflected light field, wherein the point-spread function (PSF) calibration involves fitting an experimental depth-dependent magnification function M (z) with a ray-optics model of magnification. ### Claim 17 An endoscopic probe, comprising: a plurality of integrated fiber optics for uniform illumination and an array of gradient index (GRIN) lenses configured to capture a reflected light field from one or more on-axis sampling of the reflected light field and two or more off-axis sampling of the reflected light field, wherein the endoscopic probe is operatively coupled to an image processing unit configured to receive, from the endoscopic probe, the reflected light field to reconstruct an image using a ray-optics reconstruction operation, wherein the image processing unit is configured to employ point-spread function (PSF) calibration in the ray-optics reconstruction operation, and wherein the point-spread function (PSF) calibration involves fitting an experimental depth-dependent magnification function M (z) with a ray-optics model of magnification.