Fiber-optic imaging probe

A fiber-optic imaging probe for determining a characteristic of a target, the apparatus comprising:

• a source of coherent light;
• a probe body;
• a transmitting lens secured to the probe body;
• a receiving lens secured to the probe body;
• a transmitting optical fiber for transmitting light to the target, the transmitting optical fiber having first and second end portions, the first end portion secured within the probe body such that it lies off the optical axis of the transmitting lens, the first end portion having an end face, the second end portion connected to the source of coherent light;
• a receiving optical fiber for collecting light from the target, the receiving optical fiber having first and second end portions, the first end portion secured substantially parallel to the first end portion of the transmitting optical fiber such that first end portion of the receiving optical fiber lies off the optical axis of the receiving lens, the first end portion of the receiving optical fiber having an end face secured to the probe body, the second end portion of the receiving optical fiber connected to detector.

A method for examining a scattering volume, the method comprising:

• (a) transmitting laser light non linearly from a first optical fiber end face to the scattering volume, the laser light undergoing Gaussian propagation;
• (d) receiving back-scattered laser light nonlinearly from the scattering volume to an end face of a second optical fiber;
• (e) detecting the scattered light;
• (f) converting the detected light into data characteristic of the scattering volume.

A dynamic light scattering (DLS) probe comprising:

• means to coherently transmit input light;
• means to coherently transmit scattered light;
• means to produce a tightly focused scattering volume in a sample with desired scattering angle and penetration depth by utilizing the principles of imaging;
• and means to visually monitor the sample in real time.