Optical coherent tomography apparatus, fiberoptic lateral scanner and method for studying biological tissues in vivo

An apparatus for optical coherence tomography comprising:

• a low coherent light source;
• an optical fiber interferometer, including a beam-splitter, a sampling and reference optical fiber arms, and a photodetector, which are mutually optically coupled, a data processing and displaying unit, a reference mirror being placed at the end of said reference arm, the output of said photodetector being connected with said data processing and displaying unit, and a source of control voltage, whereas the output of said data processing and displaying unit of said optical fiber interferometer is the output of said apparatus for optical coherence tomography;
• at least one of said arms comprising an in-depth scanner having a capability of changing the optical length of said arm by at least several tens of operating wavelengths of said light source, said in-depth scanner being controlled by a source of control voltage, said sampling arm including a flexible part, which is made capable of being introduced into an instrumental channel of an endoscope or borescope and being provided with an optical fiber probe;
• said optical fiber probe being designed miniature and including an elongated body with a throughhole extending therethrough and a lateral scanner comprising a stationary part and a moving part, an optical fiber extending through said throughhole;
• said stationary part being mechanically connected with said body of said optical fiber probe and including a bearing support, a magnetic system, and a lens system;
• said moving part of said lateral scanner including a current conductor and said optical fiber;
• said optical fiber being rigidly fastened to said current conductor and serving as a flexible cantilever, its proximal part being fixedly attached to said bearing support, a distal part of said optical fiber allowing for being deflected in the direction approximately perpendicular to its own axis, and an end face of said distal part of said optical fiber being optically coupled with said lens system;
• said current conductor being arranged as at least one loop, enveloping said magnetic system in the area of one of its poles, with a part of said optical fiber being placed in the area of said pole of said magnetic system, and the plane of said loop of said current conductor being approximately perpendicular to the direction between the poles of said magnetic system;
• and
• said lateral scanner being controlled by a source of control current, and said current conductor being connected with said source of control current.