Confocal microscopy with multi-spectral encoding and system and apparatus for spectroscopically encoded confocal microscopy
AssigneeThe General Hospital Corporation
InventorsGuillermo J. Tearney, Brett E. Bouma, Robert H. Webb, Constantinos Pitris, Millen Shishkov
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Abstract
A scanning confocal microscopy system and apparatus, especially useful for endoscopy with a flexible probe which is connected to the end of an optical fiber (9). The probe has a grating (12) and a lens (14) which delivers a beam of multi-spectral light having spectral components which extend in one dimension across a region of an object and which is moved to scan in another dimension. The reflected confocal spectrum is measured to provide an image of the region.
Claims48
An apparatus movable into a body region of interest for use with a confocal microscope system, said apparatus comprising:
- means for illuminating the body region with a confocal spectrum of light extending along one non-longitudinal dimension;
- and
- means for obtaining an image of the body region by moving said spectrum along another dimension and measuring the reflected confocal spectrum of said light.
An apparatus for confocally imaging tissue, comprising:
- an input for receiving light from a light source;
- a light dispersing unit connected to the input for producing a confocal spectrum of said light;
- a focusing unit operable to focus said confocal spectrum at the tissue along a non-longitudinal dimension;
- and
- a light detecting unit operable to detect returned light from the tissue in accordance with a spectrum of said returned light to provide an image representing the tissue.
A system for confocally imaging tissue comprising:
- a light source operable to produce light;
- a light dispersing unit connected to the light source for producing a confocal spectrum of said light;
- a focusing unit operable to focus said confocal spectrum at the tissue along a non-longitudinal dimension ;
- and
- a light detecting unit operable to detect returned light from the tissue in accordance with a spectrum of said returned light to provide an image representing the tissue.
A confocal microscope system which comprises a probe movable into a body region of interest, said probe having means for illuminating said region with a confocal spectrum of light extending along one non-longitudinal dimension, means for obtaining an image of the region of the specimen by moving said spectrum along another dimension and measuring the reflected confocal spectrum of said light.
An apparatus movable into a body region of interest for use with a confocal microscope system, said apparatus comprising:
- an illumination unit operable to illuminate the body region with a confocal spectrum of light extending along one non-longitudinal dimension;
- and
- an image detecting unit coupled to said illumination unit, said image detecting unit operable to obtain an image of the body region by moving said spectrum along another dimension and measuring the reflected confocal spectrum of said light.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.