Tissue structure identification in advance of instrument

An integrated medical needle and optical system for identifying tissue structures in advance of said needle during a medical procedure, comprising:

• a medical needle having a distal end for piercing tissue in a penetrating direction ahead of said distal end, said needle having an exterior surface;
• an optical wavefront analysis system for providing light to illuminate tissue ahead of said needle, receiving light returned by tissue ahead of said needle and providing information about the distance from said distal end of said needle to tissue features ahead of said needle;
• and
• at least one single optical fiber disposed within the interior of said needle, coupled at a proximal end to said wavefront analysis system, and having a distal end disposed proximate said distal end of said needle, said distal end of said one single optical fiber having an illumination pattern directed substantially in said penetrating direction for illuminating the tissue ahead of said needle and receiving light returned therefrom without the assistance of a separate optical element coupled to said one single fiber at the distal end thereof.