Radial-line scanning spectrometer with two-dimensional sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10337987-B2
Application number	US-201715625899-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 16, 2017
Priority date	Jun 16, 2017
Publication date	Jul 2, 2019
Grant date	Jul 2, 2019

Abstract

An apparatus for spectrally encoded endoscopy (SEE) comprising an illumination element, a detection light guiding element, a rotary element, and a two-dimensional sensor. The illumination element is configured to direct an illumination light beam towards a sample. The detection light guiding element is configured to collect a reflected light beam from the sample. At least one of the illumination element and the detection light guiding element is configured to spectrally dispersed the illumination light beam or the reflected light beam, respectively. The rotary element is configured to rotate or oscillate the reflected light beam. The reflected light beam is guided from the rotary element to the two-dimensional sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for spectrally encoded endoscopy (SEE) comprising:
an illumination light guiding element configured to direct an illumination light beam towards a sample;
a detection light guiding element configured to collect a reflected light beam from the sample, wherein at least one of the illumination light guiding element and the detection light guiding element is configured to spectrally disperse the illumination light beam or the reflected light beam, respectively, into a spectrally encoded line;
a rotary element configured to rotate or oscillate the reflected light beam; and
a two-dimensional sensor, wherein the dispersed reflected light beam is guided from the rotary element to the two-dimensional sensor, such that the spectrally encoded line scans the two-dimensional sensor.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary element comprises a rotary junction, and wherein the detection light guiding element includes an optical fiber.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the rotary element further comprises one or more of a prism, a grating, and a lens, and wherein the rotary junction transfers the reflected light beam from the stationary fiber to the one or more of a prism, a grating, and a lens.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection light guiding element is rotated by the rotary element.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the rotary element comprises a hollow shaft motor.

6. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the illumination light beam remains stationary.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a spectrometer, the spectrometer comprising:
a collimating component;
a dispersive component; and
the two-dimensional sensor.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the collimating component comprising a collimating element and a focusing element.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the detection light guiding element comprises a dispersive component disposed at the distal end of the detection light guiding element.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination light guiding element comprises:
an illumination fiber;
a focusing component; and
a dispersive component disposed at the distal end of the illumination fiber to disperse the illumination light beam directed towards the sample.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an illumination rotary junction configured to rotate the illumination light beam.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the reflected light beam is rotated at a speed that is substantially the same as an integer multiple of the rotational speed of the illumination light beam.

13. The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the reflected light beam and the illumination light beam are rotated independently from each other.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination light guiding element comprises a multimode optical fiber or a single mode optical fiber, and the detection light guiding element comprises one or more a single mode optical fiber and/or one or more of a multimode optical fiber.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a pair of relay lenses configured to adjust an image size of the spectrally encoded line projected on the two-dimensional sensor.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary element comprises a rotating grating configured to disperse the reflected light beam into the spectrally encoded line before the reflected light beam is incident on the two-dimensional sensor.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary element rotates or oscillates the reflected light beam so that the spectrally encoded line scans the two-dimensional sensor in a rotating or oscillating manner.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary element oscillates the reflected light beam so that the spectrally encoded line scans the two-dimensional sensor in a linear direction perpendicular to the dispersion direction of the spectrally encoded line.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the rotary element rotates the reflected light beam so that the spectrally encoded line scans the two-dimensional sensor in a circular direction with a radial scan such that a first wavelength of the reflected light beam falling on an outer region of the two-dimensional sensor is sampled more than a second wavelength falling on an inner region of the two-dimensional sensor.

20. A method for obtaining radial scan in a spectrally encoded endoscope (SEE), comprising:
projecting an incident light beam onto a sample;
detecting a reflected light beam from the sample;
dispersing the reflected light beam detected from the sample; and
rotating the dispersed incident light beam and the dispersed reflected light beam synchronously; and
guiding the dispersed reflected light beam onto a two-dimensional sensor.

21. The method according to claim 20 , further comprising providing an SEE probe including:
an illumination fiber configured to guide the incident light beam from the light source onto the sample;
a detection fiber configured to guide the reflected light beam towards a spectrometer; and
a first dispersive element configured to disperse light incident onto the sample or light reflected from the sample into a plurality of light rays.

22. The method according to claim 21 , further comprising rotating the illumination fiber and the detection fiber synchronously.

23. The method according to claim 21 , further comprising dispersing the incident light beam before projecting onto the sample.

24. A spectrally encoded endoscope (SEE) system, comprising:
an illumination light guiding element comprising:
an illumination fiber;
a focusing component; and
a dispersive component disposed at the distal end of the illumination light guiding element to disperse an illumination light beam directed towards a sample;

a detection fiber configured to collect a reflected light beam from the sample and forward the reflected light beam to a rotary element;
the rotary element configured to rotate or oscillate the reflected light beam; and
a spectrometer comprising:
a collimating component;
a dispersive component, configured to disperse the reflected light beam into a spectrally encoded line; and
a two-dimensional sensor,

wherein the dispersed reflected light beam is guided from the rotary element to the spectrometer, such that the spectrally encoded line scans the two-dimensional sensor.

25. The SEE system according to claim 24 , wherein the rotary element is configured to rotate the dispersed illumination light beam and the reflected light beam synchronously.

26. The SEE system according to claim 24 , wherein the detection fiber is stationary and wherein the rotary element comprises a rotary junction.

27. The SEE system according to claim 24 , wherein the detection fiber is rotated by the rotary element.

28. The SEE system according to claim 24 , further comprising a rotary junction configured to rotate the illumination light beam.

Assignees

• Canon Usa Inc
• Massachusetts Gen Hospital

Inventors

• Wu Tzu-Yu
• Ikuta Mitsuhiro
• Kang Dongkyun
• Tearney Guillermo J

Classifications

• G01J3/2823

  Imaging spectrometer · CPC title

• G01J3/06

  Scanning arrangements {arrangements for order-selection} · CPC title

• A61B1/00

  Instruments for performing medical examinations of the interior of cavities or tubes of the body by visual or photographical inspection, e.g. endoscopes (examination of body cavities or body tracts using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/12; endoscopic instruments for taking cell samples or for biopsy A61B10/04); Illuminating arrangements therefor (for the eyes A61B3/00) · CPC title

• G02B26/108

  having one or more prisms as scanning elements · CPC title

• G02B26/106

  having diffraction gratings as scanning elements, e.g. holographic scanners (holographic optical elements G02B5/32, holography G03H) · CPC title