Volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscope

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9436158-B2
Application number	US-201214353148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2012
Priority date	Oct 21, 2011
Publication date	Sep 6, 2016
Grant date	Sep 6, 2016

Abstract

Provided are modular volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscopic systems, comprising: an endoscope attachment module having a microscope objective lens, a single or cascaded compensated relay system configured to preserve an optical wavefront for use with a single or multiplexed volume hologram to select wavefronts originating from different object depths, and a system aperture; and a handle module configured to be reversibly attachable for operative communication with the endoscope attachment module, and having a beam splitter; a relay having adjustable spacing for object space focus compensation, and a single or multiplexed volume hologram suitable in operation to select wavefronts originating from different object depths, and wherein the handle module is further configured for operative communication with an illumination source and imaging optics. Preferably, an illumination module and an imaging module are configured to be in operative, reversibly attachable communication with the handle module. Flexible tip endoscopic embodiments are provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A modular volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscopic system, comprising:
an endoscope attachment module having
an observing end and a distal attachment end,
a microscope objective lens positioned at the observing end,
a single or cascaded compensated relay system having one or a plurality of pupil relays positioned between the objective lens and the distal attachment end and configured to preserve an optical wavefront for use with a single or multiplexed volume hologram to select wavefronts originating from different object depths, and
a system aperture with pupil positioned between the objective lens and the one or the plurality of pupil relays; and

a handle module configured to be reversibly attachable for operative communication with the endoscope attachment module, and having
a beam splitter,
a relay having adjustable spacing for object space focus compensation, and
a single or multiplexed volume hologram suitable in operation to select wavefronts originating from different object depths, and wherein the handle module is further configured for operative communication with an illumination source and imaging optics.

2. The volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscopic system of claim 1 , further comprising an illumination module in operative communication with the handle module, and having
a light source, and
a source lens 664 , and optionally having
an illumination hologram, and/or a relay, wherein the source lens is operatively positioned between the light source and the illumination hologram, which is operatively positioned between the source lens and the relay, and

wherein the illumination module is optionally configured as a module that is reversibly attachable to the handle module.

3. The volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscopic system of claim 2 , wherein the illumination module comprises a Koehler illumination system that provides broadband illumination, and/or a confocal rainbow illumination system configured within the endoscopic system for provide for rejecting out-of-plane scattering sources.

4. The volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscopic system of claim 3 , wherein the illumination module comprises a confocal rainbow illumination system configured within the system to disperse monochromatic illumination across the object field, and wherein the dispersed light is matched angularly to the imaging hologram inside the handle module to provide an optical sectioning effect capable of eliminating energy from out-of-plane scattering sources in the object.

5. The volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscopic system of claim 1 , further comprising an imaging module, in operative communication with the handle module, and having
a collector lens, configured within the imaging module to provide for adjustable spacing for image space compensation, and wherein imaging module is optionally configured as a module that is reversibly attachable to the handle module.

6. The volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscopic system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an illumination module configured to be in operative, reversibly attachable communication with the handle module, and having a light source, and a source lens, and optionally having an illumination hologram, and/or a relay, wherein the source lens is operatively positioned between the light source and the illumination hologram, which is operatively positioned between the source lens and the relay; and
and imaging module configured to be in operative, reversibly attachable communication with the handle module, and having
a collector lens, configured within the imaging module to provide for adjustable spacing for image space compensation.

7. The volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscopic system of claim 1 , wherein the endoscope attachment module comprises a plurality of relay stages configured to produce an image of the system aperture at the output (distal attachment end) of the endoscope attachment module.

8. The volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscopic system of claim 1 , wherein the endoscope attachment module comprises: a microscope objective; an objective-proximal compensating pupil relay; and a series of modular pupil relays having a combination of bi-convex, planoconvex, and plano-concave lens elements.

9. The volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscopic system of claim 7 , wherein a first, objective-proximal, relay stage (compensating pupil relay) is specifically designed and configured to compensate the off-axis aberrations of microscope objective (e.g., an aspheric singlet microscope objective), and wherein a plurality or series of further distal relay stages are corrected for infinite conjugates and configured to be modular.

10. The volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscopic system of claim 9 , wherein the plurality or series of further distal modular relay stages (modular pupil relays) are configured to propagate a nominally planar wavefront from the pupil aperture through the system.

11. The volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscopic system of claim 10 , wherein the modular pupil relays are corrected for infinite conjugates, and each employ a centrically located Hopkins rod to extend the length of the endoscope attachment module, and wherein the modular pupil relays are configured to be monochromatic at each field angle.

12. The volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscopic system of claim 11 , wherein field curvature is removed as an aberration by slightly curving the object plane, and wherein correction of monochromatic aberrations is achieved by using a combination of bi-convex, planoconvex, and plano-concave lens elements.

13. The volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscopic system of claim 12 , wherein
first and last bi-convex lenses determine spherical aberration of the system, wherein adjusting their radii provides for tuning of the spherical aberration, and
wherein inner plano-convex lenses and determine system astigmatism, wherein adjusting their radii provides for tuning of system astigmatism, and
wherein negative plano-concave lens elements introduce negative spherical aberration and astigmatism to balance the respective positive elements in the system, and reduce the overall field curvature component of the Seidel sum.

14. The volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscopic system of claim 1 , wherein the endoscope attachment module comprises:
an objective module having the microscope objective lens; and
a relay module having the single or cascaded compensated relay system having one or a plurality of pupil relays, and wherein the microscope objective is independently aberration-corrected from the rest of the system.

15. The volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscopic system of claim 14 , wherein the objective module comprises a diode-collimating asphere as a microscope objective lens, wherein astigmatism is correctable by equally adjusting the radii of the inner plano-convex lens elements of the compensating pupil relay, and wherein coma is correctable by the asymmetry of the first and last lens elements of the compensating pupil relay, and tunable by adjusting the air space between a second plano-concave lens and the subsequent plano-convex lens of the compensating pupil relay.

16. The volume holographic imaging system (VHIS) endoscopic system of claim 1 , comprising a common-path broadband light source and source lens to provide illumination at the object plane, wherein the source is positioned so that the source and object planes are confocal, and w

Assignees

• Univ Arizona

Inventors

• Kostuk Raymond K
• Gelsinger-Austin Paul J
• Brownlee Johnathan W
• Barton Jennifer K
• De Leon Erich
• Gordon Michael

Classifications

• A61B1/00163

  Optical arrangements (A61B1/002, A61B1/06 take precedence) · CPC title

• G02B23/2446

  of the image relay (G02B23/26 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G03H1/041

  Optical element in the object space affecting the object beam, not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• G02B23/2469

  using optical fibres · CPC title

• G03H2001/005

  in microscopy, e.g. digital holographic microscope [DHM] · CPC title