Fixed distal optics endoscope employing multicore fiber

Disclosed herein are configurations for fiber optic endoscopes employing fixed distal optics and multicore optical fiber.
Disclosed herein are configurations for fiber optic endoscopes employing fixed distal optics and multicore optical fiber.
Disclosed herein are optical integration technologies, designs, systems and methods directed toward Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and other interferometric optical sensor, ranging, and imaging systems wherein such systems, methods and structures employ tunable optical sources, coherent detection and other structures on a single or multichip monolithic integration. In contrast to contemporary, prior-art OCT systems and structures that employ simple, miniature optical bench technology using small optical components positioned on a substrate, systems and methods according to the present disclosure employ one or more photonic integrated circuits (PICs), use swept-source techniques, and employ a widely tunable optical source(s). In another ...
An optical-fiber measurement system includes an optical transceiver comprising an optical transmitter and an optical receiver. A multi-core optical fiber has a proximal end with a first optical core coupled to the transceiver and a second optical core coupled to the transceiver, and a distal end with the first optical core coupled to a sample path that is configured to convey light collected from a sample positioned external to the multi-core optical fiber and the second optical core coupled to a reference path such that the sample path and the reference path experience mostly a same disturbance along the multi-core ...
A wavelength tunable laser device includes a gain element positioned in an optical cavity that provides optical gain to an optical signal. A frequency shifter that generates a frequency shift as a function of time is positioned in the optical cavity. The optical cavity is configured so that a magnitude of the frequency shift as a function of time generated by the frequency shifter is substantially equal to a frequency separation of a cavity mode of the cavity such that an output of the cavity generates laser light having a wavelength that tunes as a function of time.
Disclosed herein are configurations for few-mode fiber optical endoscope systems employing distal optics and few-mode, double-clad or other optical fiber wherein the systems directing an optical beam to a sample via the optical fiber; collecting light backscattered from the sample; direct the backscattered light to a detector via the optical fiber; and detect the backscattered light; wherein the directed optical beam is single mode and the collected light is one or more higher order modes.
An optical-fiber measurement system includes an optical system that generates light and a spatial optical switch that is coupled to the optical system that processes the light generated by the optical system and generates light at a plurality of spatially distributed optical ports. A respective one of a plurality of optical cores at a first end of a multicore optical fiber is positioned to receive light from a respective one of the plurality of spatially distributed optical ports, where the light generated at the plurality of spatially distributed optical ports propagates through the multicore optical fiber. Distal optics is positioned ...
An optical system for producing an optical probe beam includes an optical source that generates a free-space optical beam. An optical element is positioned in a path of the free-space optical beam to project the free-space optical beam to generate a projected free-space optical beam. A photonic integrated phased-array component positioned in a path of the projected free-space optical beam to reflect the projected free space optical beam, thereby generating the optical probe beam. The photonic integrated phased-array component comprises a plurality of antenna elements and a substrate positioned proximate to the plurality of antenna elements, wherein the substrate includes ...
A photonic integrated circuit wavelength tunable laser device includes a gain element integrated into a photonic integrated circuit. The gain element provides optical gain to an optical signal. A tunable filter is integrated into the photonic integrated circuit. A modulator is integrated into the photonic integrated circuit that modulates the optical signal as a function of time, wherein the gain element, the tunable filter, and the modulator form a wavelength tunable laser device having a wavelength that tunes as a function of time.
Purpose To compare patient and Medicare savings from the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in guiding therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nvAMD) to the research investments made in developing OCT by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Design Observational cohort study. Methods Main outcome measures were spending by Medicare as tracked by Current Procedural Terminology codes on intravitreal injections (67028), retinal OCT imaging (92134), and anti–vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment–specific J-codes (J0178, J2778, J9035, J3490, and J3590). These claims were identified from the Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data ...
The commercialization and growth of OCT which has occurred over the past 25 years has been highly impactful scientifically, clinically, and economically. Many factors have helped drive this success starting with the clinical need for new cost-effective high-resolution minimally-invasive imaging solutions for various diagnostic and therapeutic applications. But equally important to this success was the intertwined role of researchers, engineers, clinicians, professional societies, government agencies, government funding, regulatory bodies, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and small and large corporate entities within the biomedical optics industry and other industries. This talk will review some of the history of the commercialization of OCT and ...
25 years is a relatively short period of time for a medical technology to become a standard of care impacting the treatment of millions of people every year. Yet 25 years ago there were no OCT companies, no OCT products, no OCT markets, and only one journal article published using the term OCT (optical coherence tomography). OCT has had a tremendous scientific, clinical, and economic impact on society. Today, it is estimated that there are ~30 Million OCT imaging procedures performed worldwide every year and the OCT system market is approaching $1B per year. OCT has helped diagnose patients with ...
The complex ecosystem of innovation that helped nurture OCT from a Healthcare Idea to Healthcare Impact.
Disclosed herein are optical integration technologies, designs, systems and methods directed toward Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and other interferometric optical sensor, ranging, and imaging systems wherein such systems, methods and structures employ tunable optical sources, coherent detection and other structures on a single or multichip monolithic integration. In contrast to contemporary, prior-art OCT systems and structures that employ simple, miniature optical bench technology using small optical components positioned on a substrate, systems and methods according to the present disclosure employ one or more photonic integrated circuits (PICs), use swept-source techniques, and employ a widely tunable optical source(s).
This review was written for the special issue of IOVS to describe the history of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and its evolution from a nonscientific, historic perspective. Optical coherence tomography has become a standard of care in ophthalmology, providing real-time information on structure and function – diagnosing disease, evaluating progression, and assessing response to therapy, as well as helping to understand disease pathogenesis and create new therapies. Optical coherence tomography also has applications in multiple clinical specialties, fundamental research, and manufacturing. We review the early history of OCT describing how research and development evolves and the important role of multidisciplinary collaboration ...
The optical coherence tomography (OCT) industry has grown dramatically in its first 25 years, and while the positive effects on patient clinical care are the most important measure of OCT's success, its contributions to the economy in jobs, tax receipts, and healthcare savings are also noteworthy. The field of optical coherence tomography (OCT) has grown dramatically since its discovery in the early 1990s. The commercialization and growth of OCT, which has occurred over the past 25 years, has been highly impactful scientifically, clinically, and economically. Many factors have helped drive this success, starting with the clinical need for new ...
The field of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) has grown dramatically since its discovery in the early 1990’s. The commercialization and growth of OCT which has occurred over the past 25 years has been highly impactful, scientifically, clinically, and economically. Many factors have helped drive this success starting with the clinical need for new cost-effective high-resolution minimally-invasive imaging solutions for various diagnostic and therapeutic applications. But equally important to this success has been the worldwide ecosystem consisting of the intertwined role of scientists, engineers, clinicians, professional societies, government agencies, government funding, regulatory bodies, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and small and large ...
OCT News is pleased to announce the four winners of the 2013 student paper award competition. There were numerous submissions and they were judged on novelty, technical merit, and clarity by four judges (two from the USA and two from Europe). The winners are: Pei Ma from Case Western Reserve University for her submission “ Developing Technologies for Electrophysiology Imaging in Embryonic Hearts .” Jing-Gao Zheng from Tsinghua University for his submission “ Understanding Early Patterning and Polarity of Preimplantation Mouse Embryos with Full-Field Optical Coherence Tomography .” Carissa Reynolds from University of California Riverside for her submission “ Using Optical Coherence Tomography to Detect ...
Optical coherence tomography has been an unqualified success in the area of ophthalmology. As recently noted by OCT pioneer Dr. Carmen Puliafito, “OCT has revolutionized the treatment of eye diseases on a global basis and it is now routinely used to make clinical decisions about treating patients with blinding diseases such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma”. Over the past decade the market for ophthalmic OCT systems has grown tremendously and is now over $300M/year; there are ~14 companies making ophthalmic OCT instruments and more on the way; new impressive product features continue to be rolled out; nearly ...
Just this past May it seemed the Ontario Government had angered some doctors and patients by reducing the ophthalmic OCT reimbursment rate from about $63 to $25. This set off articles in the press like this one " Doctors and patients upset over Ontario gov't cuts to critical eye exams " where it was expressed by some that this was not in the best interest of Ontario, doctors, or patients. It now seems that this reimbursement has again changed as detailed in this article " Ontario government reaches deal with doctors " where it is quoted that " The optical coherence tomography fee, which ...
OCT News will sponsor three student paper awards of $1,000 each plus a 16Gb iPad2 for each winner. The goal of this grant is to assist in the travel or other expenses of a student working in the area of OCT. For example to attend an OCT Conference such as the upcoming Photonics West conference in San Francisco on February 2nd 2013. To be eligible for this award, the applicant must be a student doing research in the area of Optical Coherence Tomography, the work submitted must be fairly recent and mainly the work of the student. Awards will ...
There are over 36 OCT system companies in the market today in varying stages of maturity. There are other OCT companies that currently exist or started in this time period but are not listed here due to their small scale and/or company status. Many of those companies are listed here along with OCT component companies. There are even more startups and established companies in stealth mode looking to start new product lines. Figure 1 shows a graph of these 36 companies and the approximate time that significant resources were invested in new OCT product development efforts. Table 1 shows ...
Patents are obviously an important component of the OCT technology market place. Patents and the motives to file them have many roles. The motive for academics can be either to help enable a startup company the professor or student is involved in or to seek a share in the royalty fees by licensing to a company they are not involved in.[footnote 1] Many academics that start companies have licensed patents they authored from their institution, usually under exclusive terms. Exclusive fundamental patents can be a key factor in solidifying equity financing from investors. In addition, patents can serve as ...
We present a numerical approach to extract the dispersion mismatch in ultrahigh-resolution Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging of the retina. The method draws upon an analogy with a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor. By exploiting mathematical similarities between the expressions for aberration in optical imaging and dispersion mismatch in spectral / Fourier domain OCT, Shack-Hartmann principles can be extended from the two-dimensional paraxial wavevector space (or the x-y plane in the spatial domain) to the one-dimensional wavenumber space (or the z-axis in the spatial domain). For OCT imaging of the retina, different retinal layers, such as the retinal nerve fiber layer ...
Figure 1 shows an example of the dramatic growth in OCT papers since the first OCT paper by Huang, et al in 1991. Table 1 shows the data in more detail. A few things are very obvious, including that the rate of growth of OCT publications is dramatic (~200 papers/year) and the publications are dominated by ophthalmology, followed by general technology, and cardiology. The legend on the right hand side of the figure shows the number of cumulative publications by subject area from 1991 to 2012. In this analysis only title and abstract were considered. The result is that ...