Optical design and simulation of a cervical scanning probe for polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography using Ansys Zemax OpticStudio
Optical design and simulation of a cervical scanning probe for polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography using Ansys Zemax OpticStudio
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DOI：
10.1117/12.2670355
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发表时间：
2023-08
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影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Frances S. Hooper;R. Yuan;D. Revin;D. Anumba;S. Matcher
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文献类型：
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作者：
Frances S. Hooper;R. Yuan;D. Revin;D. Anumba;S. Matcher
全球五岁以下儿童死亡的首要原因是早产（PTB）引发的并发症。尽管早产为何会自然发生尚未完全清楚，但已知在足月分娩和早产之前，宫颈富含胶原蛋白的细胞外基质都会发生重塑。体外偏振敏感光学相干断层扫描（PS - OCT）已成功对宫颈中胶原蛋白的分布和三维排列进行成像，并确定了双折射，测量了健康组织样本中的宫颈组织去极化情况。本研究旨在通过对用于人体体内宫颈扫描的PS - OCT探头实施计算机模拟设计、优化和模拟技术，来拓展这项研究。该设计将患者舒适度和临床可操作性视为关键参数，确保部件适合类似阴道镜的探头，并且可商业化获取，以便快速且经济高效地制造。为实现这些目标，该设计得益于尽可能少地使用部件并限制光学表面反射。在本文中，我们证明通过使用胶合梯度折射率（GRIN）中继系统，在轴向上且扫描角度高达2°时，可实现高达6毫米的视场（FOV），后向耦合效率超过73%。尽管惠更斯点扩散函数（PSF）横向分辨率达到81微米，但本文表明，对部件进行手动调整和优化可将该分辨率提高到12微米，不过这是以视场宽度减小为代价的。在初步实验中，使用内部构建的基于光纤的OCT引擎对模拟探头设计进行了验证，从包括健康人皮肤在内的各种样本中获得了具有宽视场的高质量OCT图像。
The leading global cause of death in children under the age of five is due to complications arising from Preterm Birth (PTB). Although it is not fully understood why PTB can happen spontaneously, it is known that the cervix’s collagen rich extracellular matrix remodels prior to both term and preterm labor. In vitro Polarization-Sensitive Optical Coherence Tomography (PS-OCT) has successfully imaged the distribution and 3D alignment of collagen in the cervix, as well as determined birefringence and measured cervical tissue depolarization in healthy tissue samples. The present investigation aims to expand on this research, by implementing in silico design, optimization, and simulation techniques for a PS-OCT probe to be used for human in vivo cervical scanning. The design considers patient comfort and clinical access as key parameters; ensuring the components are suitable for a colposcope-like probe and commercially available for quick and cost-effective manufacturing. To achieve these aims, the design benefits from using as few components as possible and limiting optical surface reflections. In this paper we demonstrate that with the use of a cemented Gradient Index (GRIN) relay system, a Field of View (FOV) of up to 6 mm can be achieved, with a back-coupling efficiency of over 73%, on-axis and at up to a 2° scanning angle. Although Huygens Point Spread Function (PSF) lateral resolution reached 81 μm, this paper demonstrates that manual adjustment and optimization of the components can increase this resolution to 12 μm, although at the expense of FOV width reduction. The simulated probe design was verified in preliminary experiments using an in-house built fiber-based OCT engine where high-quality OCT images with wide FOV were obtained from various samples, including healthy human skin.