Development of A Novel Electro-Optic Endoscope

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Electro-optical scanning offers a sensitive, facile, accurate, and superb quality method to capture images of physical and biological tissues. In addition, the minute physical size of the imaging system is a much needed advantage over conventional imaging systems. Yet, to date, the medical field has not been able to capitalize this technology to enhance the performance of the endoscopes. Here we propose to construct, test and develop an ultra high speed miniature scanning image acquisition system that could potentially be implemented for clinical endoscopic imaging application. The present proposal resides in creating a scanning image acquisition system using an array of integrated polymer waveguide, gratings and electro-optic beam steering devices. The beam deflection is based on the fact that the propagation direction of the light beam can be changed when it is incident to an electro-optic medium where the index is changed by the applied electric field. The system will make innovative use of existing waveguide technology and microelectromechanical system (MEMS) fabrication techniques. This device may be used for medical imaging, bar code readers, and other optical and optomechanical sensing devices. However, developing a minimally invasive, high resolution/high field-of-view (FOV) medical imaging acquisition device will be the primary application for this proposal. The successful development of the image acquisition device will greatly impact state-of-the-art of clinical endoscopic imaging in that it will lead to low cost optical scanners that can fit inside endoscopic tubes with diameters of less than 1 mm. A reduction in diameter and size will enable users to examine areas anatomically inaccessible by currently designed endoscopes, reduce collateral damage to tissue, and enable integration of imaging with other functional devices such as therapy and diagnostic devices.