Development of A Novel Electro-Optic Endoscope

描述（由申请人提供）：电光扫描提供了一种灵敏、简便、准确和高质量的方法来捕获物理和生物组织的图像。此外，成像系统的微小物理尺寸是优于常规成像系统的非常需要的优点。然而，迄今为止，医疗领域还不能利用该技术来提高内窥镜的性能。在这里，我们建议构建，测试和开发一个超高速微型扫描图像采集系统，可能会实现临床内窥镜成像应用。本建议在于使用集成聚合物波导、光栅和电光光束转向装置的阵列来创建扫描图像采集系统。光束偏转是基于这样的事实，即当光束入射到电光介质时，光束的传播方向可以改变，在电光介质中，折射率通过施加的电场而改变。该系统将创新性地利用现有的波导技术和微机电系统（MEMS）制造技术。该装置可用于医学成像、条形码读取器和其它光学和光学机械感测装置。然而，开发微创、高分辨率/高视场（FOV）医学成像采集设备将是该提案的主要应用。图像采集设备的成功开发将极大地影响临床内窥镜成像的最新技术水平，因为它将导致低成本光学扫描仪，该扫描仪可以安装在直径小于1 mm的内窥镜管内。直径和尺寸的减小将使用户能够检查当前设计的内窥镜解剖学上无法到达的区域，减少对组织的附带损伤，并且能够将成像与诸如治疗和诊断设备的其它功能设备集成。

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.