Claims
- 1. A confocal microscope system which comprises a probe movable into a body region of interest, said probe having means for illuminating said region with a confocal spectrum of light extending along one substantially transverse dimension, means for obtaining an image of the region of the specimen by moving said spectrum along another dimension and measuring the reflected confocal spectrum of said light.
- 2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said probe is mounted on the end of a flexible, light-conducting member.
- 3. The system according to claim 2 wherein said member is an optical fiber.
- 4. The system according to claim 3 wherein said fiber is rotatable or translatable to move said probe in said another dimension.
- 5. The system according to claim 1 wherein said means for moving said spectrum comprises means for moving an image plane containing said spectrum optically or by physically moving said probe.
- 6. The system according to claim 5 wherein said probe is moved physically to scan said spectrum in said another dimension and said probe has means for optically moving said image plane to scan in still another direction, thereby enabling 3-D imaging.
- 7. The system according to claim 1 wherein said means for obtaining said image comprises heterodyne detection means.
- 8. The system according to claim 7 wherein said heterodyne detection means includes an interferometer.
- 9. The system according to claim 8 wherein said interferometer has a sample arm terminated by said probe, a reference arm terminated by a mirror, an output arm having a spectroscopic detector, an input arm having a source of polychromatic illumination, and a beam splitter for directing light from said source to said sample and reference arms and directing interfering light containing said reflected confocal spectrum into said output arm.
- 10. The system according to claim 9 wherein said reference arm includes means for modulating said reflected spectrum.
- 11. The system according to claim 10 wherein said modulating means comprising means for reciprocally oscillating said mirror or a modulator.
- 12. The system according to claim 11 wherein said modulator or reciprocal oscillation is at a certain frequency, and means for lock-in operation of said detector at said frequency.
- 13. The system according to claim 9 wherein said detector is a spectrometer.
- 14. The system according to claim 9 wherein said detector includes a cross-correlator or a Fourier transform spectrometer.
- 15. The system according to claim 1 wherein said probe comprises a grating and an objective which provides said confocal spectrum in an image plane of said objective.
- 16. The system according to claim 15 wherein said probe is sufficiently small size to be insertable into an organ internal of said body.
- 17. A system for confocally imaging tissue comprising:
a source for producing light; means for producing a confocal spectrum of said light; means for focusing said confocal spectrum in a direction into said tissue defining a first dimension and receiving returned light from said tissue, in which said confocal spectrum producing means is capable of providing a confocal spectrum which when focused by said focusing means extends along a second dimension in said tissue different from the first dimension; and means for detecting said returned light in accordance with spectrum of said returned light to provide an image representing said tissue.
- 18. The system according to claim 17 further comprising means for scanning said confocal spectrum in at least one dimension with respect to said tissue.
- 19. The system according to claim 17 wherein at least said producing means and said focusing and receiving means are located is a probe capable of insertion in a body.
- 20. The system according to claim 17 further comprising an optical fiber which provides said light from said source to said producing means, and provides said returned light from said focusing and receiving means to said detecting means.
- 21. The system according to claim 17 wherein said producing means and focusing means are provided by more than one optical element.
- 22. The system according to claim 17 wherein said detecting means comprises at least a spectrometer.
- 23. The system according to claim 22 further comprising interferometric means for enabling said detecting means.
- 24. The system according to claim 17 wherein said light is polychromatic, said focusing means provides for focusing said confocal spectrum into said tissue along multiple positions in the tissue encoded in accordance with characteristics of the polychromatic light and said confocal spectrum producing means, and said detecting means spectroscopically detects said returned light to provide an image of a section of the tissue in accordance with the encoded positions of the confocal spectrum focused in the tissue.
- 25. The system according to claim 17 wherein said second dimension is substantially transverse with respect to said first dimension.
- 26. A method for confocally imaging tissue comprising the steps of:
providing a source of polychromatic light; producing a confocal spectrum of said light with the aid of a diffractive element; focusing said confocal spectrum into said tissue along multiple substantially transverse positions in the tissue encoded in accordance with characteristics of the polychromatic light and said diffractive element; receiving returned light from the tissue; and spectroscopically detecting said returned light and producing an image of a section of the tissue in accordance with the encoded positions of the confocal spectrum focused in the tissue.
- 27. A system for imaging tissue comprising:
a diffractive element capable of providing illumination of one or more wavelengths along a first dimension; and a lens which focuses said illumination in a direction into said tissue along a second dimension different from said first dimension, and said lens receives returned illumination from said tissue representative of one or more locations in said tissue in accordance with said one or more wavelengths.
- 28. The system according to claim 27 further comprising a probe comprising at least said lens and said diffractive element.
- 29. The system according to claim 27 wherein said first dimension is substantially transverse with respect to said second dimension.
- 30. The system according to claim 27 wherein said lens focuses said illumination into one or more spots in the tissue at said one or more locations in accordance with said one or more wavelengths.
- 31. The system according to claim 27 further comprising means for scanning said tissue with said illumination focused by said lens.
- 32. The system according to claim 31 further comprising means for detecting said returned light to provide an image of said tissue representative of said region of said tissue.
- 33. An apparatus movable into a body region of interest for use with a confocal microscope system, said apparatus comprising:
means for illuminating the body region with a confocal spectrum of light extending along one non-longitudinal dimension; and means for obtaining an image of the body region by moving said spectrum along another dimension and measuring the reflected confocal spectrum of said light.
- 34. An apparatus for confocally imaging tissue, comprising:
an input for receiving light from a light source; a light dispersing unit connected to the input for producing a confocal spectrum of said light; a focusing unit operable to focus said confocal spectrum at the tissue along a non-longitudinal dimension; and a light detecting unit operable to detect returned light from the tissue in accordance with a spectrum of said returned light to provide an image representing the tissue.
- 35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said input comprises an optical fiber for transmitting said light.
- 36. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said light dispersing unit comprises a grating.
- 37. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein said light dispersing unit comprises a light deflecting unit for deflecting said confocal spectrum to said dimension.
- 38. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said light deflecting unit comprises a prism.
- 39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said light dispersing unit comprises a grating.
- 40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said grating is a holographic grating.
- 41. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said grating is fixed to an angled face of said prism.
- 42. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein said prism is a reflective prism.
- 43. The apparatus of claim 37, wherein said light deflecting unit comprises a grating prism pair.
- 44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said light deflecting unit comprises a dual prism grating prism pair.
- 45. The apparatus of claim 34, further comprising an adjustment unit operable to adjust said confocal spectrum at the tissue.
- 46. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein said adjustment unit moves said confocal spectrum in another direction along a second dimension.
- 47. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein said adjustment unit adjusts said focusing unit.
- 48. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein said adjustment unit comprises one or more of a rotator, an actuator, a beam deflector, and a balloon.
- 49. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein said adjustment unit adjusts said input.
- 50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein said input comprises a fiber/collimator assembly.
- 51. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein said adjustment unit comprises one or more of a linear transduction mechanism, a rotational cam mechanism, and a rotational lever mechanism for moving said fiber/collimator assembly.
- 52. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein said adjustment unit comprises a circular piezoelectric bimorph.
- 53. The apparatus of claim 45, wherein said adjustment unit moves said confocal spectrum around an axis that extends in another direction.
- 54. A system for confocally imaging tissue comprising:
a light source operable to produce light; a light dispersing unit connected to the light source for producing a confocal spectrum of said light; a focusing unit operable to focus said confocal spectrum at the tissue along a non-longitudinal dimension; and a light detecting unit operable to detect returned light from the tissue in accordance with a spectrum of said returned light to provide an image representing the tissue.
- 55. A light deflecting unit for use in an optical apparatus, comprising:
a first prism having a first surface and a second surface, said second surface forming a first predetermined angle with said first surface; a second prism having a third surface and a fourth surface, said third surface facing said first surface of said first prism and said fourth surface forming a second predetermined angle with said third surface; and a grating disposed between said first surface of said first prism and said third surface of said second prism, whereby light enters said second surface of said first prism at approximately the same angle as a confocal spectrum of said light exits said fourth surface of said second prism.
- 56. The light deflecting unit of claim 55, wherein one of said first prism and said second prism is made of a high refractive index material.
- 57. The light deflecting unit of claim 56, wherein said high refractive index material is silicon.
- 58. The light deflecting unit of claim 55, wherein said grating is a holographic grating.
- 59. The light deflecting unit of claim 55, wherein said first predetermined angle is equal to said second predetermined angle.
- 60. The light deflecting unit of claim 55, wherein all refractive index interfaces are coated with an anti-reflection coating.
- 61. A confocal microscope system which comprises a probe movable into a body region of interest, said probe having means for illuminating said region with a confocal spectrum of light extending along one non-longitudinal dimension, means for obtaining an image of the region of the specimen by moving said spectrum along another dimension and measuring the reflected confocal spectrum of said light.
- 62. An apparatus movable into a body region of interest for use with a confocal microscope system, said apparatus comprising:
an illumination unit operable to illuminate the body region with a confocal spectrum of light extending along one non-longitudinal dimension; and an image detecting unit coupled to said illumination unit, said image detecting unit operable to obtain an image of the body region by moving said spectrum along another dimension and measuring the reflected confocal spectrum of said light.
- 63. A method of identifying one or more targets for an operation in tissue, comprising using the system according to claim 27, and identifying the one or more targets in accordance with the returned illumination.
- 64. The method of claim 63, wherein the tissue is thyroid tissue.
- 65. The method of claim 63, wherein the tissue is fetal tissue.
- 66. A method of identifying one or more targets for an operation in tissue, comprising using the apparatus according to claim 34, and identifying the one or more targets in accordance with the image representing the tissue.
- 67. The method of claim 66, wherein the tissue is thyroid tissue.
- 68. The method of claim 66, wherein the tissue is fetal tissue.
- 69. A method of identifying one or more targets for an operation in tissue, comprising using the apparatus according to claim 54, and identifying the one or more targets in accordance with the image representing the tissue.
- 70. The method of claim 69, wherein the tissue is thyroid tissue.
- 71. The method of claim 69, wherein the tissue is fetal tissue.
- 72. A method of identifying one or more targets for an operation in a body region, comprising using the apparatus according to claim 62, and identifying the one or more targets in accordance with the image of the body region.
- 73. The method of claim 72, wherein the body region comprises thyroid tissue.
- 74. The method of claim 72, wherein the body region comprises fetal tissue.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. Application Ser. No. 09/622,971, filed Aug. 24, 2000, which is a national stage application of International Application No. PCT/US99/04356, filed Feb. 26, 1999, claiming priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/076,041, filed Feb. 26, 1998, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60076041 |
Feb 1998 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09622971 |
Aug 2000 |
US |
Child |
09999182 |
Nov 2001 |
US |