Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for determining a position of an instrument (100) includes a sheath (104) configured to fit within an instrument channel of a medical scope. An optical fiber (112) is disposed within the sheath and a plurality of sensors (106) is integrated in optical fiber. The sensors are configured to measure deflections and bending in the optical fiber. A fixing mechanism (140) is sized to fit within the instrument channel in a first state and fixes the sheath within the instrument channel in a second state such that the fixing mechanism anchors the sheath and the optical fiber so that the deflections and bending in the optical fiber are employed with a pre-procedural volumetric image to determine a position of the instrument.

Abstract: The invention discloses an optical microscopy system (10) for stimulated emission depletion (STED) of an object (O). An optical element (6) is applied for focusing a first excitation (1) and a second depletion (2) beam on the object thereby defining a common optical path (OP) for both the first and the second beam. A phase modifying member (5) is inserted in the common optical path (OP), and the phase modifying member is optically arranged for leaving the wavefront of the first beam substantially unchanged, and for changing the wavefront of the second beam (2?) so as to create an undepleted region of interest (ROI) in the object. The first beam and the second beam have a common optical path because the phase modifying member adapts the wavefront or phase in such a way that it has no effect on the first beam, while on the second beam it gives rise to a wavefront, or phase change, resulting in a depleted region in the object (e.g. to the donut shaped spot) at the focal plane.

Abstract: An interventional instrument, system and method include an elongated flexible member (100) having one or more segmented sections (101) disposed longitudinally. An optical fiber (104) is disposed internally in the flexible member. A plurality of optical sensors (102) are coupled to the optical fiber and distributed along a length of the flexible member such that the optical sensors are positioned to monitor parameters simultaneously at different positions or at different data sources along the flexible member to provide distributed sensing.

Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for determining a position includes a transducer device (102) configured to receive signals from a console (104) and generate images based upon reflected waves. A flexible cable (108) is coupled to the transducer device to provide excitation energy to the transducer device from the console. An optical fiber (110) has a shape and position corresponding to a shape and position of the cable during operation. A plurality of sensors (122) is in optical communication with the optical fiber. The sensors are configured to measure deflections and bending in the optical fiber such that the deflections and bending in the optical fiber are employed to determine positional information about the transducer device.

Abstract: An apparatus, system and method determining a position of an instrument (100) are provided. A sheath (104) is configured to fit within an instrument channel of a medical scope. An optical fiber (112) is disposed within the sheath and a plurality of sensors (106) is integrated in optical fiber. The sensors are configured to measure deflections and bending in the optical fiber. A fixing mechanism (140) is sized to fit within the instrument channel in a first state and fixes the sheath within the instrument channel in a second state such that the fixing mechanism anchors the sheath and the optical fiber so that the deflections and bending in the optical fiber are employed with a pre-procedural volumetric image to determine a position of the instrument.

Abstract: A method includes performing first and second measurements with a turbid medium to be examined placed in a receiving volume of a device for examining the interior of turbid media. The second measurement is performed after a time interval has passed after the first measurement. Each of the first and second measurements includes subsequently irradiating the turbid medium with light from a light source from a plurality of different source positions and detecting light emanating from the turbid medium in a plurality of different detection positions for each source position, and storing the detected values as measurement results. The method also includes detecting inhomogeneities in the interior of the turbid medium by using the measurement results of one of the first and second measurements as a reference and the measurement results of the respective other of the first and second measurements to determine deviations from the reference.

Abstract: The invention relates an optical probe (1) suitable for non-linear optics such as two-photon imaging for medical purposes. The probe has an optical guide (2) and a lens system (6) positioned rigidly at an end portion (2a) of the optical guide. Additionally, a housing (3) with a cavity for the optical guide (2) and the lens system (6), the housing having at its distal end a transparent window (4), is comprised in the probe. The optical guide (2) with the lens system (6) is displaceably mounted within the housing, preferably in a transverse direction. Also, the housing (3) has an auxiliary, peripheral optical guide (5) optically connected to the transparent window (4). The invention is advantageous for obtaining an optical probe with a significantly larger collection efficiency. The optical probe may advantageous be applied in connection with two-photon spectroscopy where both ballisitic photons and diffusing fluorescence photons can be used in the detection of an event.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pulse splitting device (5) adapted to receive irradiation pulses (10) with a central wavelength (1) from a pulsed irradiation source (2) and output a plurality of sub-pulses (11,12,15,17) for each incoming irradiation pulse. The received irradiation pulses and the pulse splitter (5) interacts so that a first and a second sub-pulse (11,12) are temporally separated by a first optical path length (OP1) in a first region and a second optical path length (OP2) in a second region, respectively. The first optical path length (OP1) times the group velocity dispersion (GVD1) with respect to wavelength in the first material, is balanced with the second optical path length (OP2) times the group velocity dispersion (GVD2) with respect to wavelength in the second material, so that the dispersion broadening of the first and the second sub-pulses (11,12) is substantially equal. This facilitates improved subsequent dispersion compensation by both sub-pulses.

Abstract: The invention discloses an optical microscopy system (10) for stimulated emission depletion (STED) of an object (O). An optical element (6) is applied for focusing a first excitation (1) and a second depletion (2) beam on the object thereby defining a common optical path (OP) for both the first and the second beam. A phase modifying member (5) is inserted in the common optical path (OP), and the phase modifying member is optically arranged for leaving the wavefront of the first beam substantially unchanged, and for changing the wavefront of the second beam (2?) so as to create an undepleted region of interest (ROI) in the object. The first beam and the second beam have a common optical path because the phase modifying member adapts the wavefront or phase in such a way that it has no effect on the first beam, while on the second beam it gives rise to a wavefront, or phase change, resulting in a depleted region in the object (e.g. to the donut shaped spot) at the focal plane.

Abstract: An apparatus, system and method for determining a position includes a transducer device (102) configured to receive signals from a console (104) and generate images based upon reflected waves. A flexible cable (108) is coupled to the transducer device to provide excitation energy to the transducer device from the console. An optical fiber (110) has a shape and position corresponding to a shape and position of the cable during operation. A plurality of sensors (122) is in optical communication with the optical fiber. The sensors are configured to measure deflections and bending in the optical fiber such that the deflections and bending in the optical fiber are employed to determine positional information about the transducer device.

Abstract: An apparatus, system and method determining a position of an instrument (100) are provided. A sheath (104) is configured to fit within an instrument channel of a medical scope. An optical fiber (112) is disposed within the sheath and a plurality of sensors (106) is integrated in optical fiber. The sensors are configured to measure deflections and bending in the optical fiber. A fixing mechanism (140) is sized to fit within the instrument channel in a first state and fixes the sheath within the instrument channel in a second state such that the fixing mechanism anchors the sheath and the optical fiber so that the deflections and bending in the optical fiber are employed to determine a position of the instrument.

Abstract: An imaging system with two modalities has a catheter with an optical lens system situated at an end of the catheter and optically connected to optical guide. The lens system has a numerical aperture which is changeable between a first aperture and a second larger numerical aperture. The imaging system also has an imaging unit for optical imaging with the catheter. First and second imaging modalities are optically connectable with the optical lens system of the catheter. The imaging system can change between imaging in two modes: (1) the first numerical aperture of the optical lens system and the first imaging modality of the imaging unit, and (2) the second numerical aperture of the optical lens system and the second imaging modality of the imaging unit.

Abstract: An interventional instrument, system and method include an elongated flexible member (100) having one or more segmented sections (101) disposed longitudinally. An optical fiber (104) is disposed internally in the flexible member. A plurality of optical sensors (102) are coupled to the optical fiber and distributed along a length of the flexible member such that the optical sensors are positioned to monitor parameters simultaneously at different positions or at different data sources along the flexible member to provide distributed sensing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pulse splitting device (5) adapted to receive irradiation pulses (10) with a central wavelength (1) from a pulsed irradiation source (2) and output a plurality of sub-pulses (11,12, 15,17) for each incoming irradiation pulse. The received irradiation pulses and the pulse splitter (5) interacts so that a first and a second sub-pulse (11,12) are temporally separated by a first optical path length (OP1) in a first region and a second optical path length (OP2) in a second region, respectively. The first optical path length (OP1) times the group velocity dispersion (GVD1) with respect to wavelength in the first material, is balanced with the second optical path length (OP2) times the group velocity dispersion (GVD2) with respect to wavelength in the second material, so that the dispersion broadening of the first and the second sub-pulses (11,12) is substantially equal. This facilitates improved subsequent dispersion compensation by both sub-pulses.

Abstract: The invention relates to a multivariate calibration which can be used when the optical system used for that method does not comprise a multi-channel detector such as a CCD sensor or a line array of photodiodes. An optical system without a multi-channel detector doesn't allow to carry out preprocessing steps. Thus there is the need to carry out these preprocessing steps in another way. It is suggested to partially replace the preprocessing step by a measurement of the optical signal, whereby the measurement comprises transmitting or reflecting the optical signal by an optical element, thereby weighing the optical signal by a spectral weighing function. The advantage of the invention is to teach how such an optical system without a bulky and expensive CCD sensor can be used to carry out a multivariate calibration and preprocessing steps.

Abstract: An optical examination device (10) adapted to be at least partially inserted into a turbid medium is provided. The optical examination device comprises a shaft portion (21) adapted to be inserted into the turbid medium, the shaft portion (21) comprising a tip portion (22) adapted to be the foremost portion during insertion into the turbid medium. At least one light source device adapted to emit abeam (11) of broad-band light is provided in the region of the tip portion (21). The beam (11) of broad-band light comprises different wavelength bands (2a, 2b, . . . , 2n) which are differently modulated. At least one photodetector (27a, 27b, 27c) for detecting broad-band light is provided in a region adapted to be inserted into the turbid medium of the shaft portion (21).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a dual gate field-effect transistor (1) comprising a first and a second dielectric layer (6,7), a first and a second gate electrode (9,11) and an assembly (2) of at least one source electrode (3), at least one drain electrode (4) and at least one organic semiconductor (5), wherein—the source electrode (3) and the drain electrode (4) are in contact with the semiconductor (5), the assembly (2) is located between the first dielectric layer (6) and the second dielectric layer (7), the first dielectric layer (6) is located between the first gate electrode (9) and a first side (8) of the assembly (2), and the second dielectric layer (7) is located between the second gate electrode (11) and a second side (10) of the assembly (2), wherein the organic semi-conductor (5) is an organic ambipolar conduction semiconductor (12) which enables at least one electron injection area (18) at the first side (8) and at least one hole injection area (18) at the second side (19) of the assembly (2).

Abstract: The invention relates an optical probe (1) suitable for non-linear optics such as two-photon imaging for medical purposes. The probe has an optical guide (2) and a lens system (6) positioned rigidly at an end portion (2a) of the optical guide. Additionally, a housing (3) with a cavity for the optical guide (2) and the lens system (6), the housing having at its distal end a transparent window (4), is comprised in the probe. The optical guide (2) with the lens system (6) is displaceably mounted within the housing, preferably in a transverse direction. Also, the housing (3) has an auxiliary, peripheral optical guide (5) optically connected to the transparent window (4). The invention is advantageous for obtaining an optical probe with a significantly larger collection efficiency. The optical probe may advantageous be applied in connection with two-photon spectroscopy where both ballisitic photons and diffusing fluorescence photons can be used in the detection of an event.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical probe (1) with an optical guide (2), e.g. an optical fibre, and a lens system (6) rigidly coupled to an end portion (2a) of the optical guide. The probe has a housing (3) with a cavity for the optical guide, the housing having at its distal end a transparent window (4), the window having an insignificant optical power as compared to the optical power of the said lens system (6). Actuation means (8) displaces the 5 lens system so as to enable optical scanning of a region of interest (ROI). The invention is particularly suited for miniature applications e.g. for in-vivo medical application. By attaching the lens system (6) to the optical guide (2) via the mount (7), the field of view (FOV) of the optical probe (1) may be determined directly by the transverse stroke of the optical fibre (2). Hence only a relatively small stroke is required. The field of view is thus 10 effectively no longer limited by the transverse stroke.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and device (1) for imaging an interior of a turbid medium (55). A turbid medium (55) inside a measurement volume (15) is irradiated from a plurality of source positions (25a) with light from a light source (5), and light emanating from the measurement volume (15) is detected from a plurality of detection positions (25b). An image of the interior of the turbid medium (55) is reconstructed from the detected light. In both the method and the device (1), detector signals can be amplified for each source position-detection position pair by a multi-gain amplification unit comprising an amplifier circuit (60). The amplification factor is selected from a number of possible amplification factors based on detected signal strength in the prior art. According to the invention, however, the method and device are adapted such that the amplification factor is selected for at least one source position-detection position pair on the basis of an estimate of expected electrical signal strength.