Abstract: A sterile sheath and methods for enclosing a confocal endomicroscopy (CEM) scanner probe with the sterile sheath are provided. The scanner probe includes a probe shaft, a probe tip, a probe body, and a probe umbilical. The sterile sheath for enclosing the CEM scanner probe includes a sheath tube configured to receive the probe shaft and has a distal tube end, a proximal tube end, a sheath tip mounted at the distal tube end of the sheath tube, and a sheath socket configured to receive the probe body. The sheath socket has a distal socket end and a proximal socket end. The proximal tube end of the sheath tube is fixed to the sheath socket at the distal socket end. The sterile sheath further includes a sheath lock ring and a sheath drape mounted on the sheath socket at the proximal socket end with the sheath lock ring.

Abstract: A lens group for an endoscope or microscope, comprising one or more lens elements, each of uniform refractive index, adapted to: i) focus, with high wavefront aberration correction, driving or excitation light received from an exit tip of an optical waveguide (such as an optical fiber) located substantially against a proximal surface of the lens group to a point observational field with narrow point spread function beyond a distal surface of the lens group (such as outside an optical window located distally relative to the distal surface); and ii) transmit, with high wavefront aberration correction, fluorescence or reflected return light received by the distal surface from the point observational field (and its neighborhood defined by the fluorescence wavelength point spread function) back to the exit tip of the optical waveguide at the fluorescence wavelength.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus and method are provided. The probe for an imaging apparatus includes a manually manipulable proximal portion; a straight distal portion with a distal tip for locating at a site to define an observational field; and a curved portion between the proximal portion and the distal portion. The imaging method includes the steps of locating a distal tip of an imaging probe at a site to define an observational field; irradiating the observational field from the distal tip; and collecting a return signal at the distal tip; wherein the probe comprises a manually manipulable proximal portion. The apparatus and method provided herein are useful for various applications including but not limited to endomicroscopy and other microsurgical procedures performed under optical stereoscopic magnified visualization, such as neurosurgery, ENT/facial surgery and spinal surgery.

Abstract: A scanner for an endoscope comprising: a scanning mechanism comprising a light transmitter and arranged to move the light transmitter to perform a scan; a lens system arranged to optically couple the light transmitter to a target during a scan; a first housing which houses at least a first portion of the lens system; a second housing which houses at least the fiber scanning mechanism; and a bendable joint joining the first and second housings such that in a scanning configuration the bendable joint joins the first and second housings so that optical elements in the first and second housings are aligned at a working separation, the bendable joint arranged to bend in response to insertion forces applied to the scanner during insertion of the scanner and revert to the scanning configuration in the absence of insertion forces.

Abstract: A lens group for an endoscope or microscope, comprising one or more lens elements, each of uniform refractive index, adapted to: i) focus, with high wavefront aberration correction, driving or excitation light received from an exit tip of an optical waveguide (such as an optical fibre) located substantially against a proximal surface of the lens group to a point observational field with narrow point spread function beyond a distal surface of the lens group (such as outside an optical window located distally relative to the distal surface); and ii) transmit, with high wavefront aberration correction, fluorescence or reflected return light received by the distal surface from the point observational field (and its neighbourhood defined by the fluorescence wavelength point spread function) back to the exit tip of the optical waveguide at the fluorescence wavelength.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus and method are provided. The probe for an imaging apparatus includes a manually manipulable proximal portion; a straight distal portion with a distal tip for locating at a site to define an observational field; and a curved portion between the proximal portion and the distal portion. The imaging method includes the steps of locating a distal tip of an imaging probe at a site to define an observational field; irradiating the observational field from the distal tip; and collecting a return signal at the distal tip; wherein the probe comprises a manually manipulable proximal portion. The apparatus and method provided herein are useful for various applications including but not limited to endomicroscopy and other microsurgical procedures performed under optical stereoscopic magnified visualization, such as neurosurgery, ENT/facial surgery and spinal surgery.

Abstract: A scanner for an endoscope comprising: a scanning mechanism comprising a light transmitter and arranged to move the light transmitter to perform a scan; a lens system arranged to optically couple the light transmitter to a target during a scan; a first housing which houses at least a first portion of the lens system; a second housing which houses at least the fibre scanning mechanism; and a bendable joint joining the first and second housings such that in a scanning configuration the bendable joint joins the first and second housings so that optical elements in the first and second housings are aligned at a working separation, the bendable joint arranged to bend in response to insertion forces applied to the scanner during insertion of the scanner and revert to the scanning configuration in the absence of insertion forces.

Abstract: A fiber bundle confocal microscope or endoscope (200), comprising a light source (142) for providing a beam of light (160), a coherent fiber bundle of optical fibers (152), a scanner (202) for receiving the beam and scanning the beam over a proximal end of the bundle (162), so that the beam is launched into a plurality of the fibers sequentially, a plurality of the fibers thereby acting sequentially as an at least one delivery fiber (204), a spatial filter (172), and a photodetector (174) operatively associated with the spatial filter to receive return light from one or more of the fibers. The return light from the delivery fiber is excluded from the photodetector by the spatial filter.

Abstract: The present invention provides a confocal endoscope, microscope or endomicroscope including a light source of coherent light for illuminating a sample, a beam splitter and light receiving means, wherein an incident beam of light from the light source is directed onto the beam splitter and hence onto the sample, and light returning from the sample and incident on the beam splitter is deviated or displaced by the beam splitter by a small angle or distance relative to the incident beam, and received by the light receiving means located to receive the returning light and near the light source. The invention also a method for performing confocal endoscopy or microscopy including illuminating a sample by means of an incident or excitatory beam of coherent light, and deviating or displacing light returning from the sample by a small angle or distance relative to the incident beam.

Abstract: A microscope, endoscope or optical coherence tomograph, comprising a light source, a flexible light transmitter (18) for receiving and transmitting light from the light source, an optical element (20) with a forward end (30) for receiving the light from the light transmitter (18) and a rear wall (26) having an internal surface for reflecting the light laterally, and an external sleeve (14) enclosing the optical element (20) and transparent to the light in at least a region of the sleeve where the light is directed by the internal surface (26). The internal surface (26) has an optical figure suitable for focussing the light to an observational field (28) external to the sleeve (14). A confocal configuration may be used.

Abstract: Imaging systems and methods are provided herein. An imaging system for imaging a surgical site, may include a macroscopic visualization system; and an imaging apparatus with a probe, the imaging apparatus being adapted to image the observational field and generate second image data; wherein the system is operable to control the macroscopic visualization system and the imaging apparatus to image the site and the observational field respectively at substantially the same time, and to associate the first image data and the second image data. Imaging methods provided herein may include the steps of: imaging the site with a macroscopic visualization system and generating first image data; imaging at substantially the same time an observational field with an imaging apparatus and generating second image data; and associating the first image data and the second image data.

Abstract: A scanning apparatus and method, the apparatus comprising a light transmitter, a mount for supporting the light transmitter located remotely from its exit tip, a drive for driving the light transmitter to vibrate resonantly in a first direction and to vibrate non-resonantly in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and a synchronizer for synchronizing vibration of the light transmitter in the first and second directions so that the exit tip of the light transmitter executes a scan pattern. The drive applies a driving force to the light transmitter between the mount and the exit tip.

Abstract: An objective optical system is configured to be suitable to be implemented at a tip of an endoscope. The objective optical system is provided with a first lens unit having a first lens barrel and a first optical system including plurality of lens elements assembled in the first lens barrel, and a second lens unit having a second lens barrel and a second optical system including a plurality of lens elements. The first lens unit or the second lens unit includes an alignment lens which is movable in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis thereof. The alignment lens is a lens most sensitive with respect to an alignment error among the plurality of lenses included in the first optical system.

Abstract: A scanning method and apparatus, the apparatus comprising a fork with first and second forwardly extending tines and a rearwardly extending counterweight member, a mount for supporting the fork at a point between the tines and the counterweight member, and a drive for effecting relative vibration between the tines to provide a fast scan and for driving the fork to provide a slow scan transverse to the fast scan.

Abstract: A scanning apparatus and method, the apparatus comprising a light transmitter, a mount for supporting the light transmitter located remotely from its exit tip, a drive for driving the light transmitter to vibrate resonantly in a first direction and to vibrate non-resonantly in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction, and a synchronizer for synchronizing vibration of the light transmitter in the first and second directions so that the exit tip of the light transmitter executes a scan pattern. The drive applies a driving force to the light transmitter between the mount and the exit tip.

Abstract: An optical connector for use with a light separator, the optical connector including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being optically couplable by first optical transmitter to a first input of the light separator and by second optical transmitter to a second input of the light separator. The first and second portions are detachably couplable to couple the first and second optical transmitter to third and fourth optical transmitters, respectively, provided in or coupled to the second portion. The first and second inputs of the light separator can thereby be optically coupled to a first optical instrument coupled to the third optical transmitter and a second optical instrument coupled to the fourth optical transmitter.

Abstract: A fibre bundle confocal microscope or endoscope (200), comprising a light source (142) for providing a beam of light (160), a coherent fibre bundle of optical fibres (152), a scanner (202) for receiving the beam and scanning the beam over a proximal end of the bundle (162), so that the beam is launched into a plurality of the fibres sequentially, a plurality of the fibres thereby acting sequentially as an at least one delivery fibre (204), a spatial filter (172), and a photodetector (174) operatively associated with the spatial filter to receive return light from one or more of the fibres. The return light from the delivery fibre is excluded from the photodetector by the spatial filter.

Abstract: A condensing optical system, suitable for a scanning confocal optical system (having a composition for scanning a beam spot on a subject surface by swinging a point source of light) and capable of satisfactorily suppressing various aberrations and reducing loss of light quantity, is provided. The condensing optical system, installed in a scanning confocal optical system for obtaining images of a subject surface by scanning a beam emitted from a point source of light by moving the point source which serves as a pinhole for confocal observation, is configured to satisfy the following condition 0.1<|m×NA|<0.2 where “m” denotes magnification of the condensing optical system and “NA” denotes a numerical aperture of the condensing optical system on its subject surface side.

Abstract: The invention provides a confocal microscope or endoscope, having a source of coherent light for illuminating a sample, and an imaging optical fibre bundle (82) for receiving return light, whereby the fibre bundle (82) provides a return channel for fluorescent return light (78). The optical fibre bundle (82) preferably preserves, between entry and exit ends of the bundle, the relative spatial coordinates of the cores of individual fibres constituting the bundle.

Abstract: A fiber optic bundle for use in contact endoscopy or microscopy, comprising a pointed forward tip for insertion into a specimen, the forward tip having at least a portion that is oriented obliquely to the longitudinal axis of the bundle . The forward tip may be, for example, flat and oblique.