Abstract: The present invention relates to a device for controlling the movement of an ocular therapy apparatus of the type comprising an articulated support arm (2), of which the free end is intended to be placed opposite an ocular tissue, an acquisition system (4) mounted on the arm (2) for acquisition of a measurement pair comprising an image of the ocular tissue, and a signal representative of a vertical distance along the axis Z between the end of the arm and the ocular tissue, characterized in that the control device (5) comprises means for actuating the acquisition system (4), means for processing each measurement pair acquired, and servo means for moving the free end of the arm (2) between an initial position and a desired final position.

Abstract: A method to inspect a solid organ in a subject includes introducing a needle in a predetermined area of the solid organ, inserting an optical probe through a lumen of the needle, and imaging the predetermined area using the optical probe. An optical probe to inspect a solid organ in a subject, the optical probe being intended to be positioned in the solid organ through a needle, the optical probe includes an optical fiber bundle, a ferule to protect the distal tip of the optical fiber bundle, the ferule comprising a shank and a head, and a sheath wrapping the fiber bundle and the shank, wherein the head of the ferule has a length adapted for the optical probe to image the solid organ while keeping the sheath inside the needle.

Abstract: An intracranial implant to position a fiber bundle to a specified region of a brain of an animal. The implant may include a base support to be fixed to a skull of the animal over an orifice drilled in the skull, a hollow conduit arranged through the base support to guide the fiber bundle to the brain of the animal through the drilled orifice and a first locking member arranged on the base support, to cooperate with a ferrule of the fiber bundle, the first locking member configured to lock the fiber bundle to the specified region of the brain of the animal.

Abstract: A miniaturized scanning system to generate movement of a flexible device positioned at a distal part of a medical tool. The miniaturized scanning system includes an inner shaft with a longitudinal axis, adapted to guide said flexible device along the longitudinal axis, an abutment comprising an external surface and adapted to maintain said device, and a pusher mechanism adapted to engage with said abutment. The miniaturized scanning system includes at least one end portion adapted to contact said external surface of the abutment at a contact point, wherein said end portion is configured to translate along said longitudinal axis of the inner shaft and wherein the translation of said end portion results in a bending of the device in a bending plane defined by the longitudinal axis of the inner shaft and said contact point.

Abstract: An intracranial implant to position a fiber bundle to a specified region of a brain of an animal. The implant may include a base support to be fixed to a skull of the animal over an orifice drilled in the skull, a hollow conduit arranged through the base support to guide the fiber bundle to the brain of the animal through the drilled orifice and a first locking member arranged on the base support, to cooperate with a ferrule of the fiber bundle, the first locking member configured to lock the fiber bundle to the specified region of the brain of the animal.

Abstract: An intracranial implant to position a fiber bundle to a specified region of a brain of an animal. The implant may include a base support to be fixed to a skull of the animal over an orifice drilled in the skull, a hollow conduit arranged through the base support to guide the fiber bundle to the brain of the animal through the drilled orifice and a first locking member arranged on the base support, to cooperate with a ferrule of the fiber bundle, the first locking member configured to lock the fiber bundle to the specified region of the brain of the animal.

Abstract: A miniaturized scanning system to generate movement of a flexible device positioned at a distal part of a medical tool. The miniaturized scanning system includes an inner shaft with a longitudinal axis, adapted to guide said flexible device along the longitudinal axis, an abutment comprising an external surface and adapted to maintain said device, and a pusher mechanism adapted to engage with said abutment. The miniaturized scanning system includes at least one end portion adapted to contact said external surface of the abutment at a contact point, wherein said end portion is configured to translate along said longitudinal axis of the inner shaft and wherein the translation of said end portion results in a bending of the device in a bending plane defined by the longitudinal axis of the inner shaft and said contact point.

Abstract: A method for imaging a tissue includes collecting a light signal from at least part of said tissue, using a fiber optic probe for fluorescence imaging, wherein the fiber optic probe comprises a plurality of optic fibers, and wherein a distal tip of the fiber optic probe is placed at a distance from said tissue, said imaging being made confocal at a proximal tip of said fiber optic probe. A fluorescence imaging system includes an endoscope equipped with a working channel, in which a fiber optic probe has been inserted, wherein the fiber optic probe is movable between a retracted position and at least one position of extension, said fiber optic probe comprising a plurality of optic fibers for performing imaging of a tissue, said imaging being confocal via a processor located at a proximal tip of said fiber optic probe.

Abstract: An endoscopy device includes several light guides (1, 2, 3), each light guide having one or more optical fibers. The light guides are coupled with a sweeping system (4) arranged to direct an excitation light beam in alternation in one of the fibers of the guides from the proximal end of the guide including the one of the fibers. In this way, the proximal ends of the guides may make use of the same sweeping system, whereas the distal ends of the guides may be installed simultaneously in different zones of interest of an object or animal (10) under study for an almost simultaneous observation of the zones of interest. The invention also relates to an endoscopy method used in a device according to the invention. A device and a method according to the invention may be applied to quasi-simultaneous reflectance, fluorescence, multi-photon imaging of several areas of interest.

Abstract: A connector to connect a fiber bundle probe to a light injection module including a tightening cam having an opening of a specified shape adapted to receive the fiber bundle probe, a cam driving coupled to the tightening cam, wherein the tightening cam is configured to translate in response to rotation of the cam driving until the tightening cam is blocked, at least one spring extending between the tightening cam and the cam driving, wherein the at least one spring is configured to resist when the cam driving is actuated by rotation and the tightening cam is blocked, and a locking mechanism to lock the cam driving into a selected position.

Abstract: An imaging device including an illumination module including at least one emitter for emitting at least one excitation beam, a scanning and injection module including an image guide, a proximal end and a distal end of which are linked by a plurality of optical fibers, and a scanning and injection optical system configured to alternately inject the at least one excitation beam into an optical fiber of the image guide from the proximal end of the image guide, and a detection module including at least one detector for detecting at least one luminous flux collected at the distal end of the image guide. At least one of the illumination module and the detection module is optically conjugated with the scanning and injection module by a conjugating optical fiber.

Abstract: A miniaturized optical head provided to equip the distal end of a beam of flexible optical fibers scanned by a laser beam, is designed to come in contact with a sample and to excite the sample confocally. This optical head includes elements for correcting spherical aberrations and focusing members. The focusing members include: at least a first lens (L4) of high convergence associated with a spherical or hemispherical lens (L5) arranged at the distal end of the optical head, and elements for correcting the axial and lateral chromatic aberration provided with a single divergent lens (3b) whose curvature is substantially centered on the pupil of the optical fiber beam and arranged at the exact distance for this pupil for which the conditions of lateral achromatization coincide with the conditions of axial achromatization; this divergent lens being associated with a second convergent lens (L3a) in the form of a doublet (L3).

Abstract: A method to inspect a solid organ in a subject includes introducing a needle in a predetermined area of the solid organ, inserting an optical probe through a lumen of the needle, and imaging the predetermined area using the optical probe. An optical probe to inspect a solid organ in a subject, the optical probe being intended to be positioned in the solid organ through a needle, the optical probe includes an optical fiber bundle, a ferule to protect the distal tip of the optical fiber bundle, the ferule comprising a shank and a head, and a sheath wrapping the fiber bundle and the shank, wherein the head of the ferule has a length adapted for the optical probe to image the solid organ while keeping the sheath inside the needle.

Abstract: An intracranial implant to position a fiber bundle to a specified region of a brain of an animal. The implant may include a base support to be fixed to a skull of the animal over an orifice drilled in the skull, a hollow conduit arranged through the base support to guide the fiber bundle to the brain of the animal through the drilled orifice and a first locking member arranged on the base support, to cooperate with a ferrule of the fiber bundle, the first locking member configured to lock the fiber bundle to the specified region of the brain of the animal.

Abstract: A method for imaging a tissue includes collecting a light signal from at least part of said tissue, using a fiber optic probe for fluorescence imaging, wherein the fiber optic probe comprises a plurality of optic fibers, and wherein a distal tip of the fiber optic probe is placed at a distance from said tissue, said imaging being made confocal at a proximal tip of said fiber optic probe. A fluorescence imaging system includes an endoscope equipped with a working channel, in which a fiber optic probe has been inserted, wherein the fiber optic probe is movable between a retracted position and at least one position of extension, said fiber optic probe comprising a plurality of optic fibers for performing imaging of a tissue, said imaging being confocal via a processor located at a proximal tip of said fiber optic probe.

Abstract: A connector to connect a fiber bundle probe to a light injection module including a tightening cam having an opening of a specified shape adapted to receive the fiber bundle probe, a cam driving coupled to the tightening cam, wherein the tightening cam is configured to translate in response to rotation of the cam driving until the tightening cam is blocked, at least one spring extending between the tightening cam and the cam driving, wherein the at least one spring is configured to resist when the cam driving is actuated by rotation and the tightening cam is blocked, and a locking mechanism to lock the cam driving into a selected position.

Abstract: An imaging device including an illumination module including at least one emitter for emitting at least one excitation beam, a scanning and injection module including an image guide, a proximal end and a distal end of which are linked by a plurality of optical fibers, and a scanning and injection optical system configured to alternately inject the at least one excitation beam into an optical fiber of the image guide from the proximal end of the image guide, and a detection module including at least one detector for detecting at least one luminous flux collected at the distal end of the image guide. At least one of the illumination module and the detection module is optically conjugated with the scanning and injection module by a conjugating optical fiber.

Abstract: An imaging device includes an illumination module comprising at least one emitter for emitting at least one excitation beam; a scanning and injection module comprising an image guide, a proximal end and a distal end of which are linked by a plurality of optical fibers; a scanning and injection optical system configured to alternately inject the at least one excitation beam into an optical fiber of the image guide from the proximal end of the image guide; a detection module comprising a detector for detecting a luminous flux collected at the distal end of the image guide, wherein at least one of the illumination module and the detection module is optically conjugated with the scanning and injection module using a conjugating optical fiber.

Abstract: A miniaturized optical head provided to equip the distal end of a beam of flexible optical fibres scanned by a laser beam, is designed to come in contact with a sample and to excite the sample confocally. This optical head includes elements for correcting spherical aberrations and focusing members. The focusing members include: at least a first lens (L4) of high convergence associated with a spherical or hemispherical lens (L5) arranged at the distal end of the optical head, and elements for correcting the axial and lateral chromatic aberration provided with a single divergent lens (3b) whose curvature is substantially centered on the pupil of the optical fibre beam and arranged at the exact distance for this pupil for which the conditions of lateral achromatization coincide with the conditions of axial achromatization; this divergent lens being associated with a second convergent lens (L3a) in the form of a doublet (L3).

Abstract: An endoscopy device includes several light guides (1, 2, 3), each light guide having one or more optical fibres. The light guides are coupled with a sweeping system (4) arranged to direct an excitation light beam in alternation in one of the fibres of the guides from the proximal end of the guide including the one of the fibres. In this way, the proximal ends of the guides may make use of the same sweeping system, whereas the distal ends of the guides may be installed simultaneously in different zones of interest of an object or animal (10) under study for an almost simultaneous observation of the zones of interest. The invention also relates to an endoscopy method used in a device according to the invention. A device and a method according to the invention may be applied to quasi-simultaneous reflectance, fluorescence, multi-photon imaging of several areas of interest.