Quirk Bryden C, McLaughlin Robert A, Pagnozzi Alex M, Kennedy Brendan F, Noble Peter B, Sampson David D
Opt Lett. 2014 May 15;39(10):2888-91. doi: 10.1364/OL.39.002888.
We present an optofluidic optical coherence tomography (OCT) needle probe capable of modifying the local optical properties of tissue to improve needle-probe imaging performance. The side-viewing probe comprises an all-fiber-optic design encased in a hypodermic needle (outer diameter 720 μm) and integrates a coaxial fluid-filled channel, terminated by an outlet adjacent to the imaging window, allowing focal injection of fluid to a target tissue. This is the first fully integrated OCT needle probe design to incorporate fluid injection into the imaging mechanism. The utility of this probe is demonstrated in air-filled sheep lungs, where injection of small quantities of saline is shown, by local refractive index matching, to greatly improve image penetration through multiple layers of alveoli. 3D OCT images are correlated against histology, showing improvement in the capability to image lung structures such as bronchioles and blood vessels.
我们展示了一种光流控光学相干断层扫描（OCT）针式探头，它能够改变组织的局部光学特性，以提高针式探头的成像性能。侧视探头采用全光纤设计，封装在皮下注射针（外径720μm）中，并集成了一个同轴的充满流体的通道，该通道在与成像窗口相邻的出口处终止，允许将流体聚焦注入目标组织。这是首个将流体注入纳入成像机制的完全集成式OCT针式探头设计。该探头的实用性在充满空气的绵羊肺中得到了证明，在那里，通过局部折射率匹配，注入少量盐水可显著提高图像穿透多层肺泡的能力。三维OCT图像与组织学结果相关联，显示出对细支气管和血管等肺部结构的成像能力有所提高。
