Ultra-thin rigid endoscope: Two-photon imaging through a graded-index multi-mode fiber

Abstract

Rigid endoscopes like graded-index (GRIN) lenses are known tools in biological imaging, but it is conceptually difficult to miniaturize them. In this letter, we demonstrate an ultra-thin rigid endoscope with a diameter of only 125 microns. In addition, we identify a domain where two-photon endoscopic imaging with fs-pulse excitation is possible. We validate the ultra-thin rigid endoscope consisting of a few cm of graded-index multi-mode fiber by using it to acquire optically sectioned two-photon fluorescence endoscopic images of three-dimensional samples.

17 pages, 15 figures, submitted to Opt. Express

References in corpus (2)

• Real-time resilient focusing through a bending multimode fiber
• Focusing and imaging with increased numerical apertures through multimode fibers with micro-fabricated optics

Cited by in corpus (5)

• Memory effect assisted imaging through multimode optical fibres
• Extended field-of-view in a lensless endoscope using an aperiodic multicore fiber
• Widefield lensless endoscopy with a multicore fiber
• Miniature 120-beam coherent combiner with 3D printed optics for multicore fiber based endoscopy
• Single-shot non-interferometric measurement of the phase transmission matrix in multicore fibers