Ultra-thin and ultra-sharp endoscope
An endoscope as thick as a human hair has been created
At the same time, it has a resolution 4 times better than existing endoscopes. You can read more about this unique device in the journal Optics Express (Resolution limits for imaging through multi-mode fiber, in the public domain).
Medical endoscopes are optical devices that are used to study and treat hollow internal organs of a person, as well as abdominal and other body cavities. They are inserted through natural openings of the body or through surgical incisions and are rigid and flexible (fibroscopes). Optical systems of traditional fibroscopes consist of a large number of glass fibers with a diameter of 0.01-0.02 mm, through which the image is transmitted.
In contrast, the new endoscope, developed by Joseph Kahn and his colleagues from Stanford University, California, consists of a single optical fiber. Previous attempts to create such an endoscope failed because one fiber, as a rule, distorts the light signal. Therefore, American researchers have developed a special algorithm with which you can recreate the resulting images.
Currently, this endoscope is able to produce an image of an object with a size of 2.5 microns – this is 3 times smaller than a human erythrocyte. However, the creators of the device plan to improve its resolution to 0.3 microns. This will help to study the activity of the brain in great detail or to detect cancer cells in the body.
A picture from an article in Optics Express. The width of the strokes in the images ranges from 9.8 (b) to 4.4 (d) microns - VM.Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru