Fiber-optic probe design

The fiber-optic probe is a key element in biomedical spectroscopy and sensing applications. Optical fiber technology often is the main conduit to provide probing energy and to collect signals of interest. While optical technologies have been routinely used in the clinical environment for centuries [1-5], the integration of optical fibers has substantially expanded upon existing examination techniques and made possible new imaging techniques as well as diagnostic approaches. Fiber-optic cables provide a flexible conduit for light transport and enable the interfacing of complex light sources and advanced detection systems with the sample. With the help of fiber optics, we advance instruments into cavities and tubular structures through noninvasive and minimally invasive procedures. Through fiber optics, instruments are connected with tissue surfaces, measurements are conducted inside tissues, and optical signatures can be recorded from most living systems. Fiber-optic probes are manufactured as point sensors or imagers using cables with a diameter of half a millimeter or less, thus fitting through most needles and catheters.