Polarimetry through a flexible imaging fiber bundle with a pixelated polarizer

Polarization measurements of tissue in ex vivo and in vivo rigid laparoscopy studies have shown promise for enhancing diagnosis, guiding biopsies, and improving biological contrast compared to conventional imaging. However, a technological gap exists in performing polarization measurements through flexible endoscopes. The depolarization inherent in the coherent fiber bundles commonly used in these endoscopes to relay images from within the body hinders polarization information retrieval. To address this, we propose a simple, compact, and low-cost architecture: a pixelated polarizer placed directly on the tip of the flexible, coherent imaging fiber bundle. We demonstrate this architecture’s ability to retrieve the linear polarization properties of a scene.