Narrow band 3 × 3 Mueller polarimetric endoscopy

• Published in: Biomedical optics express Vol. 4; no. 11; pp. 2433 - 2449
• Main Authors: Qi, Ji, Ye, Menglong, Singh, Mohan, Clancy, Neil T, Elson, Daniel S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Optical Society of America 01.11.2013
• Subjects: Endoscopes, Catheters and Micro-Optics; (110.4234) Multispectral and hyperspectral imaging; (170.2150) Endoscopic imaging; (290.5855) Scattering, polarization
• ISSN: 2156-7085; 2156-7085
• DOI: 10.1364/boe.4.002433

Mueller matrix polarimetric imaging has shown potential in tissue diagnosis but is challenging to implement endoscopically. In this work, a narrow band 3 × 3 Mueller matrix polarimetric endoscope was designed by rotating the endoscope to generate 0°, 45° and 90° linearly polarized illumination and positioning a rotating filter wheel in front of the camera containing three polarisers to permit polarization state analysis for backscattered light. The system was validated with a rotating linear polarizer and a diffuse reflection target. Initial measurements of 3 × 3 Mueller matrices on a rat are demonstrated, followed by matrix decomposition into the depolarization and retardance matrices for further analysis. Our work shows the feasibility of implementing polarimetric imaging in a rigid endoscope conveniently and economically in order to reveal diagnostic information.