Two-axis magnetically-driven MEMS scanning catheter for endoscopic high-speed optical coherence tomography

• Published in: Optics express Vol. 15; no. 26; pp. 18130 - 18140
• Main Authors: Kim, Ki Hean, Park, B Hyle, Maguluri, Gopi N, Lee, Tom W, Rogomentich, Fran J, Bancu, Mirela G, Bouma, Brett E, de Boer, Johannes F, Bernstein, Jonathan J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 24.12.2007
• Subjects: Catheterization; Computer-Aided Design; Endoscopes; Equipment Design; Equipment Failure Analysis; Magnetics - instrumentation; Micro-Electrical-Mechanical Systems - instrumentation; Reproducibility of Results; Sensitivity and Specificity; Tomography, Optical Coherence - instrumentation
• ISSN: 1094-4087; 1094-4087
• DOI: 10.1364/oe.15.018130

A two-axis scanning catheter was developed for 3D endoscopic imaging with spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT). The catheter incorporates a micro-mirror scanner implemented with microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology: the micro-mirror is mounted on a two-axis gimbal comprised of folded flexure hinges and is actuated by magnetic field. The scanner can run either statically in both axes or at the resonant frequency (>= 350Hz) for the fast axis. The assembled catheter has an outer diameter of 2.8 mm and a rigid part of 12 mm in length. Its scanning range is +/- 20 in optical angle in both axes with low voltages (1 approximately 3V), resulting in a scannable length of approximately 1 mm at the surface in both axes, even with the small catheter size. The catheter was incorporated with a multi-functional SD-OCT system for 3D endoscopic imaging. Both intensity and polarization-sensitive images could be acquired simultaneously at 18.5K axial scans/s. In vivo 3D images of human fingertips and oral cavity tissue are presented as a demonstration.