Abstract
Ultrathin lensless fibre endoscopes offer minimally invasive investigation, but they mostly operate as a rigid type due to the need for prior calibration of a fibre probe. Furthermore, most implementations work in fluorescence mode rather than label-free imaging mode, making them unsuitable for general medical diagnosis. Herein, we report a fully flexible ultrathin fibre endoscope taking 3D holographic images of unstained tissues with 0.85-μm spatial resolution. Using a bare fibre bundle as thin as 200-μm diameter, we design a lensless Fourier holographic imaging configuration to selectively detect weak reflections from biological tissues, a critical step for label-free endoscopic reflectance imaging. A unique algorithm is developed for calibration-free holographic image reconstruction, allowing us to image through a narrow and curved passage regardless of fibre bending. We demonstrate endoscopic reflectance imaging of unstained rat intestine tissues that are completely invisible to conventional endoscopes. The proposed endoscope will expedite a more accurate and earlier diagnosis than before with minimal complications.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Article number | 4469 |
Journal | Nature communications |
Volume | 13 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2022 Dec |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2022, The Author(s).
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Physics and Astronomy
- General Chemistry
- General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology