Endoscopic probes, endoscopes and their scanning control methods

Abstract

This invention relates to an endoscope probe, an endoscope, and a scanning control method thereof. The endoscope probe includes an optical fiber and a superlens. The optical fiber includes a signal input core, a signal output core, and a coating layer. The signal input core transmits an input laser signal. The superlens includes a light-transmitting substrate and multiple nanostructures disposed on the same surface of the substrate. These nanostructures are arranged in an array and attached to the distal surface of the signal input core, focusing the input laser signal onto the inner surface of the tissue to be examined. The signal output core transmits the laser signal reflected from the inner surface of the tissue. After signal processing, the reflected laser signal yields an image of the inner surface of the tissue. According to the technical solution of this invention, the superlens is thin, easy to install, inexpensive, and has high production capacity, reducing the structural complexity, size, and manufacturing cost of the endoscope probe, and enabling single-use to improve safety.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of endoscopy, and more particularly to an endoscope probe, an endoscope, and a scanning control method thereof. Background Technology

[0002] Endoscopic examination can involve entering and visualizing the interior of a patient's cavities for diagnostic and / or therapeutic purposes. For example, during surgery or examination, an endoscope may be inserted into the patient's body, and instruments may pass through the endoscope to reach tissue sites identified for diagnostic and / or therapeutic purposes.

[0003] Figure 1 The conventional endoscope shown has an image sensor, objective lens, light guide window, forceps outlet, nozzle and auxiliary water supply hole, etc., and its structure is complex, its size is large and its manufacturing cost is high.

[0004] As an important component of endoscopes, the structural complexity, size, and manufacturing cost of endoscope probes inevitably affect the application of endoscopes. How to better reduce the structural complexity, size, and manufacturing cost of endoscope probes is a problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of the above problems, this invention was made.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, an endoscope probe is provided, comprising an optical fiber and a superlens, wherein the optical fiber includes a signal input core, a signal output core, and a coating layer, the signal input core being used to transmit an input laser signal; the superlens includes: a light-transmitting substrate, and a plurality of nanostructures disposed on the same surface of the substrate, wherein the plurality of nanostructures are arranged in an array and attached to the distal surface of the signal input core, so that the input laser signal is focused on the inner surface of the tissue to be detected; the signal output core is used to transmit the laser signal reflected through the inner surface of the tissue to be detected, and the reflected laser signal is processed to obtain an image of the inner surface of the tissue to be detected.

[0007] According to another aspect of the present invention, an endoscope is provided, comprising the endoscope probe described in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present invention, a scanning control method for an endoscope probe is provided. The endoscope probe includes an optical fiber and a superlens. The optical fiber includes a signal input core, a signal output core, and a coating layer. The signal input core is used to transmit an input laser signal. The superlens includes a light-transmitting substrate and a plurality of nanostructures disposed on the same surface of the substrate. The plurality of nanostructures are arranged in an array and attached to the distal surface of the signal input core to focus the input laser signal onto the inner surface of the tissue to be detected. The signal output core is used to transmit the laser signal reflected by the inner surface of the tissue to be detected. The reflected laser signal is processed to obtain an image of the inner surface of the tissue to be detected. The signal output core includes a plurality of surrounding cores arranged radially around the signal input core. The scanning control method includes controlling the endoscope probe to rotate and move around the signal input core. When any signal output core is connected to a photodetector at the proximal end of the endoscope probe, the laser signal transmitted by that signal output core is output.

[0009] According to the technical solution of the present invention, since the superlens is thin, easy to install, inexpensive and has high production capacity, the structural complexity, size and manufacturing cost of the endoscope probe are reduced when using the superlens. It can be used for one-time use to improve safety. At the same time, the illumination and signal acquisition functions can be realized by using a single endoscope probe, further reducing the size and improving safety. Attached Figure Description

[0010] The present invention can be better understood by referring to the description given below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which the same or similar reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to denote the same or similar parts. These drawings, together with the following detailed description, are incorporated in and form part of this specification, and are used to further illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention and explain the principles and advantages of the invention. Wherein:

[0011] Figure 1 The basic structure of an endoscope known in the prior art is shown.

[0012] Figure 2(a) shows a cross-sectional view of an endoscope probe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2(b) shows a cross-sectional view of a superlens in an endoscope probe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the laser signal transmission path in an endoscope probe according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0015] Figure 4A schematic cross-sectional view of an optical fiber in an endoscope probe according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0016] Figure 5 A diagram showing the arrangement of metasurface structural units of a superlens in an endoscope probe according to an embodiment of the present invention is provided.

[0017] Figures 6(a) to 6(b) show schematic diagrams of the nanostructure units of the superlens in an endoscope probe according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of endoscopic imaging of gastric tissue based on an endoscopic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0019] Those skilled in the art will understand that the elements in the accompanying drawings are shown for simplicity and clarity only, and are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some elements in the drawings may be enlarged relative to other elements to aid in understanding the embodiments of the invention. Detailed Implementation

[0020] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of this application, and not all of them. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0021] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating orientation or positional relationships based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, are used only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application. Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of indicated technical features. Thus, features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more features. In the description of this application, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0022] In this application, the term "exemplary" is used to mean "used as an example, illustration, or description." Any implementation described as "exemplary" in this application is not necessarily to be construed as being more preferred or advantageous than other implementations. The following description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to implement and use this application. Details are set forth in the following description for illustrative purposes. It should be understood that those skilled in the art will recognize that this application can be implemented without using these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and processes are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the description of this application with unnecessary detail. Therefore, this application is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but rather to be consistent with the broadest scope of the principles and features disclosed in this application.

[0023] Endoscopic probe

[0024] Endoscopic probes can be used for functions such as imaging the inner surface of living biological tissues. According to an embodiment of the present invention, an endoscopy probe 100 is provided, as shown in Figure 2(a) and... Figure 3 As shown, the endoscope probe 100 includes an optical fiber and a superlens 102. The optical fiber includes a signal input core 101, a signal output core 103, and a coating layer 105. The signal input core 101 is used to transmit the input laser signal. The superlens 102 includes a light-transmitting substrate 1021 and multiple nanostructures 1022 disposed on the same surface of the substrate 1021. The multiple nanostructures 1022 are arranged in an array and attached to the distal surface 1011 of the signal input core 101 so that the input laser signal is focused on the inner surface 104 of the tissue to be detected. The signal output core 103 is used to transmit the laser signal reflected by the inner surface 104 of the tissue to be detected. The reflected laser signal is processed to obtain an image of the inner surface of the tissue to be detected.

[0025] As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the endoscope probe 100 mainly includes a signal input fiber core 101 (an optical fiber core for inputting signals), a signal output fiber core 103 (an optical fiber core for outputting signals), and a superlens 102 attached to the distal end faces of the signal input fiber core 101 and the signal output fiber core 103. The signal input fiber core 101 and the signal output fiber core 103 are covered by a coating layer 105 along their length. In one embodiment, the edge of the substrate 1021 is aligned with the edge of the distal surface 1011 of the coating layer 105, and multiple nanostructures 1022 are bonded to the distal surface 1011 of the signal input fiber core 101. It is understood that the nanostructures 1022 can be attached to the distal surface 1011 in ways other than bonding, and the edge of the substrate may not be aligned with the edge of the distal surface of the coating layer; this is not intended to limit the invention. In this article, the distal end is the end that is farther from the operator during the use of the endoscope, that is, the end that is closer to the inner surface 104 of the tissue to be examined, and the proximal end is the end that is closer to the operator during the use of the endoscope, that is, the end that is farther from the inner surface 104 of the tissue to be examined.

[0026] A cross-sectional view of the superlens 102 is shown in Figure 2(b). The dimensions of the substrate 1021 can be the same as the dimensions of the coating layer 105, i.e., the distal end face of the optical fiber. In one embodiment, a protective film 1023, i.e., a filling material, is provided on the side of the plurality of nanostructures 1022 that is mated with the distal end face 1011. The filling material can be air or a transparent or translucent material in the working band other than the infrared band. The superlens 102 coated with the protective film 1023 is bonded to the distal end face of the coating layer 105 by adhesive. During the bonding process, the edge of the substrate 1021 is aligned with the edge of the coating layer 105, and the array formed by the plurality of nanostructures 1022 is aligned with the signal input fiber core 101. In one embodiment, the radial dimension of the distal end face 1011 of the signal input fiber core 101 is equal to the radial dimension of the array formed by the plurality of nanostructures 1022.

[0027] In one embodiment, the proximal end of the endoscope probe 100 is connected to a rotary joint 106. The endoscope probe 100 is connected to the endoscope body via the rotary joint 106. The endoscope body mainly includes a single-photon avalanche diode (SPAD) for signal acquisition, an image display device, and a micromotor for rotation. The connection method between the endoscope probe and the endoscope body is described here using a rotary joint as an example. Those skilled in the art will understand that the endoscope probe can be attached to the endoscope body in other detachable ways, allowing for the replacement of different endoscope probes before each use. For example, different endoscope probes can be used for different patients, achieving single-use and improving safety.

[0028] Figure 3 The specific signal transmission path is shown, such as Figure 3 As shown, the laser signal transmitted through the intermediate signal input fiber core 101 is focused onto the inner surface 104 of the tissue to be detected after passing through the superlens 102. After being reflected by the inner surface 104, the laser signal is collected by the signal output fiber core 103 and transmitted to the proximal end of the signal output fiber core 103 for signal processing. The endoscope probe 100 moves along the inner surface 104 of the tissue to be detected while rotating, thereby obtaining all image information of the inner surface 104.

[0029] Because of their thinness, ease of installation, low cost, and high production capacity, the use of superlenses reduces the structural complexity, size, and manufacturing cost of endoscope probes. At the same time, a single endoscope probe can achieve both illumination and signal acquisition functions, further reducing size and improving safety.

[0030] Scan control method

[0031] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a scanning control method for an endoscope probe is provided. The endoscope probe 100 includes an optical fiber and a superlens 102. The optical fiber includes a signal input core 101, a signal output core 103, and a coating layer 105. The signal input core 101 is used to transmit an input laser signal. The superlens 102 includes a light-transmitting substrate 1021 and a plurality of nanostructures 1022 disposed on the same surface of the substrate 1021. The plurality of nanostructures 1022 are arranged in an array and attached to the distal surface 1011 of the signal input core 101 so that the input laser signal is focused on the inner surface 104 of the tissue to be detected. The signal output core 103 is used to transmit the laser signal reflected by the inner surface 104 of the tissue to be detected. The reflected laser signal is processed to obtain an image of the inner surface of the tissue to be detected. The signal output core 103 includes a plurality of surrounding cores arranged in the radial direction of the signal input core 101. The scanning control method includes:

[0032] The control signal output fiber core 103 rotates around the signal input fiber core 101 and moves while rotating. When any signal output fiber core is connected to the photodetector at the proximal end of the endoscope probe 100, the laser signal transmitted by the signal output fiber core is output.

[0033] The micro-motor used for rotation is connected only to the endoscope probe 100. During the rotation of the endoscope probe 100, the endoscope body does not rotate; only the endoscope probe 100 rotates. Furthermore, during rotation, the endoscope probe 100 moves forward together with the endoscope body. After reaching the inner surface 104 of the tissue to be examined, the endoscope probe 100 moves along the inner surface 104 of the tissue during rotation to perform the examination. Based on this endoscope probe 100, the endoscope body remains stationary during use, while only the endoscope probe 100 rotates, reducing the difficulty of operation and use while improving safety.

[0034] The central signal input fiber core 101 is used to transmit laser signals towards the tissue to be tested, while the surrounding fiber core is used to collect laser signals reflected back from the inner surface 104 of the tissue to be tested. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the signal input fiber core 101 is used to transmit signals in the direction of the tissue to be detected, and the signal output fiber core 103 is used to transmit the reflected laser signal carrying information of the tissue to be detected to the photodetector connected to the rotary interface. When any signal output fiber core contacts or connects to the photodetector of the rotary joint 106, the laser signal carried by the signal output fiber core is output. The photodetector performs signal processing on the received laser signal, for example, converting it into an electrical signal for processing.

[0035] In this embodiment, it is assumed that the rotation occurs in a clockwise direction along the optical fiber, i.e. Figure 4 As shown, when rotating along 2-3-4-5-6-7, the laser signal carried by any of the radially rotating signal output fibers comes into contact with or is connected to the photodetector.

[0036] Assuming the number of surrounding fiber cores (i.e., signal output fiber cores 103) is n, the rotational speed of the endoscope probe 100 is w, and the horizontal movement speed on the surface of the tissue to be examined is v, then the frame rate F of the output image corresponds to the number of signals acquired by the photodetector per unit time, as shown in Equation 1.

[0037] (Equation 1)

[0038] Assuming the horizontal length of the tissue surface to be detected is L, the time required to scan the entire tissue surface is shown in Equation 2.

[0039] (Equation 2)

[0040] The number of rotations of the endoscope probe 100 is shown in Equation 3.

[0041] (Equation 3)

[0042] Substituting Equation 3 into Equation 1, the frame rate is obtained as shown in Equation 4.

[0043] (Equation 4)

[0044] According to Equation 4, to improve image clarity, i.e., to increase the frame rate, when the size of the tissue to be detected is constant, it can be achieved by increasing the number of signal output fibers, increasing the number of rotations of the probe, or increasing the horizontal movement speed.

[0045] Superlens

[0046] A superlens is a type of metasurface. A metasurface is a subwavelength artificial nanostructure film that can modulate incident light based on its metasurface structural units. These metasurface structural units contain all-dielectric or plasma nanoantennas, which can directly control the phase, amplitude, and polarization properties of light.

[0047] The nanostructure 1022 described in this paper is an all-dielectric structural unit with high transmittance in the visible light band. The nanostructure 1022 is made of one of the following materials: titanium oxide, silicon nitride, fused silica, aluminum oxide, gallium nitride, gallium phosphide, amorphous silicon, crystalline silicon, and hydrogenated amorphous silicon. Furthermore, the nanostructure 1022 units are arranged in an array, and the metasurface structural units can be regular hexagons and / or squares. Figure 5 Provide the arrangement diagrams of metasurface structural units in the form of regular hexagons and squares.

[0048] When the metasurface structural unit is a regular hexagonal structure, for each of the multiple nanostructures 1022, the other nanostructures surrounding that nanostructure are located at different vertices of the same regular hexagon, and the nanostructure is positioned at the center of the corresponding regular hexagon. When the metasurface structural unit is a square structure, for each of the multiple nanostructures 1022, the other nanostructures surrounding that nanostructure form a square, and the nanostructure 1022 is positioned at the center of the corresponding square. In other words, each metasurface structural unit has a nanostructure 1022 at its center, or each metasurface structural unit has a nanostructure 1022 at both its center and vertex positions. This array arrangement minimizes the number of nanostructures 1022 in the formed superlens 102, while also meeting the performance requirements of the formed superlens 102.

[0049] For example, the thickness of the substrate 1021 can be greater than or equal to 0.1 mm and less than 2 mm. For example, the thickness of the substrate 1021 can be 0.1 mm, 0.5 mm, 1 mm, 1.5 mm, 2 mm, etc.

[0050] In this embodiment, the thickness of the overall structure formed by the multiple nanostructures 1022 is on the micrometer level. Therefore, the nanostructures 1022 on the substrate 1021 approximate a planar structure. Optionally, the thickness of the overall structure formed by the multiple nanostructures 1022 is less than or equal to 50 μm (micrometers), such as 1.5 μm, 5 μm, 10 μm, 1.5 μm, 20 μm, 25 μm, 30 μm, 35 μm, 40 μm, 45 μm, 50 μm, etc. It should also be noted that in this embodiment, the thickness of the superlens 102 is the sum of the thickness of the overall structure formed by the multiple nanostructures 1022 and the thickness of the substrate 1021. It should be noted that the substrate 1021 is only a supporting structure for the multiple nanostructures 1022, and the material of the substrate 1021 and the nanostructures 1022 can be the same or different.

[0051] For example, the substrate 1021 may be made of quartz glass or crystalline silicon, and it should be understood that the substrate 1021 may also be made of other materials.

[0052] Furthermore, the shape of the superlens 102 can be determined by the shape of the substrate 1021. The substrate 1021 can be a regular shape such as a circle, square, or regular polygon, or it can be an irregular shape. For example, if the substrate 1021 is circular, the shape of the superlens 102 is circular; if the substrate 1021 is square, the shape of the superlens 102 is square.

[0053] In this embodiment, the metasurface operates in the near-infrared band. The spaces between the nanostructures 1022 can be filled with air or with transparent or translucent materials operating in other bands. It is important to note that the absolute value of the difference between the refractive index of the other transparent or translucent material and the refractive index of the nanostructure 1022 must be greater than or equal to 0.5. The nanostructure 1022 is axially symmetric along the first and second axes, and the nanostructures 1022 obtained by dividing the nanostructure 1022 along the first and second axes are identical. This structure is insensitive to the polarization of incident light. The first and second axes are perpendicular, and both are perpendicular to the height direction of the nanostructure 1022. It should be noted that the first and second axes pass through the center of the nanostructure 1022 and are parallel to the horizontal plane.

[0054] The nanostructure 1022 can be a polarization-dependent structure, such as the nanofin and nanoelliptical cylinder structures shown in Figures 6(a) to 6(b), which impose a geometric phase on the incident light; in addition, the nanostructure 1022 can also be a polarization-independent structure, such as the nanocylinder and nanoprism structures, which impose a propagation phase on the incident light.

[0055] Endoscopy

[0056] According to an embodiment of the present invention, an endoscope is provided, including the endoscope probe 100 described in the above embodiment. The endoscope probe 100 is detachably connected to the endoscope body. In an optional embodiment, the endoscope probe 100 is connected to the endoscope body via a rotary joint 106.

[0057] The micro-motor used for rotation can be connected only to the endoscope probe 100. During the rotation of the endoscope probe 100, the endoscope body does not rotate; only the endoscope probe 100 rotates. The endoscope probe 100 moves forward together with the endoscope body. After reaching the inner surface 104 of the tissue to be examined, the endoscope probe 100 moves along the inner surface 104 of the tissue to be examined during rotation to perform the examination. Based on this endoscope probe 100, the endoscope body remains stationary during use, while only the endoscope probe 100 rotates, which reduces the difficulty of operation and use, while improving safety.

[0058] Use cases

[0059] In use, the endoscope probe is mounted to the endoscope body via a rotary connector. Through remote or on-site operation, the endoscope probe and endoscope body are moved together to insert into the patient's body, such as the stomach. A micromotor rotates the endoscope probe, which moves along the inner surface of the stomach tissue with the endoscope body during rotation to create an image. After imaging the patient, the endoscope probe is detached by rotating it in the opposite direction via the rotary connector. A new endoscope probe can be installed before imaging another patient, and then mounted to the endoscope body via the rotary connector to image that other patient.

[0060] Figure 7 A schematic diagram of endoscopic imaging of gastric tissue based on an endoscopic probe according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the length of the stomach is approximately 25 cm, the number of fiber optic cores (i.e., signal output cores) is 8, and the frame rate of the output image is approximately 15 frames per second.

[0061] Those skilled in the art should understand that the discussion of any of the above embodiments is merely exemplary and is not intended to imply that the scope of this disclosure (including the claims) is limited to these examples; within the framework of this invention, the technical features of the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, and there are many other variations of the different aspects of the invention as described above, which are not provided in detail for the sake of brevity.

[0062] It should be emphasized that the term "comprising / including" as used herein refers to the presence of a feature, element, step, or component, but does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, elements, or components. The ordinal terms "first," "second," etc., do not indicate the order of implementation or degree of importance of the features, elements, steps, or components defined by these terms, but are merely used for clarity of description to identify them.

[0063] Although the invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand from the foregoing description that other embodiments are conceivable within the scope of the invention described herein. Furthermore, it should be noted that the language used in this specification has been chosen primarily for readability and instructional purposes, and not for the purpose of interpreting or limiting the subject matter of the invention. Therefore, many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. The disclosure of the invention is illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An endoscope probe (100), characterized in that, The endoscope probe (100) is detachably connected to the endoscope body. The endoscope probe (100) includes an optical fiber and a superlens (102). The optical fiber includes a signal input core (101), a signal output core (103), and a coating layer (105). The signal input fiber core (101) is used to transmit the input laser signal; The superlens (102) includes: a light-transmitting substrate (1021), and a plurality of nanostructures (1022) disposed on the same surface of the substrate (1021), wherein the plurality of nanostructures (1022) are arranged in an array and attached to the distal surface (1011) of the signal input fiber core (101), and the array formed by the plurality of nanostructures (1022) is aligned with the signal input fiber core (101) so that the input laser signal is focused on the inner surface (104) of the tissue to be detected. The edge of the substrate (1021) is aligned with the edge of the distal surface (1011) of the coating layer (105). The size of the substrate (1021) is the same as the size of the distal end face of the optical fiber, and the nanostructures (1022) are not disposed in the area of ​​the substrate (1021) corresponding to the signal output fiber core (103). The laser signal reflected from the inner surface (104) of the tissue to be detected is incident on the signal output fiber core (103) in a manner that passes through the substrate (1021) and is not modulated by the superlens (102). The signal output fiber core (103) is used to transmit the laser signal reflected through the inner surface (104) of the tissue to be detected. After signal processing, the reflected laser signal is used to obtain an image of the inner surface of the tissue to be detected. The signal output fiber core (103) includes a plurality of surrounding fiber cores disposed in the radial direction of the signal input fiber core (101). The frame rate of the image output by the endoscope probe (100) satisfies the following relationship: ； in, Indicates frame rate; This indicates the horizontal length of the surface of the tissue to be tested. This indicates the number of the signal output fiber cores (103); This indicates the horizontal movement speed of the endoscope probe (100) on the surface of the tissue to be examined; This indicates the number of rotations of the endoscope probe (100).

2. The endoscope probe (100) according to claim 1, wherein, The endoscope probe (100) is capable of rotating around the signal input fiber core (101) and can move together with the attached endoscope body while rotating.

3. The endoscope probe (100) according to claim 1, wherein, The proximal end of the endoscope probe (100) is connected to the rotary joint (106); the endoscope probe (100) is connected to the endoscope body through the rotary joint (106); the endoscope body remains stationary during use, and only the endoscope probe (100) rotates.

4. The endoscope probe (100) according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of nanostructures (1022) are bonded to the distal surface (1011) of the signal input fiber core (101).

5. The endoscope probe (100) according to claim 1, wherein, The radial dimension of the distal surface (1011) of the signal input fiber core (101) is equal to the radial dimension of the array formed by the plurality of nanostructures (1022).

6. The endoscope probe (100) according to claim 1, wherein, A protective film (1023) is provided on the side of the plurality of nanostructures (1022) that is connected to the distal surface (1011).

7. The endoscope probe (100) according to claim 1, wherein, For each of the plurality of nanostructures (1022), the other nanostructures surrounding the nanostructure are located at different vertices of the same regular hexagon, and the nanostructure is positioned at the center of the corresponding regular hexagon.

8. The endoscope probe (100) according to claim 1, wherein, For each of the plurality of nanostructures (1022), the other nanostructures surrounding the nanostructure form a square, with the nanostructure located at the center of the corresponding square.

9. The endoscope probe (100) according to claim 1, wherein, The plurality of nanostructures (1022) are made of one of the following materials: titanium oxide, silicon nitride, fused silica, aluminum oxide, gallium nitride, gallium phosphide, amorphous silicon, crystalline silicon, and hydrogenated amorphous silicon.

10. An endoscope, characterized in that, Includes the endoscope probe (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. The endoscope according to claim 10, wherein, The endoscope probe (100) is connected to the endoscope body via a rotary joint (106).

Images