Method for manufacturing a fiber bundle ferrule and a multi-channel optical fiber recording system

Abstract

The application provides a manufacturing method of a fiber bundle ferrule, comprising: manufacturing a fiber positioning mold, forming a plurality of positioning holes on the fiber positioning mold; inserting first end portions of a plurality of optical fibers into the positioning holes of the fiber positioning mold respectively; fixing the parts of the plurality of optical fibers exposed outside and adjacent to the fiber positioning mold by using a curing material and the fiber positioning mold, so as to keep the relative positions of the first end portions of the plurality of optical fibers inserted into the fiber positioning mold unchanged; inserting second end portions of the plurality of optical fibers into a tubular member, so that the optical fibers between the tubular member and the fiber positioning mold form a petal-shaped part; fixing the petal-shaped part and part of the tubular member by using a curing material, so as to form a fixed part; and extracting the optical fibers inserted into the fiber positioning mold from the fiber positioning mold. Meanwhile, the application also provides a multi-channel optical fiber recording system based on the fiber bundle ferrule.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of neural signal recording, and more particularly to a method for manufacturing an optical fiber bundle ferrule for neural signal recording and a multi-channel optical fiber recording system. Background Technology

[0002] The brain is the higher center controlling behavior and psychology, containing a large number of neurons and other types of cells. Recording and analyzing the brain's neural activity is crucial for understanding various behaviors and psychological states, diagnosing and treating mental illnesses, and developing artificial intelligence. Fiber optic recording systems have already been developed to observe brain neural activity.

[0003] One developed fiber optic recording system uses a single fiber optic patch cord, connected at one end to the animal's brain and at the other to a recording device, to collect neural activity signals from a single brain region. This system can only record activity from a single brain region and cannot simultaneously record signals from multiple regions. Since the brain typically experiences activity from multiple regions simultaneously, recording a single region will inevitably result in significant information loss. Furthermore, the fiber optic signal acquisition device in this system is large, typically ranging from tens of centimeters in size and weighing several kilograms to tens of kilograms. In practical applications, this size and weight necessitate placing the device on a shelf and connecting it to the animal's head via the patch cord. This system also limits recording time, as the patch cord can become tangled with the animal's movements; it cannot record complex or strenuous behaviors either, because the rigidity and weight of the patch cord may hinder the animal's movement, and deformation of the patch cord caused by the animal's vigorous activity can lead to signal distortion.

[0004] In a previously developed multi-channel fiber optic recording system, a single multi-fiber spool jumper is used to record activity in multiple brain regions. Several separate ends of the fiber optic spool jumper are connected to different brain regions of the animal, while the integrated end is connected to a fiber optic acquisition device. Although this multi-channel fiber optic recording system can record multiple brain regions, its large size, heavy weight, fiber entanglement, and fiber deformation leading to signal distortion, coupled with the increased burden on the animal's head due to the multi-fiber spool jumper design, severely limit its application in small animals.

[0005] In a highly integrated multi-channel fiber optic recording system that has been developed, commercially available pin-mount connectors are used to create a fiber bundle ferrule that can be implanted into the animal's brain. Lightweight fiber optic patch cords are then used to transmit activity signals from multiple brain regions to the acquisition device. Although this multi-channel fiber optic recording system proposes a high-density fiber bundle ferrule, the connector with fixed ferrule positions limits the flexibility of fiber end distribution. The fiber ends can only be distributed at fixed multiples of spacing. Furthermore, the large size of the acquisition device and the long recording time result in distortion caused by fiber patch cord entanglement and fiber deformation. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Based on at least one of the above-mentioned and other technical problems in the prior art, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing an optical fiber bundle ferrule and a multi-channel optical fiber recording system to improve the flexibility of the optical fiber recording system in simultaneously recording different brain regions.

[0007] This invention provides a method for manufacturing an optical fiber bundle ferrule, comprising: manufacturing an optical fiber positioning mold, forming a plurality of positioning holes on the optical fiber positioning mold; inserting the first ends of a plurality of optical fibers into the positioning holes of the optical fiber positioning mold respectively; fixing the exposed portions of the plurality of optical fibers adjacent to the optical fiber positioning mold with a curing material to maintain the relative positions of the multiple optical fibers inserted into the optical fiber positioning mold unchanged; inserting the second ends of the plurality of optical fibers into a tubular component, such that the optical fiber located between the tubular component and the optical fiber positioning mold forms an umbrella-shaped portion; fixing the umbrella-shaped portion and part of the tubular component with a curing material to form a fixing portion; and withdrawing the optical fiber inserted into the optical fiber positioning mold from the optical fiber positioning mold.

[0008] In one possible implementation, inserting the first ends of multiple optical fibers into the positioning holes of the optical fiber positioning mold includes: manufacturing an optical fiber collimating plate, wherein the optical fiber collimating plate is provided with a plurality of collimating holes, the positions and numbers of which are consistent with the positioning holes on the optical fiber positioning mold, suitable for the optical fibers to pass through; placing the optical fiber collimating plate parallel above the optical fiber positioning mold, and aligning each collimating hole with a positioning hole in the orthographic projection direction of the optical fiber positioning mold; passing the first ends of the multiple optical fibers through the corresponding collimating holes to pre-position the optical fibers; and inserting the first end of each optical fiber into the positioning hole; wherein the collimating hole is a through hole.

[0009] In one possible implementation, after fixing the exposed portion of the multiple optical fibers near the optical fiber positioning mold with a curing material to maintain the relative position of the multiple optical fibers inserted into one end of the optical fiber positioning mold unchanged, the process further includes removing the optical fiber collimator.

[0010] In one possible implementation, the positioning hole formed on the optical fiber positioning mold includes a blind hole or a variable diameter hole.

[0011] In one possible implementation, after inserting the second ends of the plurality of optical fibers into the tubular member, the method further includes inserting one or more reference optical fibers among the plurality of optical fibers, such that the plurality of optical fibers are closely arranged around the reference optical fiber in a concentric circle, square, rectangle or other shape, and one end of the reference optical fiber is close to the optical fiber positioning mold.

[0012] In one possible implementation, the cured material has light-shielding properties.

[0013] In one possible implementation, after the optical fibers inserted into the optical fiber positioning mold are withdrawn from the optical fiber positioning mold, the process further includes: cutting off the exposed portions of the plurality of optical fibers from the tubular member.

[0014] The present invention also provides a multi-channel optical fiber recording system, comprising: an optical fiber ferrule manufactured by any of the methods described in the present invention, wherein an optical fiber of the optical fiber ferrule with an exposed fixed portion is inserted into a target under test to conduct excitation light to the target under test and collect emitted light generated by the target under test after being excited; and an optical fiber detection device connected to the optical fiber ferrule for generating excitation light, receiving emitted light, and converting optical signals into electrical signals.

[0015] In one possible implementation, the optical fiber detection device includes: an optical fiber connector, wherein a tubular portion of the fiber bundle ferrule is partially inserted into one end of the optical fiber connector to achieve optical coupling between the optical fiber connector and the plurality of optical fibers of the fiber bundle ferrule; an optical transceiver adapted to generate the excitation light and receive the emitted light; and an image sensor adapted to generate an electrical signal characterizing an image of the object under test based on the emitted light received by the optical transceiver.

[0016] In one possible implementation, the optical transceiver includes: a housing including an interface optically coupled to the fiber optic connector; a light source disposed within the housing for generating a light beam; a first filter disposed within the housing for filtering the light beam from the light source to generate the excitation light; and an optical conversion assembly disposed within the housing for guiding the excitation light from the first filter to the fiber optic ferrule and guiding the emitted light from the fiber optic ferrule to the image sensor.

[0017] In one possible implementation, the optical conversion assembly includes: a dichroic mirror; an objective lens disposed between the dichroic mirror and the fiber optic connector, the objective lens being configured to receive excitation light reflected from the first filter by the dichroic mirror and emitted light from the fiber optic ferrule, and further incident the excitation light onto the fiber optic ferrule; an eyepiece configured to receive emitted light transmitted from the objective lens by the dichroic mirror; and a second filter adapted to filter the emitted light from the eyepiece and guide the filtered emitted light to the image sensor.

[0018] In one possible implementation, the fiber bundle ferrule includes: a plurality of optical fibers; a tubular member in which second ends of the plurality of optical fibers are held; and a fixing portion in which middle portions of the optical fibers are fixed, and first ends of the optical fibers extend from the fixing portion for insertion into a target to be tested.

[0019] In one possible implementation, the multi-channel fiber optic recording system further includes: a signal acquisition device configured to receive electrical signals from the fiber optic detection device; and a commutation device coupled between the fiber optic detection device and the signal acquisition device to avoid cable entanglement due to the movement of the target being measured.

[0020] According to the fiber optic ferrule manufacturing method and multi-channel fiber optic recording system of the present invention, the manufactured fiber optic ferrule has high integration, small size, and light weight. The relative positions of the multiple fibers of the fiber optic ferrule can be freely set, thus providing high flexibility for simultaneous recording of different brain regions. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 A flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing an optical fiber bundle ferrule according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a multi-channel optical fiber recording system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario of a multi-channel optical fiber recording system according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another application scenario of the multi-channel fiber optic recording system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0025] Figure 5 A schematic diagram illustrating the operation process of a method for manufacturing an optical fiber ferrule according to an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0026] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The schematic diagram of the operation process shown is a comparison of the angular deviation of the optical fiber caused by using a collimator to pre-position the optical fiber and not pre-positioning the optical fiber.

[0027] [Explanation of symbols in the attached diagram]

[0028] 1—Fiber optic connector; 2—Tube-shaped component; 3—Fixed part; 4—Fiber optic cable; 5—Light source; 6—Condensing lens; 7—First filter; 8—Dichroic mirror; 9—Objective lens; 10—Eyepiece; 11—Second filter; 12—Image sensor; 13—Housing; 14—Fiber optic bundle ferrule; 15—Optical transceiver; 16—First switching device; 17—Signal acquisition device; 18—Second switching device; 19—Fiber optic positioning mold; and 20—Fiber optic collimator. Detailed Implementation

[0029] The embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be understood that these descriptions are exemplary only and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. In the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure for ease of explanation. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. Furthermore, descriptions of well-known structures and techniques are omitted in the following description to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the concepts of the present disclosure.

[0030] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. The terms “comprising,” “including,” etc., as used herein indicate the presence of the stated features, steps, operations, and / or components, but do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, or components.

[0031] All terms used herein (including technical and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. It should be noted that the terms used herein are to be interpreted in a manner consistent with the context of this specification, and not in an idealized or overly rigid way.

[0032] When using expressions such as "at least one of A, B, and C", they should generally be interpreted in accordance with the meaning that is commonly understood by a person skilled in the art (e.g., "a system having at least one of A, B, and C" should include, but is not limited to, a system having A alone, a system having B alone, a system having C alone, a system having A and B, a system having A and C, a system having B and C, and / or a system having A, B, and C, etc.).

[0033] According to the general inventive concept of one aspect of the present invention, a method for manufacturing an optical fiber bundle ferrule is provided, comprising operations S100 to S600.

[0034] In some embodiments of the present invention, operation S100 includes: manufacturing an optical fiber positioning mold and forming a plurality of positioning holes on the optical fiber positioning mold.

[0035] In some embodiments of the present invention, operation S200 includes: inserting the first ends of multiple optical fibers into the positioning holes of the optical fiber positioning mold respectively.

[0036] In some embodiments of the present invention, operation S300 includes: fixing the exposed portion of the multiple optical fibers near the optical fiber positioning mold to the optical fiber positioning mold using a curing material, so as to keep the relative position of the multiple optical fibers inserted into one end of the optical fiber positioning mold unchanged.

[0037] In some embodiments of the present invention, operation S400 includes: inserting the second ends of a plurality of optical fibers into a tubular component, such that the optical fibers located between the tubular component and the optical fiber positioning mold form an umbrella-shaped portion.

[0038] In some embodiments of the present invention, operation S500 includes: fixing the umbrella-shaped portion and part of the tubular member with a curing material to form a fixing portion.

[0039] In some embodiments of the present invention, operation S600 includes: extracting the optical fiber inserted into the optical fiber positioning mold from the optical fiber positioning mold.

[0040] In some embodiments of the present invention, operation S200 includes:

[0041] Step S210: Manufacture an optical fiber collimator plate. The optical fiber collimator plate is provided with multiple collimation holes that are in the same position and number as the positioning holes on the optical fiber positioning mold and are suitable for optical fibers to pass through. The collimation holes are through holes.

[0042] Step S220: Place the fiber optic collimator parallel above the fiber optic positioning mold, and align each collimation hole with a positioning hole in the orthogonal projection direction of the fiber optic positioning mold.

[0043] Step S230: Pass the first ends of the multiple optical fibers through the corresponding collimation holes to pre-position the optical fibers.

[0044] Step S240: Insert the first end of each optical fiber into the positioning hole respectively.

[0045] In some embodiments of the present invention, operation S300 further includes: fixing the portion of the multiple exposed optical fibers near the optical fiber positioning mold with the optical fiber positioning mold using a curing material, so as to keep the relative position of the multiple optical fibers inserted into one end of the optical fiber positioning mold unchanged, and then removing the optical fiber collimator.

[0046] In some embodiments of the present invention, the positioning holes formed on the optical fiber positioning mold include, but are not limited to, blind holes or variable diameter holes.

[0047] In one illustrative embodiment, at least two of the multiple blind holes formed on the fiber positioning mold have different depths.

[0048] In detail, the depths of the multiple blind holes formed on the fiber positioning mold are all different, so as to meet the length requirements of the fiber extending from the fixing part.

[0049] In another illustrative embodiment, multiple variable diameter holes are formed on the fiber positioning mold.

[0050] In detail, the diameter of each variable-diameter hole decreases along the depth direction from the opening position.

[0051] Furthermore, the opening diameter of the variable diameter hole is greater than or equal to the diameter of the optical fiber to allow the optical fiber to pass through, while the internal diameter of the variable diameter hole is smaller than the diameter of the optical fiber to limit the appropriate depth to which the optical fiber extends into the optical fiber positioning mold.

[0052] According to another aspect of the present invention, a multi-channel optical fiber recording system is provided, comprising:

[0053] At least one fiber optic ferrule manufactured according to the above-described fiber optic ferrule manufacturing method, wherein the fiber optic cable of the fiber optic ferrule with the exposed fixed portion is inserted into the target under test to conduct excitation light to the target under test and collect the emitted light generated by the target under test after being excited; and a fiber optic detection device connected to the fiber optic ferrule for generating excitation light, receiving emitted light, and converting optical signals into electrical signals.

[0054] According to the fiber bundle ferrule manufacturing method and multi-channel fiber recording system of the present invention, the spatial position between multiple optical fibers can be freely set according to the target to be tested, thereby improving the flexibility of simultaneously recording different targets to be tested.

[0055] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a multi-channel optical fiber recording system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] like Figure 2 As shown, the multi-channel optical fiber recording system of this invention includes an optical fiber ferrule 14 and an optical fiber detection device connected to the optical fiber ferrule 14. The optical fiber ferrule 14 transmits excitation light to the target under test and collects the emitted light generated by the target under test after being excited. The optical fiber detection device is used to generate excitation light, receive emitted light, and convert optical signals into electrical signals.

[0057] In some embodiments of the present invention, the fiber optic bundle ferrule 14 includes: multiple optical fibers 4, and a first end of the multiple optical fibers 4 ( Figure 2 The lower end of the tube 2 is inserted into the target being tested (e.g., the brain of the animal being tested); the second ends of the plurality of optical fibers 4 are also inserted into the target being tested. Figure 2The upper end of the fiber 4 is held in the tubular part 2; the middle part of the fiber 4 is fixed in the fixing part 3, and the first end of the fiber 4 extends out from the fixing part 3 to be inserted into the target to be tested.

[0058] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the spatial position between the first ends of the optical fibers 4 can be freely set according to the different targets to be measured.

[0059] In some embodiments of the present invention, the first end of the optical fiber 4 extends from the fixing part 3 to be inserted into the target to be tested, for example, into different target brain regions of an animal head.

[0060] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the plurality of optical fibers 4 may be plastic optical fibers or optical fibers of other materials.

[0061] In some embodiments of the present invention, the fixing part 3 fixes the middle part of the plurality of optical fibers 4 to ensure that the relative spatial position of the first ends of the plurality of optical fibers 4 remains unchanged.

[0062] In some embodiments of the present invention, the fixing part 3 is formed by curing a curing material to the middle part of multiple optical fibers 4.

[0063] In this embodiment, the curing material can be dental fluid resin, light-curing adhesive, epoxy resin, silicone rubber, PDMS, or agarose.

[0064] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the curing material is a material with light-shielding properties.

[0065] In some embodiments of the present invention, multiple optical fibers 4 are closely arranged, and a tubular member 2 is used to fix the second ends of the multiple optical fibers 4 together, and the second ends of the multiple optical fibers 4 are held in the tubular member.

[0066] In this embodiment, a tubular component 2 with a suitable inner diameter is selected based on the number and diameter of the multiple optical fibers 4. The tubular component 2 can be a tubular component or other fixing structure.

[0067] In some embodiments of the present invention, the tubular member 2 is a rigid capillary, and optionally, for example, the tubular member 2 is a stainless steel capillary.

[0068] In some embodiments of the present invention, the multiple optical fibers 4 comprise 6 plastic optical fibers of different lengths and 250 micrometers in diameter, targeting 6 brain regions, the fixing part 3 is 7 mm high, and the fixing part 3 may be conical or other shapes, and the tubular part 2 is 2 mm high.

[0069] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the fiber bundle ferrule 14 further includes a reference fiber, which is not inserted into the target under test, but only reflects the excitation light, serving as a reference for the optical signals in the multiple fibers 4.

[0070] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the reference optical fiber may be one or more.

[0071] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, multiple optical fibers 4 surround the reference optical fiber in a close arrangement of concentric circles, squares, rectangles or other shapes.

[0072] In one embodiment of the present invention, the reference optical fiber is a plastic optical fiber with a diameter of 250 micrometers, and multiple optical fibers 4 are arranged in concentric circles around the reference optical fiber.

[0073] In this embodiment, a metallic paint coating is provided on the reference fiber end face at one end of the first end of the optical fiber 4 to enhance the optical signal in the reference fiber.

[0074] The fiber optic detection device includes: a fiber optic connector 1, wherein a tubular member 2 of the fiber bundle ferrule is partially inserted into one end of the fiber optic connector to achieve optical coupling between the fiber optic connector 1 and the multiple optical fibers 4 of the fiber bundle ferrule 14; an optical transceiver 15 adapted to generate the excitation light and receive the emitted light; and an image sensor 12 adapted to generate an electrical signal characterizing an image of the object under test based on the emitted light received by the optical transceiver 15.

[0075] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the weight of the optical fiber detection device may be less than 2 grams.

[0076] In one embodiment of the present invention, the fiber optic detection device 15 has dimensions of 7×7×16 mm and weighs 0.8 g.

[0077] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the optical fiber connector 1 is a tubular connector, and the tubular part 2 of the optical fiber bundle ferrule 14 is partially inserted into one end of the optical fiber connector 1 to achieve optical coupling between the optical fiber connector 1 and the multiple optical fibers 4 of the optical fiber bundle ferrule 14.

[0078] In one embodiment of the present invention, the fiber optic connector 1 is a tubular connector with an external dimension of 3×3×3 mm, and each side has an M0.6 micro screw for fixing to the optical transceiver 15.

[0079] In one embodiment of the present invention, the optical transceiver 15 includes: a housing 13 including an interface optically coupled to the fiber optic connector 1; a light source 5 disposed within the housing 13 and adapted to generate a light beam; a first filter 7 disposed within the housing 13 and adapted to filter the light beam from the light source 5 to generate the excitation light; and an optical conversion assembly disposed within the housing 13, adapted to guide the excitation light from the first filter 7 to the fiber optic ferrule 14 and to guide the emitted light from the fiber optic ferrule 14 to the image sensor 12.

[0080] In one embodiment of the present invention, the housing 13 includes an interface optically coupled to the fiber optic connector 1, and the inner surface of the housing 13 has an uneven structure to reduce stray light within the optical transceiver 15. The housing 13 has a light-shielding degree greater than 90%. In one embodiment of the present invention, the housing 13 may be made of 3D-printed black plastic or other light-shielding materials.

[0081] In one embodiment of the present invention, the light source 5 is a micro-LED with dimensions of 1.7 × 1.3 × 0.4 mm, disposed on the lower right side of the inner wall of the housing 13. The micro-LED emits a blue light beam with a dominant wavelength of 470 nm. The light source 5 may also be two micro-LEDs with different dominant wavelengths, emitting a bicolor light beam with two dominant wavelengths. The light source 5 may also be multiple micro-LEDs with different dominant wavelengths.

[0082] In one embodiment of the present invention, the first filter 7 is disposed on the side of the light source 5 away from the inner wall of the housing 13, and its length and width are both no greater than 5 mm. In another embodiment of the present invention, the first filter 7 is a circular disc with a diameter of 2 mm and a thickness of 1 mm, a wavelength selection range of 460-480 nm, and an OD value of at least 6.

[0083] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, a condenser lens 6 may be disposed between the light source 5 and the first filter 7 to concentrate and collect the light beam generated by the light source 5. The diameter of the condenser lens 6 is no greater than 5 mm. In one embodiment of the present invention, the condenser lens 6 is a hemispherical lens with a diameter of 2 mm, and one end of the hemispherical lens is disposed close to the left side of the light source 5. The first filter 7 is vertically disposed on the left side of the condenser lens 6, 0.1 mm away from the highest point of the condenser lens 6.

[0084] The optical conversion assembly includes: a dichroic mirror 8; an objective lens 9 disposed between the dichroic mirror 8 and the fiber optic connector 1, the objective lens 9 being configured to receive excitation light reflected from the first filter 7 by the dichroic mirror 8 and emitted light from the fiber optic ferrule 14, and further incident the excitation light onto the fiber optic ferrule 14; an eyepiece 10 being configured to receive emitted light transmitted from the objective lens 9 by the dichroic mirror 8; and a second filter 11 adapted to filter the emitted light from the eyepiece 10 and guide the filtered emitted light to the image sensor 12.

[0085] In one embodiment of the present invention, the optical conversion component is disposed on the side of the first filter 7 away from the light source 5. The upper end of the dichroic mirror 8 is tilted to the right and disposed adjacent to the first filter 7. The objective lens 9 is disposed below the dichroic mirror 8, the eyepiece 10 is disposed above the dichroic mirror 8, and the second optical filter 11 is disposed above the eyepiece 10.

[0086] The upper end of the reflective and transmissive surface of the dichroic mirror 8 is inclinedly disposed on the other side of the first filter 7, forming a vertical angle of 45° with the first filter 7, and the width is no more than 5 mm, for reflecting excitation light and transmitting emission light.

[0087] In one embodiment of the present invention, the dichroic mirror 8 is 5.2 mm long, 3 mm wide, and 1.1 mm thick, with a center wavelength of 500 nm. The upper end of the reflective and transmissive surface of the dichroic mirror 8 is tilted to the right at a vertical angle of 45° to the first filter 7, and the center point of the dichroic mirror 8 is 1.8 mm away from the first filter 7.

[0088] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the objective lens 9 is located below the dichroic mirror 8 and has a diameter of no more than 5 mm.

[0089] In one embodiment of the present invention, the objective lens 9 is a biconvex lens with a diameter of 2 mm and a focal length of 2 mm, which is placed vertically below the dichroic mirror 8. The highest point of the upper surface of the objective lens 9 is 1.6 mm away from the center point of the lower surface of the reflective and transmissive surface of the dichroic mirror 8, and the center point of the objective lens 9 coincides with the center point of the reflective and transmissive surface of the dichroic mirror 8 in the vertical direction.

[0090] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the eyepiece 10 is above the dichroic mirror 8 and has a diameter of no more than 5 mm.

[0091] In one embodiment of the present invention, the eyepiece 10 is a biconvex lens with a diameter of 3 mm and a focal length of 6.3 mm, and is placed above the dichroic mirror 8.

[0092] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the second optical filter 11 is above the eyepiece 10, and its length and width are both no greater than 5 mm.

[0093] In one embodiment of the present invention, the second optical filter 11 is a circular disc with a diameter of 3.5 mm and a thickness of 1 mm, with a wavelength selection range of 515-535 nm and an OD value of at least 6, and is placed above the eyepiece 10, 0.1 mm away from the upper surface of the eyepiece 10.

[0094] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, the image sensor 12 is disposed outside the housing 13 at the end away from the fiber optic bundle ferrule 14, and is adapted to generate an electrical signal characterizing an image of the object under test based on the emitted light received by the optical transceiver 15.

[0095] In one embodiment of the present invention, the image sensor 12 is a 600-line analog CMOS with a size of 6.5×6.5×2 mm, located above the second optical filter 11 and 3.4 mm away from the second optical filter 11.

[0096] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram illustrating an application scenario of a multi-channel optical fiber recording system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0097] To record signals from the target brain region, such as simultaneously recording signals from multiple target brain regions, a fluorescent probe, such as the calcium activity indicator GCaMP6s, is injected into the target brain region beforehand, and the first end of the optical fiber 4 is inserted into the target brain region. The light beam emitted by the light source 5 is focused by the condenser lens 6 and filtered and purified by the first filter 7 to form excitation light. The excitation light is reflected by the dichroic mirror 8 into the objective lens 9 and conducted to the target brain region by the fiber bundle ferrule 14 to excite the pre-injected calcium activity indicator GCaMP6s. The green fluorescent signal emitted by the excited GCaMP6s is collected as emission light by the first end of the optical fiber 4. The emission light is received by the objective lens 9 after passing through the fixing part 3 and the tubular part 2, transmitted through the dichroic mirror 8, received by the eyepiece 10, filtered and purified by the second filter 11, and finally acquired by the image sensor 12 at a frequency of 25 frames per second. The image sensor 12 converts the optical signal of the emission light into an electrical signal.

[0098] like Figure 3 As shown, in one embodiment, the multi-channel fiber optic recording system may further include a signal acquisition device 17, which is coupled to the fiber optic detection device and configured to receive electrical signals from the fiber optic detection device. In one embodiment of the invention, the acquisition device 17 is a computer with an analog video capture card installed.

[0099] like Figure 3 As shown, the multi-channel fiber optic recording system may further include a commutation device coupled between the fiber optic detection device and the acquisition device 17 to prevent cable tangling caused by animal movement. The commutation device may be a conductive slip ring or an active commutator. In one embodiment of the present invention, the commutation device is a first commutation device 16, which is a 4-channel conductive slip ring with a diameter of 6.5 mm and a length of 10 mm.

[0100] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram illustrating another application scenario of the multi-channel optical fiber recording system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0101] like Figure 4 As shown, in another embodiment of the present invention, two multi-channel fiber optic recording systems described in two embodiments of the present invention are used to detect two targets. The commutation device may further include two first commutation devices 16 and one second commutation device 18, wherein the second commutation device 18 is an 8-channel conductive slip ring with a diameter of 6.5 mm and a length of 10 mm.

[0102] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for manufacturing an optical fiber bundle ferrule according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0103] like Figure 1 and 5 As shown, the present invention also provides a method for manufacturing an optical fiber bundle ferrule 14, comprising:

[0104] Operation S100: Fabricate an optical fiber positioning mold and form multiple positioning holes on the optical fiber positioning mold.

[0105] Operation S200: Insert the first ends of multiple optical fibers 4 into the positioning holes of the optical fiber positioning mold respectively.

[0106] Operation S300: Use a curing material to fix the exposed multiple optical fibers 4 near the optical fiber positioning mold to the optical fiber positioning mold, so as to keep the relative position of the multiple optical fibers 4 inserted into the optical fiber positioning mold unchanged.

[0107] Operation S400: Insert the second ends of multiple optical fibers 4 into the tubular component 2, so that the optical fibers 4 located between the tubular component 2 and the optical fiber positioning mold form an umbrella-shaped part.

[0108] Operation S500: Fix the umbrella-shaped part and part of the tubular part with a curing material to form the fixing part 3.

[0109] Operation S600: Extract the optical fiber 4 inserted in the optical fiber positioning mold from the optical fiber positioning mold.

[0110] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation process of a method for manufacturing an optical fiber bundle ferrule according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0111] Figure 6 for Figure 5 The schematic diagram of the operation process shown is a comparison of the angular deviation of the optical fiber caused by using a collimator to pre-position the optical fiber and not pre-positioning the optical fiber.

[0112] like Figure 5 As shown, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the method for manufacturing the fiber optic bundle ferrule 14 may specifically include steps S1-S14.

[0113] In step S1, based on the required number, size, and three-dimensional coordinates of the target brain regions, a carving machine or CNC machine tool is used to drill positioning holes of appropriate depth and diameter at corresponding positions on the animal skull model to create a fiber optic positioning mold. For example, the animal skull model can be a small hard block roughly the size of an animal's head or a 1:1 skull model with a realistic skull structure created using 3D printing technology. In one embodiment of the invention, six positioning holes of appropriate depth and 250 micrometers in diameter are drilled at corresponding positions on a transparent acrylic block measuring 20×20×10 mm to create the fiber optic positioning mold.

[0114] In step S2, an optical fiber collimator 20 is manufactured according to the position and number of positioning holes on the optical fiber positioning mold 19, and the aperture of the optical fiber collimator is made to match the aperture of the positioning holes.

[0115] In step S3, the first ends of multiple optical fibers 4 are polished to make them smooth and free of scratches. In one embodiment of the present invention, 1500-grit, 3000-grit, 7000-grit, 10000-grit, and 12000-grit sandpaper are used to polish one end of seven 30-millimeter-long plastic optical fibers with a diameter of 250 micrometers to make them smooth and free of scratches.

[0116] In step S4, the first ends of the multiple optical fibers 4 are inserted into the corresponding collimation holes provided on the optical fiber collimation plate 20, and the first ends are made to pass through the collimation holes.

[0117] In step S5, the first ends of the multiple optical fibers 4 are inserted into the positioning holes until significant resistance is encountered, with the remaining portions remaining outside the optical fiber positioning mold. In one embodiment of the present invention, six of the seven optical fibers are inserted into the positioning holes of the optical fiber positioning mold.

[0118] In step S6, a curing material is applied to the exposed areas of the multiple optical fibers 4 adjacent to the optical fiber positioning mold. In one embodiment of the present invention, black light-cured dental resin is applied to the surface of the optical fiber positioning mold and the area in contact with the six optical fibers. The resin coating thickness is less than 2 mm. It is then cured by irradiation with light of wavelength 450 nm, and the optical fiber collimator 20 is removed upwards after curing.

[0119] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, a separating agent can be applied to the surface of the optical fiber positioning mold before applying the curing material to reduce the resistance when removing it after curing.

[0120] In step S7, based on the number and diameter of the multiple optical fibers 4, a tubular component 2 with a suitable inner diameter is selected. The second ends of the multiple optical fibers 4 that remain outside the optical fiber positioning mold are inserted into the tubular component 2, so that the optical fibers 4 located between the tubular component 2 and the optical fiber positioning mold form an umbrella-shaped portion. In one embodiment of the present invention, a stainless steel capillary tube with a length of 2 mm, an outer diameter of 1.8 mm, and an inner diameter of 0.8 mm is selected. The second ends of the multiple optical fibers that remain outside the optical fiber positioning mold are inserted into the stainless steel capillary tube for about 3 mm.

[0121] In step S8, a reference optical fiber is inserted into the tubular component 2, such that the optical fiber 4 is arranged in a concentric circle, square, rectangular, or other shape surrounding the reference optical fiber, and one end of the reference optical fiber is close to the optical fiber positioning mold. In one embodiment of the present invention, the seventh optical fiber is used as the reference optical fiber and inserted into a stainless steel capillary tube, placing it at the center of the remaining six optical fibers, with the seven optical fibers forming a concentric circle, and one end of the seventh optical fiber inserted into the stainless steel capillary tube close to the surface of the optical fiber positioning mold.

[0122] In step S9, a reflective coating is applied to the end face of the reference optical fiber near the optical fiber positioning mold. In one embodiment of the invention, a metallic paint is applied to the end face of the 7th optical fiber near the optical fiber positioning mold.

[0123] In step S10, the tubular part 2 after the optical fiber 4 is inserted is pushed towards the optical fiber positioning mold, as close to the mold as possible, until it encounters greater resistance, so that the optical fiber 4 located between the tubular part 2 and the optical fiber positioning mold forms an umbrella-shaped part.

[0124] In step S11, the umbrella-shaped portion and part of the tubular component 2 are fixed using a curing material to form a fixing portion 3. In one embodiment of the present invention, black light-cured dental resin is applied to cover the umbrella-shaped portion and part of the tubular component 2 outside the fiber optic positioning mold, and then cured by irradiation with light of wavelength 450 nanometers to form a conical fixing portion 3.

[0125] In step S12, the cured fiber bundle ferrule 14 is removed from the fiber positioning mold, and the portion of the fiber 4 exposed outside the tubular part 2 is cut off with a fiber optic cleaver.

[0126] In some optional embodiments of the present invention, after the fiber optic ferrule 14 is cured, a light-shielding coating can be applied to the surface of the fiber optic ferrule 14 to further enhance its light-shielding performance.

[0127] In step S13, the end face of the tubular component 2 is polished to make the end faces of the multiple optical fibers 4 inside the tubular component 2 smooth and free of scratches. In one embodiment of the present invention, 1500 grit, 3000 grit, 7000 grit, 10000 grit and 12000 grit sandpaper are used to polish the exposed end face of the tubular component 2.

[0128] In step S14, the fiber bundle ferrule 14 is connected to the fiber optic connector 1. For example, the connection can be secured with adhesive.

[0129] If no reference fiber is set, steps 6 and 7 above can be omitted.

[0130] In this implementation, the method for manufacturing the fiber optic bundle ferrule is based on steps S1 to S14 described above. For example... Figure 6 As shown, in a scenario with 6 optical fibers, the fabrication method using an optical fiber collimator results in a smaller change in fiber angle relative to 90 degrees during the fiber ferrule process compared to the method without an optical fiber collimator (the angle deviation of each fiber is measured in two orthogonal directions, n=12). Therefore, the fiber collimation is higher. Using a one-factor analysis, the significance test result is P-value < 0.01.

[0131] According to the manufacturing method of the fiber optic bundle ferrule and the multi-channel fiber optic recording system of the present invention, the relative positions of multiple optical fibers in the fiber optic bundle ferrule can be freely set, and different brain regions can be targeted at the same time, which improves the flexibility of recording different brain regions; the fiber bundle is tightly arranged and has a high degree of integration, so it is small in size and light in weight, and can be carried by the target being measured; the use of a reversing device avoids signal distortion caused by cable deformation, and also avoids the problem of cable entanglement caused by the movement of the target being measured, and can perform continuous recording for several hours or even several days.

[0132] It should also be noted that the directional terms mentioned in the embodiments, such as "up," "down," "front," "back," "left," and "right," are only for reference to the directions in the accompanying drawings and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure. Throughout the drawings, the same elements are represented by the same or similar reference numerals. Conventional structures or constructions will be omitted where they may cause confusion in understanding this disclosure. Furthermore, the shapes and dimensions of the components in the drawings do not reflect actual size and proportion, but are only schematic representations of the embodiments of this disclosure.

[0133] The use of ordinal numbers such as "first," "second," "third," etc., in the specification and claims to modify the corresponding elements does not imply that the element has any ordinal number, nor does it represent the order of one element with another element, or the order of manufacturing methods. The use of these ordinal numbers is only to enable a named element to be clearly distinguished from another element with the same name.

[0134] The specific embodiments described above further illustrate the purpose, technical solutions, and beneficial effects of this disclosure. It should be understood that the above descriptions are merely specific embodiments of this disclosure and are not intended to limit this disclosure. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this disclosure should be included within the protection scope of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing an optical fiber bundle ferrule, comprising: A fiber optic positioning mold is manufactured, and multiple positioning holes are formed on the fiber optic positioning mold. The positioning holes formed on the fiber optic positioning mold include blind holes or variable diameter holes, and each positioning hole has a different depth. Inserting the first ends of multiple optical fibers into the positioning holes of the optical fiber positioning mold, including: A fiber optic collimator is manufactured, and a plurality of collimation holes, which are located in the same position and number as the positioning holes on the fiber optic positioning mold and are suitable for the fiber optic cable to pass through, are provided on the fiber optic collimator. The fiber optic collimator is placed parallel above the fiber optic positioning mold, and each of the collimation holes corresponds to the position of one of the positioning holes in the orthogonal projection direction of the fiber optic positioning mold. The first ends of the plurality of optical fibers are respectively passed through the corresponding collimation holes to pre-position the optical fibers; and The first end of each optical fiber is inserted into the positioning hole, wherein the collimation hole is a through hole; The exposed multiple optical fibers near the fiber positioning mold are fixed to the mold using a curing material to maintain the relative positions of the multiple optical fibers inserted into the mold. This includes: Apply a curing material to the surface of the fiber positioning mold and the area where the fiber contacts; The second ends of multiple optical fibers are inserted into a tubular component, so that the optical fibers located between the tubular component and the optical fiber positioning mold form an umbrella-shaped portion; The umbrella-shaped portion and part of the tubular component are fixed using a curing material to form a fixing portion; and The optical fiber inserted into the optical fiber positioning mold is pulled out from the optical fiber positioning mold.

2. The method for manufacturing an optical fiber bundle ferrule according to claim 1, wherein, After fixing the exposed multiple optical fibers to the optical fiber positioning mold using a curing material to keep the relative positions of the multiple optical fibers inserted into the optical fiber positioning mold unchanged, the process also includes removing the optical fiber collimator.

3. The method for manufacturing an optical fiber bundle ferrule according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, After inserting the second ends of the multiple optical fibers into the tubular component, the method further includes: One or more reference optical fibers are inserted into the plurality of optical fibers, such that the plurality of optical fibers are arranged closely around the reference optical fiber in concentric circles, squares, rectangles or other shapes, and one end of the reference optical fiber is close to the optical fiber positioning mold.

4. The method for manufacturing an optical fiber bundle ferrule according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The cured material has light-shielding properties.

5. The method for manufacturing an optical fiber bundle ferrule according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, After the optical fiber inserted into the optical fiber positioning mold is withdrawn from the optical fiber positioning mold, the process further includes: The portion of the tubular component exposed by cutting off the multiple optical fibers.

6. A multi-channel fiber optic recording system, comprising: At least one fiber optic ferrule manufactured by the manufacturing method of the fiber optic ferrule according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the fiber optic cable of the fiber optic ferrule with the exposed fixed portion is inserted into the target under test to conduct excitation light to the target under test and collect the emitted light generated by the target under test after being excited. as well as An optical fiber detection device, connected to the fiber bundle ferrule, is used to generate excitation light, receive emitted light, and convert optical signals into electrical signals. The optical fibers in the fiber optic ferrule have different lengths to target different brain regions.

7. The multi-channel fiber optic recording system according to claim 6, wherein, The optical fiber detection device includes: An optical fiber connector in which a tubular component of the optical fiber bundle ferrule is partially inserted into one end of the optical fiber connector to achieve optical coupling between the optical fiber connector and the multiple optical fibers of the optical fiber bundle ferrule. An optical transceiver, adapted to generate the excitation light and receive the emitted light; and An image sensor is adapted to generate an electrical signal characterizing an image of a measured object based on the emitted light received by the optical transceiver.

8. The multi-channel fiber optic recording system according to claim 7, wherein, The optical transceiver includes: The housing includes an interface that is optically coupled to the fiber optic connector; A light source, disposed within the housing, is suitable for generating a light beam; A first filter, disposed within the housing, is adapted to filter the light beam from the light source to generate the excitation light; and An optical conversion assembly, disposed within the housing, is adapted to guide excitation light from the first filter to the fiber optic ferrule and to guide emitted light from the fiber optic ferrule to the image sensor.

9. The multi-channel fiber optic recording system according to claim 8, wherein, The optical conversion component includes: Dichroic mirror; An objective lens is disposed between the dichroic mirror and the optical fiber connector. The objective lens is configured to receive excitation light reflected from the first filter by the dichroic mirror and emitted light from the fiber bundle ferrule, and further incident the excitation light onto the fiber bundle ferrule. An eyepiece, the eyepiece being configured to receive light emitted from the objective lens transmitted by a dichroic mirror; and The second filter is adapted to filter the emitted light from the eyepiece and guide the filtered emitted light to the image sensor.

10. The multi-channel fiber optic recording system according to any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein, The fiber optic ferrule includes: The tubular member, wherein the second ends of the plurality of optical fibers are held within the tubular member; and The optical fiber is fixed in a fixing part, and the first end of the optical fiber extends out of the fixing part to be inserted into the target to be tested.

11. The multi-channel fiber optic recording system according to claim 10, further comprising: The signal acquisition device is configured to receive electrical signals from the optical fiber detection device. as well as A reversing device is coupled between the fiber optic detection device and the signal acquisition device to avoid cable tangling caused by the movement of the target being measured.

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