Miniature optical fiber endoscope probe for side OCT imaging

Abstract

The invention discloses a miniature optical fiber endoscope probe for side OCT imaging. The miniature optical fiber endoscope probe comprises a connector, an optical fiber reflector and a torsion transmission spring tube, a needle head is fixed at one end of the connector; the optical fiber reflector is fixed at the tip of the needle head; the torsion transmission spring tube is sleeved outside the optical fiber, penetrates into the steel tube and is fixedly connected with the connector; the optical fiber is inserted in the connector and the needle head, and the head end of the optical fiber is close to the optical fiber reflector.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of mechanical industry, and more particularly, to a side OCT imaging micro fiber endoscope probe. Background Art

[0002] Please refer to Figure 1 , the existing side OCT eye endoscope probe 10 includes a flexible protection cable 1, a metal protection housing 2, a single-mode optical fiber 3, an optical device 4, and an optical fiber reflection end 5. One side of the flexible protection cable 1 is fixedly connected to one end of the endoscope armored optical fiber 20, and the flexible protection cable 1 is welded to the metal protection housing 2; a single-mode optical fiber 3 is provided inside the flexible protection cable 1, and one end of the single-mode optical fiber 3 is fixedly connected to the optical device 4 located inside the metal protection housing 2, and the other side of the inner cavity of the metal protection housing 2 is fixedly installed with the optical fiber reflection end 5.

[0003] However, in the above-mentioned side OCT eye endoscope probe 10, both the optical fiber reflection end 5 and the relatively large-sized optical device 4 are provided inside the metal protection housing 2, and the external dimensions of the metal protection housing 2 are uniform, resulting in a large external dimension of the entire probe, which is not conducive to performing ophthalmic minimally invasive surgery.

[0004] In summary, how to provide a side OCT imaging endoscope probe with a smaller size for performing ophthalmic minimally invasive surgery is an urgent problem to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] In view of this, the present invention provides a side OCT imaging micro fiber endoscope probe, which uses a needle head to install an optical fiber mirror, uses a connector to connect the needle and a steel pipe, and the optical fiber is arranged inside the needle head. Compared with the metal protection housing that simultaneously assembles the optical fiber reflection end and the optical device in the prior art, the external dimension of the needle head is smaller, which is conducive to performing ophthalmic minimally invasive surgery. The present invention also provides a manufacturing method for the above-mentioned side OCT imaging micro fiber endoscope probe, which facilitates the ophthalmic minimally invasive surgery of the endoscope probe product.

[0006] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0007] A side OCT imaging micro fiber endoscope probe, comprising:

[0008] A connector, one end of the connector is fixed with a needle head, and the other end is installed with a steel pipe;

[0009] An optical fiber mirror, the optical fiber mirror is fixed at the tip of the needle head;

[0010] The torsion transmission spring tube is sleeved outside the optical fiber and passes through the steel tube to be fixedly connected with the connector; the optical fiber is inserted into the connector and the needle head, and the head end of the optical fiber is close to the optical fiber mirror.

[0011] Preferably, in the above-mentioned side OCT imaging micro-optical fiber endoscope probe, the diameter of the optical fiber mirror is 125 μm.

[0012] Preferably, in the above-mentioned side OCT imaging micro-optical fiber endoscope probe, the optical fiber is a fusion spliced optical fiber.

[0013] Preferably, in the above-mentioned side OCT imaging micro-optical fiber endoscope probe, an FC / APC connector is provided at the tail of the optical fiber, and the FC / APC connector is connected to an optical fiber rotary connector.

[0014] Preferably, in the above-mentioned side OCT imaging micro-optical fiber endoscope probe, a bearing is sleeved on the steel tube, and the steel tube is embedded in the handle.

[0015] The present invention provides a side OCT imaging micro-optical fiber endoscope probe, which includes a connector, an optical fiber mirror and a torsion transmission spring tube; one end of the connector is fixed with a needle head, and the other end is installed with a steel tube; the optical fiber mirror is fixed at the tip of the needle head; the torsion transmission spring tube is sleeved outside the optical fiber and passes through the steel tube to be fixedly connected with the connector; the optical fiber is inserted into the connector and the needle head, and the head end of the optical fiber is close to the optical fiber mirror.

[0016] The side OCT imaging micro-optical fiber endoscope probe provided by the present invention uses the needle head to install the optical fiber mirror, uses the connector to connect the needle head and the steel tube, and the optical fiber is arranged in the needle head. Compared with the metal protective shell that simultaneously assembles the optical fiber reflection end and optical devices in the prior art, the external dimension of the needle head is smaller, which is beneficial for performing ophthalmic minimally invasive surgery, ensuring a small surgical wound, reducing the pain of patients, and ensuring a quick postoperative recovery of patients. Description of the Drawings

[0017] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the following will briefly introduce the drawings required for the description of the embodiments or the prior art. Obviously, the following drawings are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative efforts.

[0018] Figure 1 It is a schematic structural diagram of a side OCT eye endoscope probe in the prior art;

[0019] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of the side OCT imaging micro-optical fiber endoscope probe provided by the embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] Among them, Figure 2 In:

[0021] Optical fiber mirror 101; optical fiber 102; needle 103; connector 104; steel pipe 105; torsion transmission spring tube 106. Specific implementation manner

[0022] An embodiment of the present invention discloses a side OCT imaging micro optical fiber endoscope probe, which uses a needle to install an optical fiber mirror and uses a connector to connect the needle and a steel pipe. The optical fiber is arranged inside the needle. Compared with the metal protection shell that simultaneously assembles the optical fiber reflection end and optical devices in the prior art, the outer dimension of the needle is smaller, which is beneficial for performing ophthalmic minimally invasive surgery. An embodiment of the present invention also discloses a manufacturing method for the above-mentioned side OCT imaging micro optical fiber endoscope probe, which is convenient for the ophthalmic minimally invasive surgery of the endoscope probe product.

[0023] Next, the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative efforts shall fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

[0024] Please refer to Figure 2 , an embodiment of the present invention provides a side OCT imaging micro optical fiber endoscope probe, including a connector 104, an optical fiber mirror 101, and a torsion transmission spring tube 106; one end of the connector 104 is fixed with a needle 103, and the other end is installed with a steel pipe 105; the optical fiber mirror 101 is fixed at the tip of the needle 103; the torsion transmission spring tube 106 is sleeved outside the optical fiber 102 and passes through the steel pipe 105 and is fixedly connected with the connector 104; the optical fiber 102 is inserted into the connector 104 and the needle 103, and the head end of the optical fiber 102 is close to the optical fiber mirror 101.

[0025] The side OCT imaging micro optical fiber endoscope probe provided in this embodiment uses the needle 103 to install the optical fiber mirror 101, uses the connector 104 to connect the needle 103 and the steel pipe 105, and the optical fiber 102 is arranged inside the needle 103. Compared with the metal protection shell that simultaneously assembles the optical fiber reflection end and optical devices in the prior art, the outer dimension of the needle 103 is smaller, which is beneficial for performing ophthalmic minimally invasive surgery, ensuring a small surgical wound, reducing the pain of the patient, and ensuring a quick postoperative recovery of the patient.

[0026] In the above-mentioned side OCT imaging micro fiber endoscope probe, the outer diameter of the fiber reflector 101 is 125 μm, and the angles are 15° and 30°, so that the outgoing light path is 30° and 60° to the horizontal direction. The reflective surface angle of the fiber reflector 101 can be polished to 75°.

[0027] Needle 103 adopts a 30G medical needle with an outer diameter of 0.31mm and an inner diameter of 0.16mm, so that the outer diameter of the fiber optic endoscope probe is reduced to less than or equal to 0.31mm without a protective cover. Even when the needle 103 is added with a protective cover, the size is reduced to less than or equal to 0.64mm. Compared with existing endoscope probes, the size is greatly reduced.

[0028] The 125 μm fiber reflector 101 can be made of metal, such as gold wire, aluminum wire, steel wire, etc., which is not limited in this embodiment. The fiber reflector 101 and the needle 103 can be fixed by laser welding or soldering, or by UV glue, which is not limited in this embodiment.

[0029] In the above-mentioned side OCT imaging micro-fiber endoscope probe, the optical fiber 102 is a fused optical fiber, specifically, a coreless optical fiber, a Green optical fiber, and a HI1060 optical fiber fused in sequence to form the optical fiber 102. The tail of the optical fiber 102 (i.e., the end of the HI1060 optical fiber away from the Green optical fiber) is provided with an FC / APC connector, and the FC / APC connector is connected to the optical fiber rotary connector.

[0030] The outer diameter of the steel tube 105 is 2 mm; a bearing is provided on the outer sleeve of the steel tube 105, and the steel tube 105 is embedded in the handle. The torque transmission ratio of the torque transmission spring tube 106 is 1:1.

[0031] The side OCT imaging micro fiber optic endoscope probe provided in this embodiment adopts a torque transmission spring tube 106, which can perform 1:1 torque transmission, so that the probe length can be freely controlled within a range of 3 meters.

[0032] The side OCT imaging micro-fiber endoscopic probe provided in the embodiment of the present invention is used to form an OCT imaging system. The OCT imaging system also includes key components such as a laser, an optical fiber system, an acquisition card, a single-chip microcomputer controller, an optical fiber rotary connector, and a motor. After startup, it can achieve 360° side scanning imaging.

[0033] The embodiment of the present invention further provides a method for manufacturing a side OCT imaging micro-fiber endoscope probe, which is used for the side OCT imaging micro-fiber endoscope probe provided in the above embodiment, comprising:

[0034] 1) preparing optical fiber 102;

[0035] 2) Fix the fiber optic mirror 101 at the tip of the needle 103. Insert the head end of the optical fiber 102 (i.e., the free end of the coreless optical fiber) into the needle 103 to a position close to the fiber optic mirror 101, and fix the optical fiber 102 inside the needle.

[0036] 3) Fix the needle 103 at one end of the connector 104.

[0037] 4) Slip the torsion transmission spring tube 106 over the optical fiber 102, and fix the torsion transmission spring tube 106 to the connector 104.

[0038] 5) Fix the steel tube 105 at the other end of the connector 104, and slip the steel tube 105 over the torsion transmission spring tube 106 and the optical fiber 102.

[0039] Specifically, in the above method for manufacturing the side OCT imaging miniaturized fiber optic endoscope probe, step 1) includes:

[0040] 11) Determine the lengths of the coreless optical fiber and the Green optical fiber.

[0041] Specifically when performing this step, the lengths of the coreless optical fiber and the Green optical fiber are determined by simulation calculation to be 0.345 mm for the coreless optical fiber and 0.605 mm for the Green optical fiber.

[0042] 12) Use a cutting knife (specifically a precision control cutting knife) to accurately cut the lengths of the coreless optical fiber and the Green optical fiber, and then use a single-mode fusion splicer for splicing.

[0043] 13) Cut the length of the HI1060 optical fiber according to requirements, and splice it with the Green optical fiber.

[0044] When performing step 2), use UV ultraviolet glue to fix the fiber optic mirror 101 with a diameter of 125 μm at the tip position of the 30G needle. Insert the spliced optical fiber 102 from the other end of the 30G needle to a position close to the fiber optic mirror 101, and use glue to fix the optical fiber 102 to the needle 103.

[0045] When performing step 4), slip the torsion transmission spring over the HI1060 optical fiber.

[0046] After step 5), it further includes: 6) Slip a bearing over the steel tube 105, and then insert and fix the steel tube 105 into the handle. After step 6), it further includes: 7) Make an FC / APC connector at the tail of the optical fiber 102 (i.e., the tail of the HI1060 optical fiber), and then connect the FC / APC connector to the fiber optic rotary connector.

[0047] The manufacturing method provided in this embodiment is used to prepare the side OCT imaging micro - fiber endoscope probe provided in the above - mentioned embodiment, facilitating ophthalmic minimally invasive surgery for endoscope probe products. Of course, the manufacturing method provided in this embodiment also has other methods related to the side OCT imaging micro - fiber endoscope probe provided in the above - mentioned embodiment, which will not be elaborated here.

[0048] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments. The same or similar parts among the various embodiments can be referred to each other. For the methods disclosed in the embodiments, since they correspond to the devices disclosed in the embodiments, the description is relatively simple. For the relevant parts, refer to the description in the method section.

[0049] The above description of the disclosed embodiments enables those skilled in the art to implement or use the present invention. Various modifications to these embodiments will be obvious to those skilled in the art. The general principles defined herein can be implemented in other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention will not be limited to these embodiments shown herein, but rather to the broadest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A miniature fiber optic endoscope probe for side OCT imaging, comprising: A connector, with a needle fixed at one end and a steel tube installed at the other end; A fiber optic mirror, which is fixed at the tip of the needle; A torsion transmission spring tube, which is sleeved outside the optical fiber and passes through the steel tube to be fixedly connected with the connector; the optical fiber is inserted into the connector and the needle, and the head end of the optical fiber is close to the fiber optic mirror.

2. The side OCT imaging micro fiber endoscope probe according to claim 1, wherein, The diameter of the fiber optic mirror is 125 μm.

3. The side OCT imaging micro - fiber endoscope probe according to claim 1, wherein, The optical fiber is a fusion spliced fiber.

4. The side OCT imaging micro - fiber endoscope probe according to claim 1 or 3, wherein, An FC / APC connector is provided at the tail of the optical fiber, and the FC / APC connector is connected to a fiber optic rotary connector.

5. The side OCT imaging micro-optical fiber endoscope probe according to claim 1, wherein, The steel tube is sleeved with a bearing, and the steel tube is embedded in the handle.

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