In one aspect, the present invention relates to a probe using integrated
confocal reflectance imaging,
confocal Raman spectroscopy, and gross spatial imaging for non-invasively evaluating a target of interest of a living subject. In one embodiment, the probe includes a casing with a first end and an opposite, second end, a first optical port, a second optical port, and a third optical port, where the first and second optical ports are located at the first end of the casing and the third optical port is located at the second end of the casing such that the first and third optical ports define a first
optical path between them and the second and third optical ports define a second
optical path between them, respectively, where each of the first and second optical paths has a first portion and a second portion, where the second portions of the first and second optical paths are substantially overlapped and proximal to the third optical port, and where the probe also includes a collimation lens, a
coupling lens, an objective lens
assembly, a first mirror, a second mirror, a third mirror, a
band pass filter, a long pass filter, a scanning member, an
electronic imaging device, and a focus control device, where the collimation lens, the
band pass filter, and the second mirror are placed at the first portion of the first
optical path, where the
coupling lens, the long pass filter, and the first mirror are placed at the first portion of the second optical path, and where the third mirrors, the scanning member, and the objective
assembly are placed at the overlapped second portion of the first and second optical paths.