Fabrication method and device of ultra-small gradient-index （GRIN） fiber probe were investigated in order to explore the development of ultra-small probes for optical coherence tomography （OCT） imaging. The beam- ...Fabrication method and device of ultra-small gradient-index （GRIN） fiber probe were investigated in order to explore the development of ultra-small probes for optical coherence tomography （OCT） imaging. The beam- expanding effect of no-core fiber （NCF） and the focusing properties of the GRIN fiber lens were analyzed based on the model of GRIN fiber probe consisting of single-mode fiber （SMF）, NCF and GRIN fiber lens. A stereo micro- scope based system was developed to fabricate the GRIN fiber probe. A fiber fusion splicer and an ultrasonic cleaver were used to weld and cut the fiber respectively. A con- focal microscopy was used to measure the dimensions of probe components. The results show that the sizes of probe components developed are at the level of millimeter. Therefore, the proposed experimental system meets the fabrication requirements of an ultra-small self-focusing GRIN fiber probe. This shows that this fabrication device and method can be employed in the fabrication of ultra- small self-focusing GRIN fiber probe and applied in the study of miniaturized optical probes and OCT systems.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.41104065)the Dawn Planning Foundation of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (Grant No.12CG047)by the Scientific Research Innovation Project of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission(Grant No. 13YZ022)
文摘Fabrication method and device of ultra-small gradient-index （GRIN） fiber probe were investigated in order to explore the development of ultra-small probes for optical coherence tomography （OCT） imaging. The beam- expanding effect of no-core fiber （NCF） and the focusing properties of the GRIN fiber lens were analyzed based on the model of GRIN fiber probe consisting of single-mode fiber （SMF）, NCF and GRIN fiber lens. A stereo micro- scope based system was developed to fabricate the GRIN fiber probe. A fiber fusion splicer and an ultrasonic cleaver were used to weld and cut the fiber respectively. A con- focal microscopy was used to measure the dimensions of probe components. The results show that the sizes of probe components developed are at the level of millimeter. Therefore, the proposed experimental system meets the fabrication requirements of an ultra-small self-focusing GRIN fiber probe. This shows that this fabrication device and method can be employed in the fabrication of ultra- small self-focusing GRIN fiber probe and applied in the study of miniaturized optical probes and OCT systems.
