A laser-scanning endoscope with enhanced attributes

Contemporary methods for minimally invasive interventions are gaining wide acceptance in various everyday operations, offering extremely localised treatment, reduced suffering and practically no risk for the patient as well as great benefits to diagnostic examinations and surgeries that require continuous monitoring. Many established endoscope systems offer the aforementioned advantages without the risks and restrictions of the computer-aided tomography techniques but with limitations in the resolution and chromatic representation provided. A microscanning specific-endoscope device has been developed aiming to provide superior resolution and chromatic representation in comparison with the above endoscopes. The key technology employed in the design of this endoscope relies on the use of tinny microelectro-mechanical silicon mirrors for the scanning of three laser beams over the target tissue area. The so-developed microscanning endoscope system provides color imaging with high resolution at near video rates targeting at macroendoscopy applications. The optical design and implementation of this endoscope system will be presented in this communication together with a brief description of the overall endoscope device developed. In addition results are given from the study of the metamery effect that is utilised in the realised endoscope, together with a presentation of the procedure followed for the objective evaluation of its optical performance and first results from system operation.