A plastic optical fiber is excellent in translucency, heat resistance, resistance to environment and the like, and has highly excellent flexibility. The plastic optical fiber contains a core and at least one layer of cladding, wherein the bending elastic modulus of the innermost layer of the cladding is 20 to 70 MPa, the glass transition temperature of the innermost layer of the cladding is 10 C. or lower, and the storage elastic modulus of the innermost layer of the cladding at 30 C. is 110.sup.6 Pa to 410.sup.7 Pa.

Implementations of the present disclosure include methods, systems, and computer-readable storage mediums for image reconstruction. Actions include receiving an image acquired by an endoscopic system including an optical fiber bundle with multiple optical fibers, each optical fiber being surrounded by cladding, determining in the image fiber core locations corresponding to the optical fibers, reconstructing missing information from the image using interpolation performed in accordance with the fiber core locations, the missing information corresponding to artifacts in the acquired image that result from the cladding, and providing a fiber-pattern removed image, in which the artifacts in the acquired image are removed using the missing information.

A flexible, artifact-free, and lensless fiber-based imaging system for biological objects. This system combines image reconstruction by a trained deep neural network with low-loss image transmission through disordered glass-air Anderson localized optical fiber. High quality images of biological objects can be obtained using short (few centimeters) or long (more than one meter) segments of disordered fiber with and without fiber bending. The deep neural network can also be designed to perform image classification. The system provides the unique property that the training performed within a straight fiber setup can be utilized for high fidelity reconstruction/classification of images that are transported through either straight or bent fiber making retraining for different bending situations unnecessary. In addition, high quality image transport and reconstruction is demonstrated for cells that are several millimeters away from the fiber input facet eliminating the need for additional optical elements at the distal end of the fiber. This novel imaging system shows great potential for practical applications in endoscopy including studies on freely behaving subjects.

A vortex optical fiber for use in an illumination subsystem of an optical imaging system (e.g., a stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy system) includes an elongated optically transmissive medium having a set of regions including a core region, a trench region surrounding the core region, a ring region surrounding the trench region, and a cladding region, the set of regions having a doping profile providing a n.sub.eff for vector modes in an LP.sub.11 mode group of greater than 110.sup.4 in the visible spectral range so as to simultaneously guide stable Gaussian and orbital angular momentum (OAM) carrying modes at corresponding visible wavelengths.

An illuminator apparatus and method for illuminating an object field imaged by a rectangular image sensor having a first aspect ratio is disclosed. The apparatus includes an optical fiber having a proximal end disposed to receive a plurality of input light beams, each light beam having differing spectral properties, the optical fiber being operable to transmit the light beams along the fiber to a distal end of the optical fiber. The apparatus also includes an integrating element disposed to receive the light beams from the distal end of the fiber and combine the light beams to produce a generally homogenous illumination beam at a rectangular output face of the integrating element. The apparatus further includes an illumination projector operable to project an image of the output face of the integrating element into the object field to produce a generally rectangular illuminated region of the object field substantially corresponding to the portion of the object field imaged by the rectangular image sensor.

A catheter system includes an electronic console; a catheter having a proximal end attachable to the console and a distal end configured to house therein an optical probe; an optical fiber configured to transmit from the console to the optical probe excitation radiation of a first wavelength, and configured to return to the console an optical response signal having a second wavelength longer than the first wavelength; a detector configured to detect intensity of the optical response signal; and a processor configured to determine, based on the detected intensity of the optical response signal, whether the catheter is properly connected to the console. The optical response signal is generated within the optical fiber itself in response to transmitting the excitation radiation therethrough. The optical response signal is an auto-fluorescence signal and/or Raman scattering signal generated from the optical fiber itself.

Various surgical devices having integrated means of illuminating a surgical field are provided. Retractors, cannulas, suction devices and the like are disclosed having integrated optical waveguides coupleable to external lighting sources. The waveguides feature cladding layers configured to enhance transmission efficiency.

The invention relates to an optical endoscope (1) comprising an optical fiber element (2) with a proximal end (3) and a distal end (4), wherein an optical waveguide block (6) is arranged at the distal end (4) of the optical fiber element (2), the optical waveguide block (6) comprising a rigid material with two or more optical waveguides (7) formed therein.

A plastic optical fiber for a medical device lighting decreases the cost of a lens and simplify the design of a lighting apparatus, wherein the plastic optical fiber for a medical device includes a core composed of a (co)polymer containing methyl methacrylate as a main component and is characterized by including a cladding material composed of a copolymer having a fluorine weight composition ratio of 60 to 74%, and by having a theoretical numerical aperture, NA, of 0.48 to 0.65 and, thus, the plastic optical fiber has a high numerical aperture and also has excellent translucency and flexibility.

An optical fiber that includes an up taper section such that a predetermined length of the distal end of the optical fiber has a diameter that is larger than a diameter of the optical fiber at a proximal end. A portion of the optical fiber is heated to include an up taper section between the distal and proximal ends of the topical fiber.