当前申请(专利权)人地址：
Incorporated in Canada, 555 Richmond St. W., Suite 800, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 3B1, Canada
摘要：
A medical probe for internally probing tissue or fluid within a subject, the probe comprising: an elongate body 804 having a subject insertable end; an illumination waveguide 810 disposed along the body 804 to output optical illumination from the insertable end toward tissue or fluid to be probed; a collection waveguide 812 disposed along the probe body 804 to collect, from the insertable end, an optical response of the tissue or fluid to the output optical illumination; and an optical probe tip 802 integrally fabricated atop the illumination and collection waveguides 810,812 to optically relay the output optical illumination from illumination waveguide 810 and the optical response to the collection waveguide 812. Tip 802 may include a wavelength selective element in a collection optical path. Tip 802 may define one or more beam shaping elements 802A,802B,802C. A method for manufacturing a medical probe comprising: assembling a multi channel fibre bundle comprising two optical fibres having distinct optical probe channels; micro fabricating a monolithic optical probe tip via a 3D laser printing process to concurrently engage and respectively optically couple the optical probe tip with a distal end of each the two optical fibers. Applicable to spectroscopy probes and multichannel endoscopes.
权利要求：
CLAIMS
‘What is claimed 1s:
1. A medical probe for internally probing tissue or fluid within a body, the probe comprising;
an elongate probe body having an external end, and an insertable end to be inserted within the body toward the tissue or fluid to be probed;
an illumination waveguide disposed along said probe body to output optical illumination from said insertable end toward the tissue or fluid to be probed;
a collection waveguide disposed along said body to collect, from said insertable end, an optical response of the tissue or fluid to said output optical illumination; and
an optical probe tip structure integrally fabricated atop both said illumination waveguide and said collection waveguide to optically relay said output optical illumination from said illumination waveguide and said optical response to said collection waveguide.
2. The medical probe of claim 1, wherein said illumination waveguide 1s a core illumination waveguide and wherein said collection waveguide comprises a set of circumferentially disposed collection waveguides circumferentially disposed around and parallel to said core illumination waveguide, and wherein said optical probe tip structure is optically fabricated atop and to optically couple with both said core illumination waveguide and said circumferentially disposed collection waveguides.
3. The medical probe of claim 1, wherein said optical response is defined by a designated optical collection spectrum, and wherein said optical probe tip structure further comprises a collection wavelength-selective element defined within a collection optical path of said optical response toward said collection waveguide to at least partially confine said optical response to said designated optical collection spectrum.
4. The medical probe of claim 3, wherein said collection wavelength-selective element comprises an optical coating deposited upon a surface previously fabricated within said optical path.
5. The medical probe of claim 1, wherein said optical probe tip structure comprises a monolithic structure fabricated of light-transmissive material and integrally shaped to optically couple to both said illumination waveguide and said collection waveguide and optically relay said optical illumination and optical response therefrom and thereto, respectively.
6. The medical probe of claim 1, wherein said optical probe tip structure is at least partially manufactured by a micro-optical 3D printing process executed to directly manufacture said probe tip structure atop both said optical illumination waveguide and said optical collection waveguide.
7. The medical probe of claim 1, wherein said optical probe tip structure further comprises a reflective surface for redirecting at least one of said optical illumination and said optical response.
8. The medical probe of claim 1, wherein said optical probe tip structure is at least partially fabricated to define one or more beam shaping elements.
9. The medical probe of claim 1, wherein the probe is a disposable probe to be operatively coupled at said external end thereof to a reusable device housing an illumination light source and an optical detector, wherein coupling said external end to said reusable device automatically optically couples said light source to said illumination waveguide and said collection waveguide to said optical sensor.
10. The medical probe of claim 1, wherein a diameter of said probe tip structure is no greater than 2mm.
11. The medical probe of claim 10, wherein a diameter of said probe tip structure is no greater than Imm.
12. A method for manufacturing a medical probe comprising:
assembling a multichannel fiber bundle comprising at least two optical fibers associated with distinct optical probe channels;
micro-fabricating a common monolithic optical probe tip structure via a 3D laser printing process to concurrently engage and respectively optically couple said optical probe tip structure with a common distal end of each of said at least two optical fibers in ultimately defining respective predesigned optical channel paths within said probe tip structure.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein said micro-fabricating comprises micro- fabricating said structure directly upon said common distal end of said at least two optical fibers.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein said micro-fabricating comprises micro- fabricating respective probe tip ports or waveguides to controllably engage and respectively optically couple said optical probe tip structure with each of said at least two optical fibers.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein said micro-fabricating comprises micro- fabricating a common probe tip port to controllably engage said fiber bundle and respectively optically couple said optical probe tip structure with each of said at least two optical fibers.
16. The method of claim 12, wherein said micro-fabricating comprises micro- fabricating a respective lens element for each of said respective predesigned optical channel paths.
17. The method of claim 12, wherein said at least two optical fibers comprise at least one illumination fiber for operative coupling to an illumination light source in relaying illumination via said probe tip structure, and at least one collection fiber for operative coupling to a detector in collecting light in response to said illumination, wherein the method further comprises:
defining one or more wavelength-selective features within said optical probe tip structure to govern a spectral response thereof along a corresponding one of said predesigned optical channel paths.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein said defining comprises depositing a wavelength-selective coating upon a designated internal probe tip structure surface fabricated to intersect said corresponding one of said predesigned optical channel paths.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein said defining comprises integrally fabricating a texturized wavelength-selective surface within said probe tip structure to intersect at least one of said predesigned optical channel paths.
20. The method of claim 12, wherein said micro-fabricating comprises fabricating a beam steering surface within said optical probe tip structure to redirect at least one of said predesigned optical channel paths at an angle relative to said fiber bundle.