Application possibilities of fiber optic image-guide rods in ultrathin endoscopes

摘要

Abstract: There has recently been a wide interest in endoscopeswith minimized diameter for medical and technicalapplications. A small diameter of the endoscope can berealized by use of fiber optic multirod with arrangedstructure, instead of a system of many sequentiallyplaced lenses. With fiber optic technique it ispossible to manufacture rods with square and circularsections, 1 mm, and even below, in diameter and as muchas 1 m in length. Successful experimental manufacturingof such fiber optic image guide rods has been performedat the Institute of Electronic Materials Technology inWarsaw. Various technological problems (like imagecleanliness improvement, enhancing of relayed imagecontrast and resolution, choice of proper rod claddingand EMA glasses) were encountered. !7