Design and validation of an angle-resolved low-coherence interferometry fiber probe for in vivo clinical measurements of depth-resolved nuclear morphology.

We present a novel Fourier-domain angle-resolved low-coherence interferometry (a /LCI) fiber probe designed for in vivo clinical application in gastrointestinal endoscopy. The a/LCI technique measures the depth-resolved angular scattering distribution to determine the size distribution and optical density of cell nuclei for assessing the health of epithelial tissues. Clinical application is enabled by an endoscopic fiber-optic probe that employs a 2.3-m-long coherent fiber bundle and is compatible with the standard 2.8-mm-diam biopsy channel of a gastroscope. The probe allows for real-time data acquisition by collecting the scattering from multiple angles in parallel, enabled by the Fourier domain approach. The performance of the probe is characterized through measurement of critical parameters. The depth-resolved sizing capability of the system is demonstrated using single- and double-layer microsphere phantoms with subwavelength sizing precision and accuracy achieved. Initial results from a clinical feasibility test are also presented to show in vivo application in the human esophagus.