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Santec, a leading manufacturer of optical components and test instruments for the fiber optics industry, announces a novel type of endoscope based on a low voltage MEMS scanner. The endoscope requires no electrical supply, the power being supplied along an optical fiber. This is a significant advantage eliminating effects of electromagnetic interference (EMI).

Conventional endoscopes operate using a mechanical scanning principle with a pivot leading up the length of the catheter. The MEMS scanner offers a number of advantages; these include small size, fast speed, high accuracy and repeatability. MEMS scanning mirrors have been proposed in the past but have required high operating voltages to deflect the electrostatic mirror to an angle sufficient to cover a wide imaging area. However, high voltage electricity is hazardous for in-vivo diagnosis and the modulation of the electric signal can create electromagnetic interference (EMI) that has an adverse effect on other medical equipment. Santec's new endoscope design uses wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology to pass two signals down an optical fiber connecting the endoscope to the control equipment. The first signal at 1.5micron is converted to an electrical voltage using a photovoltaic detector within the endoscope head and is used to drive the MEMS scanner. The MEMS scanner operates from a low voltage and this, coupled with the alleviation of passing electricity along the catheter, eliminates EMI generation. The second signal at 1.3micron is used for image transmission.

The scanning fiber optic catheter is particularly suitable for endoscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT) applications. The repeatable high-speed scan, with low voltage operation is advantageous for in-vivo diagnosis.

The low voltage MEMS scanner is co-developed with Professor Hiroshi Toshiyoshi of the Industrial Institute of Science, University of Tokyo. Prof. Toshiyoshi is sponsored by KAST (Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology).

This work will be presented at the conference entitled Biomedical Optics, OSA Topical meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, March 19th to 23rd.

Santec targets manufacture of products based on this technology in 3 to 5 years.