Fiber Optic Bundles in the Field of Medical Endoscopy

Endoscopic technology has become a powerful tool in promoting the development of medical science. Medical endoscopes made of optical fiber optic bundles can be flexibly and bendably inserted into the human body cavity due to the softness of the fiber optic bundles, achieving light guiding and image transmission, and have wide applications in medicine.

A fiber optic bundle is an optical device that utilizes the conduction properties of light to achieve the transmission and transformation of optical energy in a two-dimensional spatial distribution through a passive fiber optic bundle. The fiber optic bundle consists of numerous optical fibers arranged in an orderly manner, with each optical fiber acting as a pixel that can independently transmit signals, transferring optical signals from the input end to the output end, thereby achieving image transmission.

Principle of Image Transmission via Fiber Optic Bundles

The principle of image transmission via fiber optic bundle is based on the refraction phenomenon as light signals travel through the fiber optic bundle. Since the refractive index of the fiber optic bundle is higher than that of the surrounding medium, the light propagates along the direction of the fiber optic bundle. Based on the total internal reflection phenomenon, the light reflects inside the fiber optic bundle without attenuation and distortion; when the fiber optic bundle operates, the image signals at the input end form a light beam that transmits through the fiber optic bundle to the output end, creating an image at the end of the fiber optic bundle that is similar to the input image.

Application of Fiber Optic Bundles in Endoscopy

By inserting the fiber optic bundle into the human body cavity through appropriate channels, on the one hand, light from an external source is guided into the body to illuminate the area that needs inspection; on the other hand, the observed images of internal organs can be transmitted outside via the fiber optic cable bundle for the doctor's viewing or for photographic and video recording purposes.

In the medical field, endoscopes are crucial diagnostic tools for serious diseases. With continuous development, their scope of application has been expanding. Currently, they can be widely used in diagnosing diseases of the respiratory tract, digestive tract, thoracic and abdominal cavities, urinary system, reproductive system, ear, nose, throat, and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular systems. Endoscopes require the end-face diameter of the fiber optic cable bundle to be small, the numerical aperture to be large, and the flexibility to be high to facilitate entry into the tortuous human cavities.

With the continuous increase in new materials, technological advancements, and expanding application fields, fiber optic cable bundles are developing towards larger cross-sections, higher resolution, and greater flexibility.