Most people think of fiber optics in relation to internet connectivity, but there are a wide range of fields where this technology can prove useful. In fact, new efforts have been made to take advantage of fiber optics in the medical community.
But just how is this technology useful to doctors? It turns out that it can enhance miniature microscopy, allowing healthcare professionals to see hard-to-reach tissue.
Optical fiber is extremely bendable, which means it could be used to reach almost any place inside the body. Combining fiber optic cables with miniature microscopes could allow doctors to detect problems in the body in ways they could never have dreamed of doing before. Fiber optics and microscopes? They do make a good pair!
According to this Bioopticsworld.com article, a professor at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville recently turned a simple microscope into one of these fiber optic devices. The device works by passing light through the lens, which can be carried along the fiber optic cable and over the sample. By using optical fiber as a medium, the professor was able to transmit an image from one end of the microscope to the other. But just how clear are these images? Well, the exact quality and resolution depends on a few factors, including the fiber diameter.
While we may still be in the early days of people figuring out all of the uses for optical fiber, especially in the medical field, these are exciting times. Inventions like this fiber optic microscope is just one of several advancements that we hope to see in the coming years. For more news about fiber optics keep checking back with our blog!
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