UC Irvine

The problem addressed in this thesis is the need for incorporating multiple functionalities into one minimally invasive surgical probe. A novel endoscope probe was designed with two 1mm cube cameras and an optical fiber inside a 3D printed casing, 7mm in diameter. This probe combined stereoscopic imaging, in order to obtain quantitative 3D measurements, and laser speckle contrast imaging, for quantitative flow analysis. 3D surface mapping was validated by comparing computed coordinates against their known real-world values. Laser speckle contrast imaging was validated through an in-vivo and ex-vivo study comparing the new micro-camera to an existing lab-grade sensor. Both sub-systems yielded results that indicate accuracy and sensitivity equivalent to existing devices. The combination of the two functionalities allows for highly accurate spatially resolved 3D surfaces. These surfaces are combined with a co-registered laser speckle contrast image for later analysis. Presented are the results from all validation studies and finalized dual functionality probe.