3D printing glass micro-objectives for ultrathin endoscope

3D打印超薄内窥镜玻璃显微物镜

• 批准号: 10377856
• 负责人: Rongguang Liang
• 金额: $ 20.33万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10377856
• 关键词: 3-Dimensional; 3D Print; Address; Adoption; Brain imaging; Chemicals; Clinical; Complex; Development; Dimensions; Elements; Endoscopes; Environment; Evaluation; Glass; Goals; Hardness; Image; Imaging Techniques; Imaging technology; Industry Standard; Light; Liquid substance; Metals; Methods; Molds; Optics; Organ; Performance; Photosensitivity; Plant Resins; Polishes; Polymers; Printing; Process; Property; Refractive Indices; Research; Resistance; Resolution; Silicon Dioxide; Solvents; Speed; Surface; System; Techniques; Technology; Translating; cancer imaging; clinical application; confocal imaging; cost; covalent bond; design; fluorescence imaging; high resolution imaging; imaging system; improved; lens; life time cost; multiphoton imaging; novel; optical imaging; polymerization; process optimization; prototype; transmission process; two-photon

Abstract We propose to develop 3D printing technology of glass micro-objective and micro optics for ultrathin endoscope to address the increasing demand in developing compact endoscopes in cancer imaging. The primary challenge in developing micro-objective is the fabrication, traditional fabrication methods don’t have sufficient capabilities in fabricating micro optics. GRIN lens is the only commercially available micro-objective, but it has a number of limitations, such as narrow working spectrum and very short working distance. 3D printing process has been developed recently to print polymer micro-objective with two-photon polymerization (TPP) process. However, there are some inherent limitations in printed polymer optics, including short lifetime due to the yellowish, low transmission in UV and NIR spectrum, and limitations in hardness, thermal resistance, and chemical resistance. Glass optics is preferred for clinical application because of its excellent optical, chemical, and thermal properties. To meet the increasing needs of high-precision glass micro-optics for endoscope and address the major limitations of current 3D printing optics, we have developed a solvent-free, pre-condensed liquid silica resin (LSR) and two-photon 3D printing process for glass optics. 3D printing of glass micro-optics with isotropic shrinkage, micrometer resolution, low deviation peak-to-valley value (<100 nm), and low surface roughness (< 6 nm) has been achieved. The solvent-free, UV curable LSR with a majority of the already formed covalent bonds (Si-O-Si) is novel that it significantly reduces the material shrinkage, increases the printing speed, and simplifies the process to obtain inorganic silica. The printed glass micro optics has better imaging performance with higher resolution, wider working spectrum, better transmission from UV to NIR, and longer lifetime. The 3D printing process for micro glass objective is novel in that it can fabricate more complex optical systems and is particularly suitable for rapid prototyping at low-cost. The goal of this project is to develop 3D printed glass micro-objective and micro optics for ultra-compact endoscope. We will first optimize pre-condensed LSR (Aim 1), and then print micro-objectives and evaluate the performance (Aim 2). This project is significant in that it will establish a new 3D printing technology for fabricating the much-needed glass micro-objective and micro-optics for endoscope in cancer imaging. The rapid prototyping capability at low cost will accelerate the rapid transition of the advanced imaging technologies from the lab to clinical applications.

抽象的 我们提出开发超薄内窥镜玻璃微物镜和微光学3D打印技术 解决癌症成像中开发紧凑型内窥镜日益增长的需求。 微物镜开发的关键在于制造，传统的制造方法能力不足 GRIN 透镜是唯一商用的微物镜，但它具有许多优点。 3D打印工艺的局限性，例如工作范围窄和工作距离很短。 最近开发出采用双光子聚合（TPP）工艺打印聚合物微物镜。 印刷聚合物光学器件存在一些固有的局限性，包括由于微黄、低光导致寿命短。 紫外和近红外光谱的透射率，以及硬度、耐热性和耐化学性的限制。 玻璃光学器件因其优异的光学、化学和热性能而成为临床应用的首选。 满足内窥镜高精度玻璃微光学器件日益增长的需求，解决主要问题 针对当前3D打印光学的局限性，我们开发了一种无溶剂、预缩合液态硅树脂（LSR） 以及用于玻璃光学器件的双光子 3D 打印工艺，具有各向同性收缩的玻璃微光学器件的 3D 打印， 微米分辨率、低偏差峰谷值（<100 nm）和低表面粗糙度（< 6 nm） 已实现大部分已形成共价键的无溶剂、UV 固化 LSR。 （Si-O-Si）新颖，可显着降低材料收缩率，提高打印速度，简化打印过程 该方法获得无机二氧化硅，印刷的玻璃微光学器件具有更好的成像性能。 更高的分辨率、更宽的工作光谱、更好的从紫外到近红外的传输以及更长的使用寿命。 微型玻璃物镜的印刷工艺新颖之处在于它可以制造更复杂的光学系统 特别适合低成本的快速原型制作。 该项目的目标是开发用于超紧凑型的 3D 打印玻璃微物镜和微光学器件 我们将首先优化预凝 LSR（目标 1），然后打印显微物镜并评估。 绩效（目标 2）。 该项目意义重大，因为它将建立一种新的 3D 打印技术来制造急需的 用于癌症成像内窥镜的玻璃微物镜和微光学器件 低速快速原型制作能力。 成本将加速先进成像技术从实验室到临床应用的快速过渡。