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Abstract

The present invention relates to the analysis of the internal structures of objects using optical means. According to the invention there were designed an apparatus suited for optical coherence tomography (OCT), an optical fiber lateral scanner (15), which is a part of said apparatus and is incorporated into an optical fiber probe (8), and a method for studying biological tissue in vivo, which allows for making a diagnostics of the biological tissue under study on basis of the state of the basal membrane (46). The moving part of lateral scanner (15) of sampling arm (4) of interferometer (2) is arranged comprising a current conductor (19), which envelopes a magnetic system (17) in the area of one of its poles (25) and an optical fiber (13), which is rigidly fastened to current conductor (19), whereas optical fiber (13) serves as a flexible cantilever, allowing to miniaturize the optical fiber probe (8). Constructing magnetic system (17) as two permanent magnets (22, 28) which are aligned at their analogous poles (25, 29), and placing optical fiber (13) in a throughhole (30), the throughhole (30) being formed by the facing grooves made in said analogous poles (25, 29) of permanent magnets (22, 28), ensure optimization of the design of optical fiber probe (8), the body (11) of said optical fiber probe (8) having limited dimensions. Optical fiber probe (8) is placed at the distal end of an instrumental channel of an endoscope or borescope. Studying of biological tissue in vivo with the aid of the developed apparatus allows for non-invasive diagnostics of biological tissue on basis of the state of basal membrane (46).

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First Claim