Depth-resolved spectroscopy method and apparatus

1. A method of obtaining spectroscopic data from a target in a specific depth layer of a specimen, comprising:

providing a fiber-optic probe comprising:

a first excitation source emitting a first output light;

a collection fiber configured to receive an optical signal in a detection region;

an end; and

a ball lens proximal to the end, wherein the ball lens has a central axis and the collection fiber is proximal to the central axis;

locating the fiber-optic probe such that the ball lens is proximal to the specimen;

redirecting the first output light with the ball-shaped lens, wherein:

the first output light intersects the detection region in the specific depth layer of the specimen; and

the first output light illuminates the target, wherein the target is located both in the specific depth layer of the specimen and in the detection region;

generating the optical signal from the target; and

receiving the optical signal in the collection fiber.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

providing a second excitation source emitting a second output light;

redirecting the second output light with the ball-shaped lens, wherein:

the second output light intersects the detection region in the specific depth layer of the specimen; and

the second output light illuminates the target.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first excitation source and the second excitation source are parallel fiber-optic illumination fibers.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the first excitation source and the second excitation source are equidistant from the collection fiber.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ball lens is in contact with the specimen.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the specific depth layer is an epithelial layer of an organ.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target is a chromophore.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first excitation source is separated from the collection fiber by approximately 0.5 millimeters.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

evaluating the optical signal to determine if the target is pre-cancerous or cancerous.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:

selecting a spacing between the first excitation source and the collection fiber so that the first output light intersects the detection region in the depth layer near the surface of the specimen.

11. A method of obtaining spectroscopic data from a target in a specific depth region of a specimen, comprising:

providing a fiber-optic probe comprising:

a first illumination fiber;

a collection fiber configured to receive a set of light rays in a detection region;

an end; and

a ball-shaped lens proximal to the end, where the ball-shaped lens has a central axis and the collection fiber is proximal to the central axis;

locating the fiber-optic probe such that the ball-shaped lens is proximal to the specimen;

emitting a first set of excitation light rays from the first illumination fiber, where:

the first set of excitation light rays are refracted by the ball-shaped lens to illuminate the target in the specific depth region of the specimen;

the first set of excitation light rays intersect the detection region in the specific depth region of the specimen; and

the first set of excitation light rays produce a first set of remitted light rays from the target in the specific depth region; and

receiving the first set of remitted light rays in the collection fiber.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising the steps of:

providing a second illumination fiber;

emitting a second set of excitation light rays from the second illumination fiber, where:

the second set of excitation light rays are refracted by the ball-shaped lens to illuminate the target in the specific depth region of the specimen;

the second set of excitation light rays intersect the detection region in the specific depth region of the specimen; and

the second set of excitation light rays produce a second set of responsive remitted light rays from the target in the specific depth region; and

receiving the second set of responsive remitted light rays in the collection fiber.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the second set of excitation light rays intersect the first set of excitation light rays proximal to a distal surface of the ball-shaped lens.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the specific depth region is near the surface of the specimen.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein one of the illumination fibers is separated from the collection fiber by approximately 0.5 millimeters.

16. An optical probe comprising:

a fiber optic cable comprising:

an end;

a collection fiber configured to receive a set of light rays in a detection region; and

a first pair of illumination fibers configured to emit a first set of excitation light rays; and

a ball-shaped lens having a central axis, where:

the ball-shaped lens is proximal to the end of the fiber optic cable;

the collection fiber is proximal to the central axis;

each of the illumination fibers are distal to the central axis;

the ball-shaped lens is configured to modify the detection region of the collection fiber to include a convergent portion; and

the ball-shaped lens is configured to refract the first set of excitation light rays so that the first set of excitation light rays intersect the detection region in a first section of the convergent portion.

17. The probe of claim 16 , where each of the illumination fibers are equidistant from the collection fiber.

18. The probe of claim 16 , where each of the illumination fibers emit light rays that are refracted by the ball-shaped lens.

19. The probe of claim 18 , where the light rays emitted by one illumination fiber intersect the light rays emitted by the other illumination fiber at an intersection region.

20. The probe of claim 18 , where a portion of the intersection region is located on an outer surface of the ball-shaped lens.

21. The probe of claim 20 , further comprising a second set of illumination fibers configured to emit a second set of excitation light rays, where:

the ball-shaped lens is configured to refract the second set of excitation light rays so that the second set of excitation light rays intersect the detection region in a second section of the convergent portion of the detection region; and

the second section of the convergent portion of the detection region is farther from the ball-shaped lens than is the first section of the convergent portion of the detection region.

22. The probe of claim 16 , where one of the illumination fibers is separated from the collection fiber by approximately 0.5 millimeters.