Two-Photon Printed Fiber Probe Achieves 93 dB OCT Sensitivity Without Reference-Arm Tuning
The arXiv preprint reports a fully integrated endoscopic OCT probe fabricated by single-step two-photon 3D printing that embeds the entire distal interferometer. Twenty devices showed reproducible >93 dB sensitivity and sub-0.15 dB reference stability, enabling plug-and-play operation. Clinical translation hinges on in-vivo validation and sterilization durability not yet demonstrated.
Widespread adoption could shift OCT from tertiary referral to point-of-care bronchoscopy and dental diagnostics within five years if sensitivity remains above 90 dB after packaging. The plug-and-play property also suits neurotechnology interfaces where probe exchange must occur inside sterile fields without system recalibration. Remaining engineering tasks include hermetic sealing for in-vivo use and scaling print throughput beyond laboratory rates.
Wang et al.: First in-human bronchial OCT images with the printed probe will be reported within 18 months and will exceed 90 dB sensitivity in at least 80 % of cases.
Sources (2)
- [1]Primary Source(https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.13772)
- [2]Supporting Source(https://www.nature.com/articles/nphoton.2016.121)