The a/LCI system has recently been enhanced to allow operation in a clinical setting with the addition of a handheld wand. By carefully controlling the polarization in the delivery fiber, using polarization-maintaining fibers and inline polarizers, the new system allows manipulation of the handheld wand without signal degradation due to birefringence effects. In addition, the new system employed an anti-reflection coated ball lens in the probe tip, which reduces reflections that otherwise limit the depth range of the system.
The portable system uses a 2 ft by 2 ft optical breadboard as the base, with the source, fiber optic components, lens, beamsplitter, and imaging spectrometer mounted to the breadboard. An aluminum cover protects the optics. A fiber probe with a handheld probe enables easy access to tissue samples for testing. On the left side sits a white sample platform, where tissue is placed for testing. The handheld probe is used by the operator to select specific sites on the tissue from which a/LCI readings are acquired.