We demonstrate in vivo endoscopic optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging
in the forward direction using a flexible fiber bundle. In comparison to
current conventional forward looking probe schemes, our approach simplifies the
endoscope design by avoiding the integration of any beam steering components in
the distal probe end due to 2D scanning of a focused light beam over the
proximal fiber bundle surface. We describe the challenges that arise when OCT
imaging with a fiber bundle is performed, such as multimoding or
cross-coupling. The performance of different fiber bundles with varying
parameters such as numerical aperture, core size and core structure was
consequently compared and artifacts that degrade the image quality were
described in detail. Based on our findings, we propose an optimal fiber bundle
design for endoscopic OCT imaging
