SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to use novel polymer processing techniques to fabricate high quality, inexpensive polymer (plastic) optical fiber image guides and other highly customized endoscopic devices. Polymer based imaging guides have several distinct advantages over their glass counterparts. The key advantages include reduced cost, a smaller bend radius, and increased ruggedness. Additional benefits include the ability to dope the polymer matrix with molecules that can be used as environmental probes or indicators, to tailor the imaging guide for specialized applications, and to impart diverse functionality into a single imaging guide. The cost of the polymer imaging guide is expected to be significantly lower than those currently in use. This will allow the polymer guides to be used as disposables if desired. Disposable endoscopes for one-time use will eliminate the need for sterilization, which is costly, often unreliable and time-consuming. The commercial applications of this project will be in the area of medical devices and instrumentation

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to develop high quality, inexpensive polymer-based (plastic) optical fiber imaging guides and other new and unique endoscopic devices through the use of innovative polymer processing techniques. Polymer imaging guides have several distinct advantages over their glass counterparts, including reduced cost, smaller bend radius, and increased ruggedness. Additional benefits include the ability to dope the polymer matrix with molecules that can be used as environmental probes, scintillating material, or indicators ; the ability to tailor the guide for highly specific applications, and the ability to impart diverse functionality into a single imaging guide. The Phase II project is expected to result in a truly disposable endoscope. The commercial application of this project is in the area of biomedical devices and instrumentation. It is expected that the polymer imaging guide developed in this project will be used as a direct replacement for glass guides in all types of fiber optic endoscopes currently manufactured. The resulting benefits would be lower costs, less patient discomfort, higher reliability, earlier detection of abnormal conditions, and an increase in the number of procedures that could be performed with endoscopes in an outpatient setting