This project is to develop a fiber optic endoscope which uses zirconium fluoride (ZrF) based glass. This type of fiber glass can transmit light with low loss of intensity from about 200 nanometers (UV) through the visible regions and into the mid- infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum. It is proposed to couple a ZrF glass fiber endoscope with a Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometer and evaluate this device as a possible tool to detect and measure physiological parameters in situ in hollow organs and other regions of the body which can be accessed by catheters.
