The present invention relates to the analysis of the internal structures of objects
using optical means. According to the invention there were designed an apparatus
suited for optical coherence tomography (OCT), an optical fiber lateral scanner
(15), which is a part of said apparatus and is incorporated into an optical
fiber probe (8), and a method for studying biological tissue in vivo, which
allows for making a diagnostics of the biological tissue under study on basis of
the state of the basal membrane (46). The moving part of lateral scanner
(15) of sampling arm (4) of interferometer (2) is arranged
comprising a current conductor (19), which envelopes a magnetic system (17)
in the area of one of its poles (25) and an optical fiber (13), which
is rigidly fastened to current conductor (19), whereas optical fiber (13)
serves as a flexible cantilever, allowing to miniaturize the optical fiber probe
(8). Constructing magnetic system (17) as two permanent magnets (22,
28) which are aligned at their analogous poles (25, 29), and placing
optical fiber (13) in a throughhole (30), the throughhole (30)
being formed by the facing grooves made in said analogous poles (25, 29)
of permanent magnets (22, 28), ensure optimization of the design of optical
fiber probe (8), the body (11) of said optical fiber probe (8)
having limited dimensions. Optical fiber probe (8) is placed at the distal
end of an instrumental channel of an endoscope or borescope. Studying of biological
tissue in vivo with the aid of the developed apparatus allows for non-invasive
diagnostics of biological tissue on basis of the state of basal membrane (46).
