Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Optical coherence tomography endoscopy is important for diagnosis and treatment assessment, but achieving high resolution over long distances is challenging due to endoscope aberration, complexity, and size constraints. Researchers at the University of Stuttgart and the University of Adelaide developed a novel 3D-printed freeform lens that enhances imaging depth and quality, improving plaque detection in vivo.

The cover of Advanced Photonics Volume 7 Issue 2 features a schematic of the endoscope’s freeform axicon lens, fabricated via two-photon polymerization printing. It generates an extended depth-of-focus needle beam for improved detection of heart disease, advancing optical imaging through the convergence of 3D printing, biomedical engineering, and cardiology.

Further information and in vivo imaging results are presented in the original article by Pavel Ruchka et al., “3D-printed micro-axicon enables extended depth-of-focus intravascular optical coherence tomography in vivo,” Adv. Photon. 7(2), 026003 (2025), DOI: 10.1117/1.AP.7.2.026003