  Confocal and multiphoton microscopy are effective techniques to obtain
high-contrast images of 2-D sections within bulk tissue. However, scattering
limits their application to depths only up to ~1 millimeter. Multimode fibers
make excellent ultrathin endoscopes that can penetrate deep inside the tissue
with minimal damage. Here, we present Multiview Scattering Scanning Imaging
Confocal (MUSSIC) Microscopy that enables high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)
imaging through a multimode fiber, hence combining the optical sectioning and
resolution gain of confocal microscopy with the minimally invasive penetration
capability of multimode fibers. The key advance presented here is the high SNR
image reconstruction enabled by employing multiple coplanar virtual pinholes to
capture multiple perspectives of the object, re-shifting them appropriately and
combining them to obtain a high-contrast and high-resolution confocal image. We
present the theory for the gain in contrast and resolution in MUSSIC microscopy
and validate the concept through experimental results.
