  Objective: Probe-based confocal endomicroscopy is an emerging
high-magnification optical imaging technique that provides in vivo and in situ
cellular-level imaging for real-time assessment of tissue pathology.
Endomicroscopy could potentially be used for intraoperative surgical guidance,
but it is challenging to assess a surgical site using individual microscopic
images due to the limited field-of-view and difficulties associated with
manually manipulating the probe.
  Methods: In this paper, a novel robotic device for large-area endomicroscopy
imaging is proposed, demonstrating a rapid, but highly accurate, scanning
mechanism with image-based motion control which is able to generate
histology-like endomicroscopy mosaics. The device also includes, for the first
time in robotic-assisted endomicroscopy, the capability to ablate tissue
without the need for an additional tool.
  Results: The device achieves pre-programmed trajectories with positioning
accuracy of less than 30 um, while the image-based approach demonstrated that
it can suppress random motion disturbances up to 1.25 mm/s. Mosaics are
presented from a range of ex vivo human and animal tissues, over areas of more
than 3 mm^2, scanned in approximate 10 seconds.
  Conclusion: This work demonstrates the potential of the proposed instrument
to generate large-area, high-resolution microscopic images for intraoperative
tissue identification and margin assessment.
  Significance: This approach presents an important alternative to current
histology techniques, significantly reducing the tissue assessment time, while
simultaneously providing the capability to mark and ablate suspicious areas
intraoperatively.
