EP0194842A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Integral optical fiber coupler
Assignee: Shiley Inc
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Filing: 1986-03-10
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2006-03-10
Abstract
Abstract A device for transferring high energy electromagnetic radiation from a laser to an optical fiber, which comprises a cone-shaped coupler (3) having a wide proximal end and a narrow distal end, wherein the proximal end is in the form of a convex surface which acts as a focussing lens ( 4 ) adapted to receive radiation from a laser and to transmit said radiation into and through said optical fiber (2) and the distal end is attached to the input end of the optical fiber to form an integral assembly therewith, said cone-shaped coupler being made from a material having the same refractive index as that of the optical fiber and having a taper angle 0 defined by the equation wherein N.A. is the numerical aperture of the fiber material and µ i5 the refractive index of the material of the coupler at the wavelength of the incident radiation. A process for removing an obstruction by laser surgery using said device is also disclosed.
Inventors
- 👤 William Edelman
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 22:00
CPC Classifications
G; G02; G02B; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/42; G02B6/4201; G02B6/4202; G02B6/4203
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
150 words
A device for transferring high energy electromagnetic radiation from a laser to an optical fiber, characterized in that it comprises a cone-shaped coupler (3) having a wide proximal end and a narrow distal end, wherein the proximal end is in the form of a convex surface which acts as a focussing lens (4) adapted to receive radiation from a laser and to transmit said radiation into and through said optical fiber (2) and the distal end is attached to the input end of the optical fiber to form an integral assembfy therewith, said cone-shaped coupler being made from a material having the same refractive index as that of the optical fiber and having a taper angle 0 defined by the equation wherein N.A. is the numerical aperture of the fiber material and u. is the refractive index of the material of the coupler at the wavelength of the incident radiation.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
150 words
A device for transferring high energy electromagnetic radiation from a laser to an optical fiber, characterized in that it comprises a cone-shaped coupler (3) having a wide proximal end and a narrow distal end, wherein the proximal end is in the form of a convex surface which acts as a focussing lens (4) adapted to receive radiation from a laser and to transmit said radiation into and through said optical fiber (2) and the distal end is attached to the input end of the optical fiber to form an integral assembfy therewith, said cone-shaped coupler being made from a material having the same refractive index as that of the optical fiber and having a taper angle 0 defined by the equation wherein N.A. is the numerical aperture of the fiber material and u. is the refractive index of the material of the coupler at the wavelength of the incident radiation.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
31 words
A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the integral assembly of optical fiber and coupler is formed of fused silica having a refractive index of from 1.43 to 1.47.
Claim 4
Independent Claim
16 words
A device according to cfaim1 or 2, characterized in that the taper angle is about 9.79°.
Claim 5
Independent Claim
16 words
A device according to cfaim1 or 2, characterized in that the taper angle is about 9.79°.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
83 words
A method for producing a device according to claim 1, characterized in that a solid rod of fused silica is drawn out into a cone-shaped tapered body having a wide proximal end which is curved into a convex focussing lens and a narrow distal end which is of substantially the same diameter as in optical fiber to which it is to be attached and fusing said narrow distal end to the input end of said optical fiber to form an integral assembly therewith.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
93 words
A method for producing a device according to claim 1 , characterized in that the cone-shaped coupler is formed as an integral extension of an optical fiber by forming the optical fiber in accordance with a conventioal drawing process, slowing down the speed of draw to allow the diameter of the fiber to expand near the point at which the preform of the fiber material is extruded and controlling the drawing speed and pressure applied to the preform so that the proximal end of the fiber becomes tapered into the desired cone-shaped configuration.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
120 words
A method for producing a device according to claim 1, characterized in that a solid rod of fused silica is machined into a tapered body having a wide proximal end and a narrow distal end, the diameter of said distal end being larger than the diameter of an optical fiber to which the tapered body is to be attached, subjecting the input end of said optical fiber to conventional heating and pressing techniques to form a small bulge theron which is of comparable diameter to that of the distal end of the tapered body and then 'fusing the surface of said bulge to said distal end to form an integral assembly of the tapered body and said optical fiber. -
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
155 words
A process of removing an obstruction by laser surgery characterized in that said obstruction is subjected to high energy electromagnetic radiation through an optical fiber which is coupled to a laser by a cone-shaped coupler having a wide proximal end and a narrow distal end, wherein the proximal end is in the form of a convex surface which acts as a focussing lens adapted to receive said electromagnetic radiation and to transmit it into said optical fiber and the distal end is attached to the input end of the optical fiber to form an integral assembly therewith, said cone-shaped coupler being made from a material having the same refractive index as that of the optical fiber and having a taper angle 0 defined by the equation wherein N.A. Is the numerical aperture of the fiber material and a is the refractive index of the material of the coupler at the wavelength of the incident radiation.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
155 words
A process of removing an obstruction by laser surgery characterized in that said obstruction is subjected to high energy electromagnetic radiation through an optical fiber which is coupled to a laser by a cone-shaped coupler having a wide proximal end and a narrow distal end, wherein the proximal end is in the form of a convex surface which acts as a focussing lens adapted to receive said electromagnetic radiation and to transmit it into said optical fiber and the distal end is attached to the input end of the optical fiber to form an integral assembly therewith, said cone-shaped coupler being made from a material having the same refractive index as that of the optical fiber and having a taper angle 0 defined by the equation wherein N.A. Is the numerical aperture of the fiber material and a is the refractive index of the material of the coupler at the wavelength of the incident radiation.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
37 words
A process according to claim 7, characterized in that the cone-shaped coupler and optical fiber are both made of fused silica having a refractive index of from 1.43 to 1.47, and the taper angle is about 9.79°.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
24 words
A process according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that said laser produces radiation having a wavelength of from 100 to 2000 nm.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
29 words
1 0. A process according to claim 9, characterized in that said laser is a krypton fluoride excimer laser producing UV . radiation having a wavelength of 248 nm.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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