High resolution optical device with rigid fiber optic bundle

Claim 2

In an optical system having means for forming an image and means for viewing the image at a position displaced from the image forming means, the improvement of rigid image guide means for transferring the image from the image forming means to the image viewing means, said image guide means comprising: A. a fiber optic bundle including a plurality of substantially rigid optical fibers having a given length, each of said optical fibers having a central light transmitting and a concentric light reflecting layer for reflecting light into said central core, and encapsulating means encapsulating each of said optical fibers throughout said bundle for maintaining said plurality of optical fibers as a rigid bundle, and B. housing means for containing said rigid bundle of optical fibers with opposite ends thereof proximate the image forming means and image viewing means.

Claim 3

Image guide means as recited in claim 1 wherein said opposite ends of said rigid bundle are polished.

Claim 4

Image guide means as recited in claim 1 wherein said fiber optic bundle and said housing means lies along a curved axis.

Claim 5

Image guide means as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said optical fibers initially includes an outer concentric fusible layer along the length of said optical fiber, said fusible layer forming the encapsulating means.

Claim 6

Image guide means as recited in claim 4 wherein each of said optical fibers has a diameter less than 10 microns.

Claim 7

Image guide means as recited in claim 4 wherein said opposite ends of said rigid bundle are polished.

Claim 8

Image guide means as recited in claim 5 wherein said rigid bundle and said housing means lie along a curved axis.

Claim 11

A method for forming an image guide as recited in claim 8 wherein each of the optical fibers includes an outer concentric layer of a fusible material and said encapsulating step includes heating the bundle until the outer layers of the plurality of optical fibers fuse together.

Claim 12

A method for forming an image guide as recited in claim 9 wherein said method forms an optical bundle of indefinite length and wherein said method additionally includes the steps of forming a bundle of finite length therefrom comprising: A. identifying an intermediate position along the bundle that is the finite length from an end thereof, B. cutting said integral bundle at the intermediate position, and C. polishing the exposed end portions of the optical bundle that are exposed by said cutting.

Claim 13

A method for forming an image guide as recited in claim 10 wherein the image guide includes a housing and wherein said method additionally includes the step of mounting the optical bundle in the housing.

Claim 14

A method for forming an image guide as recited in claim 11 wherein said method additionally includes the step of bending the housing and internal optical bundle along a curved axis.

Claim 15

In an optical viewing device useful in viewing an inner part of the body wherein said optical viewing device includes a tubular housing having proximal and distal ends, objective lens means at said distal end for forming an image of the inner part of the body and optical viewing means at said proximal end of said housing for enabling the image to be viewed externally to said body and said optical viewing device, the improvement of image guide means between said objective lens means and said optical viewing means comprising an optical fiber bundle formed of a plurality of optical fibers extending between said objective lens means and said optical viewing means for transferring the image from the distal end to the proximal end, each of said optical fibers having a central light transmitting core and an annular light reflecting layer for reflecting light into said central core and an encapsulating material for encapsulating each of said optical fibers throughout said bundle thereby to form a rigid bundle.

Claim 16

In an optical viewing device useful in viewing an inner part of the body wherein said optical viewing device includes a tubular housing having proximal and distal ends, objective lens means at said distal end for forming an image of the inner part of the body and optical viewing means at said proximal end of said housing for enabling the image to be viewed externally to said body and said optical viewing device, the improvement of image guide means between said objective lens means and said optical viewing means comprising an optical fiber bundle formed of a plurality of optical fibers extending between said objective lens means and said optical viewing means for transferring the image from the distal end to the proximal end, each of said optical fibers having a central light transmitting core and an annular light reflecting layer for reflecting light into said central core and an encapsulating material for encapsulating each of said optical fibers throughout said bundle thereby to form a rigid bundle.

Claim 17

An optical viewing device as recited in claim 13 additionally comprising housing means for containing said rigid bundle of optical fibers with opposite ends thereof proximate said objective lens means and said optical viewing means.

Claim 18

An optical viewing device as recited in claim 14 wherein said opposite ends of said rigid bundle are polished.

Claim 19

An optical viewing device as recited in claim 14 wherein said rigid bundle and said housing means lie along a curved axis.

Claim 20

An optical viewing device as recited in claim 14 wherein each of said optical fibers initially includes an outer concentric fusible layer along the length of said optical fiber, said fusible layer forming said encapsulating material.

Claim 21

An optical viewing device as recited in claim 17 wherein each of said optical fibers has a diameter less than 10 microns.

Claim 22

An optical viewing device as recited in claim 18 wherein said opposite ends of said rigid bundle are polished.

Claim 23

An optical viewing device as recited in claim 19 wherein said rigid bundle and said housing means lie along a curved axis.