Classifications

• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
  • G02B6/36—Mechanical coupling means
  • G02B6/3616—Holders, macro size fixtures for mechanically holding or positioning fibres, e.g. on an optical bench
  • G02B6/3624—Fibre head, e.g. fibre probe termination
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B18/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body
  • A61B18/18—Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves
  • A61B18/20—Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves using laser
  • A61B18/22—Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves using laser the beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit, e.g. an optical fibre; Couplings or hand-pieces therefor
  • A61B18/24—Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves using laser the beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit, e.g. an optical fibre; Couplings or hand-pieces therefor with a catheter
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B23/00—Telescopes, e.g. binoculars; Periscopes; Instruments for viewing the inside of hollow bodies; Viewfinders; Optical aiming or sighting devices
  • G02B23/24—Instruments or systems for viewing the inside of hollow bodies, e.g. fibrescopes
  • G02B23/2407—Optical details
  • G02B23/2423—Optical details of the distal end
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
  • G02B6/42—Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements
  • G02B6/4296—Coupling light guides with opto-electronic elements coupling with sources of high radiant energy, e.g. high power lasers, high temperature light sources
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B7/00—Mountings, adjusting means, or light-tight connections, for optical elements
  • G02B7/007—Pressure-resistant sight glasses
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B18/00—Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body
  • A61B18/18—Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves
  • A61B18/20—Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves using laser
  • A61B18/22—Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body by applying electromagnetic radiation, e.g. microwaves using laser the beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit, e.g. an optical fibre; Couplings or hand-pieces therefor
  • A61B2018/2205—Characteristics of fibres
  • A61B2018/2222—Fibre material or composition
  • A61B2018/2233—Solid transparent for far infrared light
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G02—OPTICS
  • G02B—OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
  • G02B6/00—Light guides; Structural details of arrangements comprising light guides and other optical elements, e.g. couplings
  • G02B6/24—Coupling light guides
  • G02B6/36—Mechanical coupling means
  • G02B6/3628—Mechanical coupling means for mounting fibres to supporting carriers
  • G02B6/3632—Mechanical coupling means for mounting fibres to supporting carriers characterised by the cross-sectional shape of the mechanical coupling means
  • G02B6/3644—Mechanical coupling means for mounting fibres to supporting carriers characterised by the cross-sectional shape of the mechanical coupling means the coupling means being through-holes or wall apertures

Definitions

• This invention is directed to a miniature window particularly useful for the hermetic closure of the end of a protective sheath around an optical fiber.
• Anthony L. Gentile is directed to a medical laser instrument which employs a flexible fiber optical endoscope which is suitable for application of long wavelength, high power laser radiation for surgical purposes inside the human body.
• the optical fiber has a sheath which prevents contact between the body fluid and the fiber optic waveguide material which is capable of infrared transmission.
• non-refractory optical fibers are used to transmit long wave infrared radiation, it is often necessary to protect them from a hostile environment. For example, fibers of alkali halides, while excellent transmitters of infrared radiation, are very soluble in water and easily corroded by moisture. It is thus necessary to protect such fibers against body fluids.
• Alternate fiber materials such as thallium halide compound are toxic, and thus the body and the remainder of the exterior environment must be protected from exposure to the noxious fiber material. In either case, it becomes necessary to surround the fiber with a hermetic protective sheath while providing a means for the radiation to enter or emerge at the end of the fiber.
• a miniature window plug which is sealed in the end of a tubular malleable sheath for an optical fiber.
• the window has a conical outer surface which causes malleable outward deformation of the sheath during insertion of the window into the end of the sheath to provide hermetic sealing of the internal volume of the bore of the sheath.
• the window is transparent to the optical frequency employed.
• FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an optical fiber sheath with a miniature window plug therein in accordance with this invention, with parts broken away and parts taken in central section.
• FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the structure before insertion of the window plug into the end of the bore of the optical fiber sheath.
• FIG. 3 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away and parts raken in section of the end of the fiber optic sheath, after insertion of the miniature window therein and before final sealing.
• optical fiber 10 is substantially transmissive to long wave infrared radiation, and many such fibers are soluble in water, easily corroded by moisture or are toxic.
• suitable alkali halide fibers which are soluble include sodium chloride, potassium chloride and potassium iodide.
• suitable fibers include thallium halides, including thallium, bromoiodide also known as KRS-5 and thallium bromide.
• sheath 12 is provided in order to protect the optical fiber 10 against its environment and to protect the environment against the optical fiber 10.
• Sheath 12 is a malleable tubular metallic sheath, for example, a 24 gauge stainless steel or platinum syring needle tube.
• Optical fiber 10 is placed therein, with its end 14 recessed with respect to the end 16 of the sheath.
• the external surface of sheath 12. is tapered down toward the end 16 to form a right conical surface 18 about the central axis 20 of the entire structure.
• the conical shaping of the end of the sheath reduces the wall thickness but stops short of forming a knife edge at end 16.
• Window 22 is a structure which is transparent to the wavelength of interest.
• window 22 can be made of diamond, germanium, zinc selenide or silicon.
• Window 22 is also a surface of revolution about the axis 20. It has inner and outer planar ends 24 and 26, both normal to the axis 20.
• the outer surface of window 22 is comprised of a first right conical surface 28 and a second right conical surface 30. Both of these right conical surfaces are surfaces of revolution about axis 20.
• the first conical surface 28 is at the same conical angle as the original conical surface 18 on the exterior of sheath 12, as seen in FIG. 2.
• the truncated diameter of conical surface 28 adjacent the inner planar end 24 is the same as the diameter of the bore 34 of sheath 12.
• window 22 is first placed adjacent the open end of sheath 12 and then the conical surface 28 is forcibly inserted into the open end of sheath 12. Thrust of the window 22 into the malleable sheath 12 causes expanding deformation of the sheath so that when the window is fully inserted as is illustrated in FIG. 3, the entire conical surface 28 is in hermetic sealing contact with the sheath. The residual deformation stress causes continued compression of the sheath onto the window on conical surface 28. In order to retain window 22 in place, the end portion or lip 36 of the sheath extending over the surface 30 is swaged down onto the surface 30. With the window deforming the bore of the sheath, a hermetic seal is formed, and the window is locked in place by the inwardly swaged end portion of lip 36.
• the total included angle of conical surface 28 was chosen to be 20°, but alternate angles can be employed, as required by the malleability characteristics of sheath 12 As stated above, suitable materials for window
• the coating on facet 24 may be any standard coating. However, the coating on facet 26 is exoosed to body fluids and must be inert. A multipeltiser coating such as barium fluoride-zinc selenide will be reasonably resistant to such exposure.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Optics & Photonics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Surgery (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Medical Informatics (AREA)
• Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Astronomy & Astrophysics (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Otolaryngology (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Glass Compositions (AREA)
• Laser Surgery Devices (AREA)
• Radiation-Therapy Devices (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=22849897

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Cited By (23)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (8)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1981
  • 1981-12-08 CA CA000391784A patent/CA1164699A/en not_active Expired
• 1982
  • 1982-01-15 WO PCT/US1982/000048 patent/WO1982002604A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1982-01-15 JP JP57500747A patent/JPS57502187A/ja active Pending
  • 1982-01-15 DE DE8282900717T patent/DE3270534D1/de not_active Expired
  • 1982-01-15 EP EP82900717A patent/EP0069776B1/en not_active Expired

Patent Citations (8)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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