Lateral light guide optical fiber and optical imaging mechanism with same

Abstract

The invention provides a lateral light guide optical fiber and an optical imaging mechanism with the same, the lateral light guide optical fiber comprises a first optical fiber, two ends of the first optical fiber are a light source end and an emergent end respectively, the light source end is used for receiving an external light source, and a fiber core and a first cladding guide the external light source from the light source end to the emergent end in an internal reflection mode. An included angle is formed between the first inclined plane and the extension direction of the first optical fiber, a second cladding is arranged on the surface of the first inclined plane, and a third cladding is arranged on the surface of the side, opposite to the first inclined plane, of the first optical fiber, so that light reflected by the interface of the fiber core and the second cladding is irradiated outwards through the interface of the fiber core and the third cladding. According to the scheme provided by the invention, the emission angle of the light beam is optimized through the inclined plane design, the adjustment of the light output angle and intensity can be realized, the light signal intensity of the received light is ensured, and greater design freedom degree and flexibility are provided, so that the light source can better meet the requirement of detecting the detected tissue.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the technical field of light-guiding optical fibers, and in particular relates to a lateral light-guiding optical fiber and an optical imaging mechanism having the same. Background Art

[0002] Blood oxygen saturation and capillary blood supply are important indicators for evaluating the physiological state and metabolic level of biological tissues. In particular, the blood oxygen saturation and blood supply of local brain tissues in the brain are important bases for evaluating the neural activity of local brain regions and whether there are hemorrhagic or ischemic lesions. Real-time detection of brain blood oxygen saturation and blood supply has important scientific research and clinical application value.

[0003] Photoplethysmography (PPG) is a classic method for real-time monitoring of blood oxygen saturation. It emits light of a specific wavelength (such as green light, red light, and infrared light) to irradiate the tissue under test, and then receives the transmitted or scattered light intensity change signal through the photoelectric receptor, thereby obtaining information on pulse fluctuations and further calculating real-time blood oxygen saturation parameters. The mainstream pulse oximeters on the market currently realize blood oxygen detection based on this principle, but this method can only be used for blood oxygen saturation detection of body surface parts such as fingers, earlobes, and wrists.

[0004] Currently, the detection of blood oxygen saturation of brain tissue inside the skull is generally achieved by guiding light into the human or animal body through optical fiber. However, in the existing optical imaging technology based on optical fiber transmission, the effective range of the irradiated light at the end face of the light-guiding optical fiber is limited to the fan-shaped area directly in front of the end face of the optical fiber, and the received light mainly comes from the back-reflected light or back-scattered light of the inspected tissue. Therefore, the optical signal intensity of the received light is weak, and the light intensity change information after the light passes through the tissue cannot be obtained, and the inspected information it contains is limited. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to overcome the defects of the above-mentioned prior art, the present invention proposes a side-guide optical fiber, characterized in that it comprises a first optical fiber, the first optical fiber comprises an inner core and a first cladding arranged outside the core, the two ends of the first optical fiber are a light source end and an output end respectively, the light source end is used to receive an external light source, the core and the first cladding of the first optical fiber are used to guide the external light source from the light source end to the output end by internal reflection; the refractive index of the core is greater than that of the first cladding;

[0006] The output end is provided with a first inclined plane having a first angle with the extension direction of the first optical fiber, the surface of the first inclined plane is provided with a second cladding, and the surface of the first optical fiber opposite to the first inclined plane is provided with a third cladding, so that the light reflected at the interface between the core and the second cladding in the first optical fiber is radiated outward through the interface between the core and the third cladding in the first optical fiber; the refractive index of the first cladding is not less than that of the second cladding and not less than that of the third cladding.

[0007] Specifically, the formula for determining the value range of the first angle includes:

[0008]

[0009] Wherein, θ represents the angle of the first angle, n0 represents the refractive index of the core, n1 represents the refractive index of the first cladding, n2 represents the refractive index of the second cladding, and n3 represents the refractive index of the third cladding.

[0010] Optionally, the first angle has a value range of 10°-70°.

[0011] Specifically, the surface of the core corresponding to the third cladding in the first optical fiber is flat.

[0012] Furthermore, the lateral light-guiding optical fiber further comprises a second optical fiber, the second optical fiber comprising an inner core and a first cladding arranged outside the core, the two ends of the second optical fiber are respectively a receiving end and a reflecting end corresponding to the emitting end, and the core and the first cladding of the second optical fiber are used to guide the light source irradiated by the emitting end from the reflecting end to the receiving end by internal reflection;

[0013] The reflective end is provided with a second inclined surface having a second angle with the extension direction of the second optical fiber corresponding to the first inclined surface, the surface of the second inclined surface is provided with a second cladding, and the surface of the second optical fiber opposite to the second inclined surface is provided with a third cladding, so as to reflect the light received through the interface between the core and the third cladding in the second optical fiber via the interface between the core and the second cladding in the second optical fiber toward the direction of the receiving end.

[0014] Specifically, the lateral light-guiding optical fiber further includes an optical fiber ferrule, and the optical fiber ferrule is connected to the first optical fiber and / or the second optical fiber;

[0015] The output end of the first optical fiber is arranged away from the optical fiber ferrule, the reflection end of the second optical fiber is arranged away from the optical fiber ferrule, the first bevel is arranged on a side away from the second optical fiber, and the second bevel is arranged on a side away from the first optical fiber.

[0016] Preferably, the optical fiber ferrule is also connected to a plurality of optical fibers, and the two ends of each of the optical fibers are a light source end and an output end respectively;

[0017] Or, the two ends are the receiving end and the reflecting end respectively;

[0018] Alternatively, the end away from the optical fiber ferrule is a refraction end, and the refraction end is used to guide the light source irradiated by at least one emission end to at least one reflection end.

[0019] Preferably, an extending direction of the first optical fiber is the same as that of the second optical fiber.

[0020] Optionally, the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber include round optical fibers, square optical fibers and / or rectangular optical fibers.

[0021] The present invention also proposes an optical imaging mechanism, which includes the lateral light-guiding optical fiber as described above.

[0022] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:

[0023] In the traditional optical fiber light guiding method, the light emitted by the optical fiber end face is only effective in the fan-shaped area directly in front, and the received optical signal is weak. However, the solution proposed by the present invention provides an inclined plane with a first angle at the output end, and a second cladding is provided on the inclined plane and a third cladding is provided on the side surface opposite to the inclined plane, providing a mechanism for directional control of light. When the light is reflected at the interface between the fiber core and the first cladding and the second cladding, the light can be guided to the outside through the interface between the fiber core and the third cladding to generate the required output light beam, which is helpful to realize the emission of a light beam at a specific angle at the end of the optical fiber, improve the scattering or guiding direction of light, so that the light can be output at a specific angle, so that the light can be radiated outward within a certain angle range, which is suitable for blood oxygen detection of more complex biological tissues such as brain tissue in the skull, and greatly improves the ability to obtain effective signals from the inspected tissue, thereby providing more and more accurate data support for real-time monitoring of local tissue blood oxygen saturation and blood supply in scientific research and clinical applications;

[0024] The refractive index design of the first cladding, the second cladding, and the third cladding optimizes the propagation path of light in the optical fiber and ensures efficient guidance of reflected light. The refractive index difference between the fiber core and different claddings matches and is compatible with the refractive index of biological tissue materials, providing an effective optical isolation and control mechanism, avoiding interference between optical signals, and also helping to improve the overall stability of the system.

[0025] Furthermore, the solution proposed in the present invention can accurately determine the value range of the angle based on the difference in refractive index of different cladding layers of the optical fiber, thereby ensuring that the optical fiber's light-guiding performance reaches the best effect, providing precise control of the light beam propagation angle, thereby optimizing the reflection and conduction efficiency of the optical fiber, and the smooth surface of the fiber core can ensure that the reflection and refraction of light are not affected by surface irregularities, thereby reducing the loss or distortion of the optical signal;

[0026] On this basis, the lateral light-guiding optical fiber proposed in the present invention also includes a second optical fiber having a second inclined surface, so as to realize effective light transmission and light reflection between different optical fibers. The setting of the second inclined surface allows light in different directions to be effectively reflected and conducted, so that the optical signal can be guided to the receiving end according to the designed direction, thereby realizing the function of completing light transmission imaging by using only two optical fibers extending in the same direction, enhancing the adjustability and application flexibility of the optical fiber, and solving the problem of difficulty in performing transmission imaging of deep brain tissue with high temporal and spatial precision;

[0027] By connecting different optical fibers through fiber optic ferrules, the integration of optical fibers can be improved, more functions can be provided, and more complex optical detection requirements can be supported. For example, real-time monitoring of blood oxygen saturation and microblood flow in deep brain tissue can be supported, while providing higher flexibility.

[0028] Therefore, the present invention proposes a side-guide optical fiber and an optical imaging mechanism having the same. The scheme proposed in the present invention optimizes the emission angle of the light beam leaving the optical fiber through a bevel design, and can achieve the adjustment of the light output angle and intensity. Through the cooperation of the first optical fiber, the second cladding and the third cladding, the light can be guided to the outside from the side after multiple reflections, so that the utilization scenario of the light source is further expanded, which is particularly suitable for intracavity optical transmission detection scenarios with strict requirements on the light path, providing greater design freedom and flexibility, so that the light source can better meet the needs of detecting the inspected tissue. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0030] Figure 1 This is an example diagram of using parallel flat optical fibers for detection in the prior art;

[0031] FIG. 2( a ) is a diagram showing an example of a concept of realizing detection by bending an optical fiber inside a tissue under examination, and FIG. 2( b ) is a diagram showing an example of a concept of realizing detection by two optical fibers facing each other inside a tissue under examination;

[0032] FIG3(a) and FIG3(b) are both schematic diagrams of light guiding of the first optical fiber;

[0033] FIG. 4( a ) is an example diagram of a first optical fiber being a circular optical fiber, and FIG. 4( b ) is an example diagram of a first optical fiber being a square optical fiber;

[0034] Figure 5 is a schematic structural diagram of a first optical fiber connected to an optical fiber ferrule;

[0035] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of light guiding of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber;

[0036] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber connected to the optical fiber ferrule.

[0037] Reference numerals

[0038] 1-first optical fiber; 2-second optical fiber; 3-optical fiber ferrule; 11-light source end; 12-emitting end; 13-first inclined plane; 21-receiving end; 22-reflecting end; 23-second inclined plane; 41-core; 42-first cladding; 43-second cladding; 44-third cladding. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0040] Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described more fully. The present invention may have various embodiments, and adjustments and changes may be made therein. However, it should be understood that there is no intention to limit the various embodiments of the present invention to the specific embodiments disclosed herein, but the present invention should be understood to cover all adjustments, equivalents and / or alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the various embodiments of the present invention.

[0041] Hereinafter, the term "include" or "may include" used in various embodiments of the present invention indicates the presence of disclosed functions, operations or elements, and does not limit the addition of one or more functions, operations or elements. In addition, as used in various embodiments of the present invention, the terms "include", "have" and their cognates are intended only to indicate specific features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations of the foregoing items, and should not be understood as first excluding the presence of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations of the foregoing items or the possibility of adding one or more features, numbers, steps, operations, elements, components or combinations of the foregoing items.

[0042] In various embodiments of the present invention, the expression "or" or "at least one of A or / and B" includes any combination or all combinations of the words listed at the same time. For example, the expression "A or B" or "at least one of A or / and B" may include A, may include B, or may include both A and B.

[0043] The expressions (such as "first", "second", etc.) used in various embodiments of the present invention may modify the various constituent elements in various embodiments, but may not limit the corresponding constituent elements. For example, the above expressions do not limit the order and / or importance of the elements. The above expressions are only used for the purpose of distinguishing an element from other elements. For example, the first user device and the second user device indicate different user devices, although both are user devices. For example, without departing from the scope of various embodiments of the present invention, the first element may be referred to as the second element, and similarly, the second element may also be referred to as the first element.

[0044] It should be noted that in the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and defined, the terms such as "installation", "connection", "fixation" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0045] In the present invention, those skilled in the art need to understand that the terms indicating orientation or positional relationship herein are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0046] The terms used in various embodiments of the present invention are only used for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit various embodiments of the present invention. As used herein, the singular form is intended to also include the plural form, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Unless otherwise limited, all terms used here (including technical terms and scientific terms) have the same meaning as the meaning generally understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the various embodiments of the present invention belong. The terms (such as the terms defined in the dictionary generally used) will be interpreted as having the same meaning as the contextual meaning in the relevant technical field and will not be interpreted as having an idealized meaning or an overly formal meaning, unless clearly defined in various embodiments of the present invention.

[0047] See also Figure 1 The end face of the existing flat-end optical fiber is usually perpendicular to the central axis of the optical fiber, so that the effective range of the optical fiber end face irradiating light or receiving light is limited to the fan-shaped area directly in front of the optical fiber end face. In the existing optical imaging technology based on optical fiber transmission, the optical fiber for irradiating light and the optical fiber for receiving light usually run in parallel. The received light mainly comes from the back-reflected light or scattered light of the inspected tissue. The light signal intensity is weak, and the inspected information contained in the light intensity is limited.

[0048] Measuring the light absorption characteristics of tissues by transmitted light is one of the important means of implementing photoplethysmography, which has the advantages of high signal-to-noise ratio and stable signal. If the method of generating transmitted light based on flat optical fiber is used to obtain information on tissue absorption of light, the two optical fiber end faces need to be directly opposite or arranged at a certain angle relative to each other. However, it is difficult to detect the bending of optical fibers inside the examined tissue as shown in Figure 2(a), while the transmission detection through two directly opposite optical fibers inside the examined tissue as shown in Figure 2(b) will be limited by the structure of the examined tissue and the complexity of the operation.

[0049] Example 1

[0050] Please refer to Figure 3(a) and Figure 3(b). This embodiment proposes a side-light-guiding optical fiber. The side-light-guiding optical fiber proposed in this embodiment can be suitable for applications of in-body transmission optical detection, which makes up for the deficiency that traditional optical fibers can only guide light forward through the end face.

[0051] The lateral light-guiding optical fiber proposed in this embodiment specifically includes a first optical fiber 1, which includes an inner core 41 and a first cladding 42 arranged outside the core 41. The refractive index of the core 41 is relatively high, and the refractive index of the first cladding 42 is relatively low, that is, the refractive index of the core 41 is greater than the refractive index of the first cladding 42. When light enters the optical fiber, the light will be internally reflected at the interface between the core 41 and the first cladding 42, thereby achieving the effect of long-distance transmission of optical signals, and the cladding can also prevent the core 41 from being physically damaged by the outside world.

[0052] The two ends of the first optical fiber 1 are respectively a light source end 11 and an output end 12. The light source end 11 is used to connect to an external light source device to receive an external light source. The output end 12 is provided with a first inclined surface 13 having a first angle with the extension direction of the first optical fiber 1. The surface of the first inclined surface 13 is provided with a second cladding 43 with a lower refractive index, and the surface of the first optical fiber 1 opposite to the first inclined surface 13 is provided with a third cladding 44. The interface between the core 41 in the first optical fiber 1 and the third cladding 44 is used to irradiate the light reflected at the interface between the core 41 and the second cladding 43 in the first optical fiber 1 outward; specifically, the refractive index of the first cladding 42 is not less than the refractive index of the second cladding 43, and the refractive index of the first cladding 42 is not less than the refractive index of the third cladding 44; in a specific embodiment, the third cladding 44 includes an anti-reflection cladding.

[0053] Please refer to Figures 4(a) and 4(b). In this embodiment, the first optical fiber 1 may include but is not limited to a round optical fiber, a square optical fiber, and a rectangular optical fiber. Specifically, the surface of the core 41 corresponding to the third cladding 44 in the first optical fiber 1 can be smoothed by pre-polishing, so that when the first optical fiber 1 uses a round optical fiber, the reflection of light by the arc-shaped side wall of the round optical fiber can be reduced by the flat side wall surface, thereby further improving the efficiency of the optical fiber irradiating outward from the interface between the core 41 and the third cladding 44.

[0054] Specifically, the geometric relationship between the triangles formed in the optical path of the first optical fiber 1 can be obtained by obtaining the correlation formula between the first angle and each angle, including:

[0055] θ=β1+β2

[0056]

[0057] Wherein, θ represents the angle of the first angle, β1 represents the angle between the light in the first optical fiber 1 and the side wall of the optical fiber, β2 represents the angle between the light in the first optical fiber 1 and the first inclined surface 13, and β3 represents the incident angle of the light in the first optical fiber 1 reflected by the first inclined surface 13 that is about to be transmitted to the interface formed by the core 41 and the third cladding 44;

[0058] According to the total reflection principle of light at the interface formed by high refractive index and low refractive index media, the light is totally reflected at the n0 / n1 interface between the core 41 and the first cladding 42 and the n0 / n2 interface between the core 41 and the second cladding 43. Then, the inequality relationships that β1 and β2 should satisfy include:

[0059]

[0060]

[0061] Wherein, n0 represents the refractive index of the core 41 in the first optical fiber 1, n1 represents the refractive index of the first cladding 42 in the first optical fiber 1, and n2 represents the refractive index of the second cladding 43 in the first optical fiber 1;

[0062] At the same time, the light does not experience total reflection at the n0 / n3 interface between the core 41 and the third cladding 44, so the inequality relationship that β3 should satisfy includes:

[0063]

[0064] Wherein, n3 represents the refractive index of the third cladding 44 in the first optical fiber 1;

[0065] The formulas that can be derived from the above formulas include:

[0066]

[0067]

[0068]

[0069]

[0070] Therefore, the formula for determining the value range of the first angle is:

[0071]

[0072] That is, the value range of the angle θ of the first angle is determined by the refractive index n0 of the core 41 in the first optical fiber 1, the refractive index n1 of the first cladding 42, the refractive index n2 of the second cladding 43 in the first optical fiber 1, and the refractive index n3 of the third cladding 44 in the first optical fiber 1; Table 1 shows the value range of the angle θ of the first angle determined based on commonly used materials.

[0073] Table 1 List of refractive index and θ value range of common materials

[0074]

[0075] Optionally, the value range of the first angle is 10°-70°, and may preferably be 20°-70°. Exemplarily, the value of the first angle may include but is not limited to 30°, 40°, 45°, 50°, and 60°. In the application scenario of brain tissue, the value of the first angle may preferably be 30°.

[0076] For further information, see Figure 5-Figure 7 The lateral light-guiding optical fiber proposed in this embodiment further includes a second optical fiber 2, which also includes an inner core 41 and a first cladding 42 arranged outside the core 41, and the two ends of the second optical fiber 2 are a receiving end 21 and a reflecting end 22 corresponding to the output end 12;

[0077] The reflective end 22 of the second optical fiber 2 is provided with a second inclined surface 23 having a second angle with the extending direction of the second optical fiber 2 corresponding to the first inclined surface 13, and the surface of the second inclined surface 23 is also provided with a second cladding 43, and the surface of the second optical fiber 2 opposite to the second inclined surface 23 is provided with a third cladding 44, so as to reflect the light received through the interface between the core 41 in the second optical fiber 2 and the third cladding 44 through the interface between the core 41 in the second optical fiber 2 and the second cladding 43 toward the direction of the receiving end 21;

[0078] Therefore, the lateral light-guiding optical fiber proposed in this embodiment will generate lateral irradiation light through the first optical fiber 1, and the irradiation light transmitted through the examined tissue will be received by the second optical fiber 2 and transmitted to the light processing system for further processing, ultimately achieving in-body transmission imaging.

[0079] It should be noted that, in a specific embodiment, the structures of the first optical fiber 1 and the second optical fiber 2, including the core 41, the first cladding 42, the second cladding 43, and the third cladding 44, are the same or correspond to each other, that is, the output end 12 of the first optical fiber 1 can be used as the reflection end 22, and the light source end 11 of the first optical fiber 1 can be used as the receiving end 21; correspondingly, the reflection end 22 of the second optical fiber 2 can be used as the output end 12, and the receiving end 21 of the second optical fiber 2 can be used as the light source end 11.

[0080] Furthermore, the lateral light-guiding optical fiber proposed in this embodiment also includes a fiber optic ferrule 3, which is connected to the first optical fiber 1 and / or the second optical fiber 2, the output end 12 of the first optical fiber 1 is arranged away from the fiber optic ferrule 3, and the reflection end 22 of the second optical fiber 2 is also arranged away from the fiber optic ferrule 3, and the reflection end 22 of the second optical fiber 2 is arranged corresponding to the output end 12 of the first optical fiber 1; the first bevel 13 in the first optical fiber 1 is arranged on a side away from the second optical fiber 2, and the second bevel 23 in the second optical fiber 2 is arranged on a side away from the first optical fiber 1.

[0081] In this embodiment, the optical fiber ferrule 3 includes a ceramic ferrule. The ceramic has high hardness and precision and can provide precise optical fiber end face positioning. The ceramic ferrule has good wear resistance and pressure resistance, can effectively protect the end face of the optical fiber from the influence of the external environment, and can accurately align the first optical fiber 1 and the second optical fiber 2, reduce poor contact or gaps between the optical fiber end faces, thereby reducing the loss of optical signals, so that during detection, the first bevel 13 of the first optical fiber 1 and the second bevel 23 of the second optical fiber 2 can be accurately docked, thereby ensuring the efficiency of light transmission.

[0082] Preferably, the first optical fiber 1 and the second optical fiber 2 extend in the same direction, that is, the first optical fiber 1 and the second optical fiber 2 connected to the optical fiber ferrule 3 are parallel to each other. The method for determining the value range of the second angle is similar to the method for determining the value range of the first angle. In this embodiment, the formula for determining the value range of the second angle includes:

[0083]

[0084] Wherein, n′0 represents the refractive index of the core 41 in the second optical fiber 2, n′1 represents the refractive index of the first cladding 42 in the second optical fiber 2, n′2 represents the refractive index of the second cladding 43 in the second optical fiber 2, and n′3 represents the refractive index of the third cladding 44 in the second optical fiber 2;

[0085] That is, the value range of the second angle θ′ is determined by the refractive index n′0 of the core 41 in the second optical fiber 2, the refractive index n′1 of the first cladding 42 in the second optical fiber 2, the refractive index n′2 of the second cladding 43 in the second optical fiber 2, and the refractive index n′3 of the third cladding 44 in the second optical fiber 2.

[0086] Specifically, the angle of the second angle corresponds to the angle of the first angle; preferably, the first angle and the second angle can both be set to 45°.

[0087] Optionally, the second optical fiber 2 may also include but is not limited to a round optical fiber, a square optical fiber, and a rectangular optical fiber, and the surface of the core 41 corresponding to the third cladding 44 in the second optical fiber 2 is flat.

[0088] Preferably, the optical fiber ferrule 3 may also be connected to a plurality of optical fibers, and the two ends of each optical fiber are a light source end 11 and an output end 12 respectively;

[0089] Or, the two ends are a receiving end 21 and a reflecting end 22 respectively;

[0090] Alternatively, the end away from the optical fiber ferrule 3 is a refraction end, and the refraction end is used to guide the light source irradiated by at least one emission end to at least one reflection end 22 .

[0091] Therefore, the lateral light-guiding optical fiber proposed in this embodiment can be configured with multiple sets of light-guiding modes at the same time according to the connected optical fibers, and can enable multiple optical fibers to work together to generate multiple sets of light paths at the same time. It has good flexibility and applicability and can adapt to a variety of different work needs and application scenarios.

[0092] Example 2

[0093] This embodiment proposes an optical imaging mechanism, which includes the lateral light-guiding optical fiber proposed in Embodiment 2.

[0094] In summary, the present invention proposes a side-guide optical fiber and an optical imaging mechanism having the same. The scheme proposed in the present invention optimizes the emission angle of the light beam leaving the optical fiber through a bevel design, and can achieve the adjustment of the light output angle and intensity. Through the cooperation of the first optical fiber, the second cladding and the third cladding, the light can be better guided to the outside from the side after multiple reflections, so that the utilization scenario of the light source is further expanded, which is particularly suitable for intracavity optical transmission detection scenarios with strict requirements on the light path, providing greater design freedom and flexibility, so that the light source can better meet the needs of detecting the inspected tissue.

[0095] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A side-guide optical fiber, characterized in that: The optical fiber comprises a first optical fiber, wherein the first optical fiber comprises an inner core and a first cladding arranged outside the core, wherein two ends of the first optical fiber are a light source end and an output end, respectively, wherein the light source end is used to receive an external light source, and the core and the first cladding of the first optical fiber are used to guide the external light source from the light source end to the output end by internal reflection; and the refractive index of the core is greater than that of the first cladding; The output end is provided with a first inclined plane having a first angle with the extension direction of the first optical fiber, the surface of the first inclined plane is provided with a second cladding, and the surface of the first optical fiber opposite to the first inclined plane is provided with a third cladding, so that the light reflected at the interface between the core and the second cladding in the first optical fiber is radiated outward through the interface between the core and the third cladding in the first optical fiber; the refractive index of the first cladding is not less than that of the second cladding and not less than that of the third cladding.

2. The lateral light-guiding optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The formula for determining the value range of the first angle includes: Wherein, θ represents the angle of the first angle, n0 represents the refractive index of the core, n1 represents the refractive index of the first cladding, n2 represents the refractive index of the second cladding, and n3 represents the refractive index of the third cladding.

3. The lateral light-guiding optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first angle has a value range of 10°-70°.

4. The lateral light-guiding optical fiber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the core of the first optical fiber corresponding to the third cladding is flat.

5. The lateral light-guiding optical fiber according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: It also includes a second optical fiber, the second optical fiber includes an inner core and a first cladding arranged outside the core, the two ends of the second optical fiber are a receiving end and a reflecting end corresponding to the emitting end, and the core and the first cladding of the second optical fiber are used to guide the light source irradiated by the emitting end from the reflecting end to the receiving end by internal reflection; The reflective end is provided with a second inclined surface having a second angle with the extension direction of the second optical fiber corresponding to the first inclined surface, the surface of the second inclined surface is provided with a second cladding, and the surface of the second optical fiber opposite to the second inclined surface is provided with a third cladding, so as to reflect the light received through the interface between the core and the third cladding in the second optical fiber via the interface between the core and the second cladding in the second optical fiber toward the direction of the receiving end.

6. The lateral light-guiding optical fiber according to claim 5, characterized in that: It also includes an optical fiber ferrule, wherein the optical fiber ferrule is connected to the first optical fiber and / or the second optical fiber; The output end of the first optical fiber is arranged away from the optical fiber ferrule, the reflection end of the second optical fiber is arranged away from the optical fiber ferrule, the first bevel is arranged on a side away from the second optical fiber, and the second bevel is arranged on a side away from the first optical fiber.

7. The lateral light-guiding optical fiber according to claim 6, characterized in that: The optical fiber ferrule is also connected to a plurality of optical fibers, and the two ends of each optical fiber are a light source end and an output end respectively; Or, the two ends are the receiving end and the reflecting end respectively; Alternatively, the end away from the optical fiber ferrule is a refraction end, and the refraction end is used to guide the light source irradiated by at least one emission end to at least one reflection end.

8. The lateral light-guiding optical fiber according to claim 5, characterized in that: The extending direction of the first optical fiber is the same as that of the second optical fiber.

9. The lateral light-guiding optical fiber according to claim 5, characterized in that: The first optical fiber and the second optical fiber include round optical fibers, square optical fibers and / or rectangular optical fibers.

10. An optical imaging mechanism, characterized in that: It comprises the lateral light-guiding optical fiber as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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