Laser wire stripper

Abstract

A wire stripper for ablating / cutting a removable outer layer 107 of a wire 102; has an optics module (with at least one scanning mirror 108); and a mechanism to move a wire 102 along the wire’s length, relative to the optics module. A retro-reflector 112 may bounce the laser beam back towards the wire 102, to ablate the other side of the wire 102. The laser beam may be split, using multiple pivoting scanning mirrors to then cut the wire from both sides (figure 3). The wire can enter the wire stripper device via an aperture in a sidewall (630, figure 4). Three single-axis galvo mirrors at different radial positions around the wire may be used to cut the wire from different angles (704a, 704b, 704c, figure 7) Various outer layer sheaths of different materials may be removed from wires; e.g. using multiple lasers of different wavelengths.

Description

Technical Field The present invention relates to a system, method, and apparatus for ablating and / or cutting material from wire(s) using lasers, i.e. laser wire stripping. Background During manufacturing of various devices and machines it is commonly required to strip away some of the (e.g. insulating) layers of a wire (e.g. a cable or cabling assembly) to allow for connection to other electrical conductors or to allow for attaching a terminal electrical connector. Wire stripping may also be used for recycling scrap wire or to reclaim certain metals, such as copper or aluminium. For these purposes, the remaining layers should ideally remain intact and undamaged. Traditionally, wire stripping has involved mechanically stripping away insulation from a wire with a blade or a knife. Drawbacks to mechanical stripping may include: a lack of process control; blades being worn by use of the machine; nicks and scrapes on the core of the wire and low yield due to slow operation speeds. For more complex applications, such as preparing electrical wires for catheters and other medical devices, laser wire stripping (i.e. using laser light to ablate and / or cut away material from the wire) can provide improved results. Laser wire stripping avoids many of the drawbacks associated with mechanical stripping as the device does not get worn down as easily and, because laser light is used instead of blades, it prevents conductors from being nicked or scraped. The Applicant has found that existing techniques for laser wire stripping such as rotary strippers and linear XY strippers have a number of drawbacks associated with them, making them unsuitable for some laser wire stripping applications. The present invention aims to address some of these shortcomings to provide an improved device for laser wire stripping. Summary of the Invention When viewed from a first aspect the invention provides a device for ablating and / or cutting at least a portion of a removable layer of at least one wire, each at least one wire having a length, a lateral dimension and an external lateral perimeter, the device comprising: a wire support for in-use supporting an at least one wire; an optics module; a mechanism arranged to in-use cause relative movement of the optics module and the at least one wire along at least a portion of the length of the at least one wire; wherein the optics module comprises: one or more scanning mirrors arranged so that in-use upon actuating the one or more scanning mirrors to move one or more (e.g. respective) laser beams, the one or more (e.g. respective) laser beams is (e.g. are) moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire; the one or more scanning mirrors being arranged to be in-use actuated to move the one or more (e.g. respective) laser beams over the lateral dimension of (e.g. one or more of) the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a portion of the removable layer. When viewed from a second aspect, the invention provides a method of using a device to ablate and / or cut at least a portion of a removable layer of at least one wire, each at least one wire having a length, a lateral dimension and an external lateral perimeter, the device comprising: a wire support for supporting the at least one wire; an optics module, the optics module comprising: one or more scanning mirrors arranged so that upon actuating the one or more scanning mirrors to move one or more (e.g. respective) laser beams, the one or more laser beams are moved over the external lateral perimeter of (e.g. one or more of) the at least one wire; and a mechanism arranged to in-use cause relative movement of the optics module and the at least one wire along at least a portion of the length of the at least one wire; wherein the method comprises: the wire support receiving the at least one wire; transmitting the one or more laser beams to the one or more scanning mirrors; actuating the one or more scanning mirrors to move the one or more laser beams over the lateral dimension of (e.g. one or more of) the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a portion of the removable layer; and using the mechanism to cause relative movement of the optics module and the at least one wire along at least a portion of the length of the at least one wire. Where reference is made herein to the ‘at least one wire’ it should be understood that this encompasses the following: a single wire, one or more of a plurality of wires, or each of a plurality of wires. Thus it will be seen that, in accordance with the invention, by combining the movement of the scanning (e.g. galvo) mirror(s) and the relative movement between the optics module and the at least one wire (e.g. along the wire), the laser beam(s) may be moved in such a way that allows the device to ablate and / or cut (e.g. strip away) at least a portion of the removable layer of the at least one wire. In use, the one or more scanning (e.g. galvo) mirrors allow movement of the one or more laser beams over the lateral dimension of the at least one wire (i.e. across the at least one wire) such that the one or more laser beams are moved over the external lateral perimeter (e.g. the circumference) of the at least one wire. Moving the one or more laser beams over the external lateral perimeter means that the laser beam(s) may (together) move to have coverage of the external lateral perimeter (e.g. circumference) of the at least one wire. Embodiments of the invention may provide more effective and efficient ablation and / or cutting as the high frequency and / or fast acceleration that can be achieved using the scanning mirror(s) can be synergistically combined with the range of motion of the (e.g. separate) mechanism for causing relative movement between the at least one wire and the optics module. Furthermore, using relative movement between the at least one wire and the optics module to ablate and / or cut along the length of the wire instead of using the scanning mirror helps to keep the one or more laser beams within a plane orthogonal to the length of the at least one wire and / or a longitudinal axis defined by the at least one wire which, in turn, allows the one or more lasers to remain in-focus over a larger working volume. In other words, embodiments of the invention help to move one or more laser beam(s) over the wire to ablate and / or cut away material more efficiently. The invention also allows the device to be more compact as bulky motors and / or multiple XY laser scanners are not required to move the laser beam(s) over the surface of the wire. Faster, more efficient wire stripping may allow for more efficient manufacturing and assembly of machines and devices and may also allow for improved reuse and recycling of wires. As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, when reference is made to moving one or more laser beams, it may be that only a portion of the laser beam is moved (e.g. by tilting a scanning mirror at a point along the beam path) and other portions of the laser beam (e.g. earlier in the beam path) may remain static. The optics module comprises one or more scanning mirrors. Each of the one or more (e.g. plurality of) scanning mirrors is preferably a single-axis scanning mirror arranged to tilt about one axis only. For embodiments comprising a plurality of single-axis scanning mirrors, the plurality of single-axis scanning mirrors are preferably arranged so that their respective tilt axes are mutually parallel. In use, this allows the respective tilt axes of the single-axis scanning mirrors to be parallel to a longitudinal axis defined by the at least one wire. The single-axis scanning mirrors are preferably mounted within the optics module at fixed positions. Having the single-axis scanning mirrors mounted at fixed positions means that if the mechanism moves the optics module, it also causes movement of the plurality of single-axis scanning mirrors as a group. The singleaxis scanning mirrors may be positioned in a common plane of the optics module - e.g. so that they may all target the wire with the laser(s) at the same point along its length. The (e.g. tilt) axis of each single-axis scanning mirror is preferably orthogonal to the common plane. Prior art arrangements may use two or three XY laser scanners to strip a wire, the XY laser scanner moving the laser beams along and across a wire. However, two-sided stripping using XY laser scanners typically leaves residue on the edge of the wires. Expanding to three or more XY laser scanners makes a system size large and unwieldy. The Applicant has appreciated that device footprint should be minimized for laser wire stripping as desk space is critical with many units being used in clean rooms where space is expensive. Embodiments in accordance with the invention avoid the need for such large and unwieldy arrangements and thus allow the device to be more compact. Embodiments of the invention allow ablation and / or cutting of at least a portion of a removable layer of the at least one wire. In other words, the invention may be used for laser wire stripping. Therefore, the device may be a laser wire stripper. The term ‘wire’ is used herein to mean any wire, cable, or assembly thereof. Thus, the at least one wire may comprise a plurality of layers, e.g. at least one conductive (e.g. core) layer and at least one insulating (e.g. outer) layer. The at least one wire may comprise at least one metallic shielding layer. Such metallic shielding layers in wires (e.g. cables) are typically used for isolating signals from potential external interference. The removable layer (i.e. the ‘target’ layer) should be understood as a layer comprising material which is to be (at least partially) removed from the at least one wire using the device. In a set of embodiments, the removable layer may comprise insulating material (e.g. an insulation layer) or conductive material (e.g. a shield layer). In an example embodiment, the removable layer is a polymer insulation layer, at least a portion of which is removed from an underlying metallic layer by one or more laser beams having a wavelength that is substantially absorbed by the polymer and substantially reflected from the metallic layer. For ablating and / or cutting polymer insulation layer(s), a carbon dioxide laser (CO2) laser source (e.g. with a wavelength of approximately 10 microns) may be used due to its low cost and strong absorption for all polymers and strong reflection for all metals. In another example embodiment, the removable layer is a metallic shield layer, at least a portion of which is removed from an underlying insulating layer by one or more laser beams having a wavelength that is strongly absorbed by the metallic layer and substantially reflected or scattered by the underlying insulating layer. For ablating and / or cutting shield layer(s), laser beam(s) having a wavelength that is substantially absorbed by the shield layer and is reflected or scattered by the underlying polymer insulation may be used - e.g. such lasers include solid state Nd:YAG type lasers, fibre lasers with wavelength around 1 micron and frequency tripled solid state lasers with wavelengths of approximately 355 nm. Embodiments of the invention may be used on a plurality of removable layers. In a set of embodiments, the device may be used to ablate and / or cut at least a portion of a plurality of removable layers, e.g. at least a first removable layer and a second removable layer. The first removable layer may comprise a different material to the second removable layer. Therefore, the device may operate in a first mode for targeting the first removable layer (e.g. an insulating layer) and a second mode for targeting a second removable layer (e.g. a shield layer). The first mode may use a different wavelength to the second mode depending on the type of removable layer that is targeted. Each at least one wire has a length, a lateral dimension, and an external lateral perimeter. The length of each at least one wire may be understood to be the longitudinal dimension of each wire. The length of the least one wire may define a longitudinal axis along which the relative movement between the optics module and the at least one wire takes place - e.g. the relative movement may be parallel and / or coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the at least one wire. The lateral dimension of each at least one wire may be understood to be the width (e.g. diameter) of each wire. The external lateral perimeter of each at least one wire may be understood as the perimeter around the lateral dimension of the at least one wire - e.g. in the case of a cylindrical wire, the external lateral perimeter may be the circumference of the wire. It should be understood that the external lateral perimeter is a path around the at least one wire. The external lateral perimeter is not necessarily static and, therefore, it may move with the relative movement of the optics module and the at least one wire. In a set of embodiments, the external lateral perimeter is a perimeter of a section through the at least one wire. For example, the external lateral perimeter may be a perimeter of a transverse cross-section through the at least one wire. As mentioned above, the one or more scanning mirrors may move the one or more laser beams over the lateral dimension of the at least one wire and may be arranged so that the one or more laser beams are moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire. In simple terms, this means that the scanning mirror(s) may move the one or more laser beams across the wire(s) and be arranged to provide ablation and / or cutting (e.g. all the way) around the wire(s). As mentioned above, in use, the one or more scanning mirrors may move the one or more laser beams. In some embodiments, there is one scanning mirror per laser beam (e.g. the device may be arranged so that each laser beam is transmitted toward a respective scanning mirror). Alternatively, a single laser beam may be transmitted toward each of the scanning mirrors one at a time. In certain embodiments, the one or more scanning mirrors is a galvo mirror. For example, in embodiments where the one or more scanning mirrors is a plurality of scanning mirrors one or more (e.g. each) of the scanning mirrors may be a galvo mirror. In a set of embodiments, each scanning mirror is a single-axis scanning mirror (e.g. comprising a single-axis galvo), i.e. each scanning mirror tilts about one axis only. In a set of embodiments, actuating the one or more single-axis scanning mirrors comprises tilting each single-axis scanning mirror about a respective axis. The single-axis scanning mirror(s) may be used to move the laser beam(s) across the wire while the relative movement between the optics module and the wire allows the laser beam(s) to be moved along the wire. For ablation, it is better to have fast laser beam (e.g. spot) movement across the wire, whereas the speed required for moving the laser beam (e.g. spot) along the wire is relatively low. Using single-axis scanning mirror(s) provides a sufficiently high beam speed across the wire for ablation as a single-axis scanning mirror may resonate about its axis. In a set of embodiments, each of the one or more laser beams is substantially orthogonal (e.g. to within ± 10°, e.g. to within ± 5°) to the length (e.g. the longitudinal axis) of the (e.g. each) at least one wire. The Applicant has found that problems arise when laser beams are directed at a wire at an oblique angle with respect to the length of the wire which results in cuts that are angled at the edges of the field of view. In particular, the quality of stripping tends not to be uniform across the process area and the far edge of the wire is shadowed. This may result in some strands of the removable layer being inadvertently left behind when such angled beams are used. Such problems may arise using a typical XY laser scanner, where two scanning mirrors are mounted at angles with respect to each other to allow a laser beam to be deflected in two dimensions (e.g. along and across the at least one wire). Such an obliquely angled beam means there is a limited maximum working area of typically 100mm x 100mm as there is a trade-off between beam spot size and working area. Furthermore, it is difficult to accurately overlap the laser beams from two or more scanners over the full field of view. This is evident for the smaller spot sizes used in shield cutting or precision ultra-violet insulation ablation used in medical applications. Therefore, having each of the one or more laser beams remain substantially orthogonal to the length of the at least one wire helps to overcome these drawbacks. Ensuring each of the one or more laser beams is substantially orthogonal to the length of the at least one wire may be achieved through the orientation of the single-axis scanning mirror(s). In a set of embodiments, the axis (i.e. the axis about which the scanning mirror tilts) of each single-axis scanning mirror is substantially parallel (e.g. within ± 10°, e.g. to within ± 5°) to the length or a longitudinal axis (e.g. the axis along the length) of (i.e. defined by) the at least one wire. In some embodiments, wherein the at least one wire comprises a plurality of wires, the ‘longitudinal axis’ may be a ‘net’ longitudinal axis of the plurality of wires. In a set of embodiments, in use, an acceleration of the one or more scanning mirrors is greater than an acceleration of the relative movement between the optics module and the at least one wire. The scanning mirror may move (e.g. oscillate) at a frequency of at least 1 Hz. Galvo mirrors and some MEMS mirrors are examples of scanning mirrors that can support such rates. In a set of embodiments, the maximum acceleration of the one or more scanning mirrors is at least 100 times (e.g. at least 500 times, e.g. approximately 1000 times) greater than the acceleration of the relative movement between the optics module and the at least one wire. For example, the acceleration of the relative movement between the optics module and the at least one wire may be approximately 1m / s2 and the acceleration of the fastest point on the one or more scanning mirrors may be approximately 1000m / s2. The device may be used to ablate and / or cut at least part of the removable layer. For cutting, the one or more laser beams may typically be moved at speeds in the range of 10mm / s to 100mm / s and one line may be cut at a time. For ablation, the one or more laser beams may typically be moved at speeds in the range of 100mm / s to 1000mm / s and thousands of lines may be cut at a time. In a set of embodiments, the method comprises moving the optics module and the at least one wire relative to each other, along at least a portion of the length of the wire by a fixed amount (e.g. by less than half a focused laser beam spot diameter - i.e. typically between 1-1000pm) at uniform time intervals. This may help to ensure that the one or more laser beams have (e.g. together) moved over the entire external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire before moving along the wire. The Applicant has found that this method provides surprisingly beneficial results for ablation, in particular, when removing a bonded insulation layer from small (e.g. medical) wires as it helps to ensure ablation is successful over the entire external lateral perimeter before moving along to ablate an adjacent line of insulation. The mechanism causes relative movement of the optics module and the at least one wire. Therefore, the mechanism may be a movement mechanism. In a set of embodiments, the optics module is mounted to a moveable stage. The mechanism may, therefore, comprise a moveable stage. The optics module may, therefore, be moved relative to the at least one wire using the moveable stage. The moveable stage may be a linear stage, i.e. for moving of the optics module along the length of the at least one wire. The moveable stage may be an XY stage, i.e. for moving the optics module along the length (e.g. longitudinal axis) of the at least one wire and substantially orthogonal to the length (e.g. longitudinal axis) of the at least one wire. The XY stage may be useful for embodiments comprising a plurality of wires - e.g. wherein the wires are arranged next to each other in the wire support. The ability to move the optics module orthogonal to the length of the at least one wire may allow the optics module to move to other wires of the plurality of wires to increase the working area of the device. Furthermore, the XY stage may allow for a further mode of operation wherein the one or more scanning mirrors may be stopped with the one or more laser beams incident on the wire, the XY stage being used to move the laser beam to achieve simple slitting across and along the at least one wire. In a set of embodiments, the mechanism comprises a moveable stage to which the optics module is mounted; wherein the relative movement of the optics module and the at least one wire is caused by moving the optics module relative to the at least one wire using the moveable stage. The device may comprise an enclosure. The device may comprise a frame. The enclosure may comprise the frame and one or more walls. The one or more walls may be removably attached to the frame to allow access to interior of the device, e.g. for maintenance and re-alignment of the optics. One of the walls may define an aperture for in-use receiving the at least one wire. In a set of embodiments, the at least one wire is received into the wire support via an aperture extending through a wall of the device. The aperture may be sloped, i.e. it may have a gradually decreasing size (e.g. diameter) (e.g. shaped like a trumpet-bell) to help the wire be more easily guided into the aperture. In use, the mechanism may move the optics module relative to the frame. In a set of embodiments, the mechanism linearly translates the optics module relative to the frame. In a set of embodiments, therefore, the moveable stage is mounted to the frame and the optics module is mounted to the moveable stage. The optics module may comprise a carriage, e.g. to which the optical components of the optics module are mounted. Components mounted to the optics module may be in fixed positions with respect to each other. Although it has been described how the mechanism may move the optics module, the at least one wire may alternatively or additionally be moved relative to the optics module. This may be done by moving the wire support (e.g. using a moveable stage) relative to the optics module or by pulling the (e.g. each) at least one wire through the device along at least a portion of the length of the at least one wire. Furthermore, the (e.g. each) at least one wire may move laterally, i.e. orthogonal to the length of the at least one wire, (e.g. by moving the wire support laterally) this may be useful for embodiments comprising a plurality of wires - e.g. wherein the wires are arranged next to each other in the wire support. The ability to move (i.e. translate) the at least one wire orthogonal to the length of the at least one wire may help the one or more laser beams to move to other wires of the plurality of wires to increase the working area of the device. The optics module comprises one or more scanning mirrors. In a set of embodiments, the optics module comprises a single scanning mirror and a return reflector assembly. In use, the scanning mirror and the return reflector assembly may be arranged at different positions azimuthally around the at least one wire (e.g. on opposing sides of the at least one wire). The return reflector may be arranged to reflect light that misses the at least one wire back towards the at least one wire - e.g. on an opposite side of the at least one wire - effectively recycling the light. The return reflector assembly may comprise a retroreflector. Light that misses the at least one wire may be collimated by a lens, to refocus the light before retroreflection. Therefore, the return reflector assembly may additionally comprise a collimating lens between the scanning mirror and the retroreflector. In some other embodiments, the return reflector assembly may simply comprise a curved (e.g. concave) mirror. The curved mirror may both refocus the light and return it toward the at least one wire. Embodiments comprising just one scanning mirror benefit from reduced power consumption and may be most suitable for thin wires having a lateral dimension of less than 1.0 mm - e.g. less than 0.2 mm. Therefore, in a set of embodiments comprising a single scanning mirror the wire support is arranged to only support wires having a lateral dimension of less than 1.0 mm - e.g. less than 0.2 mm. For example, the wire support may comprise a guide and / or a holder having an aperture size which prevents wires above 1.0 mm from passing through. In another set of embodiments, the one or more scanning mirrors is a plurality of scanning mirrors in-use arranged so that, upon actuating the plurality of scanning mirrors to move a plurality of respective laser beams, the plurality of laser beams is moved over the (e.g. entire) external lateral perimeter (e.g. circumference) of the at least one wire. The plurality of scanning mirrors may be arranged at different azimuthal positions around the at least one wire so that, upon actuating the plurality of scanning mirrors to move a plurality of respective laser beams, the plurality of laser beams are moved over the (e.g. entire) external lateral perimeter (e.g. circumference) of the at least one wire. The plurality of scanning mirrors may have uniform spacing therebetween. Each laser beam may be transmitted to a respective scanning mirror. In a set of embodiments, the method comprises: transmitting a plurality of laser beams to the plurality of scanning mirrors, so that each laser beam is transmitted to a respective scanning mirror; and actuating the plurality of scanning mirrors to move the plurality of laser beams over the lateral dimension of the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a portion of the removable layer. The one or more laser beams may be generated and transmitted to the optics module in any suitable way. In a set of embodiments, a primary laser beam is split into two or more secondary laser beams, each of the secondary laser beams being directed to respective scanning mirrors. For this purpose, the device (e.g. the optics module) may comprise one or more beam splitters. The secondary laser beams may be moved simultaneously across the least one wire by actuation of the scanning mirrors. This may help to improve the efficiency of the device as all sides of each wire may be ablated and / or cut at the same time. Alternatively, a laser beam may be shuttled between two or more scanning mirrors - e.g. so that a single laser beam may be directed to each of the scanning mirrors at different times. This may help to provide a more powerful beam to the at least one wire. For this purpose, the device (e.g. the optics module) may comprise one or more shuttling mirror assemblies and optionally a static mirror assembly. Each shuttling mirror assembly may comprise a mirror element slidably mounted to a rail. Each shuttling mirror assembly may be drivable, e.g. using a motor, to move the mirror element back and forth along the rails. Thus, the one or more shuttling mirrors and optional static mirror assembly may be operated so that a single laser beam is sequentially directed to each of the plurality of scanning mirrors. This may allow device to ablate and / or cut the entire lateral perimeter of the wire by each scanning mirror stripping a portion of the lateral perimeter of the wire. Therefore, in a set of embodiments, the method comprises: sequentially transmitting a single laser beam to each of the plurality of scanning mirrors, so that the laser beam is incident on one scanning mirror at a time; actuating each scanning mirror of the plurality of scanning mirrors to move the laser beam over at least a portion of the lateral dimension of the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a portion of the removable layer. The plurality of scanning mirrors may each be actuated over a limited tilt angle and thus each scanning mirror may have a limited angular range, however, together they may overlap which may allow the laser beams to cover the entire external lateral perimeter of one or more of the at least one wires. In a set of embodiments, the tilt angle of each scanning mirror is no more than ±30°. However, in use, the invention may use only a small fraction of this tilt angle given the small lateral dimension (e.g. diameter) of wire. For example, the tilt angle through which each scanning mirror is actuated, in use, may be less than ±10°. Preferably, the tilt angle through which each scanning mirror is actuated, in use, is less than ±2°. In an example embodiment, the optics module comprises two scanning mirrors wherein, in use, the scanning mirrors are arranged at different positions azimuthally around the at least one wire (e.g. on opposing sides of the at least one wire). In another example embodiment, the optics module comprises three scanning mirrors wherein, in use, the scanning mirrors are arranged at different positions azimuthally around the at least one wire. The scanning mirrors may have uniform spacing therebetween, i.e. they may be equally spaced apart e.g. at 120° intervals. The wire support may comprise any suitable means for supporting the at least one wire in the device. The wire support may support a single wire or multiple wires. The wire support may comprise at least one holder (e.g. gripper) and / or at least one guide (e.g. on or in which the at least one wire can rest). The guide may define an aperture through which the at least one wire may pass. In a set of embodiments, the wire support comprises at least one holder (e.g. gripper) and at least one guide. The holder (e.g. gripper) may hold (e.g. grip) the at least one wire at a fixed contact point. The guide may be moveable with respect to the at least one wire to help ensure the wire is always in focus. The moveable guide may define an aperture, which may have a fixed aperture size or an adjustable aperture size. In use, the guide may move along at least a portion of the length of the at least one wire. The at least one wire may rest on or in the guide to allow the at least one wire to pass over and / or through. The guide may move in conjunction, e.g. at the same speed as, with the relative movement between the optics module and the at least one wire. The guide may be part of the optics module and / or fixed to the optics module. Having a moveable guide may help to correct the position of the at least one wire to ensure the at least one wire is aligned correctly in the device during cutting and / or ablation. In a set of embodiments, the wire support comprises a first holder (e.g. a first gripper) and a second holder (e.g. a second gripper). In such a set of embodiments, the at least one wire may be held (e.g. gripped) at a first position and a second position, wherein the first and second positions are at different positions along the length of the at least one wire (e.g. at proximal and distal ends of the at least one wire). The at least one wire may be held under tension (e.g. to remove any curvature in the at least one wire). In use, the one or more laser beams may access between the first and second positions. In a set of embodiments, the wire support comprises a first guide and a second guide - e.g. the first guide defining an aperture (e.g. in a first wall of the device) and second guide defining a second aperture (e.g. in a second wall of the device opposite to the first wall). The at least one wire may be supported under tension. The at least one wire may be fed through the device and may either be wound or cut as appropriate. In a set of embodiments, wherein the length of the at least one wire is less than ten times the lateral dimension (e.g. width, e.g. diameter) of the at least one wire, the wire support comprises a single fixed guide or holder (e.g. defining an aperture). In such a set of embodiments, the at least one wire may be guided through the guide and an end of the at least one wire may protrude through into the device unsupported. For such wire dimensions, the wire may be sufficiently stiff so that a second guide or a second gripper is not needed to align the at least one wire to keep it in focus - i.e. the one or more lasers may be incident upon the unsupported end while being in focus. In a set of embodiments, the wire support comprises a wire sensor - e.g. a button that starts the (e.g. wire stripping) process when the wire makes contact. The wire sensor may be positioned so that when the wire sensor is triggered the wire is in the correct position for ablation and / or cutting. For example, the wire may be inserted into the device, the wire sensor may detect the wire is in the correct position. The wire sensor may feed a signal back to a control system which may trigger the laser wire stripping process (e.g. a gripper may clamp the wire and direct the one or more laser beams toward the wire). In a set of embodiments, wherein the at least one wire is a single wire, the wire support comprises: a holder for in-use receiving a single wire and holding the wire at a fixed contact point so that a portion of the wire extends from the holder; and a moveable guide for in-use supporting the portion of the wire extending from the holder, wherein the moveable guide defines an aperture through which the wire in-use passes; wherein the optics module is configured to in-use deliver the one or more laser beams adjacent the aperture and the moveable guide is arranged to in-use move along the portion of the wire so that the optics module delivers the one or more laser beams to the wire adjacent the aperture. The moveable guide may be mounted to and / or fixed (i.e. statically mounted) to the optics module. In embodiments where the mechanism comprises a moveable stage to which the optics module is mounted, the moveable guide may be mounted to and / or fixed (i.e. statically mounted) to the moveable stage. The optics module may be configured to in-use deliver the one or more laser beams adjacent and proximal to the aperture (e.g. within a few mm of the aperture). The wire support comprising a moveable guide described herein may advantageously help the at least one wire to be supported at a suitable position for ablation and / or cutting of the removable layer without needing to hold the at least one wire under tension at both ends. Prior art laser wire strippers which use XY laser scanners for movement of laser beams along and across a wire require the wire to be held under tension. Embodiments of the present invention achieve movement of one or more laser beams along the wire using the mechanism that causes relative movement of the optics module and the at least one wire. This combined with the moveable guide (e.g. fixed to the optics module) helps to ensure that the beam is always correctly placed for ablation and / or cutting. The above arrangement also removes the need for rotary laser wire strippers which cannot strip closely spaced adjacent wires as rotary mechanisms are typically too large. Ablation also requires rotary mechanisms to spin at prohibitively high speeds and it is difficult to adjust the focus of rotary optics. This may be seen as novel and inventive in its own right. Therefore, when viewed from a further aspect, the invention provides a device for ablating and / or cutting at least a portion of a removable layer of a wire using one or more laser beams, the device comprising: a holder for in-use receiving a wire and holding the wire at a fixed contact point so that a portion of the wire extends from the holder; a moveable guide for in-use supporting the portion of the wire extending from the holder, wherein the moveable guide defines an aperture through which the wire in-use passes; and an optics module configured to in-use deliver one or more laser beams adjacent the aperture; wherein the moveable guide is arranged to in-use move along the portion of the wire so that the optics module delivers the one or more laser beams to the wire adjacent the aperture. For best operation of the device, it is helpful to ensure that, in use, the one or more laser beams are focussed into beam spots which in-use overlap (e.g. at the at least one wire). The overlap is preferably within a fraction of a laser spot size of the one or more laser beams which in practice could be as little as a few microns (e.g. less than 10 microns). Overlapping beam spots help to ensure that the external lateral perimeter (e.g. the circumference) is accessible by the one or more laser beams - e.g. to prevent strands of the removable layer being left behind by insufficient coverage of the one or more laser beams. Therefore, in a set of embodiments, the method comprises using a knife edge and a photodetector to verify whether the one or more laser beams is (e.g. are) correctly aligned. The beam spot alignment (e.g. beam spot overlap) may, therefore, be checked by positioning a knife edge in place of the at least one wire (e.g. by moving the optics module toward the knife edge) and transmitting one of the one or more laser beams toward the knife edge and / or detector. The displacement of the laser beam may be adjusted (e.g. by a moveable refractive plate) so that a predetermined fraction of the laser beam impinges on the photodetector (e.g. approximately 50%) to ‘find’ the position of the beam spot. If one or more beam spots from one or more scanning mirrors are determined to be misaligned, a moveable (e.g. rotatable) refractive plate may be used to adjust the beams into alignment. In a set of embodiments, the optics module may comprise at least one (e.g. thin) moveable refractive plate (e.g. mounted to a motor or galvo). Each moveable refractive plate is preferably rotatable. For example, the moveable refractive plate may be a ‘Tweaker Plate’. One or more of (e.g. each of) the moveable refractive plates may be in-use positioned before a respective scanning mirror. Each moveable refractive plate may be arranged to in-use adjust the alignment of the one or more laser beams. This may be achieved by adjusting the tilt angle of the moveable refractive plate to displace the beam in a desired direction by a desired amount. The displacement may be determined via the equation: D = (COS 0 \ 1 -....................*.........................;............=......... where D is the resulting displacement of the beam, T is the vn^-sin11 dl thickness of the plate, 0 is the beam’s angle of incidence, and n is the refractive index of the plate. The method, thus, may comprise using the moveable refractive plate to adjust the alignment of the one or more laser beams. This may allow the displacement of the one or more laser beams to be trimmed to fine tune the beam spot overlap. In a set of embodiments, the optics module comprises N scanning mirrors and N-1 moveable refractive plates. Therefore, in use, N-1 laser beams may be adjusted to be aligned with the Nth laser beam. Equally, alignment may be achieved using N moveable refractive plates for N scanning mirrors. As mentioned earlier in the present application, the one or more laser beams used for ablating and / or cutting need not be the same wavelength or colour. In some embodiments, the one or more laser beams is a plurality of laser beams comprising: one or more laser beams having a first wavelength or wavelength band; and one or more laser beams having a second wavelength or wavelength band (i.e. different to the first wavelength or wavelength band). Embodiments which allow two or more wavelengths or wavelength bands (e.g. colours) of laser light to be incident upon the at least one wire may provide a more space-efficient and time-efficient laser stripping method which can be used for the cutting and / or ablation (e.g. stripping) of multiple target layers and / or reducing the likelihood of residue after cutting and / or ablation. The first wavelength or wavelength band may be greater than 600 nm. The first wavelength or wavelength band may be in the range from 600 nm to 1 mm. The first wavelength or wavelength band may, therefore, be in the red and / or infrared part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The second wavelength or wavelength band may be below 600 nm, e.g. below 500 nm. The second wavelength or wavelength band may be in the range from 10 nm to 600 nm, e.g. 10 nm to 500 nm, e.g. 10 nm to 400 nm. The second wavelength or wavelength band may, therefore, be in the blue and / or UV part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The plurality of laser beams may further include one or more laser beams of a further (e.g. third, fourth, fifth etc) wavelength or wavelength band. In a set of embodiments, the one or more scanning mirrors is a plurality of scanning mirrors arranged so that upon actuating the plurality of scanning mirrors to move the plurality of laser beams: the one or more laser beams having the first wavelength or wavelength band are moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire; and / or the one or more laser beams of the second wavelength or wavelength band are moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire. The plurality of scanning mirrors may be arranged so that upon actuating the plurality of scanning mirrors to move the plurality of laser beams: the one or more laser beams having a further (e.g. third, fourth, fifth etc.) wavelength or wavelength band are moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire. In a set of embodiments, the one or more laser beams having a first wavelength or wavelength band are moved over the lateral dimension of the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a first portion of the removable layer or at least a portion of a first target layer; and the one or more laser beams having a second wavelength or wavelength band are moved over the lateral dimension of the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a second portion of the removable layer or at least a portion of a second target layer. In one example, the first portion may be a bulk amount of material from the removable layer, and the second portion may be remaining residue. As will be appreciated, laser beams having a further wavelength or wavelength band may ablate and / or cut at least a further portion of the removable layer and / or at least a portion of a further (e.g. third, fourth, fifth etc.) target layer. As detailed earlier in the present application, the device may operate in a first mode for targeting the first removable layer or a first target layer (e.g. an insulating layer) and a second mode for targeting a second removable layer or a second target layer (e.g. a shield layer). Alternatively or additionally, the device may operate in a first mode for targeting a first portion (e.g. the bulk) of the removable layer or a first target layer and a second mode for targeting a second portion (e.g. any residue) of the removable layer or a second target layer. The one or more laser beams having the first wavelength or wavelength band may be moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire in a first mode and the one or more laser beams having the second wavelength or wavelength band may be moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire in a second mode. The first mode and the second mode may occur sequentially. The first mode and the second mode may occur simultaneously. The device may comprise a plurality of laser sources. The optics module may comprise said plurality of laser sources. Each laser source may be configured to generate one or more laser beams of the plurality of laser beams. Two or more of the laser sources may be configured to generate laser beams having respectively different wavelengths or wavelength bands. In some embodiments, the device comprises two or more laser sources configured to generate output beams of respectively different wavelengths or wavelength bands. Output beams from one or more (e.g. each) of said laser sources may be split into a respective plurality of laser beams so that a laser source may generate a plurality of beams having the same wavelength or wavelength band. Alternatively or additionally, an output beam from a laser source may be shuttled between two or more scanning mirrors - e.g. so that a single laser beam may be directed to each of the scanning mirrors at different times. The laser beam(s) having a first wavelength or wavelength band may be generated by a first laser source - e.g. a carbon dioxide (CO2) laser source. The applicant has found that CO2 lasers are particularly suitable for quickly removing bulk material from insulation layers. The laser beam(s) having a second wavelength or wavelength band may be generated by a second laser source - e.g. an ultraviolet (UV) laser source. The applicant has found that UV lasers are particularly suitable for removing residue potentially left after bulk removal by CO2 lasers. One or more laser beam(s) having a further wavelength or wavelength band may be generated by a further laser source. The plurality of scanning mirrors may comprise one or more first scanning mirrors for moving the laser beam(s) having a first wavelength or wavelength band and one or more second scanning mirrors for moving the laser beam(s) of a second wavelength or wavelength band. The one or more first scanning mirrors and / or the one or more second scanning mirrors may (e.g. each) comprise (e.g. mounted to the optics module) a single scanning mirror and a return reflector assembly arranged on opposing sides of the at least one wire. The one or more first scanning mirrors may be a first plurality of scanning mirrors. The one or more second scanning mirrors may be a second plurality of scanning mirrors. The plurality of scanning mirrors may be arranged (e.g. at different azimuthal positions) around the at least one wire. Prior art techniques for laser wire stripping using x-y scanning lasers are known to move beams in a flat plane which makes it difficult to perform complete laser wire stripping around the external lateral perimeter of single wires, and this problem is exacerbated when multiple wires are processed at once. This differs to the technique according to embodiments of the invention where the arrangement of the scanning mirrors increases the accessibility of the laser beams to the at least one wire. In a set of embodiments, the one or more first scanning mirrors may be arranged (e.g. at different azimuthal positions) in a first plane and the one or more second scanning mirrors may be arranged (e.g. at different azimuthal positions) in a second plane, the second plane being offset (i.e. spaced) from the first plane. In other words, the one or more first scanning mirrors may be arranged so that in-use one or more laser beams having the first wavelength or wavelength band can be directed from one or more first scanning mirrors toward the at least one wire in a first plane; and the one or more second scanning mirrors may be arranged so that in-use one or more laser beams having the second wavelength or wavelength band can be directed from one or more second scanning mirrors toward the at least one wire in a second plane, the second plane being offset (i.e. spaced) from the first plane. The second plane may be offset from the first plane along the length of the at least one wire. The offset (i.e. distance between the first and second planes) may be up to approximately 1cm, e.g. the offset may be up to approximately 1 mm. In this way, the different wavelength or wavelength band laser beams may be easily operated simultaneously. This may save on processing time and further improve the efficiency of the present technique. The first and second plane may be parallel. The first and second plane may be (e.g. substantially) the same plane. Preferably, the length of the at least one wire lies normal to the first and second plane. In embodiments where each scanning mirror is a single-axis mirror, the axis of each mirror preferably is normal to the first and second plane. The applicant has found that the combination of a plurality of wavelengths and / or wavelength bands with the arrangement of scanning mirrors is novel and inventive in its own right. Thus, when viewed from a further aspect the invention provides device for ablating and / or cutting at least a portion of a removable layer or target layer of at least one wire, each at least one wire having a length, a lateral dimension and an external lateral perimeter, the device comprising: a wire support for in-use supporting an at least one wire; an optics module; wherein the optics module comprises: a plurality of scanning mirrors arranged to be in-use actuated to: move one or more laser beams having a first wavelength or wavelength band over the lateral dimension of the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a first portion of the removable layer or at least a portion of a first target layer; and move one or more laser beams having a second wavelength or wavelength band over the lateral dimension of the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a second portion of the removable layer or at least a portion of a second target layer. The plurality of scanning mirrors may be arranged so that in-use upon actuating one or more of the plurality of scanning mirrors, one or more laser beams having the first wavelength or wavelength band are moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire; and / or (e.g. simultaneously or non-simultaneously) one or more laser beams having a second wavelength or wavelength band are moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire. When viewed from a further aspect, the invention provides a method of using a device to ablate and / or cut at least a portion of a removable layer or target layer of at least one wire, each at least one wire having a length, a lateral dimension and an external lateral perimeter, the device comprising: a wire support for supporting the at least one wire; an optics module, the optics module comprising a plurality of scanning mirrors: wherein the method comprises: the wire support receiving the at least one wire; transmitting the plurality of laser beams to respective scanning mirrors; actuating the plurality of scanning mirrors to: move the one or more laser beams having a first wavelength or wavelength band over the lateral dimension of the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a first portion of the removable layer or at least a portion of a first target layer; and move the one or more laser beams having a second wavelength or wavelength band over the lateral dimension of the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a second portion of the removable layer or at least a portion of a second target layer. The plurality of scanning mirrors may be arranged so that in-use upon actuating one or more of the plurality of scanning mirrors, one or more laser beams having the first wavelength or wavelength band are moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire; and / or (e.g. simultaneously or non-simultaneously) one or more laser beams having a second wavelength or wavelength band are moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire. The at least one wire may have one or more (e.g. a plurality) of target layers -e.g. the at least one wire may be a micro-coaxial cable. The method may involve first cutting and / or ablating one or more layers of such a wire (e.g. cable). After this, at least a portion of one or more of the layers may be physically (e.g. manually) removed - e.g. pulled off by hand. Thus, removing at least a portion of the one or more layers. This physical (e.g. manual) removal may be a final step or an intermediate step where the wire may be reinserted for further processing by the device. Each of the plurality of scanning mirrors is preferably a single-axis scanning mirror arranged to tilt about one axis only. For embodiments comprising a plurality of single-axis scanning mirrors, the plurality of single-axis scanning mirrors are preferably arranged so that their respective tilt axes are mutually parallel. In use, this may allow the respective tilt axes of the single-axis scanning mirrors to be parallel to a longitudinal axis defined by the at least one wire. The single-axis scanning mirrors are preferably mounted within the optics module at fixed (e.g. mounting) positions. The plurality of scanning mirrors may be arranged (e.g. at different azimuthal positions) around the at least one wire so that: the one or more laser beams having a first wavelength or wavelength band may (e.g. move to) have coverage of the external lateral perimeter (e.g. circumference) of the (e.g. each) at least one wire; and the one or more laser beams having a second wavelength or wavelength band may (e.g. move to) have coverage of the external lateral perimeter (e.g. circumference) of the (e.g. each) at least one wire. In a set of embodiments, the one or more first scanning mirrors may be arranged (e.g. at different azimuthal positions) in a first plane and the one or more second scanning mirrors may be arranged (e.g. at different azimuthal positions) in a second plane, the second plane being offset (i.e. spaced from) from the first plane. In other words, the one or more first scanning mirrors may be arranged so that in-use one or more laser beams having the first wavelength or wavelength band can be directed from one or more first scanning mirrors toward the at least one wire in a first plane; and the one or more second scanning mirrors may be arranged so that in-use one or more laser beams having the second wavelength or wavelength band can be directed from one or more second scanning mirrors toward the at least one wire in a second plane, the second plane being offset (i.e. spaced) from the first plane. The offset (i.e. distance between the first and second plane) may be up to approximately 1cm, e.g. the offset may be up to approximately 1 mm. In this way, the different wavelength or wavelength band laser beams may be operated simultaneously. This may save time and further improve the efficiency of the present technique. The second plane may be offset (i.e. spaced) from the first plane along the length of the at least one wire. The first and second plane may be parallel. The first and second plane may be (e.g. substantially) the same plane. Preferably, the length of the at least one wire lies normal to the first and second plane. In embodiments where each scanning mirror is a single-axis mirror, the axis of each mirror preferably is normal to the first and second plane. The device may comprise a mechanism arranged to in-use cause relative movement of the optics module and the at least one wire along at least a portion of the length of the at least one wire. The method may comprise using the mechanism to cause relative movement of the optics module and the at least one wire along at least a portion of the length of the at least one wire. This may allow multiple target layers or multiple portions of the removable layer to be efficiently ablated and / or cut along the length of the at least one wire. Features of the first and / or second wavelength or wavelength band may, wherever appropriate, be applied to any further wavelength or wavelength band Features of any aspect or embodiment described herein may, wherever appropriate, be applied to any other aspect or embodiment described herein. Where reference is made to different embodiments or sets of embodiments, it should be understood that these are not necessarily distinct but may overlap. Brief Description of the Drawings Certain preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows a wire suitable for laser wire stripping; FIG. 2 shows a cross-section of part of a device in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, in use, having one single-axis galvo mirror; FIG. 3 shows a cross-section of part of a device according to another embodiment of the invention, in use, having two single-axis galvo mirrors; FIGs. 4 to 10 show various CAD views of a device according to an embodiment of the invention similar to that shown in FIG. 2; FIGs. 11 to 15 show various CAD views of a device according to another embodiment of the invention, having three single-axis galvo mirrors; FIGs. 16A-C show a schematic cross-sectional view of a device embodying the invention, in use, with a first variant of a wire support; FIG. 17A-C show a cross-sectional view of a device embodying the invention, in use, with a second variant of the wire support; FIGs. 18A-C show a cross-sectional view of a device embodying the invention, in use, with a third variant of the wire support FIG. 19 schematically shows how a refractive plate can be used to adjust a laser beam; FIG. 20 schematically shows how a laser beam can be automatically brought into alignment with a knife edge process; FIG. 21 shows a perspective view of an optics module for use in devices embodying the invention which can direct laser beams of different wavelengths to a wire; FIG. 22 shows another view of the optics module of FIG. 21; FIG. 23 shows the structure of a micro-coaxial cable having multiple target layers; and FIG. 24 shows how the optics module of FIG.21 and 22 could be used to reduce or remove residue on the stripped surface of a wire. Detailed Description Laser wire stripping generally involves removing some insulation or shielding (or other type of removable layer) from a wire using laser light. The laser light used for laser wire stripping typically has a wavelength that is strongly absorbed by the material that is being removed. The purpose of stripping a wire may be to enable connections to other electrical conductors or attachment to a terminal electrical connector or for reclaiming materials for recycling. FIG. 1 shows an example wire 2 which is to be stripped by a device embodying the invention. The wire 2 has a lateral dimension 1, an external lateral perimeter 3 and a length 5. The wire 2 defines a longitudinal axis A. In this example, the wire has a circular cross section meaning the lateral dimension 1 is a diameter and the external lateral perimeter 3 is a circumference. The wire 2 comprises a removable insulating polymer layer 7, part of which may be removed using a device according to embodiments of the invention. A cross-sectional view of one such device 100 embodying the invention is shown in FIG. 2. The device 100 has a single-axis galvo mirror 104, a focusing lens 108 (e.g. an F-theta lens), a collimating lens 110 and a retroreflector 112; all of which form part of an optics module which is moveable along at least part of the length of the wire 102. The device 100 is shown in use, with a wire 102 in situ, the wire 102 having a removable insulation layer 107. In use, a laser source (not shown) generates a laser beam 118 that is transmitted to the single-axis galvo mirror 104. The single-axis galvo mirror 104 tilts about an axis (into the page) which is substantially parallel to the length of the wire 102 to move the laser beam 118 across the wire 102 (i.e. over the lateral dimension of the wire 102). The laser beam 118 is focussed by the focusing lens 108 onto one side of the wire 102. As at least part of the light from the laser beam 118 misses the wire, it is collimated by a collimating lens 110 before being reflected by the retroreflector 112 back to the wire 102 on the opposite side. This arrangement allows one single-axis galvo mirror 104 to be used while allowing the laser beam to access the entirety of the external lateral perimeter of the wire 102 for ablation of the removable layer 107. To cut or ablate the removable layer 107 along the length of the wire 102, the optics module is moved along at least part of the length of the wire. A cross-section of another device 200 according to another embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 3. The device 200 has a beam splitter 216, a static mirror 214, two single-axis galvo mirrors 204a, 204b and two focusing lenses 206a, 206b forming the optics module. The device 200 also has a wire support (not shown) that can hold a plurality of wires 202a, 202b, 202c each having a respective removable layer 207a-c. The two single-axis galvo mirrors 204a, 204b are arranged opposite to each other above and below the wires 202a-c. The respective tilt axes of the galvo mirrors 204a, 204b are mutually parallel. Each single-axis galvo mirror 204a, 204b has a focusing lens 206a, 206b for focusing light reflected from the respective galvo mirror 204a, 204b toward the wires 202a-c. In use, a primary laser beam 218 generated by a laser source (not shown) and is split into two secondary laser beams - i.e. a first beam 218a and a second beam 218b - by the beam splitter 216. The first beam 218a is reflected at the beam splitter 216 to a mirror 214 which directs the first beam 218a to the first galvo mirror 204a. The second beam 218b is transmitted by the beam splitter 216 to the second galvo mirror 204b. The first and second beams 218a,b are each focused on opposite sides of the wires 202a-c by respective focusing lenses 206a,b. As shown in FIG. 3, the first and second beams 218a,b overlap. The first and second beams 218a,b are moved across at least one wire 202a (i.e. over the lateral dimension of the wire 202a). The optics module may then be moved along at least a portion of the wire 202a to ablate and / or cut the removable layer 207a along the length of the wire 202a. To allow the removable layers 207b-c of the other wires 202b, 202c to be stripped, the optics module may be moved laterally and / or the wires 202a-c may be moved laterally - e.g. by moving the wire support (not shown). Another embodiment of the device 600 according to the invention, similar to that shown in FIG.2 is shown in detail in FIGS. 4 to 10. This device 600 has a single galvo mirror and so operates similarly to the embodiment shown in FIG. 2. This device 600 is designed and dimensioned to be particularly suitable for stripping small diameter (i.e. less than 1mm) medical wires where the insulation layer is typically bonded on - i.e. to remove bonded insulation, ablation is required. FIG. 4 shows the device 600 with its side walls removed so that the interior can be seen. The device 600 has a frame 640, a moveable optics module 622 (i.e. a carriage holding the optics of the device which is mounted to a linear moveable stage (not shown)) and an aperture 630 for receiving a wire. The optics module 622 has some components fixed to its interior surface and some components fixed to its exterior surface. The optics module 622 includes a 1W UV laser source 624 and a beam expander 626 positioned to receive the output of the laser source 624. The beam expander protrudes through an opening in a wall of the optics module 622. Further optics, which are arranged on the exterior surface of the optics module 622 are shown in FIG.5. Not shown, but present in FIG. 4, is a clamp (i.e. a gripper) for securing part of the wire within the aperture 630. A separate power supply unit (not shown) may be connected to the device 600 to supply a voltage of approximately 24V to power the operation of the device. Turning to FIG. 5 mirrors 642, 644 are arranged to direct the laser beam output from the beam expander 626 toward further optics components on an adjacent wall of the exterior surface of the optics module 622, said wall being a ‘front wall’ proximal to the aperture 630 for receiving the wire. The front of the optics module 622 is shown in FIG. 6. After the mirrors 642, 644 a single-axis galvo mirror 604 is arranged to deflect an incident laser beam toward a wire held in the wire support (i.e. the aperture 630). As can be seen in FIG. 7, the axis about which the single-axis galvo mirror 604 is arranged to tilt is parallel to a longitudinal axis which would be defined by a wire inserted into the device 600. FIGs. 6 and 7 also show a focusing lens 650 for focusing an incident laser beam from the galvo mirror 604 to a small beam spot of approximately 20pm, and a return reflector assembly comprising a collimating lens 612 for collimating an incident diverging beam into a parallel beam and a mirror (e.g. a retroreflector) 610 for returning any light that misses the wire to the other side of the wire. Alternatively, the collimating 612 lens and mirror 610 may be replaced with a single concave curved mirror. This arrangement is effective as the small diameter of the wire means that, in practice, an incident laser beam is only blocked by the wire approximately 1% of the time. A vacuum tube (not shown) may be provided to draw waste (e.g. ablated) material from the wire. FIGs. 8A-C show a wire support of the device 600 in use. The wire support has a first opening defining a sloped aperture 630, i.e. with a gradually narrowing aperture size - e.g. shaped like a trumpet bell, and a clamp 652 located in the frame 640 of the device 600. The wire support also has a moveable guide 670 mounted to the optics module 622 defining a second similarly sloped aperture 666. As the moveable guide 670 is mounted (e.g. fixed) to the optics module 622, the moveable guide 670 moves with the optics module 662 along the length of the wire 602. A further optional guide 669 is provided which is moveable relative to the optics module 622. This guide 669 may help to straighten out the wire by moving along the wire away from the first aperture 630 (at the front of the device) before laser wire stripping commences. Use of the wire support depicted in FIGs. 8A-C will now be described. A wire 602 is placed within the device 600 by inserting it into the first sloped aperture 630, which guides the wire 602 into the device 600, and through the second sloped aperture 666 and the third sloped aperture 668. Once inserted, the wire 602 is secured by the clamp 652. The third guide 669 moves along the wire 602 away from the first aperture 630 (at the front of the device 600) to straighten out a portion of the wire 602. When the device 600 is in use, the linear moveable stage moves the optics module 622 along with the moveable guide 670 (the moveable guide 670 being fixed to the optics module 622) in the direction denoted by arrow 660. The moveable guide 666 supports the wire 602 so that it is at the correct position at the point where ablation and / or cutting takes place. In this example, the moveable guide 670 is arranged so that the optics module 622 in-use delivers the one or more laser beams adjacent the aperture 666. Therefore, the moveable guide 670 is arranged to in-use move along the wire 602 so that the laser beams are always being delivered adjacent the aperture 666 which helps the wire 602 to be held in correct alignment ensuring the laser beams are in focus at the location of the wire 602. The sloped apertures 630, 666, 668 help the wire more easily slide into the device 600 and through the guides 670, 669 without becoming bent or stuck. FIGs. 9A and 9B show the linear moveable stage 654, in two different positions along the guide rail 656. The linear moveable stage 654 is driven by a stepper motor. FIG. 10 shows the device 600 of FIG. 4 with walls (e.g. 641) secured to the frame 640. The first sloped aperture 630 can be seen at the front of the device 600. The arrangement of the device 600 provides an especially compact footprint which fits within an A4 sheet of paper - i.e. approximately 0.063m2. Another embodiment of a device 700 according to the invention is shown in detail in FIGs. 11 to 15. This device 700 differs from embodiments shown in previous figures as there are three single-axis galvo mirrors used instead of one or two. Similarly to the device 600 shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 11 shows a frame 740 an opening (i.e.aperture) 730 for receiving the wire and an optics module 722 which is in-use moveable along the length of the wire, relative to the frame 740, using a linear stage similar to the linear stage shown in FIGs. 9A-B. The optics module 722 includes a 30 Watt CO2 laser source 724 and two mirrors 742, 744 for directing a laser beam output from the laser source 724 through a shutter 745 to an optics block 747. FIG. 12 shows a different perspective view of the device 700 from the other side where the optics block 747 is shown in more detail. The optics module 722 is mounted to the linear moveable stage (not shown) which is driven by a stepper motor along the guide rail (not shown). The optics block 747 has an aperture 746 between the mirror 744 and the shutter 745. The shutter may either allow or prevent laser beams entering the optics block 747 depending on whether the device 700 is in use. The optics block 747 has two shuttling mirror assemblies 764, 766 and a static mirror assembly 768 arranged in sequence, each being followed by respective adjustable beam expanders 770, 772, 774. The shuttling mirror assemblies 764, 766, can each be driven to move a respective mirror up and down along respective rails. Thus, the shuttling mirror assemblies 764, 766 and static mirror assembly 768 can be operated so that a single laser beam is sequentially directed to respective galvo mirrors 704a,704b,704c, via their respective beam expanders 770, 772, 774, which allows them to ablate and / or cut the entire lateral perimeter of the wire by each mirror stripping a portion of the lateral perimeter of the wire. Alternatively but not shown in the figures, the optics block 747 may have, instead of shuttling mirror assemblies, two beam splitter assemblies and a static mirror assembly arranged in sequence in the beam path, each being followed by respective adjustable beam expanders. The beam splitter assemblies and static mirror assembly could allow a primary laser beam to be split into three secondary laser beams which could then be transmitted to respective galvo mirrors through their respective beam expanders. FIG. 13 shows the optics module 722 from a different perspective without the frame 740 of the device. FIG. 14 shows the side of the optics module 722, and the optics block 747, that is proximal to the aperture for receiving the wire (i.e. at the ‘front’ side of the device 700). As mentioned above, this embodiment has three single-axis galvo mirrors 704a, 704b, 704c which, in use, are arranged in different azimuthal positions around the wire with uniform spacing therebetween. All three single-axis galvo mirrors 704a, 704b, 704c are arranged so that the axes about which the galvo mirrors 704a-c are arranged to tilt are parallel to a longitudinal axis which would be defined by a wire inserted into the cavity 788 of the device 700. Further optical components are arranged between the beam expanders and the galvo mirror as explained below with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. When the uppermost shuttling mirror 764 is in a position along its rail that coincides with an incident laser beam from the shutter 745 the shuttling mirror 764 reflects the beam to the uppermost beam expander 770 in the optics block 747. The beam then is reflected again toward the first galvo mirror 704a via a static mirror 776. The galvo mirror 704a has a respective focusing lens 706a positioned so that, in use, the focusing lens 706a focuses the deflected laser beam into a beam spot on the wire which is rapidly moved across (i.e. over the lateral dimension of) the wire by the galvo mirror 704a. The uppermost shuttling mirror 764 may then be moved out of the path of the incident laser beam so that the lowermost shuttling mirror 766 is positioned in the path of the beam reflecting the beam to the middle beam expander 772 in the optics block 747. The beam then is reflected again toward the second galvo mirror 704b via a static mirror 778. The galvo mirror 704b has a respective focusing lens 706b positioned so that, in use, the focusing lens 706b focuses the deflected laser beam into a beam spot on the wire which is rapidly moved across (i.e. over the lateral dimension of) the wire by the galvo mirror 704b. The lowermost shuttling mirror 766 may then also be moved out of the path of the incident laser beam so that the static mirror assembly 768 is positioned in the path of the beam, reflecting the beam to the lowermost beam expander 774 in the optics block 747. The beam then is reflected again toward the third galvo mirror 704c via two static mirrors 780, 782. The galvo mirror 704c has a respective focusing lens 706c positioned so that, in use, the focusing lens 706c focuses the deflected laser beam into a beam spot on the wire which is rapidly moved across (i.e. over the lateral dimension of) the wire by the galvo mirror 704c. This process of shuttling the beam may be repeated. The optics module may 722 also move along the wire to until a desired portion of the wire is ablated and / or cut. FIG. 15 illustrates the range of motion that can be achieved by the relative movement between the optics module and the wire as it shows the optics module 722 at a position along the guide rail of the linear stage (not shown) that is furthest from the ‘front’ side of the device 700. The wire may be supported in a number of ways during laser wire stripping. FIGs. 16A-C illustrate one way in which the wire can be supported during operation of the device at successive time points. FIGs. 16A-C show a device 300 embodying the invention having two wall apertures 330, 331 in opposite walls of the device (i.e. the front and back wall); a guide aperture 321 between the two wall apertures 330, 331; a gripper 320; and a moveable optics module 322. The apertures 330,321,331 are sized for receiving a wire (i.e. a cable 302) therethrough. The guide aperture 321 is fixed to the optics module 322 and, therefore, moves with the optics module 322 to prevent sagging of the wire 302 and to ensure the wire 302 is aligned with focal plane of the lasers 318a, 318b. In use, the wire 302 is fed through the machine so that the apertures 330, 331 support the wire 302 at two positions as shown in FIG 16A. When the wire 302 is in a desired position, the gripper 320’ grips the wire 302 as shown in FIG. 16B and the laser beams 318a, 318b are moved over the circumference of the wire 302 by one or more galvo mirrors (not shown) to cut and / or ablate the insulation around the entire circumference of the wire 302. The optics module 322 may then be moved along the length of the wire as shown in FIG. 16C to either cut a slit along the length of the wire 302 before cutting and / or ablating another ring of insulation or to continue ablation along the wire 302. This method may be more suitable for long wires which may be continuously fed through the device 300 and coiled up after being output from the second wall aperture 331 of the device 300. FIGs. 17A-C illustrate a further way in which a wire can be supported during operation of the device, in particular, small diameter (i.e. less than 1 mm) medical wires 402. This is a similar use-case to that shown in FIGs. 4 to 10. FIGs. 17A-C show a device 400 embodying the invention having a wall aperture 430 in the front wall of the device 400; a gripper 420; a moveable optics module 422; and a wire sensor 403. The wire sensor 403 may be a button that starts the wire stripping process when hit by the wire. For example, the wire 402 is first inserted into the device 400, as shown in FIG. 17A, and the wire sensor 403 detects the wire 402 which then triggers the gripper 420’ to clamp the wire 402 as shown in FIG. 17B. The optics module 422 is moved along a portion of the wire 402 as the one or more galvo mirrors (not shown) are actuated to move the laser beams 418a, 418b across the wire 402 to remove the bonded insulation (not shown) by ablation. In this example, the device 400 does not require the guide aperture 321 of FIGs. 16A-C because the dimensions of the wire 402 are such that the wire 402 is stiff enough to be self-supporting in the device 400. FIGs. 18A-C illustrate yet another way in which a wire can be supported during operation of the device which combines the guide aperture 321 of FIGs. 16A-C and the wire sensor 403 of FIGs. 17A-C. FIGs. 18A-C show a device 500 embodying the invention having a wall aperture 530 in the front wall of the device 500; a gripper 520; a moveable optics module 522; and a wire sensor 503. In use, an end of the wire 502 is inserted into the device 500 toward the wire sensor 503 via the guide aperture 321, as shown in FIG. 18A. The wire sensor 503 detects the wire 502 which then triggers the gripper 520’ to clamp the wire 502 as shown in FIG. 18B. The laser beams 518a, 518b are moved over the circumference of the wire 502 by one or more galvo mirrors (not shown) to cut and / or ablate the insulation around the entire circumference of the wire 502. The optics module 522 may then be moved along the length of the wire as shown in FIG. 18C to either cut a slit along the length of the wire 502 before cutting and / or ablating another ring of insulation or to continue ablation along the wire 502. The guide aperture 521 is fixed to the optics module 522 and, therefore, moves with the optics module 522 to prevent sagging of the wire 502 and to ensure the wire 502 is aligned with focal plane of the lasers 518a, 518b. This particular arrangement is suitable for wires 502 that are too large to be self-supporting and which only need to be stripped near an end of the wire 502 (i.e. wires which are not continuously fed through the device 500). During operation of a device embodying the present invention, one or more laser beams are scanned across the wire. Along the wire, the area where laser wire stripping (i.e. ablation and / or cutting) occurs is set by the optics module and is nominally fixed. Using kinematic mirror mount adjusters, the shuttled beam or split beams can be overlapped to be coincident from all optical paths. In the long term, however, it can be expected that the overlap will drift in time due to mechanical creep and thermal cycling. In some applications, it is important that the laser beams are overlapped to better than 10 microns. From time to time, it may help to adjust the optics to ensure that the beam or beams are directed to the correct position so that the entire lateral perimeter (circumference in the case of a cylindrical wire) is stripped by the device. However, FIGs 19 and 20 demonstrate how a laser beam can be automatically brought into alignment using a moveable refractive plate, a knife edge and a detector. Optionally, devices embodying the invention may include a system for automatic overlap adjustment. For this, a means of measuring the overlap and a means of accurately adjusting it are provided. FIG 19 shows the latter and includes a refractive plate 809 a single-axis galvo mirror 804 and a focusing lens 808. A laser beam 813 is depicted being directed to a wire 802 for laser wire stripping. FIG. 19 shows the refractive plate 809 in both a first orientation at a first time point t=0 and the refractive plate 809’ in a second orientation at a second time point t=1. By rotating the refractive plate 809 to its second orientation 809’, the laser beam 813’ is displaced by a small amount refractively. By choosing the appropriate thickness of the refractive plate 809, we can control the sensitivity of the adjustment. By using a thin refractive plate 809 relatively crude rotation can achieve very small adjustments. Turning to FIG. 20, a means of measuring the overlap and adjusting the overlap is shown. FIG. 20 shows the same components as shown in FIG. 19. However, in place of the wire 802 a knife edge 869 and detector 870 are provided. The detector 870 is arranged ‘behind’ (i.e. below) the knife edge 869 (so that the knife edge is between the focusing lens 808 and the detector 870). To measure the position of the laser beam 813, the optics module (e.g. 622) is moved so that the laser beam 813 impinges on the sharp knife edge 869. As the refractive plate 809 is rotated between its first and second orientation, the light impinging on the detector 870 varies between 0% (fully blocked) and 100% (fully missing the knife edge 869). The orientation of the refractive plate 809 can be set so that a determined amount of light hits the detector 870 - e.g. 50%. This measurement and adjustment may be carried out for all laser beams with the optics module in the same place and with the knife edge 869 in the same place. This procedure overlaps the laser beams with a precision of much less than one laser beam diameter. This similarly can be used to optimize the focus of the device. The focusing lens 808 (or an arrangement of lenses) may be moved along the laser beam direction to adjust the focus. The sharpness of the transition from 0% to 100% will depend on the laser spot size on the knife edge 869. A series of measurements may be made with varying focus positions until the sharpest transition is found at the focus point. For the focus measurement, optionally the knife edge may be in the opposite orientation in which case the laser beam may be scanned with the scanning mirror to find the focus. The device may therefore have two knife edges one for focus measurement and one for beam alignment each knife edge being in opposite orientations. Although the device may operate using only one wavelength or wavelength band of laser light, further improvements to the performance of laser wire stripping may be achieved by delivering laser beams of different wavelengths or wavelength bands to the wire. FIGS. 21 and 22 show a front view and a rear view of an optics module 922 for use in devices and methods embodying the invention for directing laser beams of different wavelengths or wavelength bands to a wire 902c. The optics module 922 has three laser sources 924a, 924b, 925 located at the peripheries of the optics module 922: two CO2 lasers 924a, 924b and a UV laser 925. In other examples, the laser sources may be mounted external to the optics module (e.g. mounted to the frame) so that the laser sources are fixed when the optics module moves. The optics module 922 has a group of first scanning mirrors 904a, 904b, 904c and a group of second scanning mirrors 904d, 904e. All of the scanning mirrors 904a, 904b, 904c, 904d, 904e are mounted on the same side of the support element 930 of the optics module 922. In this example, the wire support (not shown) allows for multiple parallel wires 902a-d to be supported in the device at the same time. As can be seen in Fig. 21, the support element 930 of the optics module 922 on which the scanning mirrors 904a, 904b, 904c, 904d, 904e are mounted comprises an opening (resembling a keyhole shape) sized and shaped to allow relative movement of the optics module 922 and the wires 902a-d. As can be seen in FIG. 21, the scanning mirrors 904a, 904b, 904c, 904d, 904e are arranged at different azimuthal positions around the wire 902 so as to allow the laser beams to access substantially the entire circumference of the wire 902. The group of first scanning mirrors 904a, 904b, 904c are arranged in a first plane and the group of second scanning mirrors 904d, 904e are arranged in a second plane which is parallel and spaced from the first plane. For example, the group of first scanning mirrors 904a, 904b, 904c may be mounted such that they project at a first distance from a first side 930a of the support element 930 and the group of second scanning mirrors 904d, 904e may be mounted such that they project at a second distance from a first side 930a of the support element 930 (i.e. the first and second distances being different - e.g. by less than 1 mm). The length of the at least one wire 902c lies normal to the first and second planes. The spacing between planes is very small - i.e. less than 1 mm. In this way, different wavelength or wavelength band laser beams may be operated simultaneously, impinging on the wire 902c at different positions along the wire 902c. This may save time and further improve the efficiency of the present technique. Each CO2 laser 924a, 924b generates a respective infrared laser beam 915, 916. The UV laser 925 generates a UV laser beam 913 which, in this example, is split into three UV laser beams 913a, 913b, 913c by suitable beam splitting optics. The device may be operated so that the UV laser source 925 and the CO2 laser sources 924a, 924b operate simultaneously, or at different times. FIGS. 21 and 22 show the optics module 922, in use, when the lasers 924a, 924b, 925 are operated simultaneously. When the device is in operation, and all laser sources 924a, 924b, 925 are switched on, each of the laser beams 913a, 913b, 913c, 915, 916 are directed to a respective single-axis galvo scanning mirror 904a, 904b, 904c, 904d, 904e. Each scanning mirror 904a, 904b, 904c, 904d, 904e is arranged to move its respective laser beam over the lateral dimension of one or more of the wires 902a-e (i.e. across the wire(s)). The tilt-axis of each single axis galvo mirror 904a-e is preferably parallel to the length of each wire, so that the laser beams 913a, 913b, 913c, 915, 916 are incident perpendicular to the length of the wire 902c. The optics module 922 may be mounted within a device in any suitable manner, and for example, may be moveably mounted such that the optics module 922 can translate linearly relative to the wires 902a-d along the movement arrows 950 depicted - e.g. using a movement mechanism. The optics module 922 may move along the length of the wire 902c such that the CO2 (e.g. infrared) laser beams 915, 916 impinge a certain point of the wire 902c first, followed by the LIV laser beams 913a, 913b, 913c as the optics module 922 moves along the length of the wire 902c. This may allow the CO2 (e.g. infrared) laser beams 915, 916 to cut and / or ablate the bulk of the material, after which the residue is removed by the UV laser beams 913a, 913b, 913c. FIG. 23 shows the structure of a micro-coaxial cable 912 which may be especially suited for laser wire stripping using multiple colours of laser light as depicted by FIG. 21 and 22. The cable 912 comprises a centre conductor 920, surrounded by a dielectric core 919, surrounded by an outer conductor 918 which is surrounded by an insulating jacket 917. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the micro-coaxial cable 912 can carry a high-speed signal in the centre conductor 920 while the surrounding outer conductor 918 acts as a shield. The two conductors 920, 918 are separated by the dielectric core 919 (i.e. an insulator). Typically, micro-coaxial cables are stripped mechanically. However, small cables with outer diameters of less than 0.1mm are becoming more common, especially in medical devices. For such small cable diameters, laser stripping is the only viable alternative to manual preparation with a scalpel and microscope which is laborious and time-consuming. Using the optics module 922 of FIGS. 21 and 22, two different laser colours (i.e. wavelengths or wavelength bands) can be incident upon the cable 912 and may each independently interact with different target layers. For example, each layer to be removed may be targeted by a specific laser beam having a specific wavelength or wavelength band suitable for ablating and / or cutting the layer’s material (e.g. a wavelength that is substantially absorbed by the target material). This technique may also be applied to other multi-conductor coaxial cables, e.g. twin-ax or tri-ax cabes, having two or more insulated conductors surrounded by a shield layer. The method may involve first cutting and / or ablating one or more layers of such a cable. After this, at least a portion of the one or more layers can be physically removed - e.g. pulled off-from the remaining cable. This may be a final step or the cable may be reinserted for further processing by the device (e.g. to remove further portions of the cable or to remove any remaining residue). FIG. 24 shows how the optics module of FIGS. 21 and 22 could be used to reduce or remove residue on the stripped surface of a wire. The applicant has found that for some materials, the removable (e.g. target) layer may not be fully removed by a single colour of laser light and some residue may be left behind. In the example shown in FIG. 24, the insulation layer 907 has been largely removed by a carbon dioxide laser but some residue 906 has been left behind. In such a case, a UV laser is able to remove residue 906, leaving behind a clean conductor 905. The use of both lasers is preferred compared to the UV laser alone, which would be substantially slower. Using two or more laser beams of different colours (i.e. wavelengths or wavelength bands), as shown in FIGS. 21 and 22, allows for particularly efficient laser wire stripping with a significant reduction in the occurrence of residue.

Claims

1. A method of using a device to ablate and / or cut at least a portion of a removable layer of at least one wire, each at least one wire having a length, a lateral dimension and an external lateral perimeter, the device comprising:a wire support for supporting the at least one wire;an optics module, the optics module comprising:one or more scanning mirrors arranged so that upon actuating the one or more scanning mirrors to move one or more laser beams, the one or more laser beams are moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire; anda mechanism arranged to in-use cause relative movement of the optics module and the at least one wire along at least a portion of the length of the at least one wire;wherein the method comprises:the wire support receiving the at least one wire;transmitting the one or more laser beams to the one or more scanning mirrors;actuating the one or more scanning mirrors to move the one or more laser beams over the lateral dimension of the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a portion of the removable layer; andusing the mechanism to cause relative movement of the optics module and the at least one wire along at least a portion of the length of the at least one wire.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device is a laser wire stripper.

3. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein each scanning mirror is a single-axis scanning mirror and actuating the one or more single-axis scanning mirrors comprises tilting each single-axis scanning mirror about a respective axis.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the axis of each single-axis scanning mirror is substantially parallel to the length or a longitudinal axis of the at least one wire.

5. The method according to any preceding claim, comprising oscillating each of the scanning mirrors at a frequency of at least 1 Hz.

6. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the mechanism comprises a moveable stage to which the optics module is mounted; wherein the relative movement of the optics module and the at least one wire is caused by moving the optics module relative to the at least one wire using the moveable stage.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the moveable stage is either:(i) a linear stage, the method comprising moving the optics module along the length of the at least one wire; or(ii) an XY stage, the method comprising the XY stage moving the optics module along the length of the at least one wire and substantially orthogonal to the length of the at least one wire.

8. The method according to any preceding claim, comprising receiving the at least one wire into the wire support via an aperture extending through a wall of the device.

9. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more scanning mirrors is a plurality of scanning mirrors arranged around the at least one wire so that, upon actuating the plurality of scanning mirrors to move one or more laser beams, the one or more laser beams are moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire; wherein the method comprises either:(i) transmitting a plurality of laser beams to the plurality of scanning mirrors, so that each laser beam is transmitted to a respective scanning mirror; andactuating the plurality of scanning mirrors to move the plurality of laser beams over the lateral dimension of the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a portion of the removable layer; or(ii) sequentially transmitting a single laser beam to each of the plurality of scanning mirrors, so that the laser beam is incident on one scanning mirror at a time; andactuating each scanning mirror of the plurality of scanning mirrors to move the laser beam over at least a portion of the lateral dimension of the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a portion of the removable layer.

10. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the at least one wire is a single wire and the wire support comprises:a holder for in-use receiving a single wire and holding the wire at a fixed contact point so that a portion of the wire extends from the holder; anda moveable guide for in-use supporting the portion of the wire extending from the holder, wherein the moveable guide defines an aperture through which the wire in-use passes;wherein the method comprises:delivering the one or more laser beams adjacent the aperture; andmoving the moveable guide along the portion of the wire so that the optics module delivers the one or more laser beams to the wire adjacent the aperture.

11. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the one or more laser beams is a plurality of laser beams comprising:one or more laser beams having a first wavelength or wavelength band; andone or more laser beams having a second wavelength or wavelengthband.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the one or more scanning mirrors is a plurality of scanning mirrors arranged around the at least one wire so that upon actuating the plurality of scanning mirrors to move the plurality of laser beams:the one or more laser beams having the first wavelength or wavelength band are moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire;and / orthe one or more laser beams having the second wavelength or wavelength band are moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire.

13. The method according to claim 11 or 12, comprising:moving the one or more laser beams having a first wavelength or wavelength band over the lateral dimension of the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a first portion of the removable layer or at least a portion of a first target layer; andmoving the one or more laser beams having a second wavelength or wavelength band over the lateral dimension of the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a second portion of the removable layer or at least a portion of a second target layer.

14. The method according to any preceding claim, wherein the device comprises a plurality of laser sources, wherein each laser source is configured to generate one or more laser beams of the plurality of laser beams and two or more of the laser sources are configured to generate laser beams having respectively different wavelengths or wavelength bands.

15. A device for ablating and / or cutting at least a portion of a removable layer of at least one wire, each at least one wire having a length, a lateral dimension and an external lateral perimeter, the device comprising:a wire support for in-use supporting an at least one wire;an optics module;a mechanism arranged to in-use cause relative movement of the optics module and the at least one wire along at least a portion of the length of the at least one wire;wherein the optics module comprises:one or more scanning mirrors arranged so that in-use upon actuating the one or more scanning mirrors to move one or more laser beams, the one or more laser beams is moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire;the one or more scanning mirrors being arranged to be in-use actuated to move the one or more laser beams over the lateral dimension of the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a portion of the removable layer.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the device is a laser wire stripper.

17. The device of claim 15 or 16, wherein each scanning mirror is a single-axis scanning mirror arranged to tilt about a respective axis.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the axis of each single-axis scanning mirror is in-use substantially parallel to the length or a longitudinal axis of the at least one wire.

19. The device of any one of claims 15 to 18, wherein the device comprises an enclosure; a frame; and one or more walls; wherein at least one of the walls defines an aperture for in-use receiving the at least one wire.

20. The device of any one of claims 15 to 19, wherein the mechanism comprises a moveable stage to which the optics module is mounted; the mechanism being arranged to in-use cause the relative movement of the optics module and the at least one wire by moving the optics module using the moveable stage.

21. The device according to claim 20, wherein the moveable stage is either:(i) a linear stage arranged to move the optics module along the length of the at least one wire; or(ii) an XY stage arranged to move the optics module along the length of the at least one wire and substantially orthogonal to the length of the at least one wire.

22. The device according to any one of claims 15 to 21, wherein the optics module comprises a single scanning mirror and a return reflector assembly which are in-use arranged on opposing sides of the at least one wire.

23. The device of any one of claims 15 to 22, comprising a plurality of scanning mirrors in-use arranged so that upon actuating the plurality of scanning mirrors to move one or more laser beams, the one or more laser beams is moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire.

24. The device of any one of claims 15 to 23, the optics module comprising a moveable refractive plate arranged to in-use adjust the alignment of the one or more laser beams.

25. The device of any one of claims 15 to 24, wherein the at least one wire is a single wire and the wire support comprises:a holder for in-use receiving a single wire and holding the wire at a fixed contact point so that a portion of the wire extends from the holder; anda moveable guide for in-use supporting the portion of the wire extending from the holder, wherein the moveable guide defines an aperture through which the wire in-use passes;wherein the optics module is configured to in-use deliver the one or more laser beams adjacent the aperture and the moveable guide is arranged to in-use move along the portion of the wire so that the optics module delivers the one or more laser beams to the wire adjacent the aperture.

26. The device of any one of claims 15 to 25, wherein the one or more laser beams is a plurality of laser beams comprising:one or more laser beams having a first wavelength or wavelength band; andone or more laser beams having a second wavelength or wavelength band.

27. The device according to claim 26, wherein the one or more scanning mirrors is a plurality of scanning mirrors arranged around the at least one wire so that upon actuating the plurality of scanning mirrors to move the plurality of laser beams:the one or more laser beams having the first wavelength or wavelength band are moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire; and / orthe one or more laser beams having the second wavelength or wavelength band are moved over the external lateral perimeter of the at least one wire.

28. The device according to claim 26 or 27, wherein the one or more scanning mirrors is a plurality of scanning mirrors arranged to be in-use actuated to:move the one or more laser beams having a first wavelength or wavelength band over the lateral dimension of the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a first portion of the removable layer or at least a portion of a first target layer; andmove the one or more laser beams having a second wavelength or wavelength band over the lateral dimension of the at least one wire to ablate and / or cut at least a second portion of the removable layer or at least a portion of a second target layer.

29. The device according to any one of claims 15 to 28, comprising a plurality of laser sources, wherein each laser source is configured to generate one or more laser beams of the plurality of laser beams and two or more of the laser sources are configured to generate laser beams having respectively different wavelengths 5 or wavelength bands.

Images