20908 results about "Optical fiber" patented technology

The present invention is directed toward a fiber optic position and shape sensing device and the method of use. The device comprises an optical fiber means. The optical fiber means comprises either at least two single core optical fibers or a multicore optical fiber having at least two fiber cores. In either case, the fiber cores are spaced apart such that mode coupling between the fiber cores is minimized. An array of fiber Bragg gratings are disposed within each fiber core. A broadband reference reflector is positioned in an operable relationship to each fiber Bragg grating wherein an optical path length is established for each reflector/grating relationship. A frequency domain reflectometer is positioned in an operable relationship to the optical fiber means. In use, the device is affixed to an object. Strain on the optical fiber is measured and the strain measurements correlated to local bend measurements. Local bend measurements are integrated to determine position or shape of the object.

A fabric, in the form of a woven or knitted fabric or garment, including a flexible information infrastructure integrated within the fabric for collecting, processing, transmitting and receiving information concerning-but not limited to-a wearer of the fabric. The fabric allows a new way to customize information processing devices to "fit" the wearer by selecting and plugging in (or removing) chips/sensors from the fabric thus creating a wearable, mobile information infrastructure that can operate in a stand-alone or networked mode. The fabric can be provided with sensors for monitoring physical aspects of the wearer, for example body vital signs, such as heart rate, EKG, pulse, respiration rate, temperature, voice, and allergic reaction, as well as penetration of the fabric. The fabric consists of a base fabric ("comfort component"), and an information infrastructure component which can consist of a penetration detection component, or an electrical conductive component, or both. The preferred penetration detection component is a sheathed optical fiber. The information infrastructure component can include, in addition to an electrically conductive textile yarn, a sensor or a connector for a sensor. A process is provided for making an electrical interconnection between intersecting electrically conductive yarns. Furthermore, a process is established for sheathing the plastic optical fiber and protecting it.

Controls for an optical scanner, such as a single fiber scanning endoscope (SFSE) that includes a resonating optical fiber and a single photodetector to produce large field of view, high-resolution images. A nonlinear control scheme with feedback linearization is employed in one type of control to accurately produce a desired scan. Open loop and closed loops controllers are applied to the nonlinear optical scanner of the SFSE. A closed loop control (no model) uses either phase locked loop and PID controllers, or a dual-phase lock-in amplifier and two PIDs for each axis controlled. Other forms of the control that employ a model use a frequency space tracking control, an error space tracking control, feedback linearizing controls, an adaptive control, and a sliding mode control.

An optical fiber for transmitting radiation comprising two or more core regions, two or more core regions, each core region comprising a substantially transparent core material and having a core refractive index, a core length, and a core diameter, wherein said core regions are arranged within a cladding region, said cladding region comprising a length of first substantially transparent cladding material, having a first refractive index, wherein said first substantially transparent cladding material has an array of lengths of a second cladding material embedded along its length, wherein the second cladding material has a second refractive index which is less than said first refractive index, such that radiation input to said fiber propagates along at least one of said core regions. The cladding region and the core regions may be arranged such that radiation input to said optical fiber propagates along one or more said lengths of said core regions in a single mode of propagation. The optical fiber may be used as a bend sensor, a spectral filter or a directional coupler. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing a multicore optical fiber.

A laser catheter is disclosed wherein optical fibers carrying laser light are mounted in a catheter for insertion into an artery to provide controlled delivery of a laser beam for percutaneous intravascular laser treatment of atherosclerotic disease. A transparent protective shield is provided at the distal end of the catheter for mechanically diplacing intravascular blood and protecting the fibers from the intravascular contents, as well as protecting the patient in the event of failure of the fiber optics. Multiple optical fibers allow the selection of tissue that is to be removed. A computer controlled system automatically aligns fibers with the laser and controls exposure time. Spectroscopic diagnostics determine what tissue is to be removed.

A laser based coordinate measuring device measures a position of a remote target. The laser based coordinate measuring device includes a stationary portion, a rotatable portion, and at least a first optical fiber. The stationary portion has at least a first laser radiation source and at least a first optical detector, and the rotatable portion is rotatable with respect to the stationary portion. The first optical fiber system, which optically interconnects the first laser radiation source and the first optical detector with an emission end of the first optical fiber system, has the emission end disposed on the rotatable portion. The emission end emits laser radiation to the remote target and receives laser radiation reflected from the remote target with the emission direction of the laser radiation being controlled according to the rotation of the rotatable portion.

An optical detection and orientation device is provided comprising housing having an excitation light source, an optical element for reflecting the excitation light to an aspherical lens and transmitting light emitted by a fluorophore excited by said excitation light, a focussing lens for focusing the emitted light onto the entry of an optical fiber, which serves as a confocal aperture, and means for accurately moving said housing over a small area in relation to a channel in a microfluidic device. The optical detection and orientation device finds use in identifying the center of the channel and detecting fluorophores in the channel during operations involving fluorescent signals.

Small, rugged scanners micro-fabricated from commercial optical fibers to form waveguides or other structures. The scanning waveguide has a distal portion on which is formed a non-linear taper with a diameter that decreases toward a distal end. Optionally, a hinge portion having a reduced diameter can be formed in the distal portion, improving the scanning properties of the waveguide. A micro-lens can be integrally formed at the distal tip of the waveguide with either a droplet of an optical adhesive, or by using an energy beam to melt the material of the waveguide to form a droplet. The droplet is shaped with an externally applied force. When mechanically driven in vibratory resonance, the tip of the optical waveguides moves in linear or two-dimensional scan patterns of relatively high amplitude and frequency, and large field of view. The scanner can be used either for image acquisition or image display.

A catheter for diagnosis or treatment of a vessel or organ is provided in which a flexible elongated body includes a tri-axial force sensor formed of a housing and a plurality of optical fibers associated with the housing that measure changes in the intensity of light reflected from the lateral surfaces of the housing resulting from deformation caused by forces applied to a distal extremity of the housing. A controller receives an output of the optical fibers and computes a multi-dimensional force vector corresponding to the contact force.

The invention provides a design process that is used in the determination of the pattern of detector and illumination optical fibers at the sampling area of a subject. Information about the system, specifically a monochromator (e.g. to determine the optimal number of fibers at an output slit) and the bundle termination at a detector optics stack (e.g. to determine the optimal number of fibers at the bundle termination), is of critical importance to this design. It is those numbers that determine the ratio and number of illumination to detection fibers, significantly limiting and constraining the solution space. Additional information about the estimated signal and noise in the skin is necessary to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio in the wavelength range of interest. Constraining the fibers to a hexagonal perimeter and prescribing a hex-packed pattern, such that alternating columns contain illumination and detection fibers, yields optimal results. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, two detectors share the totality of the detection fibers at the sampling interface. A third group of detection fibers is used for classification purposes.

The present invention is directed toward a fiber optic position and shape sensing device and the method of use. The device comprises an optical fiber means. The optical fiber means comprises either at least two single core optical fibers or a multicore optical fiber having at least two fiber cores. In either case, the fiber cores are spaced apart such that mode coupling between the fiber cores is minimized. An array of fiber Bragg gratings are disposed within each fiber core and a frequency domain reflectometer is positioned in an operable relationship to the optical fiber means. In use, the device is affixed to an object. Strain on the optical fiber is measured and the strain measurements correlated to local bend measurements. Local bend measurements are integrated to determine position and/or shape of the object.

The present invention includes a high performance communications cable for transmission media that includes core support-separators which define clearance channels to maintain spacing between transmission media or transmission media pairs. The core support-separator can be either interior to a cable jacket or be employed singularly without the benefit of a jacket and extends along the longitudinal length of the communications cable. The core support-separator has a central region that may include flap-tops along the radial edge that are available for partial or complete sealing of the clearance channels during manufacturing operations. The central region may also include a hollow center portion and include various geometric shapes to provide proper spacing between conductors. Each of the defined clearance channels allow for disposal therein of metal conductors and/or optical fibers.

A communication system (10) supports the provision of a plurality of dedicated communication resources (50–64), such as copper drops, RF links and optical fibers, to dedicated home-gateway devices (44–48) or distribution points (124). The communication resources (50–64) support broadband interconnection (104) between the dedicated home-gateway devices (44–48) or distribution points (124) and an access multiplexor (30) in a network (12). Each gateway device (44–48) or distribution point (124) generally includes a local RF transceiver (84) and associated control logic (80–82) that allows local communication (86) between gateway devices (44–48) and hence statistically multiplexed access (60–64, 89) to multiple communication resources, thereby providing increased bandwidth in uplink and/or downlink directions. With the control logic (80) operable to provide a routing and prioritisation/arbitration function, each gateway (44–48) is able to selectively engage use of supplemental, non-reserved communication resources usually associated with a dedicated ono-to-one connection between the access network (12) and at least one secondary gateway. Physical layer access to information routed via a secondary gateway within a virtual neighborhood network (90–92) comprising several gateways is restricted through an end-to-end encryption algorithm between an originating gateway and, at least, the access multilpexor (30).

The present invention provides an optical fiber in which the transmission loss increase is suppressed even under a high-humidity condition or under a water-immersed condition. A colored optical fiber (22) according to an embodiment of the present invention is a colored optical fiber (22) formed by applying a colored layer to an optical fiber (14) including a glass optical fiber coated with at least a double-layered coating layer of a soft layer and a hard layer, and the ratio of thermal expansion coefficient between the coating layer after the colored layer of the colored optical fiber (22) is applied and the coating layer of the optical fiber (14) before the colored layer is applied is 0.87 or more. Furthermore, an optical fiber ribbon (32) according to another embodiment of the present invention is an optical fiber (32) formed by arranging a plurality of the colored optical fiber (22) in the form of a plane and coating them all together with a ribbon resin and the ratio of thermal expansion coefficient between the coating layer after the colored layer of the colored optical fiber (22) is applied and the coating layer of the optical fiber before the colored layer is applied is 0.90 or more.

Provided is a bend-insensitive optical fiber including a core centered at the optical fiber, a cladding surrounding the core and having a lower refractive index than the core, a coating layer surrounding the cladding, and a region formed in the cladding and having a lower refractive index than the cladding, wherein the coating layer has a multilayered structure and a total outer diameter of 240 μm or less, and a bend-insensitive optical cable comprising the same.

An optical transceiver device is provided, including an O/E transceiver module, an optical switching module and a switching control module, for providing network communication services for a first and a second optical fiber network equipment. The O/E transceiver module is an integrated chip having multiple transceiver units integrated therein. The switching control module is connected to an in-line equipment and the optical switching module for controlling the optical switching module to execute corresponding optical path switching operation according to an optical path switching control signal output from the inline equipment. In comparison with conventional optical transceiver devices, the invention is advantageous of simple structure, smaller volume and more flexible optical path switching.

A medical instrument system includes an elongate flexible instrument body with an optical fiber substantially encapsulated in a wall of the instrument body, the optical fiber including one or more fiber gratings. A detector is operatively coupled to the optical fiber and configured to detect respective light signals reflected by the one or more fiber gratings. A controller is operatively coupled to the detector, and configured to determine a twist of at least a portion of the instrument body based on detected reflected light signals. The instrument may be a guide catheter and may be robotically or manually controlled.

Systems and methods for providing broadband communication are provided. An optical fiber node may be coupled to a source component. The optical fiber node may receive, from the source component, a downstream light signal via at least one input optical fiber, and transmit the downstream light signal to a plurality of output optical fibers. A tap device may be coupled to the optical fiber node via at least on optical fiber. The tap device may receive the downstream light signal via the at least one output optical fiber, convert the downstream light signal into a radio frequency downstream signal, and transmit the radio frequency downstream signal to a plurality of cable lines. The plurality of cable lines may be coupled to one or more customer premises.

A wireless communication system comprises a base station controller and a base station interface connected to the base station controller by a central optical fiber. The base station interface may include a flexible wavelength router. At least one base station is connected to the base station interface, and the central optical fiber carries at least one communication channel associated with an optical signal having one of a plurality of wavelengths. The base station interface selectively provides a communication path between the base station controller and at least one base station using at least one communication channel.

The present invention allows remote antenna units for radio frequency signal transmission and receipt to operate without the requirement for remote electrical power supplies or for connecting cables that incorporate electrical conductors. According to an aspect of the present invention, an optical communications system employing radio frequency signals comprises a central unit; at least one remote unit having at least one optoelectronic transducer for converting optical data signals to radio frequency signals and converting radio signals to optical signals and at least one antenna to receive and send radio frequency signals; at least one optical fiber data link between the central unit and the remote unit for transmitting optical data signals therebetween; and at least one optical fiber power link between the central unit and the remote unit for providing electrical power at the remote unit.

Apparatus includes an optical splitter module including a housing, and an input optical fiber and an output optical fiber positioned with the housing, wherein at least one of the input and output optical fiber is partially potted.

A touch sensing catheter having a strain sensor assembly that may resolve the magnitude and direction of a force exerted on a distal extremity of the catheter, the strain sensor assembly being substantially insensitive to bulk temperature changes. A deformable structure having a plurality of optical fibers associated therewith that are strained by the imposition of a contact force transferred thereto. The optical fibers cooperate with the deformable structure to effect variable gap interferometers, such as Fabry-Perot resonators, that vary in operative length when a force is exerted on the deformable structure. The strain sensor assembly is rendered insensitive to bulk temperature changes by matching the coefficient of thermal expansion of the deformable body with that of the optical fibers. The strain sensor assembly may also be configured to mitigate the effects of thermal gradients using various thermal isolation techniques.

An illumination device for use in an endoscope includes a light source, an optical fiber and a wavelength conversion member. The optical fiber guides light to a tip end of an endoscope insertion portion of the endoscope. The wavelength conversion member is provided at an emission end of the optical fiber. The wavelength conversion member configured to be excited by the light source. The illumination device can provide white illumination light obtained by mixing light emitted from the optical fiber and light obtained by exciting the wavelength conversion member by the light emitted from the optical fiber. Also, the illumination device can provide illumination light being different from the white illumination light, by using other excitation light.

A variably configurable fiber optic terminal as a local convergence point in a fiber optic network is disclosed. The fiber optic terminal has an enclosure having a base and a cover which define an interior space. A feeder cable having at least one optical fiber and a distribution cable having at least one optical fiber are received into the interior space through a feeder cable port and a distribution cable port, respectively. A movable chassis positions in the interior space and is movable between a first position, a second position and third position. The movable chassis has a splitter holder area, a cassette area and a parking area. A cassette movably positions in the cassette area. A splitter module holder having a splitter module movably positioned therein movably positions in the splitter holder area. The optical fiber of the feeder cable and the optical fiber of the distribution cable are optically connected through the cassette, which also may be through the splitter module. In such case, the optical fiber of the feeder cable optically connects to an input optical fiber to the slitter module, where the optical signal is split into a plurality of output optical fibers. One of the plurality of output optical fibers connects to the optical fiber of the distribution cable for distribution towards a subscriber premises. The interior space is variably configurable by changeably positioning the cassette and splitter modules in the movable chassis.

In one embodiment, an endoscopic camera for a robotic surgical system includes a stereo camera module mounted to a robotic arm of a patient side cart. The optical and electro-optic components of the camera module are hermetically sealed within a first housing. Signals from an electro-optic component travel through traces in a ceramic substrate forming one side of the hermetically sealed first housing. A second housing surrounds the first housing and optical fibers are dispersed between the housings to provide lighting in a body cavity. The camera module may be sterilized by an autoclave.

In part, the invention relates to optical caps having at least one lensed surface configured to redirect and focus light outside of the cap. The cap is placed over an optical fiber. Optical radiation travels through the fiber and interacts with the optical surface or optical surfaces of the cap, resulting in a beam that is either focused at a distance outside of the cap or substantially collimated. The optical elements such as the elongate caps described herein can be used with various data collection modalities such optical coherence tomography. In part, the invention relates to a lens assembly that includes a micro-lens; a beam director in optical communication with the micro-lens; and a substantially transparent film or cover. The substantially transparent film is capable of bi-directionally transmitting light, and generating a controlled amount of backscatter. The film can surround a portion of the beam director.

Disclosed is a reduced-diameter optical fiber that employs a novel coating system. When combined with a bend-insensitive glass fiber, the novel coating system according to the present invention yields an optical fiber having exceptionally low losses.

The coating system features (i) a softer primary coating with excellent low-temperature characteristics to protect against microbending in any environment and in the toughest physical situations and, optionally, (ii) a colored secondary coating possessing enhanced color strength and vividness. The secondary coating provides improved ribbon characteristics for structures that are robust, yet easily entered (i.e., separated and stripped).

The optional dual coating is specifically balanced for superior heat stripping in fiber ribbons, with virtually no residue left behind on the glass. This facilitates fast splicing and terminations. The improved coating system provides optical fibers that offer significant advantages for deployment in most, if not all, fiber-to-the-premises (FTTx) systems.

In part, the invention relates to an image data collection system. The system can include an interferometer having a reference arm that includes a first optical fiber of length of L1 and a sample arm that includes a second optical fiber of length of L2 and a first rotary coupler configured to interface with an optical tomography imaging probe, wherein the rotary coupler is in optical communication with the sample arm. In one embodiment, L2 is greater than about 5 meters. The first optical fiber and the second optical fiber can both be disposed in a common protective sheath. In one embodiment, the system further includes an optical element configured to adjust the optical path length of the reference arm, wherein the optical element is in optical communication with the reference arm and wherein the optical element is transmissive or reflective.

A central control station, which controls radio base stations connected thereto via radio links and optical fiber links, includes a demultiplexing unit which demultiplexes signals supplied from an upper-level station, signal conversion units which convert the respective demultiplexed signals into converted signals having a unified transmission format, and a distribution unit which distributes the converted signals to the radio links and the optical fiber links.

Fiberoptic connector and adapter assembly includes a fiberoptic connector received within an adapter. The connector has a cover on the connector housing. The cover pivots between open and closed positions to expose or cover, respectively, a optical fiber contained within the connector. Longitudinal guides of the connector are received cooperating with longitudinal guides of the adapter to direct the connector into the adapter in a prescribed alignment. A cam pin is carried on the adapter to engage a cam pin receiving slot on the cover to urge the cover to the open position as the connector is inserted into the adapter. A spring mechanism biases the cover toward the closed position and open positions.