Light Diffusing Optical Fibers for Extended Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies are inadequate for effectively delivering blue-violet light to medical devices and other sources of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) for disinfection purposes, as traditional optical fibers are not suited for forming extended illumination sources and fail to efficiently deliver light to complex or hard-to-reach areas.
Innovation Solution
The use of light diffusing optical fibers, which are optically coupled to a light source and feature a core, cladding, outer surface, and scattering structures, to scatter light towards the outer surface and diffuse it, thereby irradiating pathogen samples with blue-violet light at specific power densities and wavelengths for extended periods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If traditional optical fibers are used to deliver light, then light can be transmitted from one end to the other, but very little light escapes from the sides of the fiber making them unsuitable for forming extended illumination sources
Solution Approach 1:
The optical fiber is segmented into multiple sections, each with different scattering properties. By dividing the fiber into segments with varying scattering coefficients, light can escape at different rates along the fiber length, creating an extended illumination source while maintaining overall light delivery efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the optical fiber are assigned different local qualities - specifically, different scattering coefficients. This allows each segment to have optimized light escape characteristics tailored to specific application requirements, enabling extended illumination while preserving core light transmission functionality
2Loss of energy
If optical fibers are designed to efficiently deliver light over long distances, then light transmission efficiency is improved, but very little light escapes from the sides making them unsuitable for disinfection applications
Solution Approach 1:
The optical fiber system dynamically adjusts light escape characteristics through controllable scattering mechanisms. By making the scattering properties adjustable rather than fixed, the system can optimize for either long-distance transmission or side emission depending on the application, enabling both efficient light delivery and disinfection functionality
Solution Approach 2:
The scattering coefficient parameter is changed along the fiber length to create different illumination profiles. By varying this parameter, the same fiber can be optimized for different applications - maintaining low scattering for transmission efficiency in some sections and high scattering for side emission in others, thus achieving both low energy loss and adaptability to disinfection requirements
3Length of moving object
If light is delivered to hard-to-reach areas using optical fibers, then remote illumination is achieved, but the fiber structure limits the ability to form extended illumination sources in complex shapes
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination is extended from a point source at the fiber end to a distributed source along the fiber length by utilizing the third dimension (radial light escape). This transforms the illumination geometry from one-dimensional (end-only) to three-dimensional (along the entire fiber length), enabling the fiber to adapt to complex shapes and hard-to-reach areas while maintaining reach distance
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach achieves a significant reduction in colony-forming units of pathogens, with a 4-Log to 9-Log reduction, using blue-violet light with an average power density of 5 mW/cm2 to 30 mW/cm2 at wavelengths from 380 nm to 495 nm, applied over 30 minutes to 48 hours, effectively disinfecting medical devices and other HAI sources.
Implementation Method 1
The scattering structures of the one or more light diffusing optical fibers scatter light propagating along the one or more light diffusing optical fibers toward the outer surface
Implementation Method 2
irradiating the pathogen sample with light having an average power density of about 5 mW/cm2 to about 30 mW/cm2 at a wavelength from about 380 nm to about 495 nm
Data Source
AI summary
A method of disinfecting using a light diffusing fiber includes optically coupling a light source to a light diffusing optical fiber having a core, a cladding surrounding the core, an outer surface, and a plurality of scattering structures positioned within the core, the cladding, or both the core and the cladding. The method further includes positioning the light diffusing optical fiber in optical engagement with a pathogen sample and directing light output by the light source into the light diffusing optical fiber for a first time interval. The scattering structures scatter light propagating along the light diffusing optical fiber toward the outer surface and a portion of the light diffuses through the outer surface thereby irradiating the pathogen sample with light having an average power density of about 5 mW/cm2 to about 30 mW/cm2 at a wavelength from about 380 nm to about 495 nm for an exposure time from about 2 hours to about 24 hours.