Light guide

• US 20080158629A1
• Filed: 10/17/2007
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dornier MedTech Systems GmbH
• Original Assignee: Dornier MedTech Systems GmbH
• Inventors: Rheinwald, Markus, Ruckle, Benno
• Granted Patent: US 8,114,068 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 359/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/22 the beam being directed along or through a flexible conduit, e.g. an optical fibre; Couplings or hand-pieces therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2277 with refractive surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/32 Holograms used as optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02052 comprising optical elements other than gratings, e.g. filters comprising gratings G02B6/02057
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02076 Refractive index modulation gratings, e.g. Bragg gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/241 Light guide terminations
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/262 Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0248 Volume holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 1/0408 Total internal reflection [TIR] holograms, e.g. edge lit or substrate mode holograms
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2001/0268 Inorganic recording material, e.g. photorefractive crystal [PRC]
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2222/15 Ultra Violet [UV]
• CPC Class Codes: G03H 2270/20 Shape

Abstract

The invention relates to a light guide with at least one photorefractive area, wherein a volume hologram is formed in the photorefractive area in such a way that light coupled into the light guide can be decoupled by the volume hologram at a predetermined angle and/or with a predetermined focus.

Claims

1. A light guide, comprising:

at least one photorefractive area comprising a volume hologram, the volume hologram being configured to decouple light that has been coupled into the light guide, the decoupled light having at least one of a predetermined angle and a predetermined focus.

2. The light guide according to claim 1, wherein the at least one photorefractive area is disposed at one end of the light guide.

3. The light guide according to claim 1, wherein a remainder of the light guide comprises a non-photorefractive area, and

wherein the at least one photorefractive area comprises a material different than a material of the remainder.

4. The light guide according to claim 1, wherein the photorefractive area is disposed along an entire length of the light guide.

5. The light guide according to claim 1, wherein the photorefractive area comprises a germanium-doped glass.

6. The light guide according to claim 1, wherein the photorefractive area comprises a hydrogen-doped glass.

7. The light guide according to claim 1, wherein the light guide is formed as an optical fibre.

8. The light guide according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined focus comprises a point focus.

9. The light guide according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined focus comprises a line focus.

10. The light guide according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined focus comprises a triangle focus.

11. The light guide according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined focus comprises at least one of a point, a line, a ring, and a triangle.

12. The light guide according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined focus comprises a ring focus having an axis of symmetry along an optical axis of the light guide.

13. The light guide according to claim 1, wherein the light guide is configured to guide infrared laser radiation.

14. A laser applicator, comprising:

a light guide comprising at least one photorefractive area, the at least one photorefractive area comprising a hologram configured to decouple light that has been coupled into the light guide, the decoupled light having at least one of a predetermined angle and a predetermined focus.

15. The laser applicator according to claim 14, wherein the laser applicator is configured to be used to treat inorganic materials.

20. The laser applicator according to claim 14, wherein the laser applicator is configured to be used to treat biological tissue using laser radiation.

16. A method for producing a light guide, comprising the steps of:

providing a light guide with a photorefractive area; and

creating a volume hologram in the photorefractive area, the volume hologram being configured to decouple light that has been coupled into the light guide, the decoupled light having at least one of a predetermined angle and a predetermined focus.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of providing the light guide comprises the steps of:

providing a light guide element and a second element comprising the photorefractive area; and

connecting the second element to the light guide element,

wherein the step of creating the volume hologram occurs before the connecting step or after the connecting step.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein the step of connecting the second element to the light guide element comprises the step of fusing the second element to the light guide element.

19. The method according to claim 16, wherein the step of creating the volume hologram comprises the step of irradiating two partial beams of UV laser light, at least one of the partial beams being modified by at least one of a lens and a mirror based on at least one characteristic of the volume hologram being created.