BIOPOLYMER OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME

• US 20100063404A1
• Filed: 11/05/2007
• Published: 03/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Trustees of Tufts College, Tufts University
• Original Assignee: Trustees of Tufts College
• Inventors: Kaplan, David L., Georgakoudi, Irene, Omenetto, Fiorenzo, Cronin-Golomb, Mark, Lawrence, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 8,195,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/478
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/02 for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00663 Production of light guides
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/0074 Production of other optical elements not provided for in B29D11/00009- B29D11/0073
• CPC Class Codes: B82Y 20/00 Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 14/43586 from silkworms
• CPC Class Codes: D01F 4/02 from fibroin
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2211/04 Silk
• CPC Class Codes: D10B 2401/20 optical
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2333/43578 from silkworm
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/5436 with ligand physically entrapped within the solid phase liposomes G01N33/5432; immunological test elements G01N33/54386
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54373 involving physiochemical end-point determination, e.g. wave-guides, FETS, gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/54386 Analytical elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/544 the carrier being organic
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/005 made of photonic crystals or photonic band gap materials photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices in integrated optics G02B6/1225; photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices in optical fibres G02B6/02295
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/04 made of organic materials, e.g. plastics G02B1/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/041 Lenses
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/045 Light guides
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/046 characterised by the core material
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/06 made of fluids in transparent cells
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12102 Lens
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12104 : Mirror; Reflectors or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12107 : Grating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/1213 : comprising photonic band-gap structures or photonic lattices
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 2006/12171 : using a laser beam
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 5/18 : Diffraction gratings holographic optical elements G02B5/32, G03H; integrally combined with optical fibres G02B6/02057; for coupling light guides G02B6/34; integrally combined with optical integrated light guides G02B6/12; grating systems G02B27/44
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/138 : by using polymerisation

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a biopolymer optical waveguide includes providing a biopolymer, unwinding the biopolymer progressively to extract individual biopolymer fibers, and putting the unwound fibers under tension. The tensioned fibers are then cast in a different polymer to form a biopolymer optical waveguide that guides light due to the difference in indices of refraction between the biopolymer and the different polymer. The optical fibers may be used in biomedical applications and can be inserted in the body as transmissive media. Printing techniques may be used to manufacture the biopolymer optical waveguides.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a biopolymer optical waveguide comprising:

providing a first biopolymer; and

casting said first biopolymer in a second polymer to form a biopolymer optical waveguide, the second polymer forming a polymer overcoat cladding proximate to the first biopolymer, wherein said first biopolymer and said second polymer have different indices of refraction.

2. The method of manufacturing the biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 1, wherein said providing of said first biopolymer includes unwinding said first biopolymer to extract individual biopolymer fibers.

3. The method of manufacturing the biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 2, further comprising tensioning said first biopolymer.

4. The method of manufacturing the biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 1, wherein said first biopolymer is silk.

5. The method of manufacturing the biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 4, wherein said second polymer is polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).

6. The method of manufacturing the biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 1, wherein said first biopolymer has a higher index of refraction than said second polymer.

7. The method of manufacturing the biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 1, further comprising:

treating the first biopolymer to remove surface roughness.

8. The method of manufacturing the biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 7, wherein said treating the first biopolymer to remove surface roughness is performed using laser ablation.

9. The method of manufacturing the biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 1, wherein said first biopolymer and said polymer overcoat form a concentric biopolymer waveguide along a longitudinal axis.

10. The method of manufacturing the biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 1, wherein said first biopolymer and said polymer overcoat form a rectangular slab waveguide along a planar axis.

11. The method of manufacturing the biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 1, wherein said first biopolymer is selected from a group consisting of chitosan, collagen, gelatin, agarose, chitin, polyhydroxyalkanoates, pullan, starch (amylose amylopectin), cellulose, hyaluronic acid, and related biopolymers, or a combination thereof.

12. A method of manufacturing a biopolymer optical waveguide comprising:

providing a substrate;

printing a first biopolymer on said substrate;

depositing a second material on said first biopolymer to form said biopolymer optical waveguide, said second material having a lower index of refraction than said first biopolymer.

13. The method of manufacturing a biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 12, wherein said printing said first biopolymer on said substrate includes forming a layer of said first biopolymer, wherein said first biopolymer is a protein.

14. The method of manufacturing a biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 13, wherein said printing said first biopolymer is performed using an inkjet printer.

15. The method of manufacturing a biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 12, further comprising:

overlay printing said first biopolymer to increase thickness of said biopolymer waveguide.

16. The method of manufacturing the biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 12, wherein said first biopolymer is silk.

17. The method of manufacturing the biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 16, wherein said second polymer is polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS).

18. The method of manufacturing the biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 12, further comprising:

treating the first biopolymer to remove surface roughness.

19. The method of manufacturing the biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 18, wherein said treating the first biopolymer to remove surface roughness is performed using laser ablation.

20. The method of manufacturing the biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 12, wherein said first biopolymer is selected from a group consisting of chitosan, collagen, gelatin, agarose, chitin, polyhydroxyalkanoates, pullan, starch (amylose amylopectin), cellulose, hyaluronic acid, and related biopolymers, or a combination thereof.

21. The method of manufacturing the biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 12, wherein said substrate is a template for an optical device.

22. The method of manufacturing the biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 21, wherein said substrate is a template for at least one of a lens, a microlens array, an optical grating, a pattern generator, and a beam reshaper.

23. A biopolymer optical waveguide comprising:

a first biopolymer; and

a second material covering said first biopolymer to form said biopolymer optical waveguide, said second material having a lower index of refraction than said first biopolymer.

24. The biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 23, wherein said biopolymer optical waveguide is an in vivo diagnostic light delivery device.

25. The biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 24, wherein said in vivo diagnostic light delivery device is a light enabled nervous system replacement for damaged neurons.

26. The biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 23, wherein said biopolymer optical waveguide is a transmissive media for optical radiation that relays information from sensors.

27. The biopolymer optical waveguide of claim 26, wherein said transmissive media relays information from locations within a body.