Fiber for lateral beaming of laser beam

• US 4,740,047 A
• Filed: 03/19/1986
• Issued: 04/26/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Daijyo Hashimoto, Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation), Hitachi Cable Limited (Proterial Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Daijyo Hashimoto, Fuji Photo Optical Co. Ltd (Fujifilm Holdings Corporation), Hatachi Cable Limited
• Inventors: Suzuki, Toshio, Hashimoto, Daijyo, Sibamoto, Hiroshi, Abe, Koichi, Kanaya, Motonori, Takashima, Hideyuki, Suzuki, Masane
• Primary Examiner(s): Sikes, William L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ullah, Akm E.
• Application Number:
  US06/841,422
• Time in Patent Office: 769 Days
• Field of Search: 350/96.10, 350/96.15, 350/96.24, 350/96.25, 350/96.26, 128/1.4, 128/5, 128/6
• US Class Current: 385/84
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00071 Insertion part of the endoscope body A61B1/0055 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0623 for off-axis illumination
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/07 using light-conductive means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/24 with a catheter A61B18/26, A61B18/28 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2272 with reflective or refractive surfaces for deflecting the beam A61B2018/2261, A61B2018/2266 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 Apparatus for use inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/067 using laser light
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02395 Glass optical fibre with a protective coating, e.g. two layer polymer coating deposited directly on a silica cladding surface during fibre manufacture G02B6/02052, G02B6/02057, G02B6/024, G02B6/032, G02B6/105, G02B6/14 take precedence; coating on fibre gratings G02B6/02104; multilayer core or cladding G02B6/036; reinforcing splice joints G02B6/2558; optical cables, i.e. comprising protective structures external to the protective coating such as a jacket or plural coated optical fibres G02B6/44; coating of glass to obtain optical fibres C03C25/104
• 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: G02B 6/3624 Fibre head, e.g. fibre probe termination optical details of light guide terminations G02B6/241; reshaping of light guides G02B6/2552; optical details of coupling light into or out of fibre end G02B6/262

Abstract

A fiber for lateral beaming of a laser beam, wherein an affected portion in a cavity of an internal organ in a living body is irradiated by the laser beam in a through-endoscopic manner. The fiber for lateral beaming of the laser beam is constructed such that a transparent tubular member is coupled to the forward end portion of a fiber through two coating layers, and an anti-reflection coating layer is formed on a laser beam exiting surface of the transparent tubular member. Owing to the anti-reflection coating layer, this fiber for lateral beaming is free from the harmful leaking beam. Since the transparent tubular member is connected to the fiber through the two coating layes, the fiber can avoid being broken.

Claims

1. A fiber for lateral beaming of a laser beam, comprising:

a highly reflective surface, inclined at 35°

to 40°

to the center line of the fiber, formed at a distal end of the fiber; and

a transparent first tubular member, one end of which is closed and the other end of which is coupled by means of a second tubular member to one end of the fiber having said inclined surface to form an air layer adjacent to said inclined surface;

wherein an anti-reflection coating layer is deposited on a laser beam exiting surface of said transparent first tubular member, and further wherein two coating layers exist between said fiber and said transparent first tubular member.

2. A fiber for lateral beaming of a laser beam as set forth in claim 1, wherein said anti-reflection coating layer is deposited on a flat surface portion formed on said transparent first tubular member.

3. A fiber for lateral beaming of a laser beam as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second tubular member includes an opening for exiting the laser beam and incorporates substantially the entire transparent first tubular member.

4. A fiber for lateral beaming of a laser beam as set forth in claim 2, wherein, on said transparent first tubular member, a surface substantially symmetrical about the center line with the surface formed thereon with the anti-reflection coating layer has a highly reflective layer deposited thereon.

5. A fiber for lateral beaming of a laser beam as set forth in claim 2, wherein said fiber is provided with a third coating layer which abuts against an opening portion of said transparent first tubular member and is substantially equal in outer diameter to said transparent first tubular member.

6. A fiber for lateral beaming of a laser beam as set forth in claim 5, wherein said second tubular member is a heat-shrinkable tube.