Methods and apparatus related to a side-fire member having a doped silica component

• US 8,861,907 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2012
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Scimed (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Zerfas, Jeffrey W., Tumminelli, Richard P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lepisto, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANDERSON, GUY G
• Application Number:
  US13/718,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20130121640A1
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 385/15, 385/31, 385 33- 35, 385 38- 39, 385 95- 96, 385115-117, 602/2, 602/4, 602 15- 18, 600/101
• US Class Current: 385/38
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0011 Manufacturing of endoscope parts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00137 End pieces at either end of the endoscope, e.g. caps, seals or forceps plugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/0017 Details of single optical fibres, e.g. material or cladding
• 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 2018/2222 Fibre material or composition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2272 with reflective or refractive surfaces for deflecting the beam A61B2018/2261, A61B2018/2266 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2288 the optical fibre cable having a curved distal end
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 37/10 Non-chemical treatment surface treatment of fibres or filaments made from glass, minerals or slags C03C25/00
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 23/26 using light guides for illumination G02B23/2469
• 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 6/325 comprising a transparent member, e.g. window, protective plate
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/327 with angled interfaces to reduce reflections

Abstract

In one embodiment, an apparatus may include an optical fiber that may have a surface non-normal to a longitudinal axis of a distal end portion of the optical fiber. The surface may define a portion of an interface configured to redirect electromagnetic radiation propagated from within the optical fiber and incident on the interface to a direction offset from the longitudinal axis. The apparatus may also include a doped silica cap that may be fused to the optical fiber such that the surface of the optical fiber may be disposed within a cavity defined by the doped silica cap.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

an optical fiber including a surface non-normal to a longitudinal axis of a distal end portion of the optical fiber, wherein the surface defines a portion of an interface configured to redirect electromagnetic radiation propagated from within the optical fiber and incident on the interface in a direction offset from the longitudinal axis;

a doped silica cap, the doped silica cap being coupled to the optical fiber such that the surface of the optical fiber is disposed within a cavity defined by the doped silica cap; and

an outer cover coupled to the doped silica cap, the outer cover including a transmissive material aligned with the direction such that the electromagnetic radiation is transmitted through the transmissive material in the direction, wherein the outer cover is substantially opaque to electromagnetic radiation transmitted from the optical fiber other than in the direction.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmissive material includes a lens aligned with the direction and configured to focus the electromagnetic radiation in the direction.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmissive material is substantially transparent to a wavelength of electromagnetic radiation of about 2100 nm.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer cover includes an inner surface configured to redirect electromagnetic radiation incident on the inner surface of the outer cover into the cavity defined by the doped silica cap.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the outer cover comprises a metallic or ceramic material.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the doped silica cap is fused to the optical fiber.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the surface is disposed within a distal end portion of the doped silica cap, and wherein a proximal end portion of the doped silica cap is fused to the optical fiber.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber includes at least one cladding layer and the doped silica cap has an index of refraction less than an index of refraction associated with the at least one cladding layer.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the at least one cladding layer includes a dopant.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the electromagnetic radiation is substantially internally reflected within the at least one cladding layer.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the surface includes a coating.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

a doped silica cap;

an optical fiber having a distal end, the distal end including a surface disposed within the doped silica cap, wherein the surface defines at least a portion of an interface configured to redirect energy from a first portion of an optical path to a second portion of the optical path non-parallel to the first portion of the optical path, the second portion of the optical path intersecting an outer surface of the doped silica cap; and

an outer cover discrete from and disposed over at least a portion of the doped silica cap, the outer cover including a transmissive material aligned with the second portion of the optical path, wherein the outer cover is substantially opaque to the energy transmitted from the optical fiber other than along the second portion of the optical path.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the transmissive material includes a lens configured to focus the energy along the second portion of the optical path.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the outer cover comprises a metallic or ceramic material.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the optical fiber includes at least one cladding layer.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one cladding layer and the doped silica cap each includes a fluorine dopant, the doped silica cap having a greater concentration of fluorine than the at least one cladding layer.

17. A method of producing an optical device, comprising:

disposing a doped silica component over a surface of an optical fiber, the optical fiber including a surface non-normal to a longitudinal axis of a distal end portion of the optical fiber and configured to redirect electromagnetic radiation in a direction offset from the longitudinal axis;

heating the doped silica component and the optical fiber to fuse at least a portion of the doped silica component to at least a portion of the optical fiber; and

coupling a discrete outer cover over the doped silica component so that a transmissive material is aligned with the direction, the outer cover being substantially opaque to the electromagnetic radiation transmitted from the optical fiber other than in the direction.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the doped silica component includes a bore and the surface of the optical fiber is disposed within the bore.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein heating the doped silica component and the optical fiber includes forming a cavity between the surface of the optical fiber and the doped silica component.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the outer cap comprises a metallic or ceramic material.