Optical fiber illumination systems and methods
First Claim
1. A light diffusing optical fiber having an outer surface, said fiber comprising;
- (i) a glass core, comprising(a) a region with a plurality of nano-sized structures within said core configured to scatter guided light via said nano-sized structures towards the outer surface, such that said light diffusing optical fiber has a scattering-induced attenuation greater than 50 dB/km at illumination wavelength; and
(b) a solid glass region surrounding said region with a plurality of nano-sized structures having a higher refractive index delta than the region with a plurality of nano-sized structures; and
(ii) a low index cladding surrounding said core, said cladding having a lower refractive index delta than said solid glass region.
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Abstract
An illumination system generating light having at least one wavelength within 200 nm a plurality of nano-sized structures (e.g., voids). The optical fiber coupled to the light source. The light diffusing optical fiber has a core and a cladding. The plurality of nano-sized structures is situated either within said core or at a core-cladding boundary. The optical fiber also includes an outer surface. The optical fiber is configured to scatter guided light via the nano-sized structures away from the core and through the outer surface, to form a light-source fiber portion having a length that emits substantially uniform radiation over its length, said fiber having a scattering-induced attenuation greater than 50 dB/km for the wavelength(s) within 200 nm to 2000 nm range.
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Citations
121 Claims
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1. A light diffusing optical fiber having an outer surface, said fiber comprising;
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(i) a glass core, comprising (a) a region with a plurality of nano-sized structures within said core configured to scatter guided light via said nano-sized structures towards the outer surface, such that said light diffusing optical fiber has a scattering-induced attenuation greater than 50 dB/km at illumination wavelength; and (b) a solid glass region surrounding said region with a plurality of nano-sized structures having a higher refractive index delta than the region with a plurality of nano-sized structures; and (ii) a low index cladding surrounding said core, said cladding having a lower refractive index delta than said solid glass region. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 115, 116, 121)
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18. The light diffusing optical fiber comprising:
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a core, a cladding, and a plurality of nano-sized structures situated within said core or at a core-cladding boundary, said optical fiber further including an outer surface and is configured to (i) scatter guided light via said nano-sized structures away from the core and through the outer surface, (ii) have a scattering-induced attenuation greater than 50 dB/km at illumination wavelength; and said fiber including at least one coating such that either said cladding or said at least one coating includes phosphor or pigments, wherein said nano-sized structures are situated within one region of said core, and said core further comprises a second region without the microstructures adjacent and surrounding the region that comprises nano-sized structures;
said fiber further comprising a low index polymer cladding surrounding said second region; and
said at least one coating is a polymer coating surrounding said cladding, said polymer coating having a higher refractive index than said a low index polymer cladding.- View Dependent Claims (19, 117, 118)
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20. A light diffusing optical fiber having an outer surface, said fiber comprising:
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(i) a glass core, comprising (a) a region with a plurality of nano-sized structures configured to scatter guided light via said nano-sized structures away from the core and towards the outer surface, such that said light diffusing optical fiber has a scattering-induced attenuation greater than 200 dB/km at illumination wavelength; and (b) a solid glass region surrounding said region with a plurality of nano-sized structures having a higher refractive index delta than the region with a plurality of nano-sized structures; and (ii) a low index cladding surrounding said core, said cladding having a lower refractive index delta than said solid glass region and is negative relative to silica; (iii) a coating surrounding said cladding; wherein said coating or cladding includes phosphorus. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 119, 120)
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33. A light diffusing optical fiber comprising:
a glass core and a cladding surrounding the core, said light diffusing optical fiber having; a scattering-induced attenuation over a length of the light diffusing optical fiber of greater than 50 dB/km for at least one wavelength between 200 nm and 2000 nm; and a difference between a scattering light intensity for all scattering angles between 25 and 130 degrees and a maximum scattering light intensity less than or equal to 63% of the maximum scattering light intensity when light is provided to an end of said light diffusing optical fiber. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. An illumination system, comprising:
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a light source that generates light having at least one wavelength between 200 nm and 2000 nm; and at least one light diffusing optical fiber comprising a glass core and a cladding surrounding the core, said light diffusing optical fiber having; a scattering-induced attenuation over a length of the light diffusing optical fiber of greater than 50 dB/km for at least one wavelength between 200 nm and 2000 nm; and a difference between a scattering light intensity for all scattering angles between 25 and 130 degrees and a maximum scattering light intensity less than or equal to 63% of the maximum scattering light intensity when the light is provided to said end of the light diffusing optical fiber. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60)
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61. A light diffusing optical fiber comprising:
a glass core and a cladding surrounding the core, said light diffusing optical fiber having; a scattering-induced attenuation over a length of the light diffusing optical fiber of greater than 50 dB/km for at least one wavelength between 200 nm and 2000 nm; and a ratio of a maximum scattering light intensity to a minimum scattering light intensity for an angular range of 30 degrees to 150 degrees of not greater than 3.63 times. - View Dependent Claims (62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77)
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78. An illumination system, comprising:
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a light source that generates light having at least one wavelength between 200 nm and 2000 nm; and at least one light diffusing optical fiber comprising a glass core and a cladding surrounding the core, said light diffusing optical fiber having; a scattering-induced attenuation over a length of the light diffusing optical fiber of greater than 50 dB/km for at least one wavelength between 200 nm and 2000 nm; and a ratio of a maximum scattering light intensity to a minimum scattering light intensity for an angular range of 30 degrees to 150 degrees of not greater than 3.63 times. - View Dependent Claims (79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93)
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94. A light diffusing optical fiber comprising:
a core, a low index cladding surrounding the core, and a plurality of nano-sized structures located adjacent to a core-cladding boundary, wherein said core has at least one region without said nano-sized structures adjacent to said core-cladding boundary, said light diffusing optical fiber having; (a) an outer surface, wherein the light diffusing optical fiber is configured to scatter guided light, via said plurality of nano-sized structures, away from the core and through the outer surface; and (b) a scattering-induced attenuation over the length of greater than 50 dB/km at an illumination wavelength, said scattering-induced attenuation having a maximum intensity at a scattering angle greated than or equal to 43 degrees relative to a direction of propagation of light in the light diffusing optical fiber. - View Dependent Claims (95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102)
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103. A light diffusing optical fiber comprising:
a glass core and a cladding surrounding the core, said light diffusing optical fiber having; a scattering-induced attenuation over a length of the light diffusing optical fiber of greater than 50 dB/km for at least one wavelength between 200 nm and 2000 nm, said scattering-induced attenuation having a maximum intensity at a scattering angle greater than or equal to 43 degrees relative to a direction of propagation of light in the light diffusing optical fiber. - View Dependent Claims (104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114)
Specification