Optical waveguides – Optical fiber waveguide with cladding – Utilizing multiple core or cladding
Patent
1998-03-20
2000-10-10
Healy, Brian
Optical waveguides
Optical fiber waveguide with cladding
Utilizing multiple core or cladding
385127, 385123, 385141, 4271631, 4271632, 427595, 427596, 427597, G02B 602, B05D 506
Patent
active
061309818
ABSTRACT:
A multimode optical fiber for UV light transmission, able to be sterilized with gamma radiation, has a core including undoped synthetic silica, a cladding including fluorine doped synthetic silica, a hydrogen content higher than 5.times.10.sup.19 molecules/cm.sup.3 and a metal coating that retards diffusion of hydrogen outwardly from the fiber, the metal being selected from aluminum, copper, zinc, tin, silver and gold. The metal coating has a high diffusion coefficient below 150.degree. and a low diffusion coefficient at a hydrogen loading temperature above 250.degree. C. The optical fiber may have a high-OH content of 50 to 1500 ppm and a low-OH content below 50 ppm after treatment. The optical fiber may also or alternatively have a low-OH content below 50 ppm, and preferably below 5 ppm, before treatment. A gamma radiation sterilized multimode fiber bundle may include a plurality of such optical fibers. A gamma radiation sterilized catheter may include at least one optical fiber or a fiber bundle. A process for producing the gamma radiation sterilized fibers includes manufacturing a preform having a core including undoped synthetic silica and a cladding including fluorine doped silica; drawing the preform into a fiber and annealing the fiber for reducing drawing-induced UV defects; coating the fiber with a metal coating thereby retarding migration of hydrogen outwardly from the fiber. A delivery system for transporting light including at least one optical fiber and apparatus for transporting light using the delivery system are also described.
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Klein Karl-Friedrich
Nelson Gary
Healy Brian
Polymicro Technologies, LLC
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