Pre-initiated optical fibers and methods of making thereof
AssigneeBiolase, Inc.
InventorsAlina Sivriver, Dmitri Boutoussov
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Embodiments of the invention include a method of initiating an optical fiber. In some embodiments, a distal portion of the optical fiber is coated with an energy absorbing material. In some embodiments, the material includes a metal flakes or powder dispersed in a solution of organic solvents. After the material dries, laser energy is fired through the optical fiber. The laser energy can be absorbed in the material and ignites the organic solvents. This combustion melts the material of the optical fiber, and impregnates the optical fiber with the metal flakes or powder of the material. The resulting optical fiber is thus permanently modified so that the energy applied through the fiber is partially absorbed and converted to heat.
Claims16
A method comprising:
- providing a silica optical fiber;
- advancing the silica optical fiber through a cannula,
- the cannula protruding from a ferrule adapted to be coupled to a waveguide;
- depositing initiating material onto a distal end of the silica optical fiber, wherein the initiating material includes powdered or flaked metal and at least one organic solvent, and a characteristic or trait of adhering to silica of the silica optical fiber;
- and
- igniting and combusting at least a portion of the at least one solvent of the initiating material using laser energy from a laser source coupled to the waveguide, the laser energy passing along the silica optical fiber and through the cannula, wherein the powdered or flaked metal of the initiating material is impregnated as the powdered or flaked metal into at least a portion of the silica optical fiber following at least some melting and reaction of the silica optical fiber with at least a portion of the initiating material following ignition and combustion of the at least one solvent of the initiating material, the powdered or flaked metal being chemically bonded to the at least a portion of the silica optical fiber.
An optical fiber preparation method comprising:
- providing a silica optical fiber including a distal portion including a distal end portion including an output surface, the output surface configured to emit laser energy when coupled to a laser source;
- advancing the silica optical fiber through a cannula,
- the cannula protruding from a ferrule adapted to be coupled to a waveguide;
- depositing an initiating material onto at least a portion of the output surface of the distal end portion, the initiating material including powdered or flaked metal;
- and
- transmitting the laser energy through the silica optical fiber through the cannula to the output surface, wherein the powdered or flaked metal of the initiating material is impregnated into at least a portion of the silica optical fiber following at least some melting of portions of the silica optical fiber after receiving the laser energy;
- and
- wherein the initiating material includes at least one organic solvent that is ignited and combusted by the laser energy causing the melting of the silica optical fiber, the melting causing or facilitating the impregnation and chemical bonding of the powdered or flaked metal to the silica optical fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.