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US 10,895,692 B2Granted
Fiber optic rotary joints and methods of using and manufacturing same
AssigneeCanon U.S.A., Inc.
InventorDaisuke Yamada
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One or more fiber optic rotary joints (FORJ), free space beam combiners, OCT, SEE and/or fluorescence devices and systems for use therewith, methods of manufacturing same and storage mediums are provided. One or more embodiments of FORJs may be used with numerous applications in the optical field, including, but not limited to, OCT and fluorescence applications. Examples of such applications include imaging, evaluating and diagnosing biological objects, such as, but not limited to, for Gastro-intestinal, cardio and/or ophthalmic applications, and being obtained via one or more optical instruments.
Claims22
A fiber optic rotary joint comprising:
- a beam combiner;
- a rotor that operates to rotate and that includes a common optical fiber connected to or part of the beam combiner;
- and
- a stator that operates to be stationary in the fiber optic rotary joint and that includes at least two optical fibers, a first of the at least two optical fibers operating to guide at least a first light and being connected to or part of the beam combiner and a second of the at least two optical fibers operating to guide a second light and being connected to or part of the beam combiner, the first light being an imaging modality light or light used to perform Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and the second light being an excitation light,
- wherein the beam combiner operates to combine the first and second lights from the at least two optical fibers such that the combined light couples, or substantially couples, and is focused into a core of the common optical fiber.
2 more elements
A Multi-modality fiber optic rotary joint comprising:
- a rotor and a static beam combiner,
- a first optical fiber and a first lens in the rotor;
- a second lens and a second optical fiber in the beam combiner;
- a third lens and a third optical fiber in the beam combiner;
- wherein:
- (i) the first lens and the second lens are configured such that a first wavelength light couples to and from a core of the first optical fiber to a core of the second optical fiber, and
- (ii) the first lens and the third lens are configured such that a second wavelength light from a core of the third optical fiber is coupled to the core of the first optical fiber with an intermediate focus in between the first lens and the third lens.
4 more elements
An Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) system using a fiber optic rotary joint (FORJ), the system comprising:
- an interference optical system that operates to:
- (i) receive and divide light from a light source into a first light with which an object or sample is to be irradiated and which travels along a sample arm of the interference optical system and a second reference light, (ii) send the second reference light along a reference arm of the interference optical system for reflection off of a reference reflection of the interference optical system, and (iii) generate interference light by causing reflected or scattered light of the first light with which the object or sample has been irradiated and the reflected second reference light to combine or recombine, and/or to interfere, with each other, the interference light generating one or more interference patterns;
- at least one detector that operates to continuously acquire the interference light and/or the one or more interference patterns to measure the interference or the one or more interference patterns between the combined or recombined light;
- and
- a fiber optic rotary joint (FORJ) comprising:
- a beam combiner;
- a rotor that operates to rotate and that includes a common optical fiber connected to or part of the beam combiner;
- a stator that operates to be stationary in the fiber optic rotary joint and that includes at least two optical fibers, a first of the at least two optical fibers operating to guide at least the first light and being connected to or part of the beam combiner and a second of the at least two optical fibers operating to guide a third light and being connected to or part of the beam combiner, the first light being an imaging modality light or light used to perform Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) and the third light being an excitation light,
- wherein the beam combiner operates to combine the first and third lights from the at least two optical fibers such that the combined light couples, or substantially couples, and is focused into a core of the common optical fiber.
6 more elements
An Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) system using a fiber optic rotary joint (FORJ), the system comprising:
- an interference optical system that operates to:
- (i) receive and divide light from a light source into a first light with which an object or sample is to be irradiated and which travels along a sample arm of the interference optical system and a second reference light, (ii) send the second reference light along a reference arm of the interference optical system for reflection off of a reference reflection of the interference optical system, and (iii) generate interference light by causing reflected or scattered light of the first light with which the object or sample has been irradiated and the reflected second reference light to combine or recombine, and/or to interfere, with each other, the interference light generating one or more interference patterns;
- at least one detector that operates to continuously acquire the interference light and/or the one or more interference patterns to measure the interference or the one or more interference patterns between the combined or recombined light;
- and
- a Multi-modality fiber optic rotary joint (FORJ) comprising:
- a rotor and a static beam combiner,
- a first optical fiber and a first lens in the rotor;
- a second lens and a second optical fiber in the beam combiner;
- a third lens and a third optical fiber in the beam combiner;
- wherein:
- (i) the first lens and the second lens are configured such that the first light couples to and from a core of the first optical fiber to a core of the second optical fiber, and
- (ii) the first lens and the third lens are configured such that a third light from a core of the third optical fiber is coupled to the core of the first optical fiber with an intermediate focus in between the first lens and the third lens.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.