# US 2019/0170935 A1 · Optical fiber ribbon imaging guidewire and methods > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0170935 A1 - Document ID: US20190170935A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/204,593 - Filed: 2018-11-29 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-03-14 - Assignees: Vascular Imaging Corporation - Applicants: Vascular Imaging Corporation - Inventors: Diana Margaret Tasker; Michael J. Eberle; Howard Neil Rourke - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190170935A1 ## CPC - G02B 6/06: the relative position of the fibres being the same at both ends, e.g. for transporting images - G01H 9/004: {using fibre optic sensors (light guides per se G02B6/00, acousto-optical devices specially adapted for gating or modulating in optical wave guides G02F1/125)} - G02B 6/02095: {Long period gratings, i.e. transmission gratings coupling light between core and cladding modes} - G02B 6/02395: {Glass optical fibre with a protective coating, e.g. two layer polymer coating deposited directly on a silica cladding surface during fibre manufacture (G02B6/02052, G02B6/02057, G02B6/024, G02B6/032, G02B6/105, G02B6/14 take precedence; coating on fibre gratings G02B6/02104; multilayer core or cladding G02B6/036; reinforcing splice joints G02B6/2558; optical cables, i.e. comprising protective structures external to the protective coating such as a jacket or plural coated optical fibres G02B6/44; coating of glass to obtain optical fibres C03C25/104)} - G02B 6/3885: {Multicore or multichannel optical connectors, i.e. one single ferrule containing more than one fibre, e.g. ribbon type (optical ribbon cable G02B6/4403, G02B6/448)} - G02B 6/403: {of the ferrule type, connecting a pair of ferrules} - G02B 6/448: {Ribbon cables} - G02B 6/02085: {characterised by the grating profile, e.g. chirped, apodised, tilted, helical} - G02B 6/02142: {based on illuminating or irradiating an amplitude mask, i.e. a mask having a repetitive intensity modulating pattern} - G02B 6/08: with fibre bundle in form of plate - G02B 6/4434: {Central member to take up tensile loads} - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G01H: MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OR ULTRASONIC, SONIC OR INFRASONIC WAVES ## Abstract An intravascular or other 2D or 3D imaging apparatus can include a minimally-invasive distal imaging guidewire portion. A plurality of thin optical fibers can be circumferentially distributed about a cylindrical guidewire core, such as in an spiral-wound or otherwise attached optical fiber ribbon. A low refractive index coating, high numerical aperture (NA) fiber, or other technique can be used to overcome challenges of using extremely thin optical fibers. Coating and ribbonizing techniques are described. Also described are non-uniform refractive index peak amplitudes or wavelengths techniques for FBG writing, using a depressed index optical cladding, chirping, a self-aligned connector, optical fiber routing and alignment techniques for a system connector, and an adapter for connecting to standard optical fiber coupling connectors. ## Claims ### Claim 1 (canceled) ### Claim 2 An optical fiber assembly for receiving an optical fiber ribbon, the assembly comprising: a first connector configured to receive the ribbon and spread the fibers of the ribbon onto a wider pitch than a pitch of the optical fiber ribbon. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The optical fiber assembly of claim 2, wherein the first connector includes a ferrule having first and second housing portions providing opposing faces facing each other and providing individual optical fiber passages using at least one of the opposing faces of the first and second housing portions. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The optical fiber assembly of claim 2, further comprising: an insert, including a ribbon channel, sized, shaped, or otherwise configured to receive the ribbon. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The optical fiber assembly of claim 4, further comprising: a plurality of individual fiber channels, branching off from the ribbon channel, the individual fiber channels sized, shaped, or otherwise configured to receive and spread individual fibers of the ribbon. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The optical fiber assembly of claim 5, wherein the insert is configured such that outer-most optical fibers in the optical fiber ribbon are individually picked off first and guided into corresponding individual optical fiber channels, and successively closer optical fibers to an axial center of the optical fiber ribbon are sequentially picked off and guided into corresponding individual optical fiber channels. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The optical fiber assembly of claim 5, wherein the insert is configured such that center-most optical fibers in the optical fiber ribbon are individually picked off first and guided into corresponding individual optical fiber channels, and successively farther optical fibers from an axial center of the optical fiber ribbon are sequentially picked off and guided into corresponding individual optical fiber channels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 2) The optical fiber assembly of claim 2, wherein the first connector is configured to spread the optical fibers into a linear arrangement of optical fibers on an end face of the first connector, wherein the end face of the first connector also includes at least one alignment plug or receptacle for aligning with another connector. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The optical fiber assembly of claim 8, wherein the end face of the first connector includes: a pair of alignment plugs or receptacles; and a linear arrangement of ends of the optical fibers. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) The optical fiber assembly of claim 2, further comprising: an adapter, configured to interface between the first connector and a second connector, wherein the adapter includes multiple replicas of the first connector. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The optical fiber assembly of claim 10, wherein the multiple replicas of the first connector include: a first replica, configured to be coupled to the first connector via individual fiber channels; a second replica, configured to be coupled to the first replica via ribbon channels of the first and second replicas, and configured to be coupled to the second connector via individual optical fiber channels, with unoccupied optical fiber ribbon channels being used to provide a wider pitch of optical fibers at the individual optical fiber channels of the second replica than of optical fibers at the first connector; and a third replica, configured to be coupled to the first replica via ribbon channels of the first and third replicas, and configured to be coupled to the second connector via individual optical fiber channels, with unoccupied optical fiber channels being used to provide a wider pitch of optical fibers at the individual optical fiber channels of the third replica than of optical fibers at the first connector. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The optical fiber assembly of claim 2, wherein the optical fiber ribbon includes at least 24 optical fibers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 2) The optical fiber assembly of claim 2, wherein the optical fiber ribbon includes a plurality of optical fibers, each optical fiber having an outer diameter of between 25 micrometers and 30 micrometers. ### Claim 14 (depends on 2) The optical fiber assembly of claim 2, wherein the first connector includes a ferrule having first and second housing portions providing opposing faces facing each other, wherein the first housing portion defines a plurality of grooves, wherein each groove provides an optical fiber passage for a corresponding individual optical fiber. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The optical fiber assembly of claim 14, wherein the plurality of grooves is a first plurality of grooves, and wherein the second housing portion defines a second plurality of grooves corresponding to the first plurality of grooves. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The optical fiber assembly of claim 14, wherein the second housing portion defines a flat portion corresponding to the plurality of grooves. ### Claim 17 An optical fiber assembly for receiving an optical fiber ribbon, the assembly comprising: a first connector configured to receive the ribbon and spread the fibers of the ribbon onto a wider pitch than a pitch of the optical fiber ribbon, the first connector including a ferrule having first and second housing portions providing opposing faces facing each other, wherein the first housing portion defines a plurality of grooves, wherein each groove provides an optical fiber passage for a corresponding individual optical fiber; an insert, including a ribbon channel, sized, shaped, or otherwise configured to receive the ribbon; and a plurality of individual fiber channels, branching off from the ribbon channel, the individual fiber channels sized, shaped, or otherwise configured to receive and spread individual fibers of the ribbon, wherein the insert is configured such that outer-most optical fibers in the optical fiber ribbon are individually picked off first and guided into corresponding individual optical fiber channels, and successively closer optical fibers to an axial center of the optical fiber ribbon are sequentially picked off and guided into corresponding individual optical fiber channels. ### Claim 18 An optical fiber assembly for receiving an optical fiber ribbon, the assembly comprising: a first connector configured to receive the ribbon and spread the fibers of the ribbon onto a wider pitch than a pitch of the optical fiber ribbon, the first connector including a ferrule having first and second housing portions providing opposing faces facing each other, wherein the first housing portion defines a plurality of grooves, wherein each groove provides an optical fiber passage for a corresponding individual optical fiber; an insert, including a ribbon channel, sized, shaped, or otherwise configured to receive the ribbon; and a plurality of individual fiber channels, branching off from the ribbon channel, the individual fiber channels sized, shaped, or otherwise configured to receive and spread individual fibers of the ribbon, wherein the insert is configured such that center-most optical fibers in the optical fiber ribbon are individually picked off first and guided into corresponding individual optical fiber channels, and successively farther optical fibers from an axial center of the optical fiber ribbon are sequentially picked off and guided into corresponding individual optical fiber channels.