US 6,102,905 A · Phototherapy device including housing for an optical element and method of making

Abstract

A phototherapy device which can include an optical fiber having a perfluorinated polymer outer buffer coating, and an optical element, such as a GRIN lens or a mirror, disposed at its distal end. A tubular housing encases the optical element and is thermally bonded to at least a portion of the buffer. The component elements of the device can be constructed of materials having similar thermal characteristic to inhibit the effect of heat cycling on the device. In addition, the materials of the device, and in particular the housing, can be selected to inhibit wear and scrapping of the lumen of the delivery instrument during use. A marker band can be positioned about the optical fiber to facilitate viewing of the phototherapy device in-vivo.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A phototherapy device, comprising:

an optical fiber;
a buffer coating the optical fiber, the buffer being formed from a perfluorinated polymer material;
a tubular housing thermally bonded to at least a portion of the buffer, the housing being formed from a perfluorinated polymer material, wherein the coefficient of thermal expansion of the housing is approximately equal to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the buffer such that the housing and buffer will expand at substantially the same rate, thereby reducing the effects of thermal cycling on the device;
and
a discrete optical element at least partly encased in the housing in optical alignment with the optical fiber, the optical element being formed from a perfluorinated polymer material.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Phototherapy device including housing for an optical element and method of making

Life of this patent

Phototherapy device including housing for an optical element and method of making

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20