Micro-fabricated optical waveguide for use in scanning fiber displays and scanned fiber image acquisition

A method for creating a hinge in a light guide, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a waveguide with a tapered portion having a cross-sectional size that decreases toward an end of the waveguide, along a longitudinal axis of the waveguide;
• (b) heating, a material comprising the waveguide at a point along the tapered portion where it is desired to produce the hinge sufficiently so that the material flows and is capable of being deformed, but remains viscous;
• (c) substantially reducing the cross-sectional size of the tapered portion at the point where the hinge is desired after the material has been heated in step (b), to produce a necked-down section comprising the hinge;
• and
• (d) enabling the taper portion of the waveguide to cool to an ambient temperature, said waveguide more readily bending at the hinge than at other portions of the tapered section when driven by an applied force.

A method for forming a micro-lens on a waveguide, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a waveguide having a tapered cross-sectional size toward a distal end along a longitudinal axis of the waveguide;
• (b) applying a drop of an optical adhesive material adjacent to the distal end of the waveguide;
• (c) rotating the waveguide while the waveguide is directed radially relative to a center of rotation, causing the optical adhesive material to form a micro-lens having a desired shape at the distal end of the waveguide;
• and
• (d) causing the optical adhesive material to become set in the desired shape of the micro-lens.

A method for forming a micro-lens on a waveguide, comprising the steps of:

• (a) directing a beam of energy at a distal tip of the waveguide to heat a material comprising the distal tip;
• (b) heating the distal tip of the waveguide with the beam of energy to melt the material;
• (c) forming the micro-lens from a droplet of the material that has been melted;
• (d) applying a force to share the micro-lens so as to achieve desired optical properties for the micro-lens;
• and
• (e) allowing the droplet to cool.

A scanner, comprising:

• (a) a waveguide having a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end being formed to have a taper that decreases in size along a longitudinal axis of the waveguide, toward a distal tip of the waveguide;
• (b) a micro-lens formed on the distal tip of the waveguide;
• (c) a scanning actuator disposed adjacent to the distal end of the waveguide, said scanning actuator causing the distal tip of the waveguide to vibrate in a desired scanning motion;
• and
• (d) a control circuit that is coupled to the scanning actuator, said control circuit being adapted to selectively energize the scanning actuator to move the distal tip of the waveguide so as to scan a field of view.

A scanner, comprising:

• (a) an elongate structure having a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end being formed to have a nonlinear taper that decreases in size along a longitudinal axis of the structure, toward a distal tip of the structure;
• (b) a scanning actuator disposed adjacent to the structure, said scanning actuator driving the structure to vibrate the distal tip in a desired scanning motion;
• and
• (c) a controller that is coupled to the scanning actuator, said controller being adapted to selectively energize the scanning actuator to move the distal tip of the waveguide so as to scan the structure in the desired scanning motion.