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AssigneeUniversity of Washington
InventorsJanet Crossman-Bosworth, Eric J. Seibel, Mark E. Fauver
Estimating the term…
An optical fiber having a reduced cross-sectional region adjacent to its distal end, which is fused to an optical component, is vibrated, rotating the optical component to scan a region. The optical component has a back focal point that is substantially coincident with an effective light source of the optical fiber, so that the light emanating from the optical component is either substantially collimated or convergent. The optical component is either a ball lens, a drum lens, a graded index lens, or a diffractive optical element. A vibratory node is also made substantially coincident with the back focal point of the optical component, producing a compact scanner with extensive field of view. The optical fiber is preferably reduced in cross-sectional area after the optical component is fused to the optical fiber, by immersion in a three-layer etch apparatus having an etch-stop layer, an etch layer, and a solvent layer.
A compact scanner, comprising:
A method for scanning a region with light conveyed through a waveguide between a proximal end and a distal end of the waveguide, the distal end of the waveguide having an effective light source and a cantilevered portion, with an optical component being attached to the distal end of the waveguide, comprising the steps of:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.