# US 8,542,962 B2 · Preconditioned illuminator system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,542,962 B2 - Document ID: US8542962B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/540,755 - Filed: 2009-08-13 - Published: 2010-02-18 - Granted: 2013-09-24 - Earliest claimed: 2008-08-13 - Assignees: Alcon Research, Ltd. - Applicants: Ronald T. Smith; Dean Y. Lin; Jack R. Auld; Timothy C. Ryan - Inventors: Ronald T. Smith; Dean Y. Lin; Jack R. Auld; Timothy C. Ryan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8542962B2 ## CPC - B23P 11/025: {by using heat or cold} - A61B 90/30: Devices for illuminating a surgical field, the devices having an interrelation with other surgical devices or with a surgical procedure - A61B 2090/306: {using optical fibres} - A61F 9/007: Methods or devices for eye surgery - Y10T 29/49865: by temperature differential [e.g., shrink fit] - B23P: METAL-WORKING NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; COMBINED OPERATIONS; UNIVERSAL MACHINE TOOLS (arrangements for copying or controlling B23Q) - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) - Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION ## Abstract Embodiments of endo-illuminators and related methods are disclosed. One embodiment of an illuminator can comprise a cannula defining a passage, an optical element disposed at an end of the cannula, and an optical fiber running through the passage with the distal end of the optical fiber in contact with the optical element. The optical fiber includes at least a heat preconditioned distal portion that terminates in the distal end that is in contact with the optical element. One embodiment of a method can comprise inserting an optical fiber through a proximal portion of a cannula and optical element assembly until the distal end of the optical fiber contacts the optical element, heating a distal portion of the optical fiber to between a softening temperature and a melting temperature for a period of time to cause the distal portion to axially shrink and moving the optical element so that the optical element is in contact with the distal end of the optical fiber when the distal portion of the optical fiber has axially shrunk. Moving the optical element so that the optical element is in contact with the distal end of the optical fiber when the distal portion of the optical fiber has axially shrunk can comprise applying a force to the cannula and optical element assembly to maintain the optical element in continuous contact with the distal end of the optical fiber while the optical fiber axially shrinks. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A wide-angle illuminator comprising: a cannula defining a passage; an optical element disposed at an end of the cannula; an optical fiber comprising a distal end, the optical fiber running through the passage defined in the cannula, wherein the optical fiber includes at least a heat preconditioned distal portion that terminates in the distal end and wherein the distal end is in contact with the optical element, the heat preconditioned distal portion, having a lower level of residual stress than an adjacent portion of the optical fiber. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The wide-angle illuminator of claim 1, wherein the optical element is a sapphire lens. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The wide-angle illuminator of claim 1, wherein the optical fiber is a distal fiber coupled to a proximate fiber. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The wide-angle illuminator of claim 3, wherein the distal fiber is one of a 23 or a 25 gauge optical fiber. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The wide-angle illuminator of claim 3, wherein the proximal optical fiber is coupled to a light source using an SMA optical fiber connector. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The wide-angle illuminator of claim 5, wherein the light source is a xenon light source. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The wide-angle illuminator of claim 1, wherein the cannula is one of a 23 gauge or 25 gauge cannula. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The wide-angle illuminator or claim 1, wherein the optical element comprises a flat surface and wherein the flat surface of the optical element is disposed at a distal end of the optical element. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The wide-angle illuminator of claim 1, wherein the optical element comprises a flat surface and wherein the flat surface of the optical element is co-incident with an open aperture at a distal end of the cannula. ### Claim 10 A wide-angle illuminator comprising: a cannula defining a passage; an optical element disposed at an end of the cannula, the optical element comprising a surface, at least a portion of the surface of the optical element defining a distal end of the wide-angle illuminator; an optical fiber comprising a distal end, the optical fiber running through the passage defined in the cannula, wherein the optical fiber includes at least a heat preconditioned distal portion that terminates in the distal end and wherein the distal end is in contact with the optical element, the heat preconditioned distal portion having a lower level of residual stress than an adjacent portion of the optical fiber. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The wide-angle illuminator of claim 10, wherein the optical element is a sapphire lens. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The wide-angle illuminator of claim 10, wherein the optical fiber is a distal fiber coupled to a proximate fiber. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The wide-angle illuminator of claim 12, wherein the distal fiber is one of a 23 or a 25 gauge optical fiber. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The wide-angle illuminator of claim 12, wherein the proximal optical fiber is coupled to a light source using an SMA optical fiber connector. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The wide-angle illuminator of claim 14, wherein the light source is a xenon light source. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The wide-angle illuminator of claim 10, wherein the cannula is one of a 23 gauge or 25 gauge cannula. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The wide-angle illuminator of claim 10, wherein at least a portion of the surface of the optical element is co-incident with an open aperture of the cannula. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The wide-angle illuminator of claim 10, wherein the surface of the optical element comprises a fiat surface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The wide-angle illuminator of claim 18, wherein the flat surface defines the distal end of the wide-angle illuminator. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The wide-angle illuminator of claim 18, wherein the flat surface is co-incident with an open aperture at a distal end of the cannula.