Chorum Technologies Inc.

Tea Time Partners, L.p.

Ec-optics Technology Inc.

Total Wire Corporation

Gan Zhou

Kuang-Yi Wu

Chi-Hao Cheng

Ding Wang

Sihan Lin

A catheter and a console for a catheter. In one embodiment, the catheter includes: (1) a wall having a substantially annular cross-section and surrounding a bore, (2) a plurality of optical fibers associated with the wall and terminating at a distal end of the wall in end faces of differing, non-perpendicular orientation with respect to longitudinal axes of the plurality of optical fibers and (3) photoacoustic layers coupled to at least some of the end faces and configured to generate an ultrasonic signal in response to laser light transmitted along the plurality of optical fibers.

Image-guided laser catheter

Method and apparatus for noise reduction in ultrasound detection with the steps of: an optical interferometer having a reference arm and a signal arm that includes a polarization-maintaining probing fiber having a reflective coating at a distal end, a way to couple the probing fiber to ultrasound, a way to generate two output beams from the interferometer, a device to modulate the polarization state of the light in the probing fiber, and a detection mechanism responsive to the ultrasonic signals at the distal tip of the probing fiber.

Method and apparatus for noise reduction in ultrasound detection

An ultrasonic pressure sensor and a method of detecting ultrasonic pressure. In one embodiment, the ultrasonic pressure sensor includes: (1) an interferometer having a reference arm and a signal arm that includes a probing fiber, the probing fiber having a reflective coating at a distal end thereof and configured to couple to ultrasonic waves proximate the distal end, the interferometer configured to receive laser light and produce two output beams based on the ultrasonic waves and (2) a photodetector coupled to the interferometer and configured to generate electronic signals based on the two output beams.

Ultrasonic pressure sensor and method of operating the same

An optical wavelength router separates an input signal into two complementary output signals. A beamsplitter of the wavelength router separates the input signal into a first beam and a second beam. A first resonator reflects the first beam producing a group delay that is dependent on wavelength. Similarly, a second resonator reflects the second beam. The center wavelength of the second resonator is offset relative to that of the first resonator by one half of the free spectral range of the first resonator, so that the resonance frequencies of the second resonator are matched to the anti-resonance frequencies of the first resonator. The beams reflected by the resonators interfere within the beamsplitter to produce two output signals containing complementary subsets of the spectrum of the input signal (e.g., even optical channels are routed to a first output port and the odd optical channels are routed to a second output port).

Dispersion-compensated optical wavelength router

An apparatus for processing an optical signal includes a tunable optical element and a reflective element. The tunable optical element receives an input signal at an incidence angle and separates the input signal into a first beam having a first optical path length and a second beam having a second optical path length. The difference between the first optical path length and the second optical path length is based at least in part upon the incidence angle of the input signal. The reflective element reflects the first beam and the second beam such that the first beam interferes with the second beam to produce a first output signal and a second output signal. The first output signal comprises a first subset of wavelength channels from the input signal and the second output signal comprises a second subset of wavelength channels from the input signal.

Optical interferometer for demultiplexing an optical signal

An interferometer receives an input optical signal and outputs a signal after changing at least the dispersion of said signal. At least portions of the interferometer are adjustable to adjust at least a first dispersion parameter. Examples of dispersion parameters which are adjustable include dispersion magnitude, center wavelengths and waveshapes or slopes. Preferably the dispersion in the output signal is substantially reduced or substantially eliminated, compared to the dispersion of the input signal. By providing for adjustability of one or more dispersion parameters, a dispersion compensator can be appropriately adjusted for use in a variety of applications.

Adjustable chromatic dispersion compensation

An optical wavelength router separates even and odd optical channels from an input WDM signal. The input beam is first converted into a pair of orthogonally-polarized beams. One of the beams is reflected by a mirror, while the other is reflected by a Fabry-Perot resonator (or etalon). The group delay of the reflected beams is strongly dependent on wavelength. The beams reflected from the resonator and mirror are combined and interfere in a birefringent element (e.g., a beam displacer or polarized beamsplitter) to produce a beam having mixed polarization as a function of wavelength. The polarized components of this beam are separated by a polarization-dependent routing element to produce two output beams containing complementary subsets of the input optical spectrum (e.g., even optical channels are routed to output port A and odd optical channels are routed to output port B).

Compact tunable optical wavelength interleaver

A method and apparatus for optical wavelength routing separates even and odd optical channels from an input WDM signal. The input beam is first converted to at least one pair of orthogonally-polarized beams. A split-mirror resonator has a front mirror with two regions having different reflectivities, and a reflective back mirror spaced a predetermined distance behind the front mirror. Each of the orthogonally-polarized beams is incident on a corresponding region of the front mirror of the split-mirror resonator. A portion of each beam is reflected by the front mirror, which the remainder of each beam enters the resonator cavity where it is reflected by the back mirror back through the front mirror. The group delay of each reflected beam is strongly dependent on wavelength. The two reflected beams from the resonator are combined and interfere in a birefringent element (e.g., a beam displacer or waveplates) to produce a beam having mixed polarization as a function of wavelength. The polarized components of this beam are separated by a polarization-dependent routing element (e.g., a polarized beamsplitter) to produce two output beams containing complimentary subsets of the input optical spectrum (e.g., even optical channels are routed to output port A and odd optical channels are routed to output port B).

Optical wavelength router based on polarization interferometer

A method and apparatus for optical wavelength routing separates even and odd optical channels from an input WDM signal. The input beam is first converted to at least one pair of orthogonally-polarized beams. A split-mirror resonator has a front mirror with two regions having different reflectivities, and a reflective back mirror spaced a predetermined distance behind the front mirror. Each of the orthogonally-polarized beams is incident on a corresponding region of the front mirror of the split-mirror resonator. A portion of each beam is reflected by the front mirror, while the remainder of each beam enters the resonator cavity where it is reflected by the back mirror back through the front mirror. The group delay of each reflected beam is strongly dependent on wavelength. The two reflected beams from the resonator are combined and interfere in a birefringent element (e.g., a beam displacer or waveplates) to produce a beam having mixed polarization as a function of wavelength. The polarized components of this beam are separated by a polarization-dependent routing element (e.g., a polarized beamsplitter) to produce two output beams containing complementary subsets of the input optical spectrum (e.g., even optical channels are routed to output port A and odd optical channels are routed to output port B).

Growing community of inventors

Plano, TX, United States of America

Gan Zhou