Schott Corporation

Paige Higby

Kevin Tabor

Michael Weisser

Paulette I K Onorato

Richard Strack

James Triba

Gary DiGregorio

An image-conducting optical fiber bundle extends along a central bundle axis between image input and image output ends. The bundle is twisted along a portion of its length such that an image inputted into the image input end is angularly displaced about the central bundle axis before being outputted through the image output end. Each constituent optical fiber includes a cladding with a cladding diameter corresponding with the fiber diameter of that fiber and a core with a core diameter. The ratio of the core diameter to the cladding diameter defines a core-to-clad diameter ratio relative to each fiber. In various embodiments, at least one of fiber diameter and core-to-clad diameter ratio varies as a function of a fiber's radial displacement from the central bundle axis.

Foveal image inverter

A graded-refractive-index optical fiber is fabricated by providing an elongated core rod of a first material including a concentration of high-refractive-index ions and a cladding tube of a second material including a lower concentration of the high-refractive-index ions present in the core rod material. The core rod is axially introduced into the cladding tube and the core rod and cladding tube are heated and vertically drawn in the furnace of a fiber drawing tower to cause the collapse of the cladding tube about the core rod and the radially outward diffusion of high-refractive-index ions into the cladding tube to yield an optical fiber exhibiting a radially graded refractive index that decreases with displacement from the rod axis. In various implementations, fused image-conducting fiber bundles are fabricated by bundling, heating and drawing a plurality of constituent-GRIN-optical-fiber pre-forms.

Graded refractive index optical fibers, optical components fabricated to include plural graded index optical fibers and methods of fabricating the same

Methods of fabricating extra-mural absorption elements adapted for incorporation in an image-conducting optical fiber array include fabricating various constituent components to be included in an optical fiber bundle from one or more reducible-ion-containing glasses. Various components fabricated from a reducible-ion-containing glass are selectively exposed to a reducing atmosphere such that they are reduction-blackened prior to at least one heating and drawing step relative to the bundle into which they are to be fusedly incorporated. Such 'pre-blackened' components function as extra-mural absorption media throughout the length of an image-conducting optical fiber array and alternatively include fiber claddings and substitutional and interstitial extra-mural absorption elements.

Ion-reduction-blackened extra-mural absorbing media adapted for inclusion in image-conducting optical fiber arrays and methods of fabricating the same

A fused optical fiber optical device system comprises at least one optical component comprising optical fibers and at least one other optical component with which light transmitted in the optical fibers interacts, wherein the optical fiber comprises a core glass of the following composition: LaO1&#x2013;23 mole %, ZrO1&#x2013;10 mole %, WO&#x2267;2.5 mole %, ZnO 1&#x2013;15 mole %, BaO 0&#x2013;9 mole %, BO20&#x2013;70 mole %, TaO0&#x2013;3 mole %, CaO 0&#x2013;7 mole %, PbO 6&#x2013;35 mole %, SiO0&#x2013;40 mole %, AsOand/or SbO0&#x2013;0.1 mole %, NbO0&#x2013;3 mole % and AlO0&#x2013;8 mole %. The core glass is essentially free of CdO, has a refractive index nof at least 1.8 and a CTE of &#x2267;about 74&#xd7;10.

Growing community of inventors

Holland, MA, United States of America

Paige Higby