The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 13, 1996
Filed:
May. 06, 1994
Donald M McPherson, Oakland, CA (US);
Steven C Murray, Menlo Park, CA (US);
Other;
Abstract
This invention relates to a family of rugged, non-toxic, high damage threshold, fiberizable, infrared transmitting germanate glasses that are suitable for medical laser delivery. They possess excellent visible transmission to utilize an aim beam in conjunction with the infrared laser. The glasses comprise (in mol %) 23.0-76.0% GeO.sub.2, 0-39.0% Ga.sub.2 O.sub.3, 3.0-51.0% SrO, 8.0-17.0% Ta.sub.2 O.sub.5, 0-23.0% Y.sub.2 O.sub.3, 0-35.0% ZnO, and optionally one or more of the following components; 0-11.0% TiO.sub.2, 0-20.0% Nb.sub.2 O.sub.5, 0-8.0% ZrO.sub.2, 0-13.0% Cs.sub.2 O, 0-10% MgO, 0-27% La.sub.2 O.sub.3, 0-25.0% Gd.sub.2 O.sub.3, 0-23.0% Yb.sub.2 O.sub.3. These glasses have intrinsic absorption coefficients of less than 0.137, 0.048, 0.024 and 0.021 dB/m at 2.94, 2.796, 2.71 and 2.69 .mu.m, respectively. The glasses are characterized by excellent chemical durability, low thermal expansion coefficient, high glass transition temperature, and good glass working properties such as low liquidus temperature, flat viscosity-temperature dependence and good resistance to devitrification. Specific embodiments are particularly well suited for use in biological applications where high chemical durability, non-toxicity, a high laser damage threshold and good infrared and visible transmission are required.