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:
Aug. 05, 2003
Filed:
Dec. 14, 1999
Applicant:
Inventor:
Victor Ilyashenko, Northborough, MA (US);
Assignee:
GetronicsWang Co., LLC, Billerica, MA (US);
Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
B23D 1/100 ;
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
B23D 1/100 ;
Abstract
The present invention provides a method for forming a transparent optical element, such as an optical fiber, having a graded index of refraction. One preferred practice of the invention employs a hollow tube formed of an amorphous fluoropolymer and fills the tube with a liquid dopant material having an index of refraction that is different than that of the fluoropolymer. The heating of the filled tube for a sufficient duration causes the diffusion of the dopant material through the fluoropolymer, thereby producing a graded distribution of the dopant and hence a graded refractive index.