METHODS AND APPARATUS RELATED TO A SIDE-FIRE OPTICAL FIBER HAVING A ROBUST DISTAL END PORTION

摘要

An aspect of the present disclosure may include an apparatus having an optical waveguide (210). The optical waveguide may have a distal end surface (214) non- normal to a longitudinal centerline of a distal end portion of the optical waveguide, wherein the distal end surface may define a portion of an interface configured to redirect electromagnetic radiation propagated from within the optical waveguide and incident on the portion of the interface to a direction offset from the longitudinal centerline. The apparatus may further include a capillary component (220) which may have a first portion of an inner surface heat -fused to a portion of an outer surface of the optical waveguide. The apparatus may also include a reinforcement component (230) which may have a proximal end surface disposed distal to the distal end surface of the optical waveguide such that the distal end surface of the optical waveguide and the proximal end surface of the reinforcement component may be separated by a non-zero distance (226), and wherein a portion of an outer surface of the reinforcement component may be heat -fused to a second portion of the inner surface of the capillary component.