| 摘要 |
<p>A multimode optical fiber for UV light transmission, able to be sterilized with gamma radiation, has a core including undoped synthetic silica, a cladding including fluorine doped synthetic silica, a hydrogen contcnt higher than 5 x 10<19> molecules/cm<3> and a metal coating that retards diffusion of hydrogen outwardly from the fiber, the metal being selected from aluminum, copper, zinc, tin, silver and gold. The metal coating has a high diffusion coefficient below 150 DEG and a low diffusion coefficient at a hydrogen loading temperature above 250 DEG C. The optical fiber may have a high-OH content of 50 to 1500 ppm and a low-OH content below 50 ppm after treatment. The optical fiber may also or alternatively have a low-OH content below 50 ppm, and preferably below 5 ppm, before treatment. A gamma radiation sterilized multimode fiber bundle may include a plurality of such optical fibers. A gamma radiation sterilized catheter may include at least one optical fiber or a fiber bundle. A process for producing the gamma radiation sterilized fibers includes manufacturing a preform having a core including undoped synthetic silica and a cladding including fluorine doped silica; drawing the preform into a fiber and annealing the fiber for reducing drawing-induced UV defects; coating the fiber with a metal coating thercby retarding migration of hydrogen outwardly from the fiber. A delivery system for transporting light including at least one optical fiber and apparatus for transporting light using the delivery system are also described.</p> |
