CYLINDRICAL DIFFUSION TIPS FOR OPTICAL FIBERS AND METHOD FOR MAKING

摘要

A cylindrical diffuser tip (10) for use with an optical fiber is described. The diffuser tip comprises a silicone core (14) abutted to the terminus (13) of the conventional optically transmissive core (11) of an optical fiber, and an outer protective plastic tube (17) to provide controlled stiffness or rigidity to the silicone diffuser tip (10) while maintaining a flexibility comparable to that of the optical fiber. The scattering centers (16) embedded in the silicone core, are distributed to yield a particular light distribution pattern. For example, the scattering centers (16) may be distributed to provide a gradient that increases continuously in a direction perpendicular from the terminus face (13) of the optical fiber. The tip provides a substantially uniform distribution of radiance along its length and is particularly useful for laser radiation treatment of tumors. The stiffness of the diffuser tip can be varied by choosing a protective tube (17) of varying wall thickness and durometer. Since the cladding (12) surrounding the fiber core (11) remains intact, the strength of the diffuser tip is improved rendering the tip useful for providing uniform cylindrical illumination of a target tissue in remote areas of the body.