| 摘要 |
A low-friction, abrasion-resistant, non-shedding glass fiber light guide and its method of construction. The light guide is particularly suited for endoscopic use in conjunction with other elements which may contact the light guide but must not either damage the guide or be damaged by it. The light guide comprises an elongated bundle of generally parallel glass fibers embedded in a hardened resin matrix, the bundle being ensheathed by a pair of thin protective layers disposed on opposite sides thereof, converging along a pair of side edges, and secured in place by the resinous matrix material. The method for making the light guide involves the steps of lining a mold cavity with a thin film, introducing the glass fibers and a hardenable liquid potting compound into the cavity, covering the exposed fibers and compound with a second film, rearranging the fibers and compound to establish the desired cross-sectional configuration, and then heating the mold and its contents until the resin is cured. In the disclosed embodiment, the desired cross-sectional configuration is of crescent shape. The light guide is also disclosed in combination with other coacting elements of an endoscope assembly.
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