Tapered fiber optic array
Citation
Cole, Henry B. "Tapered Fiber Optic Array." Patent No. US4076378. Filed March 8, 1976, and issued February 28, 1978.
- tapered fiber optic array
- numerical aperture
- magnification
- core, cladding
- refractive index
- light transmission
- image element
Brief
The information provided in the source does not offer a summary of an article, but describes a tapered fiber optic array that overcomes the drawbacks of prior art devices to control numerical aperture and magnification.
Summary
Patent Summary: U.S. Patent 4,076,378, titled "Tapered Fiber Optic Array," was issued in 1978 to inventor Henry B. Cole. This patent describes a new type of tapered fiber optic array designed to improve the efficiency of light transmission.- Traditional fiber optic arrays, used for transmitting light or images, faced limitations. Assemblies of single fibers, while effective in separating image elements, were costly and complex to manufacture. Tapered fiber bundles, though easier to produce, suffered from light scattering and overlapping output, reducing their efficiency.
- This invention introduces a tapered fiber optic array composed of multiple fibers, each containing multiple cores with different refractive indices. The outermost core has the lowest refractive index, while the innermost core possesses the highest.
- This design allows for controlled light transmission through the fiber. Light entering any core at the smaller end is directed to exit solely from the central, highest refractive index core at the larger end. This precise control over light output prevents scattering and overlap, enhancing the array's efficiency.
- The patent further explains how the taper ratio and the refractive indices of the cores and cladding can be adjusted. This adjustment allows manipulation of the array's numerical aperture, controlling the angle and area of light emission. This customization enables tailoring the array for specific applications.