Systems and methods for optical fiber cleaning and interface particle reduction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11899248-B2
Application number	US-202117193166-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 5, 2021
Priority date	Mar 6, 2020
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

An optical fiber cleaning assembly includes a cleaning tape, a first spool having the cleaning tape wound thereon, a second spool onto which the cleaning tape is drawn, a drive mechanism configured to move the cleaning tape from the first spool to the second spool, and one or more first connectors configured to mate with one or more connectors of a system, the system including a first optical fiber. The optical fiber cleaning assembly further includes one or more second connectors configured to mate with one or more optical fiber connectors of a device while the optical fiber cleaning assembly is attached to the system by the one or more first connectors, the device including a second optical fiber. The drive mechanism is configured to move the cleaning tape from the first spool to the second spool to wipe the face of the first or second optical fiber.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An optical fiber cleaning assembly, comprising:
a cleaning tape;
a first spool having the cleaning tape wound thereon;
a second spool onto which the cleaning tape is drawn;
a drive mechanism configured to move the cleaning tape from the first spool to the second spool;
one or more first connectors configured to mate with one or more connectors of a system so as to detachably attach the optical fiber cleaning assembly to the system, the system including a first optical fiber; and
one or more second connectors configured to mate with one or more optical fiber connectors of a device while the optical fiber cleaning assembly is attached to the system by the one or more first connectors so as to detachably attach the optical fiber cleaning assembly to the device, the device including a second optical fiber,
wherein when a face of the first or second optical fiber is placed in contact with a surface of the cleaning tape, the drive mechanism is configured to move the cleaning tape from the first spool to the second spool to wipe the face of the first or second optical fiber.

2. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 1 , further comprising an index matching fluid having a refractive index that corresponds to a refractive index of the first or second optical fiber, wherein the cleaning tape is impregnated with the index matching fluid.

3. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 1 , wherein the surface of the cleaning tape comprises an adhesive.

4. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 1 , wherein the first spool comprises a biasing mechanism configured to maintain the cleaning tape under tension between the first spool and the second spool.

5. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 4 , wherein the cleaning tape is pre-impregnated with an index matching fluid.

6. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 4 , further comprising a fluid removal device, wherein the cleaning tape is configured to pass through the fluid removal device such that the fluid removal device removes excess of an index matching fluid from the cleaning tape.

7. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 4 , wherein the cleaning tape comprises a plurality of apertures arranged along a longitudinal axis of the cleaning tape, such that particulate matter on the face of the first or second optical fiber may be detected through an aperture of the plurality of apertures.

8. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 4 , wherein the cleaning tape comprises a plurality of apertures arranged along a longitudinal axis of the cleaning tape, and wherein the plurality of apertures are configured to allow the first optical fiber to connect to the second optical fiber through an aperture of the plurality of apertures.

9. An optical fiber cleaning assembly, comprising:
a cleaning tape;
a first spool having the cleaning tape wound thereon;
a second spool onto which the cleaning tape is drawn;
a drive mechanism configured to move the cleaning tape from the first spool to the second spool; and
one or more connectors configured to mate with:
one or more connectors of a teleoperational manipulator system so as to detachably attach the optical fiber cleaning assembly to the teleoperational manipulator system, or
one or more optical fiber connectors of a device so as to detachably attach the optical fiber cleaning assembly to the device, the device configured to be manipulated by the teleoperational manipulator system,

wherein when a face of an optical fiber is placed in contact with a surface of the cleaning tape, the drive mechanism is configured to move the cleaning tape from the first spool to the second spool to wipe the face of the optical fiber, and
wherein the drive mechanism of the optical fiber cleaning assembly comprises a rotatable disk configured to couple to a rotatable disk of the teleoperational manipulator system and wherein rotation of the rotatable disk of the teleoperational manipulator system is configured to cause rotation of the rotatable disk of the optical fiber cleaning assembly to move the cleaning tape from the first spool to the second spool.

10. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 8 , wherein the drive mechanism is further configured to move the cleaning tape from the first spool to the second spool to wipe the face of the first and second optical fibers.

11. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 10 , wherein a surface of the cleaning tape is configured to wipe the face of the first optical fiber, and wherein an opposing surface of the cleaning tape is configured to wipe the face of the second optical fiber.

12. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 9 , further comprising an index matching fluid having a refractive index that corresponds to a refractive index of the optical fiber, wherein the cleaning tape is impregnated with the index matching fluid.

13. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 9 , wherein the surface of the cleaning tape comprises an adhesive.

14. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 9 , wherein the first spool comprises a biasing mechanism configured to maintain the cleaning tape under tension between the first spool and the second spool.

15. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 9 , wherein the cleaning tape is pre-impregnated with an index matching fluid.

16. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 9 , further comprising a fluid removal device, wherein the cleaning tape is configured to pass through the fluid removal device such that the fluid removal device removes excess of an index matching fluid from the cleaning tape.

17. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 9 , wherein the cleaning tape comprises a plurality of apertures arranged along a longitudinal axis of the cleaning tape, such that particulate matter on the face of the optical fiber may be detected through an aperture of the plurality of apertures.

18. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 9 , wherein the cleaning tape comprises a plurality of apertures arranged along a longitudinal axis of the cleaning tape, and wherein the plurality of apertures are configured to allow the optical fiber to connect to a second optical fiber through an aperture of the plurality of apertures.

19. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 18 , wherein the drive mechanism is further configured to move the cleaning tape from the first spool to the second spool to wipe a face of the second optical fiber.

20. The optical fiber cleaning assembly of claim 19 , wherein a surface of the cleaning tape is configured to wipe the face of the optical fiber, and wherein an opposing surface of the cleaning tape is configured to wipe the face of the second optical fiber.

Assignees

• Intuitive Surgical Operations

Inventors

• Rohr Daniel Matthew D
• Adebar Troy K
• Bailey David W
• Blumenkranz Stephen J
• Donlon Edward P
• Froggatt Mark
• Major Christopher M
• Schlesinger Randall L

Classifications

• B08B1/34

  rotating about an axis parallel to the surface · CPC title

• G02B6/3866 Primary

  Devices, tools or methods for cleaning connectors (cleaning in general B08B) · CPC title

• B08B1/30 Primary

  by movement of cleaning members over a surface · CPC title

• B08B1/008

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B08B1/04

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic