Bundled optical fiber probe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9829634-B2
Application number	US-201414761859-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 16, 2014
Priority date	Jan 18, 2013
Publication date	Nov 28, 2017
Grant date	Nov 28, 2017

Abstract

A bundled optical fiber probe according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a forward irradiation unit including a forward irradiation optical fiber disposed at the center thereof, the forward irradiation optical fiber having a flat end surface; and a side irradiation unit including a side irradiation optical fiber disposed at the periphery of the forward irradiation unit, the side irradiation optical fiber having an inclined end surface to laterally reflect a laser beam, wherein the forward irradiation unit and the side irradiation unit can be formed as a single bundle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bundled optical fiber probe comprising:
a forward irradiator including a forward irradiation optical fiber disposed at the center of the bundled optical fiber probe, an end of the forward irradiation optical fiber being provided as a flat surface; and
a side irradiator including a side irradiation optical fiber disposed at the periphery of the forward irradiator, an inclined surface being formed at an end of the side irradiation optical fiber to laterally reflect a laser beam,
wherein the forward irradiator and the side irradiator are formed as a single bundle,
the side irradiation optical fiber is provided as a plurality of side irradiation optical fibers, and the inclined surface is formed at the end of each of the side irradiation optical fibers, wherein the plurality of side irradiation optical fibers are radially disposed to be separate from each other along the periphery of the forward irradiation optical fiber and respective ends of the side irradiation optical fibers are disposed on the same plane or different planes, and
the laser beam is transferred straight to an inspection target in the same direction as the incident direction at the end of the forward irradiation optical fiber, while laser beams are reflected laterally by the inclined surface at the ends of the side irradiation optical fibers to irradiate in an outer lateral radial form on the same plane or different planes, and thus laser beams are three-dimensionally irradiated in directions corresponding to the number of forward irradiation optical fiber and side irradiation optical fibers.

2. The bundled optical fiber probe of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller configured to individually control the forward irradiation optical fiber and the side irradiation optical fiber,
wherein the controller is configured to individually control a laser irradiation direction or a laser power.

3. The bundled optical fiber probe of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises:
a laser beam splitter configured to split the laser beam into the same number of laser beams as the number of forward irradiation optical fibers and side irradiation optical fibers;
a beam switch configured to selectively block a path of the laser beam; and
a lens configured to transmit the laser beam having passed through the beam switch to the forward irradiation optical fiber or the side irradiation optical fiber.

4. The bundled optical fiber probe of claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a coupler configured to split and couple the laser beam, and
a plurality of couplers is provided in series or in parallel.

5. The bundled optical fiber probe of claim 1 , wherein inclined surfaces are formed at different angles on the side irradiation optical fibers, and an angle of the inclined surface is selected based on a total internal reflection of the laser beam.

6. The bundled optical fiber probe of claim 1 , wherein a laser irradiation angle is changed by coating the inclined surface of the side irradiation optical fiber with a reflective metal and thereby forming a metal reflective film.

7. The bundled optical fiber probe of claim 1 , wherein the forward irradiation optical fibers or the side irradiation optical fibers have different diameters or are disposed at different heights.

8. The bundled optical fiber probe of claim 1 , further comprising:
a glass tube configured to encompass an end of the bundled optical fiber probe,
wherein an inner diameter of the glass tube corresponds to an outer diameter of the bundled optical fiber probe.

Assignees

• Kyungpook National Univ Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation
• Gwangju Inst Science & Tech

Inventors

• Lee Ho
• Sohn Ik Bu
• Kim Chang Hwan
• Jeon Myung Jin
• Park Ho Yong

Classifications

• G02B6/0008

  the light being emitted at the end of the fibre · CPC title

• G02B6/3624

  Fibre head, e.g. fibre probe termination (optical details of light guide terminations G02B6/241; reshaping of light guides G02B6/2552; optical details of coupling light into or out of fibre end G02B6/262) · CPC title

• G02B6/04

  formed by bundles of fibres (G02B6/24 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G02B6/353

  the optical element being a shutter, baffle, beam dump or opaque element (absorbers on light guide termination G02B6/243) · CPC title

• G02B6/262 Primary

  Optical details of coupling light into, or out of, or between fibre ends, e.g. special fibre end shapes or associated optical elements · CPC title