A method of manufacturing an unclad infrared optical fiber

• Main Authors: KAYASHIMA, KAZUHIRO, OHSHIMA, KIYOKO, TATEISHI, FUMIKAZU, IKEDO, MASARU
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 11.09.1996
• Edition: 6
• Subjects: CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF GLASSES, GLAZES, OR VITREOUSENAMELS; CHEMISTRY; DIAGNOSIS; ELECTROTHERAPY; GLASS; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; JOINING GLASS TO GLASS OR OTHER MATERIALS; MAGNETOTHERAPY; MANUFACTURE, SHAPING, OR SUPPLEMENTARY PROCESSES; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METALLURGY; MINERAL OR SLAG WOOL; OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS, OR APPARATUS; OPTICS; PHYSICS; RADIATION THERAPY; SURFACE TREATMENT OF FIBRES OR FILAMENTS MADE FROM GLASS,MINERALS OR SLAGS; SURFACE TREATMENT OF GLASS; SURGERY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY

An infrared optical fiber containing 30 to 70 % by weight of silver chloride and silver bromide and having a diameter of not more than 0.35 mm has a high mechanical strength. Accordingly, even when this fiber is bent ten thousand times repeatedly at a curvature of 20 mm in radius, which constitutes the condition required of the infrared optical fiber when it is used in a human body, a decrease of the laser beam transmitting capacity thereof, which causes the infrared optical fiber to be burnt, does not occur. This fiber has excellent optical characteristics with respect to an outgoing beam. When a proper load is imposed on this fiber, a non-curved, i.e. linear infrared optical fiber having excellent optical characteristics with respect to an outgoing beam can be obtained. This enables an infrared optical fiber to be manufactured stably in a shorter period of time.