An optical adaptor for inspection of a desired surface of an optical ferrule is provided. The optical ferrule is disposed in, and has a first position relative to, a housing of the optical ferrule. The optical adaptor includes a front portion including an open front end for insertion into the housing of the optical ferrule from an open mating end of the housing and for receiving at least a portion of the desired surface of the optical ferrule. The front portion includes a receiving surface for receiving at least a portion of the optical ferrule and causing the optical ferrule to change its position from the first position to a different second position. An image forming surface forms an image of the desired surface of the optical ferrule, thereby allowing a viewing of the optical ferrule from an open rear end of the optical adaptor.

An inspection device for an optical ferrule includes one or more reflectors. Each reflector has a mating surface and a mirror disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the mating surface. Each reflector is configured to mate with the optical ferrule when the optical ferrule is disposed within a housing of an optical connector. When the mating surface of the reflector is in mated contact with the mating surface of the optical ferrule, the mirror is positioned to provide a reflected view of at least a portion of a mating surface of the optical ferrule.

A method of inspecting a degree of air bubbles which are mixed into an ultraviolet curable resin for an optical fiber having viscosity of 1.2 Pa.Math.s to 6.2 Pa.Math.s at a temperature of 255 C., is performed in such a manner that the ultraviolet curable resin for an optical fiber which is an inspecting target is put into a sealed apparatus, then the inside of the sealed apparatus is decompressed to be a predetermined pressure, and then the sealed apparatus is left to stand as it is for a predetermined time. If a ratio of the volume expansion of the ultraviolet curable resin for an optical fiber is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the ultraviolet curable resin for an optical fiber is recognized as an accepted product.

Shape sensing with a multi-core fiber can achieve high accuracy as well as accommodate small bend radii by measuring signals with peripheral waveguide cores placed at multiple different radial distances from the center axis of the fiber, and computing strain metrics from signals of cores selected based on the respective radial distances and a determination of whether the waveguide cores have strained out of range.

A method for testing optical fibers includes using an optical testing instrument to measure a characteristic, such as clad non-circularity, of an optical fiber at a multiple angles of rotation of an optical fiber around its optical axis. From the measurements data points indicative of measured values of the characteristic at the respective angles of rotation are generated. A model is created of the optical fiber having the characteristic as a variable parameter, and from the model a functional relationship between an expected measured value of the characteristic and the angle of rotation and the variable parameter is generated. By varying the parameter a fit of the functional relationship to the data points is made according to one or more predetermined criteria, such as least-squares fit. The value of the characteristic can be found based on the fit. Instrumental parameters, such as fiber misalignment and cleave angle, can also be ascertained by the method.

A device may use a camera to capture an image of an end face of an optical fiber in a field of view of the camera. The device may monitor a focus metric associated with the image while the image is manually focused using an opto-mechanical assembly. The device may automatically initiate a test to inspect the image of the end face of the optical fiber for compliance with a set of criteria related to cleanliness and damage based on the focus metric satisfying a condition. The device may output a result from the test indicating whether the end face of the optical fiber satisfies the set of criteria related to cleanliness and damage.

An inspection device for an optical ferrule includes one or more reflectors. Each reflector has a mating surface and a mirror disposed at an oblique angle with respect to the mating surface. Each reflector is configured to mate with the optical ferrule when the optical ferrule is disposed within a housing of an optical connector. When the mating surface of the reflector is in mated contact with the mating surface of the optical ferrule, the mirror is positioned to provide a reflected view of at least a portion of a mating surface of the optical ferrule.

This evaluating method is an evaluating method for evaluating an assembly (50) provided with a reinforced member (60) and a reinforcing member (70), and includes: a step of introducing incident light into a first optical fiber (20) extending between a first composite layer and a second composite layer and detecting outgoing light therefrom to measure a first strain distribution, and introducing incident light into a second optical fiber (30) extending between the second composite layer and a third composite layer and detecting outgoing light therefore to measure a second strain distribution; and a step of acquiring the shape of wrinkles at the surface (60s) of the reinforced member (60) from the first strain distribution and the second strain distribution.

A method for screening an optical fiber core including a resin coating layer, includes: a pre-strain applying step of adding a tensile force while feeding a portion of the optical fiber core retained at both ends of the portion, and applying a pre-tensile strain larger than zero and smaller than a guaranteed tensile strain set as a guaranteed value; a guaranteed strain applying step of adding a tensile force while feeding the portion of the optical fiber core retained at both ends of the portion and applied with the pre-tensile strain, and applying the guaranteed tensile strain only for a predetermined time; and a guaranteed strain releasing step of releasing the optical fiber core from the guaranteed tensile strain.

An inspection device of an optical fiber unit, including a plurality of binding materials wound in an SZ shape on a plurality of optical fibers, includes: a measurement sensor that measures a width of the optical fiber units in a first direction orthogonal to a longitudinal direction in which the optical fiber unit extends; and a determination circuit that determines a presence or an absence of an abnormality in a binding state, based on a measurement result of the measurement sensor.