Optical fiber mass splice methods and assemblies are provided. A method may include securing a fiber clamp to a fiber setting fixture, the fiber setting fixture including a fiber alignment block and a backstop. A plurality of fiber grooves may be defined in the fiber alignment block. The method may further include inserting a plurality of optical fibers into the fiber setting fixture such that each of the plurality of optical fibers is disposed in one of the plurality of fiber grooves and contacts the backstop. The method may further include loading, after the inserting step, each of the plurality of optical fibers into the fiber clamp. The method may further include clamping the plurality of optical fibers in the fiber clamp.

Optical system (20) comprising two optical fibres (3, 5) which are configured to define between them a Fabry-Perot cavity, and a connecting element (7) bonded to each of the two optical fibres (3, 5), the connecting element (7) defining a through-passage, at least one of the two optical fibres (3, 5) comprising an end portion (22, 23) arranged in the through-passage and bonded to the connecting element (7), the two optical fibres (3, 5) extending along an axis (A) and being separated from one another by a distance Lc parallel to the axis (A), one of the optical fibres being bonded to the connecting element at a first bonding zone, and the other optical fibre being bonded to the connecting element at a second bonding zone separated from the first bonding zone by distance L1 parallel to the axis (A), wherein the two optical fibres (3, 5) have a first thermal expansion coefficient, and the connecting element (7) has a second thermal expansion coefficient, so that the first thermal expansion coefficient is equal to the product of the second thermal expansion coefficient multiplied by the term (1−Lc/L1) to within a margin of 10.sup.−6.

Optical system (20) comprising two optical fibres (3, 5) which are configured to define between them a Fabry-Perot cavity, and a connecting element (7) bonded to each of the two optical fibres (3, 5), the connecting element (7) defining a through-passage, at least one of the two optical fibres (3, 5) comprising an end portion (22, 23) arranged in the through-passage and bonded to the connecting element (7), the two optical fibres (3, 5) extending along an axis (A) and being separated from one another by a distance Lc parallel to the axis (A), one of the optical fibres being bonded to the connecting element at a first bonding zone, and the other optical fibre being bonded to the connecting element at a second bonding zone separated from the first bonding zone by distance L1 parallel to the axis (A), wherein the two optical fibres (3, 5) have a first thermal expansion coefficient, and the connecting element (7) has a second thermal expansion coefficient, so that the first thermal expansion coefficient is equal to the product of the second thermal expansion coefficient multiplied by the term (1−Lc/L1) to within a margin of 10.sup.−6.

A device for fusion splicing, by an arc discharge, a pair or a plurality of pairs of optical fibers arranged so that end surfaces thereof face each other. An optical fiber arrangement portion positions the pair or the plurality of pairs of optical fibers between a pair of electrodes. A control portion controls a voltage applied to the pair of electrodes. The control portion generates a first discharge between the pair of electrodes, stops the first discharge between the pair of electrodes, and then generates an arc discharge between the pair of electrodes to fusion-splice the pair or the plurality of pairs of optical fibers to each other. A discharge time of the first discharge is 200 milliseconds or less. A time from stopping the first discharge to starting the arc discharge is 100 milliseconds or less.

An optical fiber arrangement method includes: preparing an intermittently connected optical fiber ribbon including optical fibers arranged side by side at a first pitch larger than a fiber diameter; holding a non-connecting region of the optical fiber ribbon with a holder, where connecting portions intermittently connect the optical fibers extending out from the holder to each other; changing a width of the optical fiber ribbon in an interior of the holder; and arranging the optical fibers, extending out from the holder, with intervals of the optical fibers changed from the first pitch to a second pitch smaller than the first pitch by removing the connecting portions in a state where the holder is holding the optical fibers.

An optical fiber arrangement method includes: preparing an intermittently connected optical fiber ribbon including optical fibers arranged side by side at a first pitch larger than a fiber diameter; holding a non-connecting region of the optical fiber ribbon with a holder, where connecting portions intermittently connect the optical fibers extending out from the holder to each other; changing a width of the optical fiber ribbon in an interior of the holder; and arranging the optical fibers, extending out from the holder, with intervals of the optical fibers changed from the first pitch to a second pitch smaller than the first pitch by removing the connecting portions in a state where the holder is holding the optical fibers.

The present invention relates to a low-profile splice protection system for protecting multi-fibre fusion splice sites. The splice protection system comprises coating material to package the splice site and may comprise a protective housing.

A window cutting tool includes a first body, a second body configured to be pivotally coupled with the first body between an open configuration and a closed configuration, and a blade carriage configured to carry a blade and to be slidingly coupled with at least one of the first body and the second body. At least one of the first body and the second body is configured to guide sliding movement of the blade carriage relative to the first body and the second body in a longitudinal direction. The first body and the second body are configured to expose a portion of a multi-fiber cable to the blade carriage when the first body and the second body are in the closed configuration. The blade is configured to cut through a jacket of the multi-fiber cable without damaging an individual fiber within the multi-fiber cable to form a window that is configured to allow a technician to access the individual fiber within the multi-fiber cable.

A window cutting tool includes a first body, a second body configured to be pivotally coupled with the first body between an open configuration and a closed configuration, and a blade carriage configured to carry a blade and to be slidingly coupled with at least one of the first body and the second body. At least one of the first body and the second body is configured to guide sliding movement of the blade carriage relative to the first body and the second body in a longitudinal direction. The first body and the second body are configured to expose a portion of a multi-fiber cable to the blade carriage when the first body and the second body are in the closed configuration. The blade is configured to cut through a jacket of the multi-fiber cable without damaging an individual fiber within the multi-fiber cable to form a window that is configured to allow a technician to access the individual fiber within the multi-fiber cable.

A system for optical coherence tomography includes a source of optical radiation, an optical fiber, and a graded index fiber attached to a distal end of the optical fiber. The optical fiber and the graded index fiber are together configured to provide a common path for optical radiation reflected from a reference interface at a distal end of the graded index fiber and from a target.