An illumination system for a medical technology therapy and/or diagnosis system is provided. The system includes a light source, an optical waveguide, and an optical element in the form of a diffuser element. The optical waveguide has a first end that is connectable or assignable to the light source and the diffuser element is arranged at a second end of the optical waveguide so that light from the optical waveguide is injected into the optical element. The optical element has a lateral surface covered by a reflector layer at least in a section thereof. The reflector layer includes a mirror layer. The optical element has a light-reflecting area covered by the reflector layer and a light-transmissive area that is free of the reflector layer. Thus, light injected into the optical element is reflected on the light-reflecting area and emitted from the light-transmissive area.

The box has a base (10) and a (20) which is hinged to the base (10 and displaceable between a closed position and an open position. At least one peripheral wall (12) of the base (10) is provided with at least two lateral openings (13) each being flanked by two inclined recesses (13a/13b) and each closed by a sealing grommet (30) for the passage of at least one multi-fiber optical cable (CO) and which is pressed into the lateral opening (13) to receive thereon a sealing gasket (24) carried by the lid (20). A splitter accommodation tray (60) has a front face (61) attached to the top wall (21) of the lid (20) and carrying splitter and/or fiber accommodation means (MSF), and a rear face (62) covered by a splitter protective plate (PS). Each splitter and/or fiber accommodation means (MSF) is connectable to a fiber extension (EF1) of an optical cable (CO) received in the base (10) and to fiber extensions (EF2) connected to output adapters (AS) mounted. on at least one peripheral wall (22) of the lid (20) and externally connected to connectors (C) of terminal cables (CT).

A process of making a diverging-light fiber optics illumination delivery system includes providing a micro-post comprising a glass-ceramic light-scattering element that includes at least one of a ceramic, a glass ceramic, an immiscible glass, a porous glass, opal glass, amorphous glass, an aerated glass, and a nanostructured glass; and fusion-splicing the glass-ceramic micro-post to the optical fiber by pulling an arc between electrodes across a gap formed by the optical fiber and the glass-ceramic micro-post; maintaining the arc for a time sufficiently long to make facing surfaces of the optical fiber and the micro-post one of malleable and molten; and pushing and thereby fusing together the facing surfaces of the optical fiber and the micro-post. Some embodiments can include fusing the glass-ceramic micro-post to the optical fiber by applying a laser beam to heat up at least one of the facing surfaces of the optical fiber and the glass-ceramic micro-post.

Fiber optic tapered coupler and methods of manufacturing same. One method of manufacturing a fiber optic tapered coupler arrangement includes providing an output fiber having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The method also includes applying heat to the first end of the output fiber, wherein the first end expands forming a taper at the first end of the output fiber. The method also includes splicing the tapered first end of the output fiber to a first end of an input fiber, wherein a non-tapered portion of the output fiber has a first diameter and the input fiber has a second diameter different from the first diameter.

A process of making a diverging-light fiber optics illumination delivery system includes providing a micro-post comprising a glass-ceramic light-scattering element that includes at least one of a ceramic, a glass ceramic, an immiscible glass, a porous glass, opal glass, amorphous glass, an aerated glass, and a nanostructured glass; and fusion-splicing the glass-ceramic micro-post to the optical fiber by pulling an arc between electrodes across a gap formed by the optical fiber and the glass-ceramic micro-post; maintaining the arc for a time sufficiently long to make facing surfaces of the optical fiber and the micro-post one of malleable and molten; and pushing and thereby fusing together the facing surfaces of the optical fiber and the micro-post. Some embodiments can include fusing the glass-ceramic micro-post to the optical fiber by applying a laser beam to heat up at least one of the facing surfaces of the optical fiber and the glass-ceramic micro-post.

A fiber mode sorter includes an optical fiber including a waveguide structure configured to maintain an orbital angular momentum (OAM) of a beam propagating through the optical fiber, and an OAM mode sorter placed on a core of the optical fiber.

A probe comprising a body portion and a tip portion. The body portion comprises: a first mounting portion comprising a plurality of first carriers, each first carrier being arranged to support an elongate first waveguide, the first carriers being disposed in an equiangular arrangement around a longitudinal axis of the body portion; a plurality of first waveguides, each first waveguide being supported in a respective one of the plurality of first carriers; and a body end fitting at which first ends of the first waveguides are supported in the equiangular arrangement around the longitudinal axis of the body portion such that the first waveguides can transmit electromagnetic radiation signals from an energy source to the body end fitting and/or transmit electromagnetic radiation signals from the body end fitting to a receiver. The tip portion comprises: a second mounting portion comprising a plurality of second carriers, each second carrier being arranged to support an elongate second waveguides, the second carriers being disposed in the equiangular arrangement around a longitudinal axis of the tip portion; a plurality of second waveguides, each second waveguides being supported in a respective one of the plurality of second carriers; and a tip end fitting at which first ends of the second waveguides are supported in the equiangular arrangement around the longitudinal axis of the tip portion; and an elongate conduit for piercing human tissue.

A tapered fiber optoacoustic emitter includes a nanosecond laser configured to emit laser pulses and an optic fiber. The optic fiber includes a tip configured to guide the laser pulses. The tip has a coating including a diffusion layer and a thermal expansion layer, wherein the diffusion layer includes epoxy and zinc oxide nanoparticles configured to diffuse the light while restricting localized heating. The thermal expansion layer includes carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) configured to convert the laser pulses to generate ultrasound. The frequency of the ultrasound is tuned with a thickness of the diffusion layer and a CNT concentration of the expansion layer.

An end cap holder includes a main body and a pump which generates a vacuum pressure. The main body includes a bore hole extending therethrough along a central axis, and a contact surface which surrounds an end of the bore hole. Activation of the pump may generate a vacuum pressure within the bore hole.

A probe structure includes a monolithically integrated waveguide and lens. The probe is based on SU-8 as a guiding material. A waveguide mold is defined using wet etching of silicon using a silicon dioxide mask patterned with 45° angle with respect to the silicon substrate edge and an aluminum layer acting as a mirror is deposited on the silicon substrate. A lens mold is made using isotropic etching of the fused silica substrate and then aligned to the silicon substrate. A waveguide polymer such as SU-8 2025 is flowed into the waveguide mask+lens mold (both on the same substrate) by decreasing its viscosity and using capillary forces via careful temperature control of the substrate.