An optical rotary joint includes first and second hollow tubular members. At least one of the first and second hollow tubular members is rotatable about a common longitudinal axis. A ring shaped optical waveguide between the first and second hollow tubular members includes first and second axial faces oriented perpendicular to the common longitudinal axis, an inner circumferential edge facing the outer circumference of the first hollow tubular member, an outer circumferential edge facing the inner circumference of the second hollow tubular member, and a circular light scattering channel formed in the first and/or second axial faces. First optical emitters are arranged to face the outer or inner circumferential edge. Second optical emitters are arranged to face the channel. A first optical receiver is arranged to face the outer or inner circumferential edge. A second optical receiver is arranged to face the channel.

A rotary joint includes a fixed unit and a rotating unit arranged substantially orthogonal to a center axis and facing one another, as well as a substantially cylindrical light guide member arranged therebetween. A light-emitting device and a light-receiving device are provided on each of the units. The light guide member is configured such that an amount of the light from the light-emitting device on the fixed unit that is received by the light-receiving device on the rotating unit and an amount of the light from the light-emitting device on the rotating unit that is received by the light-receiving device on the fixed unit both exceed a prescribed minimum amount regardless of rotational positions of the rotating unit.

A rotatable connector for rotatable mounting an optical fiber, comprising a hollow shaft for introducing and fixing an optical fiber mechanically to the hollow shaft, furthermore comprising one or more bearings, whereby, in the case of a two bearing construction, the interior of a first bearing is fixed onto the hollow shaft, as well as the interior of a second bearing being fixed onto the hollow shaft, whereby the second bearing is spaced apart from the first bearing, the exterior of at least one bearing is in contact with the interior of a hollow stationary part, the latter having a thread, which can be screwed together with the counter thread of a cap or cap nut, which may apply an axial clamping force onto the bearings, when tightened.

An optical endoluminal far-field microscopic imaging catheter comprises a light generating system, a first light delivery conduit for propagating light generated by the light generating system and a light distributor configured to redirect light propagated by the delivery conduit into a direction of an object to be imaged. A discriminator is configured for capturing light reflected from the object incident on a window of the discriminator from a particular direction and transmitting only the light captured from the particular direction to a second light delivery conduit. A drive mechanism is configured to sweep the window through a plurality of directions in a predictable pattern for matching each light capture event in the window with a direction of the window during the event. An analyzer matches the direction of the window with an associated light capture event and generate a visible image based on a mosaic of the captured light.

A fiber optic rotary connection having first and second elements rotatable relative to each other, the second element having a first subassembly rotatable about a first axis, a second subassembly rotatable about a second axis not parallel to the first axis, and first and second collimators, the first element having third and fourth collimators, one of the second and fourth collimators orientated coincident with the first rotational axis, the other of the second and fourth collimators orientated parallel to the first rotational axis, one of the first and third collimators orientated coincident with the second rotational axis, the other of the first and third collimators orientated parallel to or coincident with the second rotational axis, whereby an optical signal may be transmitted across a rotary interface between the first and second elements in a first optical path and an optical signal may be transmitted across the rotary interface in a second optical path.

The present invention provides an imaging probe for imaging mammalian tissues and structures using high resolution imaging, including high frequency ultrasound and optical coherence tomography. The imaging probes structures using high resolution imaging use combined high frequency ultrasound (IVUS) and optical imaging methods such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) and to accurate co-registering of images obtained from ultrasound image signals and optical image signals during scanning a region of interest.

The present invention provides a fiber-optic communication system that allows high-bandwidth communications between components of an irrigation machine. In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the present invention teaches a system and method for providing a two-way communications link between a pivot controller panel and distributed irrigation machine components. According to further preferred embodiments, the two-way communications link of the present invention may also convert optical signals to electrical signals and route those signals to the appropriate connected devices.

Exemplary apparatus and method are provided. In particular, an electromagnetic radiation can be emitted with, e.g. a light source arrangement. For example, the light source arrangement can include a cavity and a filter, and a spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation can be controlled, e.g., with such cavity and filter, to have a mean frequency that changes (i) at an absolute rate that is greater than about 100 terahertz per millisecond, and (ii) over a range that is greater than about 10 terahertz. Additionally or alternatively, the light source arrangement can include a frequency shifting device which can shift the mean frequency of the electromagnetic radiation.

A method and apparatus for operating an optical rotating joint (2); comprising: routing optical signals through an optical rotating joint (2) by using a first optical circulator (64) on a first side of the optical rotating joint (2) to receive an optical signal and direct the optical signal onward to a first side of the optical rotating joint (2), and using a second optical circulator (93) on a second side of the optical rotating joint (2) to receive the optical signal from the second side of the optical rotating joint (2) and direct it onwards. The signals may be sensor control signals or sensor output signals to/from a plurality of sensors (26, 28, 30), for example camera sensors. The apparatus may further comprise one or more wavelength division multiplexers (68, 94) and/or wavelength division demultiplexers (66, 95).

A method and apparatus for operating an optical rotating joint (2); comprising: providing redundancy for camera sensor signals to be passed through an optical rotating joint (2) by: (i) passing signals from a plurality of camera sensors (28, 30) via an optical changeover switching arrangement (70) to the optical rotating joint (2); and/or (ii) passing signals for a plurality of camera sensors (28, 30) toward the camera sensors (28, 30) from the optical rotating joint (2) via an optical changeover switching arrangement (70). The signals may be sensor control signals or sensor output signals to/from a plurality of sensors (26, 28, 30), for example camera sensors. The apparatus may further comprise one or more wavelength division multiplexers (68, 94) and/or wavelength division demultiplexers (66, 95).