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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Optogenetic Functional MRI
Published on: April 19, 2016
Side-firing sealing caps for hollow optical fibers
Tomonori Watanabe1, Yuji Matsuura
1Department of Electrical Communications, Tohoku University, 05 Aoba, Aramaki, Sendai 980-8579, Japan.
Background And Objectives:
Hollow optical fibers are useful for delivery of high-energy infrared laser beam such as Er:YAG lasers. We propose side-firing optics for hollow optical fibers for laser endoscopic applications mainly in oto-rhino-laryngology and urology.
Study Design/Materials And Methods:
To produce a circular beam, cone-shaped caps are designed and caps with slanted end are proposed for producing a spot beam in side direction. Both types of caps are fabricated by fusing and polished Pyrex and silica glass tubes.
Results:
For the both of the cone-shaped and slanted-end caps effectively deflect laser beam as designed and these caps show high durability for Er:YAG laser light with pulse energy higher than 100 mJ.
Conclusions:
By choosing the proper shape of the cap ends, these caps deflect an input laser beam to a preferred direction at low insertion losses. By using these side-firing optics, one can easily irradiate the inside of tubular organs.
