Optical fiber cable connector

Inventors

Altshuler, Gregory • Gaal, Christopher • Kozlov, Valery

Assignees

IPG Photonics Corp

Abstract

A delivery system extends from a laser radiation source for connecting to a medical device that utilizes the laser radiation for medical treatment. The delivery system comprises an optical fiber connecting to a male launch connecter. The male launch connector having a body portion with the optical fiber fixed or constrained therein and the optical fiber terminating at a male ferrule with a forward directed fiber facet, the male ferrule may be cantilevered within the body portion by the optical fiber line providing freedom of movement of the male ferrule. The launch connector engages a receiving connector on the medical device first with mechanical connection portions and then more finely aligning optical connection portions by the male ferrule self aligning in a female ferrule with cooperating tapered surfaces. The male portion may fully seat in the female portion with cooperating cylindrical surfaces.

Core Innovation

The invention provides an optical fiber connector coupling for connecting a laser radiation source to a medical device by way of an optical fiber. The coupling includes a launch connector and a medical device connector, each having outer mechanical connection portions configured as tubular portions that interface with one another, and each also includes inner optical connection portions positioned in respective recesses defined by the tubular portions.

The launch connector optical connection portion includes a male ferrule connected to an optical fiber, where the optical fiber is anchored with respect to a body portion at a position displaced rearwardly from the ferrule. The male ferrule is resiliently supported by the optical fiber and any coverings in a pre-connection condition, so the male ferrule is resiliently supported within the launch connector tubular portion at the rearward end of the male ferrule, with a circumferential gap extending along the entire length of the male ferrule in the pre-connection condition.

The coupling uses mating geometry between male and female ferrules to control engagement during connection, including cooperating cylindrical registration surfaces. In a fully coupled condition, the male ferrule engages the inner optical connection portion of the medical device connector only at a cylindrical interface surface of the male ferrule, and the receiving connector optical connection portion does not have an axial stop surface limiting insertion distance, such that the forward face of the male ferrule is not engaged with the optical connection portion of the receiving connector.

Claims Coverage

The partial content includes three independent claims. Across these claims, the coverage focuses on resilient optical-fiber-supported male ferrules, tubular mechanical connection portions with recessed optical portions, controlled male-to-female engagement via cylindrical registration, and limiting end-face engagement by the absence of an axial stop surface; a displaced anchor distance of about 4 to 15 mm is expressly included.

Across the independent claims, the inventive concept centers on resiliently supporting a male ferrule via the optical fiber line in a pre-connection condition, providing tubular mechanical connection portions with recessed optical portions, and controlling ferrule mating through cylindrical registration surfaces while preventing forward-face engagement by the absence of an axial stop surface. Quantitative positioning is expressly included as an anchor displacement of about 4 to 15 mm for at least one independent claim.

Stated Advantages

Documented Applications