‫‪Fiber Optics‬‬

‫‪physics Research‬‬

‫ا ‪ .‬م ‪ .‬د احسان محسن‬

‫حيدر نصير مجيد‬

‫المرحلة االولى‪A‬‬

‫‪duc.edu.iq@191052049‬‬
Fiber optics
Fiber optics is the technology used to transmit information as pulses of light
through strands of fiber made of glass or plastic over long distances.

Optical fibers are about the diameter of a strand of human hair and when
bundled into a fiber-optic cable, they’re capable of transmitting more data over
longer distances and faster than other mediums. It is this technology that
provides homes and businesses with fiber-optic internet, phone and TV services.

History of Fiber Optics

As far back as Roman times, glass has been drawn into fibers. Yet, it was not until
the 1790s that the French Chappe brothers invented the first “optical telegraph.”
It was a system comprised of a series of lights mounted on towers where
operators would relay a message from one tower to the next. Over the course of
the next century great strides were made in optical science.

John Tyndall, British physicist, demonstrated that light signals could be bent.

In the 1840s, physicists Daniel Collodon and Jacques Babinet showed that light
could be directed along jets of water for fountain displays. In 1854, John Tyndall, a
British physicist, demonstrated that light could travel through a curved stream of
water thereby proving that a light signal could be bent. He proved this by setting
up a tank of water with a pipe that ran out of one side. As water flowed from the
pipe, he shone a light into the tank into the stream of water. As the water fell, an
arc of light followed the water down.

Alexander Graham Bell patented an optical telephone system called the

photophone in 1880. His earlier invention, the telephone, proved to be more
realistic however. That same year, William Wheeler invented a system of light
pipes lined with a highly reflective coating that illuminated homes by using light
from an electric arc lamp placed in the basement and directing the light around
the home with the pipes

Doctors Roth and Reuss, of Vienna, used bent glass rods to illuminate body
cavities in 1888. French engineer Henry Saint-Rene designed a system of bent
glass rods for guiding light images seven years later in an early attempt at
television. In 1898, American David Smith applied for a patent on a dental
illuminator using a curved glass rod.

Fiber-optic cables
A fiber-optic cable contains anywhere from a few to hundreds of optical fibers
within a plastic casing. Also known as optic cables or optical fiber cables, they
transfer data signals in the form of light and travel hundreds of miles significantly
faster than those used in traditional electrical cables. And because fiber-optic
cables are non-metallic, they are not affected by electromagnetic interference
(i.e. weather) that can reduce speed of transmission. Fiber cables are also safer as
they do not carry a current and therefore cannot generate a spark.

Fiber optics in medicine

The most significant and prevalent applications of fiber optics in medicine are in
the imaging and illumination components of endoscopes. Flexible and rigid
multifibers composed of step-index fibers and graded-index imaging rods are
extensively used for visualization of internal organs and tissue which are
accessible through natural openings or transcutaneously. This article reviews the
evolution of the fiber-optic endoscope over the past 20 years. The fabrication
techniques of optical fibers for imaging and illumination are considered in
juxtaposition to their current applications in communications with emphasis on
the different technologies involved. The design of distinct endoscopes is described
with a detailed review of their use in various medical specialities. Low-loss optical
fibers are employed to transmit laser energy for surgery and photocoagulation.
Multicolor laser light is transmitted through a single thin optical fiber to provide
adequate illumination for viewing and color photography. Past attempts to
develop plastic imaging multifibers and their future potential viewing and color
photography. Past attempts to develop plastic imaging multifibers and their
future potential are discussed. Other uses of fiber optics in medicine include
remote spectrophotometry, pressure and position sensing, or scintillation
counting. These and other applications, such as intravascular pressure
transducers and in vivo oximeters, are described.

Fiber Optics in Medical Instrumentation

One of the most prevalent applications of fiber optics in medicine are in the
imaging and illumination components of endoscopes. The word endoscope is
derived from the greek words skopein and endom, literally meaning to “view
within”. The flexible, yet rigid multifibers enable visualization of internal organs
and tissue via bodily orifices. Doctors use endoscopes to investigate symptoms
such as nausea and abdominal pain, confirm diagnoses by performing biopsies, or
give medical treatment.

Endoscopes are just one of the many ways fiber optic technology applies within the medical
field. Courtesy of Fraunhofer CMI.

Fiber optic biomedical sensors are another huge application of fiber optic
technology. These sensors can be intrinsic or extrinsic and are able to measure a
variety of physiological characteristics. Body temperature, blood temperature,
muscle displacement, and heart rate are just of a few of the many characteristics
that fiber optic sensors can measure.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT), a type of biomedical sensor, is a medical

imaging technique that utilizes imaging sensors to capture micron-scale, 3-D
images from within an optical scattering media, like biological tissue. OCT is
analogous to ultrasound imaging, but operates using light instead of sound.
Additionally, it provides images of tissue in situ and in real time. This allows for
instant and direct imaging of tissue morphology. Furthermore, in combination
with catheters and endoscopes, OCT also provides high-resolution images of
organ systems. It has advanced significantly in recent years, becoming the
standard for diagnosis for things like coronary artery disease. This is possible due
to the flexible and small-scale nature of fiber optics.

Cutting Edge Research

Researchers at the Massachusettes Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard
Medical School have recently created an entirely elastic prototype of optical
fibers. The prototype consists of microscopic, fiber optic tubes made of hydrogel.
Hydrogel is a stretchy, biocompatible material made almost entirely of water. It is
highly flexible, with the ability to stretch over 7 times its original length. The end
goal of this research is to develop an advanced tool for the field of optogenetics,
the practice of activating brain cells and neurons with microscopic light. However,
as of right now, even the hydrogel is too rigid for application in the brain. In
addition to its fragility, the flexible, soft nature of the brain is also extremely
difficult to mimic. Thus, the prototype still has a long way to go before it can be
introduced in hospital settings.

Furthermore, scientists at the University of St Andrews and Harvard Medical

School are developing a new technology with the potential to heal wounds
quicker and treat tumors more efficiently. This technology operates based on a
principle called photochemical tissue bonding. This process involves combining
visible laser light with photo-sensitizing dyes to create bonds between tissue
surfaces. In their research, scientists found that optical fibers allowed for the
application of tissue repair deeper within the human body. To achieve this, they
developed biodegradable fibers that could be inserted into the body, delivering
light to internal wounds. Conventional fiber optic devices are made from glass or
plastic and remain permanent within the body until surgical removal. These
fibers, however, can reabsorb into the body, eliminating the need for removal and
further surgical procedures, while also healing wounds.

Researchers continue to stretch the boundaries of fiber optic technology to create advanced
medical instrumentation. Courtesy of Design Indaba.

The integration of optical fibers into the medical community has enabled safer
procedures, more efficient surgeries, faster recovery time, and better diagnostic
examinations. The ideal characteristics of optical fibers, such as their amendability
to sterilization and small dimension size, provide many opportunities for the
development of medical instrumentation.
 SOURCES

https://www.verizon.com/info/definitions/fiber-optics/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optical_fiber

https://www.timbercon.com/resources/blog/history-of-fiber-
optics/

https://www.findlight.net/blog/2017/10/24/medical-fiber-
optics/