Abstract

The usage of fiber optical probes for medical treatment gives an opportunity for minimally invasive surgery applications, as they possess a smaller size and efficiently transmit the laser light with different shapes and directions by manipulating their deflector’s geometry. Different deflector designs have been proposed and several types are currently used for tissue ablation. One of the most popular deflector types is radial design. Radial fiber optic deflectors with conically shaped optical fiber end transmit the laser energy radially and the laser energy is homogeneously distributed into a ring-shaped beam. These deflectors are especially used in endovenous laser ablation [1]. The fiber optical deflectors are fabricated by mechanical polishing process. The deflector geometry is first formed by mechanical polishing process with rough lapping film. Then, the surface roughness of the deflector is gradually smoothed by polishing with smoother lapping films. This process is composed of several steps to obtain high quality surface structures and a well-prepared fiber deflector surface eliminates the optical losses such as scattering and back reflection. However, the mechanical fining process of the fiber deflectors takes very long time and it is laborer dependent.

© 2017 IEEE