Abstract: A light diffusing optical fiber includes a core, a cladding surrounding the core, an outer surface, and a plurality of scattering structures positioned within the core, the cladding, or both the core and the cladding. The plurality of scattering structures are configured to scatter guided light towards the outer surface, such that light including a wavelength of from about 450 nm to about 650 nm diffusing through the outer surface along a diffusion length of the light diffusing optical fiber includes a spectral attenuation percent relative range of about 15% or less.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are embodiments of an ultraviolet (UV) illumination system. The UV illumination system includes at least one UV light emitting diode (LED) and a light-diffusing optical fiber bundle. The light-diffusing optical fiber bundle includes a bundle jacket and a plurality of optical fibers disposed within the bundle jacket. Each optical fiber is made up of a glass core having a glass composition with less than 90 mol % silica and a cladding surrounding the glass core. At least one of the glass core or the cladding includes scattering centers. Further, the light-diffusing optical fiber bundle is optically coupled to the UV LED. Also disclosed herein are a UV light-diffusing fiber and a method of sterilizing an object using a UV illumination system contain a UV light-diffusing fiber.

Abstract: Embodiments of the disclosure relates to a light-diffusing element. The light diffusing element includes a glass core having a first refractive index. The light diffusing element also includes a cladding surrounding the glass core. The cladding includes an inner cladding surface and an outer cladding surface. The inner cladding surface and the outer cladding surface define a cladding thickness of from 5 ?m to 30 ?m. The cladding has a second refractive index that is less than the first refractive index of the glass core. The light diffusing element also includes a coating surrounding the cladding. The coating has an inner coating surface and an outer coating surface. The inner coating surface contacts the outer cladding surface. The outer coating surface defines an outermost surface of the light-diffusing element, and the coating includes first scattering centers.

Abstract: An illuminated bandage and method of disinfecting a wound. The illuminated bandage includes a power source, a light source coupled to the power source to generate light and a patch. The patch includes a supporting medium and at least one light diffusing element in the supporting medium and optically coupled to the light source. The light diffusing element outputs light to promote a photochemical reaction to disinfect a wound surface proximate thereto.

Abstract: An optical fiber having a coating that includes a photoreactive marking compound is described. The photoreactive marking compound has two states that differ in the intensity and/or wavelength of fluorescence. Exposure of the photoreactive marking compound to electromagnetic radiation induces a transformation of the photoreactive marking compound from one state to the other state. The difference in fluorescence between the two states provides a detectable contrast that can be used to mark the optical fiber. A pattern of marks can be customized to different optical fibers to provide unambiguous identification of individual fibers. The coating may also include a pigment, where either or both of the pigment and photoreactive marking compound may function as a marker for identifying the optical fiber. The method extends generally to marking of films, coatings, and articles made of polymers or plastics.

Abstract: A method of cutting a glass sheet comprising a transparent oxide glass includes directing a laser beam from a middle-infrared (mid-IR) laser source onto a major surface of the glass sheet. A wavelength of the laser beam is tuned thereby adjusting an absorption depth of the laser beam in the glass sheet. The glass sheet is cut using the laser beam.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for monitoring curing of photocurable material are disclosed. The methods generally include directing an ultraviolet cure light into a photocurable material, wherein the ultraviolet cure light causes the photocurable material to cure; directing a probe light into the photocurable material through an optical fiber during the cure; collecting a back reflection signal from the photocurable material with the optical fiber; and determining a refractive index change of the photocurable material during the cure.

Abstract: In some embodiments, an apparatus comprises at least one module. Each module comprises a first substrate, and a second substrate disposed over the first substrate. The module has a periphery. The module includes an array of pixels disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and inside the periphery. Each pixel has an active area and an inactive area. The array of pixels a first intra-modular separation distance between the active area of adjacent pixels in a first direction. A laser weld hermetically seals the first substrate to the second substrate along a portion of the periphery. The laser weld is disposed between the active area of the pixels and the periphery. The distance between the active area of the pixels and the periphery in the first direction is not more than 50% of the first intra-modular separation distance. Methods of making the apparatus are also described.

Abstract: An illumination system includes a light source, and an optical fiber having opposed first and second end faces, a core, a cladding surrounding the core, an outer surface, and a plurality of nano-sized structures configured to scatter light traveling within the optic fibers towards the outer surface. The light source has an effective numerical aperture NAO, the optical fiber has a numerical aperture NALDF which is more than the effective numerical aperture NAO of the light source. The light source is optically coupled to the first end of the optical fiber such that a propagation pathway of light outputted by the light source forms an incident angle ?i, with respect to the first end face, that is non-orthogonal to the first end face and within approximately 5° of sin?1 NALDF?sin?1 NAO.

Abstract: A laser-welded assembly of opposing sheets of ceramic and glass, ceramic, or glass-ceramic compositions comprises an intervening bonding layer having a thickness dimension that separates the opposing sheets by less than about 1000 nm. Each of the opposing sheets has a thickness dimension at least about 20 times the thickness dimension of the intervening bonding layer. The intervening bonding layer has a melting point greater than that of one or both of the opposing sheets. The ceramic sheet is a pass-through sheet with a composite T/R spectrum comprising a portion that lies below about 30% across a target irradiation band residing at or above about 1400 nm and at or below about 4500 nm wavelength. The intervening bonding layer has an absorption spectrum comprising a portion that lies above about 80% across the target irradiation band. The assembly comprises a weld bonding the opposing surfaces of the opposing sheets.

Abstract: A light diffusing optical fiber includes a glass core, a cladding, a phosphor layer surrounding the cladding, and a plurality of scattering structures positioned within the glass core, the cladding, or both. The phosphor layer includes two or more phosphors and is configured to convert guided light diffusing through the phosphor layer into emission light such that the color of the emission light has a chromaticity within a u?-v? chromaticity region on a CIE 1976 chromaticity space defined by: a first u?-v? boundary line and a second u?-v? boundary line that extend parallel to a planckian locus at a distance of ±0.02 Duv from the planckian locus, a third u?-v? boundary line that extends along an isothermal line for a correlated color temperature of about 2000 K, and a fourth u?-v? boundary line that extends along an isothermal line for a correlated color temperature of about 10000 K.

Abstract: An article includes SiO2 from about 40 mol % to about 80 mol %, Al2O3 from about 1 mol % to about 20 mol %, B2O3 from about 3 mol % to about 50 mol %, WO3 plus MoO3 from about 1 mol % to about 18 mol % and at least one of: (i) Au from about 0.001 mol % to about 0.5 mol %, (ii) Ag from about 0.025 mol % to about 1.5 mol %, and (iii) Cu from about 0.03 mol % to about 1 mol %, and R2O from about 0 mol % to about 15 mol %. The R2O is one or more of Li2O, Na2O, K2O, Rb2O and Cs2O. R2O minus Al2O3 ranges from about ?12 mol % to about 3.8 mol %.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods of bonding a multi-layer film to a substrate and resulting structures thereof. A method of laser bonding a multi-layer film to a substrate can include forming a film over a first surface of a first substrate that is transmissive to light at a first wavelength. The film may include a reflective layer that is reflective to light at the first wavelength and a refractive layer that is refractive to light at the first wavelength. The method may include irradiating a region of the film using laser radiation passing through the first substrate. A wavelength profile of the laser radiation can have a peak at about the first wavelength. The first wavelength can be between about 300 nm and about 5000 nm.

Abstract: Embodiments of a light diffusing device with a color conversion layer are disclosed. Specifically the color conversion layer includes a luminophore that converts light from a higher wavelength to a lower wavelength.

Abstract: An optical fiber includes a core portion having a radius rC and a graded refractive index profile ?C having an alpha value greater than or equal to 1 and less than or equal to 8. The core portion includes a silica-based glass and a down-dopant, where a concentration of the down-dopant is graded such that the concentration of the down-dopant decreases from the radius rC towards the center of the core portion. The optical fiber comprises a cladding portion surrounding the core portion and having a relative refractive index ?OC that is less than a maximum refractive index ?Cmax of the core portion.

Abstract: An optical fiber curing component includes a first tube comprising a first body defining a first interior surface and a first exterior surface, the first tube defining a first aperture and a second aperture on opposite ends of a first cavity, wherein the first tube defines a central axis extending through the first cavity; light sources coupled to the first body of the first tube and configured to emit light toward the central axis of the first tube, wherein each of the light sources intersect a common plane defined perpendicular to the central axis of the first tube; a silica glass article, having an anti-reflective coating, disposed between each of the plurality of light sources and the central axis of the first tube; and a reflective coating positioned on the interior surface of the first body and configured to reflect the light toward the central axis of the first tube.

Abstract: A method of irradiating a wound that includes positioning a wound insertion foam within a wound cavity of a wound and covering the wound insertion foam using a wound sealing layer. The method further includes pumping fluid from the wound cavity using a drain tube sealed within the wound cavity and coupled to a vacuum source, and irradiating the wound using a light diffusing optical fiber that is optically coupled to a therapeutic light source and includes light scattering structures distributed along the light diffusing optical fiber. A portion of the light diffusing optical fiber is positioned within a wound tissue region of the wound, the wound cavity, or both, such that light emitted by the therapeutic light source enters the light diffusing optical fiber, scatters outward from the light diffusing optical fiber, and irradiates the wound tissue region, a wound cavity surface of the wound, or both.

Abstract: Embodiments of a glass-ceramic, glass-ceramic article or glass-ceramic window that includes 40 mol %?SiO2?80 mol %; 1 mol %?Al2O3?15 mol %; 3 mol %?B2O3?50 mol %; 0 mol %?R2O?15 mol %; 0 mol %?RO?2 mol %; 0 mol %?P2O5?3 mol %; 0 mol %?SnO2?0.5 mol %; 0.1 mol %?MoO3?15 mol %; and 0 mol %?WO3?10 mol % (or 0 mol %<MoO3?15 mol %; 0.1 mol %?WO3?10 mol %; and 0.01 mol %?V2O5?0.2 mol %), wherein the WO3 (mol %) plus the MoO3 (mol %) is from 1 mol % to 19 mol %, and wherein R2O (mol %) minus the Al2O3 (mol %) is from ?12 mol % to 4 mol %, are disclosed.

Abstract: An apparatus including a first substrate, a second substrate, an inorganic film provided between the first substrate and the second substrate and in contact with both the first substrate and the second substrate, a laser welded zone formed between the first and second substrate by the inorganic film, where the laser welded zone has a heat affected zone (HAZ), where the HAZ is defined as a region in which ?HAZ is at least 1 MPa higher than average stress in the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein ?HAZ is compressive stress in the HAZ, and wherein the laser welded zone is characterized by its ?interface laser weld>?HAZ, wherein ?interface laser weld is peak value of compressive stress in the laser welded zone.

Abstract: Light diffusing optical fibers for use in illumination applications and which have a uniform color gradient that is angularly independent are disclosed herein along with methods for making such fibers. The light diffusing fibers are composed of a silica-based glass core that is coated with a number of layers including both a scattering layer and a phosphor layer.