US 11,940,305 B2
Methods and apparatus for determining shape parameter(s) using a sensing fiber having a single core with multiple light propagating modes
Mark E. Froggatt, Blacksburg, VA (US); Dawn K. Gifford, Blacksburg, VA (US); Eric E. Sanborn, Blacksburg, VA (US); and Alexander K. Sang, Blacksburg, VA (US)
Assigned to Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed by Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc., Sunnyvale, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 30, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/899,463.
Application 17/899,463 is a continuation of application No. 17/178,061, filed on Feb. 17, 2021, granted, now 11,473,941.
Application 17/178,061 is a continuation of application No. 16/474,531, granted, now 11,035,699, previously published as PCT/US2017/067588, filed on Dec. 20, 2017.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/440,035, filed on Dec. 29, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2022/0412778 A1, Dec. 29, 2022
Int. Cl. G01D 5/353 (2006.01); G01J 1/04 (2006.01); G02B 6/02 (2006.01)
CPC G01D 5/35316 (2013.01) [G01J 1/0425 (2013.01); G02B 6/02042 (2013.01); G02B 6/02085 (2013.01); G02B 6/02142 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for interrogating an optical sensing fiber comprising a multimode core, the system comprising:
multiple reference branches and multiple measurement branches, the multiple measurement branches comprising an array of single-core, single-mode optical fibers, each optical fiber of the array of single-core, single-mode optical fibers having a different optical delay;
a tunable laser configured to generate laser light over a range of wavelengths, the laser light configured to be coupled into the multiple reference branches and the multiple measurement branches for interferometrically probing the multimode core; and
a micro lens array and collimator lens configured to optically couple the laser light from the array of single-core, single-mode optical fibers into the multimode core, and configured to image backward traveling multimode light from the multimode core onto the array of single-core, single-mode optical fibers, wherein light from each mode of the backward traveling multimode light is directed into a corresponding fiber of the single-core, single-mode optical fibers.