US 12,449,587 B2
Plastic optical fiber, medical lighting device, medical sensor device, medical phototherapy device, and plastic optical fiber cord
Koki Mitsuno, Nagoya (JP); Satoshi Matsuba, Nagoya (JP); and Kenji Hiramoto, Nagoya (JP)
Assigned to Toray Industries, Inc., Tokyo (JP)
Appl. No. 18/087,788
Filed by Toray Industries, Inc., Tokyo (JP)
PCT Filed Jun. 21, 2021, PCT No. PCT/JP2021/023342
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Dec. 22, 2022,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/009653, PCT Pub. Date Jan. 13, 2022.
Claims priority of application No. 2020-118201 (JP), filed on Jul. 9, 2020; and application No. 2020-173750 (JP), filed on Oct. 15, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0255693 A1, Aug. 1, 2024
Int. Cl. G02B 6/02 (2006.01); C08L 33/08 (2006.01); G02B 6/036 (2006.01); A61B 1/00 (2006.01); A61B 1/07 (2006.01)
CPC G02B 6/02033 (2013.01) [C08L 33/08 (2013.01); G02B 6/03622 (2013.01); G02B 6/03633 (2013.01); A61B 1/0017 (2013.01); A61B 1/07 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
 
1. A plastic optical fiber having a multilayer structure that comprises
a core (X),
a first cladding (Y), and
a second cladding (Z),
wherein the core is made of an organic polymer material having
a water-absorbing ratio of not less than 0.001% and not more than 0.29% and
a total light transmittance of not less than 80% and
containing not less than 0.01% by weight and not more than 10% by weight of a plasticizer;
a relationship between a refractive index of the core (X) and a refractive index of the first cladding (Y) is defined by inequality: X−Y>0.01, and
a relationship between the refractive index of the first cladding (Y) and a refractive index of the second cladding (Z) is defined by inequality: Y−Z>0.05,
wherein the plastic optical fiber satisfies inequalities (1) and (2):

OG Complex Work Unit Math
wherein x is represented by formula: (thickness of the first cladding)×100/(diameter of the fiber) (%); and

OG Complex Work Unit Math
wherein y is represented by formula: (thickness of the second cladding)×100/(diameter of the fiber) (%).