Coated optical fibres having improved features

Abstract

A waveguide for high efficiency transmission of high energy light useful in ablation procedures at predetermined bandwidths over predetermined distances comprising: an optical fiber core; a silanization agent; layered cladding surrounding the optical fiber core comprising: a first thin metal layer comprising at least two types of metals the first thin metal layer covalently bonded to the core and a second thin metal layer bonded to the second metal layer; and a catalyst component; wherein the silanization agent comprising organofunctional alkoxysilane molecule, such as 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS), is a self supporting bridge between the surface of the optical fiber and the first metal layer; the first metal layer is uniformly chemisorbed onto the surface of the optical fiber by means of covalent Si—O—Si bonds with the optical fiber; further wherein the catalyst component derived from an activation solution for enhancing the layered cladding upon the optical fiber.

1 - 57 . (canceled) 
     
     
         58 . A waveguide for high efficiency transmission of high energy light for ablation procedures at predetermined bandwidths over predetermined distances, comprising:
 a. an optical fibre core;   b. a silanization agent; and   c. layered cladding surrounding said optical fibre core comprising:
 i. a first thin metal layer comprising at least two types of metals, said first thin metal layer covalently bonded to said core; and, 
 ii. a second thin metal layer bonded to said first metal layer; and, 
   d. a catalyst component;   wherein said silanization agent comprising organofunctional alkoxysilane molecule such as 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS), is a self-supporting bridge between the surface of said optical fibre and said first metal layer; said first metal layer is uniformly chemisorbed onto the surface of said optical fibre by means of covalent Si—O—Si bonds with said optical fibre; further wherein said catalyst component is palladium derived from an activation solution consisting of tin chloride, palladium chloride and potassium chloride for enhancing said layered cladding upon said optical fiber.   
     
     
         59 . The waveguide according to  claim 58 , wherein at least one of the following holds true:
 a. said silanization agent consisting of at least one amino group as an adhesion enhancer component;   b. said silanization agent provides a firm adhesion of said first metal layer upon the surface of said optical fiber;   c. said activation solution combined with said APTS form metal-NH 2  and Pd— NH 2  covalent bonds such that said metal layer deposits rapidly upon said optical fibre;   d. said activation solution is a metallization catalyst regent; and   e. said activation solution is further provided as a catalysis metallization reaction of said second metal layer upon first metal layer.   
     
     
         60 . The waveguide according to  claim 58 , wherein at least one of the following holds true:
 a. said first metal layer comprises a thin metal coating of up to 3 microns in thickness;   b. said second metal layer comprises a thin metal coating of up to 3 microns in thickness;   c. said first metal layer comprises silver and copper metals; and   d. said first metal applied on the surface of said optical fibre core is selected from the group consisting of: silver, nickel, aluminum, copper, gold, palladium, cobalt and a combination thereof;   
     
     
         61 . The waveguide according to  claim 58 , wherein at least one of the following holds true:
 a. said optical fiber is coated with three different metals; and   b. said optical fiber is coated with said metal layer by means of electroless plating;   
     
     
         62 . The waveguide according to  claim 58 , wherein at least one of the following holds true:
 a. said optical fiber is selected from the group consisting of a plastic flexible tube, quartz flexible tube and a stainless steel tube; and   b. said optical fiber material is selected from a group consisting of quartz, doped silica, glass and ceramic.   
     
     
         63 . The waveguide according to  claim 58 , wherein at least one of the following holds true:
 a. second metal applied on the surface of said optical fibre core is selected from the group consisting of: silver, nickel, aluminum, copper, gold, palladium, cobalt and a combination thereof;   b. said second metal layer comprises nickel.   c. said metals comprising a first metal preferably silver; and   d. said metals comprising said second metal preferably copper.   
     
     
         64 . The waveguide according to  claim 58 , wherein at least one of the following holds true:
 a. said layered cladding is a uniform metal coating for applying over an optical fiber length of at least 50 cm and is further for protecting the waveguide tip from recessing or erosion effects;   b. said layered cladding allows said waveguide to be bent to a bending radius in a range of 8 mm to 12 mm without pinhole formation;   c. said layered cladding prevents macro bending losses when said waveguide is coiled with a bending radius within a range of 8 mm to 12 mm;   d. aid layered cladding is with 0.25 to about 5 micron of thickness which allows said waveguide to be bent in predetermined directions; and   e. said layered cladding allows said waveguide to be bent to a bending radius in a range of 8 mm to 12 mm without energy losses.   
     
     
         65 . An electroless plating composition for coating an optical fiber comprising:
 a. an aqueous solution for silver-copper activation surface comprising;
 i. a silver salt; 
 ii. a copper salt; 
 iii. ammonium hydroxide; 
 iv. sodium and potassium tartrate; and 
 v. diethyldithiocarbamate 
   b. an aqueous solution for nickel activation surface comprising:
 i. nickel chloride 
 ii. sodium citrate dihydrate 
 iii. sodium hypophosphite 
 iv. ammonium chloride 
   wherein said electroless plating composition for coating an optical fiber further includes an activation solution consisting of tin chloride, palladium chloride and potassium chloride; further wherein higher adhesion coating of said silver-copper layer is formed by using a silanization agent comprising organofunctional an alkoxysilane molecule such as 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS) as a self supporting bridge between the surface of said optical fibre and said first metal layer.   
     
     
         66 . The electroless plating composition according to  claim 65 , wherein at least one of the following holds true:
 a. said aqueous solution for silver-copper activation surface comprises sodium and potassium tartrate or glucose;   b. said first metal layer is uniformly chemisorbed onto the surface of said optical fibre by means of covalent Si—O—Si bonds with said optical fibre; further wherein said silanization agent consists of amino group is an adhesion enhancer component; and   c. said activation solution consists of an electroless plating catalyst component.   
     
     
         67 . The electroless plating composition according to  claim 65 , wherein at least one of the following holds true:
 a. said copper salt is copper salt in the hydrate form; and   b. said copper is enhancing the adhesion of said silver salt upon said optical fiber.   
     
     
         68 . An activation solution for catalyzing the coating reaction of the metal layers upon an optical fiber comprising:
 a. tin chloride;   b. palladium chloride, and;   c. potassium chloride;   wherein said activation solution provides a catalyst component combined with a silanization agent to further provide a self-supporting bridge between the surface of an optical fibre and a metal layer; said catalyst component is palladium derived from said activation solution; said silanization agent comprises an organofunctional alkoxysilane molecule such as 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS).   
     
     
         69 . The activation solution according to  claim 68 , wherein at least one of the following holds true:
 a. said silanization agent consisting of at least one amino group as an adhesion enhancer component; and   b. said APTS combined with said activation solution form covalent bonds of metal-NH 2  and Pd— NH 2  such that said metal layer deposits rapidly upon said optical fibre.   
     
     
         70 . The activation solution according to  claim 68 , wherein at least one of the following holds true:
 a. said activation composition provides a firm adhesion upon the surface of between the optical fiber surface and at least one metal layer;   b. said activation composition is further provided as a catalysis metallization reaction of plating at least one first metal layer upon a surface of said optical fiber; and   c. said activation composition is further provided as a catalysis metallization reaction of plating at least one second metal layer upon said first metal layer;   
     
     
         71 . The activation solution according to  claim 68 , wherein least one of the following holds true:
 a. said metal layer comprises at least one metal selected from the group consisting of copper, Sb, nickel, silver, aluminum, gold, palladium and a combination thereof;   b. said first metal layer comprises silver and copper metals;   c. said second metal layer comprises nickel; and   d. said optical fiber is selected from the group consisting of a quartz, doped silica, glass, ceramic, plastic flexible tube and quartz flexible tube.   
     
     
         72 . A method for plating metal layers upon a waveguide for ablation procedures, comprising steps of:
 a. providing an optical fiber;   b. providing a silanization agent;   c. immersing said optical fiber in a solution comprising said silanization agent;   d. providing an activation solution;   e. immersing said optical fiber in said activation solution;   f. providing plating composition for metal coating of said optical fiber comprising an aqueous solution; and,   g. applying layered cladding for surrounding said optical fibre core further comprising:
 i. a first thin metal layer comprising at least two types of metals; said first thin metal layer is covalent bonded to said core; and, 
 ii. a second thin metal layer bonded to said first metal layer; 
   wherein said method additionally comprising steps of synthesizing and catalytically activating said optical fiber by immersing said optical fiber in said activation solution; further wherein said silanization agent comprising an organofunctional alkoxysilane molecule such as 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTS), as a self-supporting bridge between the surface of said optical fibre and said first metal layer; said first metal layer is uniformly chemisorbed onto the surface of said optical fibre by means of covalent Si—O—Si bonds with said optical fibre; said activation solution comprising palladium as a catalyst component for enhancing said layered cladding upon said optical fiber.   
     
     
         73 . The method according to  claim 72 , wherein at least one of the following holds true:
 a. said method additionally comprising step of providing metal layers adhesion enhancer component derived from said APTS;   b. said method additionally comprising step of providing metal layers catalyst component derived from said activation solution consisting of tin chloride, palladium chloride and potassium chloride;   c. said step of providing said activation solution combined with said APTS form metal-NH 2  and Pd— NH 2  bonds such that said metal layer depositing rapidly upon said optical fibre;   d. said step of providing activation solution is a metallization catalyst regent; and   e. said step of providing said activation solution comprising step of catalytically effecting said plating of said first metal layer upon the surface of said second metal layer.   
     
     
         74 . The method according to  claim 72 , wherein at least one of the following holds true:
 a. said method additionally comprising step of providing first metal layer comprising a thin metal coating of up to 3 microns in thickness;   b. said method additionally comprising step of providing said second metal layer comprising a thin metal coating of up to 3 microns in thickness;   c. said method additionally comprising step of providing first coating layer comprising silver and copper metals;   d. said method additionally comprising step of providing said first metal comprising silver; and   e. said method additionally comprising step of coating said optical fiber with three different metal layer.   
     
     
         75 . The method according to  claim 72 , wherein at least one of the following holds true:
 a. said method additionally comprising step of selecting said optical fiber from the group consisting of a plastic flexible tube, quartz flexible tube and a stainless steel tube; and   b. said method additionally comprising step of selecting optical fiber material from the group consisting of quartz, doped silica, glass and ceramic.   
     
     
         76 . The method according to  claim 72 , wherein at least one of the following holds true:
 a. said method additionally comprising step of providing said second metal layer comprising nickel;   b. said step of providing activation solution for catalysis reaction of metallization of said second metal layer; and   c. said step of applying said uniform coating upon said optical fiber having a length of at least 50 cm;   
     
     
         77 . The method according to  claim 72 , wherein at least one of the following holds true:
 a. said step of immersing optical fiber in said silanization agent comprising step of forming a firm adhesion on the surface of between the optical fiber surface, said first metal and said second metal;   b. said step of applying layered cladding having a thickness of about 0.25 to about 5 micron thereby, forming said waveguide having a bending radius in a range of about 8 mm to about 12 mm without pinhole formation; and   c. said step of applying said layered cladding having about 0.25 to about 5 micron of thickness thereby, forming said waveguide having a bending radius in a range of about 8 mm to about 12 mm without energy losses.