MEDICAL OPTICAL FIBER WITH PROTECTIVE TIP AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE THEREFOR

The present invention discloses a medical optical fiber for use with an endoscope for laser based treatment of internal bodily organs, the medical optical fiber comprising: an optical fiber comprising a distal optical fiber tip having an optical fiber end face transverse to a longitudinal axis of the optical fiber; a jacket surrounding the optical fiber, the jacket comprising a distal jacket tip having a jacket end face transverse to the longitudinal axis, wherein the distal jacket tip comprises an aperture exposing a portion of the optical fiber surrounded by the jacket; and a protective tip encapsulating the distal jacket tip, the jacket end face, and the optical fiber end face, wherein the protective tip contacts the portion of the optical fiber exposed by the aperture.