Fiber optics devices

1, 041, 903. Surgical optical instruments. AMERICAN OPTICAL CO. Oct. 15, 1963 [Oct. 22, 1962], No. 40674/63. Heading A5R. A probe for illuminating the walls of a cavity or duct comprises a bundle of flexible, light-conducting fibres of differing lengths, so that light transmitted along the fibres is scattered over an appreciable area. The stem of the probe may comprise a flexible, translucent sheath 26, Fig. 2, closed at one end by a translucent block 30 and enclosing a bundle of light-conducting fibres 28. These have their ends aligned at the proximal end but, in the region of the distal end, their ends are distributed over an appreciable area and light, emerging from these ends, is emitted by a corresponding length of the probe. The proximal end of the probe carries a metal sleeve 32 by means of which it may be securely fitted in an aperture 22, Fig. 1 (not shown) in a casing 10 containing a lamp 12 with a mirror 14 and lens 16 for concentrating the light on the ends of the fibres.