Optical fiber illumination systems and methods

1. An illumination system, comprising:

at least one light source that generates light having at least one wavelength between 200 nm and 2000 nm;

at least one low-scatter light-conducting optical fiber having an input end optically coupled to the at least one light source and having an output end, and configured to provide the light received by the at least one light source to the output end as guided light; and

at least one light-diffusing optical fiber having a glass core, a cladding surrounding the core, and a plurality of nano-sized structures situated within said core or at a core-cladding boundary, and further including an outer surface, and an input end optically coupled to the output end of the at least one low-scatter light-conducting optical fiber, wherein the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber is configured to receive the guided light from the low-scatter light-conducting optical fiber and scatter the guided light via said nano-sized structures away from the glass core and through the outer surface such that the average scattering loss of the fiber is greater than 50 dB/km for said at least one wavelength, forming a light-source fiber portion having a length over which the scattered light is continuously emitted through the outer surface.

2. The illumination system according to claim 1 , further comprising the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber having an output end, and further comprising at least one mirror optically coupled to the output end to reflect the guided light to travel down the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber back towards the at least one light source.

3. The illumination system according to claim 1 , further comprising a cylindrical mirror having a focal line, and wherein the light-source fiber portion is arranged generally along the focal line.

4. The illumination system according to claim 1 , wherein the light-diffusing optical fiber is bent such that the light-source fiber portion comprises a wound section.

5. The illumination system according to claim 4 , further comprising a mirror having a focal point, and wherein the wound section is disposed substantially at the focal point.

6. The illumination system according to claim 1 , further comprising the light-source fiber portion including a loop section.

7. The illumination system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the at least one light source comprises first and second light sources that generate first and second light;

the at least one low-scatter light-conducting optical fiber comprises first and second low-scatter light-conducting optical fibers respectively connected to the first and second light sources; and

the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber is optically connected to the first and second low-scatter light-conducting optical fibers so that the first and second light travels in opposite directions as first and second guided light through the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber.

8. The illumination system according to claim 1 wherein the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber is multimode and includes at least one of: (i) the glass core having a diameter greater than 50 μm and less than 500 μm; and (ii) a numerical aperture NA wherein NA >0.2.

9. The illumination system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber comprises a plurality of light-diffusing optical fibers bundled together in at least one of: a ribbon, ribbon stack, and a round bundle.

10. The illumination system according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a fluorescent and a scattering species disposed on the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber so that the scattered light has a substantially uniform intensity over said length.

11. The light illumination system of claim 1 , further comprising a reflector situated proximate to said light-diffusing optical fiber.

12. The light illumination system of claim 1 , wherein said light diffusing fiber has scattering induced attenuation greater than 500 dB/km for said at least one wavelength.

13. The light illumination system of claim 1 , wherein said light diffusing fiber has scattering induced attenuation greater than 1000 dB/km for said at least one wavelength.

14. An illumination system, comprising:

at least one light source that generates light having at least one wavelength between 200 nm and 2000 nm;

at least one low-scatter light-conducting optical fiber having an input end optically coupled to the at least one light source and having an output end, and configured to provide the light received by the at least one light source to the output end as guided light; and

at least one light-diffusing optical fiber having a glass core, a cladding surrounding the core, and a plurality of nano-sized structures situated within said core or at a core-cladding boundary, and further including an outer surface, and an input end optically coupled to the output end of the at least one low-scatter light-conducting optical fiber, wherein the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber is configured to receive the guided light from the low-scatter light-conducting optical fiber and scatter the guided light via said nano-sized structures away from the glass core and through the outer, formin a light-source fiber portion haveing a length over which the scattered light is continuously emitted through the outer surface, wherein the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber has a plurality of bends formed therein to preferentially scatter the guided light via said nano-sized structures away from the glass core and through the outer surface.

15. An illumination system, comprising:

at least one light source that generates light in at least one wavelength;

at least one low-scatter light-conducting optical fiber having an input end optically coupled to the at least one light source and having an output end, and configured to provide the light received bythe at least one light source to the output end as guided light;

at least one light-diffusing optical fiber having a glass core, a surrounding cladding, and a plurality of nano-sized structures situated within said glass core or at a core-cladding boundary, and further including an outer surface, and an input end optically coupled to the output end of the at least one low-scatter light-conducting optical fiber to receive and guide the guided light therefrom; and

wherein the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber is configured to scatter the guided light traveling therein via the nano-sized structures through the outer surface and for a length over which the scattered light is continuously emitted forming a light-source fiber portion such that the average scattering loss of the fiber is greater than 50 dB/km at the wavelength provided by said source.

16. The illumination system according to claim 15 , further comprising the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber having an output end at which is operably disposed a mirror to reflect the guided light to travel in a direction back toward the light source.

17. The illumination system according to claim 15 , further comprising the at least one light source comprising first and second light sources that respectively emit first and second light, wherein the first and second light sources are optically coupled to one light-diffusing optical fiber so that the first and second light therein travels as guided light in opposite directions.

18. The illumination system according to claim 15 , further comprising a mirror having a focal spot or a focal line, and wherein the light-source fiber portion is arranged substantially at the focal spot or generally along the focal line.

19. The illumination system according to claim 15 , further comprising the light-source fiber portion including a loop section.

20. The illumination system according to claim 15 , wherein the at least one light-diffusing optical fiber is multimode and includes at least one of: (i) the glass core having a diameter greater than 50 μm and less than 500 μm; and (ii) a numerical aperture NA wherein NA >0.2.

21. The light illumination system of claim 15 , further comprising a reflector situated proximate to said light-diffusing optical fiber.

22. The light illumination system of claim 15 , wherein said light diffusing fiber is looped or bent and is situated on a support structure.

23. The light illumination system of claim 22 wherein said light diffusing fiber is wound on a surface of said support structure.

24. The light illumination system of claim 15 , said light diffusing fiber has scattering induced attenuation greater than 500 dB/km for said at least one wavelength.

25. The light illumination system of claim 15 , wherein said light diffusing fiber has scattering induced attenuation greater than 1000 dB/km for said at least one wavelength.