Surgical optical fiber and process of making the same

1. A surgical optical fiber comprising:

a core and cladding combination, the core and cladding combination including a distal end and a proximal end and comprises;

a first core section having a first core diameter and an enlarged core section having an enlarged core diameter;

a first cladding section having a first cladding diameter and an enlarged cladding section having an enlarged cladding diameter; and

an up taper section connecting the first core section to the enlarged core section;

wherein the enlarged core diameter is greater than the first core diameter and the enlarged cladding diameter is greater than the first cladding diameter; and

wherein the core and cladding combination is enlarged in diameter at the distal end of the core and cladding combination with respect to the proximal end; and

an expanded tip, connected at the distal end of the core and cladding combination.

2. The surgical optical fiber of claim 1 further comprising:

a buffer layer circumferentially disposed about the cladding layer; and

a buffer layer circumferentially disposed about the buffer layer.

3. The surgical optical fiber of claim 2 wherein the fiber further comprises:

a stripped section at the distal end having a first predetermined length,

wherein the stripped section has the buffer and jacket removed to reveal the core and cladding combination of the fiber; and

the enlarged diameter section extending from the distal end for a second predetermined length along the stripped section.

4. The surgical optical fiber of claim 3 wherein the second predetermined length is at least 20% of the stripped/exposed portion.

5. The surgical optical fiber of claim 2 wherein the enlarged distal end is obtained by a process comprising:

removing the jacket and buffer layers of the optical fiber over a first predetermined distance to expose core and cladding combination;

supporting the distal end of the fiber in a support frame;

heating the distal end at a second predetermined distance from the distal end and moving the optical fiber or heat source until an enlarged section is formed at the distal end with a second diameter greater than the first diameter.

6. The surgical optical fiber of claim 2 wherein the jacket layer is removed over a distance of approximately 5 mm.

7. The surgical optical fiber of claim 1 wherein the expanded tip is selected from the group comprising: a square tip, a round tip and a ball shaped tip.

8. The surgical optical fiber of claim 1 wherein

the cladding section is circumferentially disposed about the core section.

9. The surgical optical fiber of claim 8 wherein the core section is pure silica and the cladding section is fluorine doped silica.

10. The surgical optical fiber of claim 1 where a length of the enlarged core section is at least 50% of a length of the enlarged core section and first core section combined.

11. The surgical optical fiber of claim 1 wherein the fiber is configured for use as a surgical urology optic fiber having reduced rate of burn back.

12. The surgical optical fiber of claim 1 wherein the first diameter of the core and cladding combination is in the range of about 200 to about 1000 μm.

13. The surgical optical fiber of claim 1 wherein the expanded tip has a rounded end face having a third diameter larger than the second diameter.

14. The surgical optical fiber of claim 1 wherein the first diameter of the core and cladding combination and of the first section of the distal end is about 290 μm with the core having a first core diameter of about 242 μm, and the second diameter of the second enlarged section of the distal end is about 326 μm with the core having a second enlarged core diameter of about 272 μm.