IP Library Granted Patent US 12,399,346
Granted Patent B2
US 12,399,346 · App. 17/451,376 · Granted Aug 26, 2025

Optical device with thermally conductive fingers and related method

Inventors: Chandraika Sugrim (Saint Augustine, FL); Aravinda Kar (Orlando, FL)
Assignees: UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.; THE U.S.A. AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
G02B7/1815G02B7/195H01S3/0401
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,399,346
App. No.
17/451,376
Granted
Aug 26, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

An optical device may include an optical body having first and second opposing sides, and passageways extending between the first and second opposing sides. The optical device includes a mirror layer carried by the optical body adjacent the second opposing side, thermally conductive fingers extending in the passageways, and a heatsink carried by the optical body adjacent the first opposing side and coupled to the thermally conductive fingers.

Claims (61)

1. An optical device comprising:

an optical body having

first and second opposing sides,

a plurality of passageways extending between the first and second opposing sides, and

a peripheral flange at the second opposing side defining a recess therein, the optical body comprising contiguous and integral glass material;

a plurality of optical layers carried by the optical body entirely within the recess, the plurality of optical layers comprising

a mirror layer, and

an uppermost cover layer over the mirror layer, and aligned with and to be flush with uppermost portions of the peripheral flange;

a plurality of thermally conductive fingers extending in the plurality of passageways;

a thermistor abutting the plurality of optical layers and being within the optical body;

a heatsink carried by the optical body adjacent the first opposing side and coupled to the plurality of thermally conductive fingers;

an active cooling device carried by the heatsink; and

a controller coupled to the thermistor and the active cooling device, the controller configured to

sense a temperature of the mirror layer, and

activate the active cooling device when the temperature of the mirror layer exceeds a threshold value.

2. The optical device of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of connection terminals coupled to the thermistor and extending in the optical body and through the heatsink.

3. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of optical layers further comprises an antireflective layer.

4. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the heatsink comprises a disc-shaped heatsink abutting the first opposing side of the optical body.

5. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of thermally conductive fingers comprise a plurality finger sets, each finger set being radially aligned.

6. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of optical layers comprises a heat spreader layer between the mirror layer and the plurality of thermally conductive fingers.

7. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of thermally conductive fingers each comprises at least one from copper, gold, silver, and aluminum.

8. The optical device of claim 1 wherein the controller is configured to continuously sense the temperature of the mirror layer.

9. The optical device of claim 1 further comprising a photodiode within the optical body and configured to sense fluence throughput.

10. A method for making an optical device comprising:

using additive manufacturing with a glass material to form an optical body having

first and second opposing sides,

a plurality of passageways extending between the first and second opposing sides, and

a peripheral flange at the second opposing side defining a recess therein, the optical body comprising contiguous and integral glass material;

forming a plurality of optical layers carried by the optical body entirely within the recess, the plurality of optical layers comprising

a mirror layer, and

an uppermost cover layer over the mirror layer, and aligned with and to be flush with uppermost portions of the peripheral flange;

forming a plurality of thermally conductive fingers extending in the plurality of passageways;

coupling a thermistor to abut the plurality of optical layers and being within the optical body;

coupling a heatsink to be carried by the optical body adjacent the first opposing side and to the plurality of thermally conductive fingers

coupling an active cooling device to be carried by the heatsink; and

coupling a controller to the thermistor and the active cooling device, the controller configured to

sense a temperature of the mirror layer, and

activate the active cooling device when the temperature of the mirror layer exceeds a threshold value.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising coupling a plurality of connection terminals coupled to the thermistor and extending in the optical body and through the heatsink.

12. A smart optical device comprising:

an optical body having

first and second opposing sides,

a plurality of passageways extending between the first and second opposing sides, and

a peripheral flange at the second opposing side defining a recess therein, the optical body comprising contiguous and integral glass material;

a plurality of optical layers carried by the optical body entirely within the recess, the plurality of optical layers comprising

a mirror layer, and

an uppermost cover layer over the mirror layer, and aligned with and to be flush with uppermost portions of the peripheral flange;

a plurality of thermally conductive fingers extending in the plurality of passageways;

a thermistor abutting the plurality of optical layers and being within the optical body;

a heatsink carried by the optical body adjacent the first opposing side and coupled to the plurality of thermally conductive fingers;

a photodiode within the optical body and configured to sense fluence throughput;

an active cooling device carried by the heatsink; and

a controller coupled to the thermistor and the active cooling device, the controller configured to

continuously sense a temperature of the mirror layer, and

activate the active cooling device when the temperature of the mirror layer exceeds a threshold value.

13. The smart optical device of claim 12 further comprising a plurality of connection terminals coupled to the thermistor and extending in the optical body and through the heatsink.

14. The smart optical device of claim 12 wherein the plurality of optical layers further comprises an antireflective layer.

15. The smart optical device of claim 12 wherein the heatsink comprises a disc-shaped heatsink abutting the first opposing side of the optical body.

16. The smart optical device of claim 12 wherein the plurality of thermally conductive fingers comprise a plurality finger sets, each finger set being radially aligned.

17. The smart optical device of claim 12 wherein the plurality of optical layers comprises a heat spreader layer between the mirror layer and the plurality of thermally conductive fingers.

18. The smart optical device of claim 12 wherein the plurality of thermally conductive fingers each comprises at least one from copper, gold, silver, and aluminum.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 4, 2022
From: KAR, ARAVINDA
To: UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA RESEARCH FOUNDATION, INC.
Reel/Frame 059489/0659 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 10, 2021
From: SUGRIM, CHANDRAIKA
To: THE U.S.A. AS REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY OF THE NAVY
Reel/Frame 058069/0006 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63093827 · Oct 20, 2020
Related Publication 20220121002A1 · Apr 21, 2022
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