Light therapy wearable with jacketed side-emitting optical fiber
A light therapy wearable includes a fabric panel and a side-emitting light tube affixed to or held against the fabric panel. The side-emitting optical light tube includes a side-emitting optical fiber and a jacket surrounding the side-emitting optical fiber. The side-emitting optical fiber includes a core and cladding surrounding the core. The core is made from a synthetic polymeric material. The jacket is made from a transparent or translucent material and has a durometer of at least 50 A and an outer diameter at least seven times a core diameter of the side-emitting optical fiber.
1. A light therapy wearable comprising:
a fabric panel;
a side-emitting light tube affixed to or held against the fabric panel; and
a light-transmissive inner layer affixed to the fabric panel and at least partially covering the side-emitting light tube,
the side-emitting light tube including a side-emitting optical fiber and a jacket at least partially surrounding the side-emitting optical fiber,
the jacket being made from a light-transmissive material and having a durometer of at least 50 A and an outer diameter at least seven times a core diameter of the side-emitting optical fiber, and
wherein the light-transmissive inner layer and the side-emitting optical fiber are movable with respect to the fabric panel in an axial direction, which is parallel with a longest dimension of the side-emitting light tube, and in a lateral direction, which is perpendicular to the axial direction.
2. The light therapy wearable of claim 1 , wherein the side-emitting optical fiber includes a core being made from a synthetic polymeric material.
3. The light therapy wearable of claim 2 , wherein the side-emitting optical fiber includes cladding surrounding the core.
4. The light therapy wearable of claim 2 , wherein the synthetic polymeric material from which the core is made is polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).
5. The light therapy wearable of claim 1 , wherein the jacket is made of silicone.
6. The light therapy wearable of claim 5 , wherein the jacket is extruded over the side-emitting optical fiber with the jacket surrounding and in contact with the side-emitting optical fiber.
7. The light therapy wearable of claim 6 , wherein the side-emitting optical fiber is movable with respect to the jacket in an axial direction, which is parallel with a longest dimension of the side-emitting light tube.
8. The light therapy wearable of claim 1 , wherein the core diameter of the side-emitting optical fiber is less than or equal to 0.5 mm.
9. The light therapy wearable of claim 8 , wherein the core diameter of the side-emitting optical fiber is at least 0.20 mm.
10. The light therapy wearable of claim 9 , wherein the outer diameter of the jacket is less than or equal to 2.4 mm.
11. The light therapy wearable of claim 1 , wherein the side-emitting optical fiber is movable with respect to the jacket in an axial direction, which is parallel with a longest dimension of the side-emitting light tube.
12. The light therapy wearable of claim 1 , wherein the outer diameter of the jacket is less than 11.5 times the core diameter of the side-emitting optical fiber.
13. The light therapy wearable of claim 1 , further comprising an intermediate channel layer between the fabric panel and the light-transmissive inner layer, the intermediate channel layer being affixed to the light-transmissive inner layer and defining a channel in which the side-emitting light tube is received.
14. The light therapy wearable of claim 13 , wherein the light-transmissive inner layer is a fabric mesh material.
15. The light therapy wearable of claim 13 , wherein the intermediate channel layer is a jersey cotton fabric sewn to the light-transmissive inner layer.
16. The light therapy wearable of claim 15 , wherein the intermediate channel layer is white or dyed red.
17. The light therapy wearable of claim 13 , wherein the intermediate channel layer is jersey cotton bias tape that is adhered or sewn to the light-transmissive inner layer.
18. The light therapy wearable of claim 17 , wherein the intermediate channel layer is white or dyed red.
19. The light therapy wearable of claim 13 , wherein the intermediate channel layer is not affixed to the fabric panel.
20. The light therapy wearable of claim 13 , wherein the side-emitting optical fiber is movable with respect to the intermediate channel layer and the light-transmissive inner layer in an axial direction, which is parallel with a longest dimension of the side-emitting light tube, and in a lateral direction, which is perpendicular to the axial direction.
21. The light therapy wearable of claim 13 , wherein the light-transmissive inner layer is affixed to the fabric panel offset from where the intermediate channel layer is affixed to the light-transmissive inner layer so that the light-transmissive inner layer is movable in three mutually perpendicular axes with respect to the fabric panel along at least a portion of the channel.
22. A side-emitting light tube for use with a light therapy wearable, the side-emitting light tube comprising:
a side-emitting optical fiber; and
a jacket at least partially surrounding the side-emitting optical fiber, the jacket being made from a light-transmissive material and having a durometer of at least 50 A and an outer diameter at least seven times a core diameter of the side-emitting optical fiber.
23. The side-emitting light tube of claim 22 , wherein the side-emitting optical fiber includes a core being made from a synthetic polymeric material.
24. The side-emitting light tube of claim 23 , wherein the side-emitting optical fiber includes cladding surrounding the core.
25. The side-emitting light tube of claim 23 , wherein the synthetic polymeric material from which the core is made is polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA).
26. The side-emitting light tube of claim 22 , wherein the jacket is made of silicone.
27. The side-emitting light tube of claim 26 , wherein the jacket is extruded over the side-emitting optical fiber with the jacket surrounding and in contact with the side-emitting optical fiber.
28. The side-emitting light tube of claim 27 , wherein the side-emitting optical fiber is movable with respect to the jacket in an axial direction, which is parallel with a longest dimension of the side-emitting light tube.
29. The side-emitting light tube of claim 22 , wherein the core diameter of the side-emitting optical fiber is less than or equal to 0.5 mm.
30. The side-emitting light tube of claim 29 , wherein the core diameter of the side-emitting optical fiber is at least 0.20 mm.
31. The side-emitting light tube of claim 30 , wherein the outer diameter of the jacket is less than or equal to 2.4 mm.
32. The side-emitting light tube of claim 22 , wherein the side-emitting optical fiber is movable with respect to the jacket in an axial direction, which is parallel with a longest dimension of the side-emitting light tube.
33. The side-emitting light tube of claim 22 , wherein the outer diameter of the jacket is less than 11.5 times the core diameter of the side-emitting optical fiber.
34. The side-emitting light tube of claim 22 , further comprising a ferrule provided at or adjacent at least one end of the side-emitting light tube, the ferrule including a light-receiving aperture.
35. The side-emitting light tube of claim 34 , further comprising a housing in which the ferrule is at least partially received.
36. The side-emitting light tube of claim 35 , further comprising a laser diode received in the housing and positioned to direct light through the light-receiving aperture into the side-emitting optical fiber.
37. The side-emitting light tube of claim 36 , further comprising an optic received in the housing and positioned to direct light from the laser diode through the optic and the light-receiving aperture into the side-emitting optical fiber.
38. The side-emitting light tube of claim 34 , further comprising a ferrule collar in which the ferrule is at least partially received.
39. The side-emitting light tube of claim 38 , wherein the ferrule collar includes at least one barb.
40. A light therapy wearable comprising:
a fabric panel;
a side-emitting light tube affixed to or held against the fabric panel; and
a light-transmissive inner layer affixed to the fabric panel and at least partially covering the side-emitting light tube,
the side-emitting light tube including a side-emitting optical fiber and a jacket at least partially surrounding the side-emitting optical fiber,
the jacket being made from a light-transmissive material and having a durometer of at least 50 A and an outer diameter at least seven times a core diameter of the side-emitting optical fiber, and
wherein the side-emitting optical fiber is fixed to the light-transmissive inner layer for movement therewith.
41. The light therapy wearable of claim 40 , further comprising an intermediate channel layer between the fabric panel and the light-transmissive inner layer, the intermediate channel layer being affixed to the light-transmissive inner layer and defining a channel in which the side-emitting light tube is received.
42. The light therapy wearable of claim 41 , wherein the light-transmissive inner layer is a fabric mesh material.