The goal of this Phase II application is continued development of improved oxide glass infrared transmitting fiberoptics at 2.94 microns for medical applications. In phase I the authors have shown that tensile strength has been improved, the bending diameter decreased and new coatings developed. Substantial progress was made and continuation of the research looks promising. Phase II of the project seeks to improve fiber strength by optimizing glass hardness and drawing the fiber with better coatings. The authors propose to improve fiber transmission by eliminating water from the glass and removing other impurities. Characterization of the optimized fibers will be performed and attempts to draw large amounts of new fiber will be made.
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