Novel biocompatible and resorbable UV-transparent phosphate glass based optical fiber

Abstract

In this paper the first glass based resorbable optical fiber is
\nmanufactured and characterized, showing values of attenuation loss from
\none to two orders of magnitude lower than the polymeric based
\nbioresorbable devices reported in literature. The fiber behaves as a singlemode
\nwaveguide at the lower limit of the first biological window (1300 nm)
\nand as a multi-mode waveguide in the visible region (630 nm). Highly
\ntransparent calcium-phosphate glasses (PGs) are proposed as a new class of
\nmaterials for biomedical optics, managing to combine for the first time in a
\nvitreous material solubility in aqueous media, transparency in the near UV
\nregion, low intrinsic attenuation loss and thermal stability during fiber
\ndrawing. In-vitro tests in physiological conditions show dissolution kinetics
\nof glass fibers in about a month.