Patent ID: 7116869

Claim:
An apparatus for monitoring fiber optic communications, comprising: a body providing an optical channel which is adapted for positioning in a space between a first end of a first optical fiber and a second end of a second optical fiber, such that in order for an optical signal beam to pass between the first optical fiber and the second optical fiber the optical signal beam must pass through the optical channel; a pair of optical taps, one of said pair of optical taps being oriented so as to tap the optical signal beam as it passes along the optical channel in a first direction and the other of said pair of optical taps being oriented so as to tap the optical signal beam as it passes in a second direction along the optical channel, the pair of optical taps operating independently of each other; each of the optical taps including: a reflector movable relative to the optical channel between a retracted position in which the reflector is spaced from the optical channel and an active position in which the reflector is positioned in the path of the optical signal beam passing through the optical channel thereby reflecting a portion of the optical signal beam as a tap signal; and means for moving the reflector between the retracted position and the active position.