Patent ID: 7213974

Claim:
An assembly comprising: a) a first planar substrate having a first optical waveguide formed therein, the first optical waveguide disposed in the plane of the first planar substrate; b) a second planar substrate having a second optical waveguide formed therein, the waveguide disposed in the plane of the second planar substrate; c) a flexible optical waveguide having a first end coupled to the first planar substrate and a second end; d) a first alignment structure attached to the second end of the flexible optical waveguide; and e) a second alignment structure attached to the second planar substrate, the second alignment structure configured to engage the first alignment structure to thereby form a separable optical interface, wherein the first alignment structure is contained in a housing having an opening and a shutter member biased in a closed position to cover the opening when the first alignment member is not engaged with the second alignment member.