Patent ID: 8472017

Claim:
A kit comprising a supporting device for maintaining under longitudinal compression an article made of a transparent material having a longitudinal axis A, a proximal end and a distal end, said supporting device comprising: a proximal holder having a port intended to receive the proximal end of said article, and a distal holder having a receiving part intended to receive the distal end of said article; said port and said receiving part being aligned on a common longitudinal axis B; said supporting device further comprising compression means for putting said article under longitudinal compression directed towards a center of said article, when said article is mounted on said supporting device with its longitudinal axis A aligned on said longitudinal axis B, said kit further comprising a polarimeter for measuring the stress in the material of the article when said article is mounted on said supporting device, wherein the port includes one of: a distal end shaped to engage an inner surface of the proximal end of the article, and a recess having an inner surface shaped to engage the proximal end of the article.