Patent ID: 8055107

Claim:
An optical rotary adapter used with an optical tomographic imaging system for acquiring an optical tomogaphic image of an object under measurement, said optical rotary adapter rotatably connecting optical fibers guiding measuring light to said object under measurement and guiding reflected returning light from said object under measurement, said optical rotary adapter comprising: a fixed sleeve, a stationary optical fiber fixedly supported by said fixed sleeve and having on one end thereof an inclined end face inclined a given angle with respect to a plane perpendicular to a central axis of said stationary optical fiber, a stationary collimating lens spaced a given distance from said inclined end face of said optical fiber, a mounting cylinder carried rotatably with respect to said fixed sleeve, a rotary optical fiber fixedly mounted to said mounting cylinder so as to be disposed opposite said stationary collimating lens and having an inclined end face inclined a given angle with respect to a plane perpendicular to a central axis of said rotary optical fiber, a rotary collimating lens fixedly mounted to said mounting cylinder and disposed between said stationary collimating lens and said rotary optical fiber with a given distance from said inclined end face of said rotary optical fiber, and rotation actuating means for rotating said mounting cylinder, wherein said central axes of said stationary optical fiber and said rotary optical fiber are offset from or inclined with respect to a central axis of rotation of said mounting cylinder to reduce attenuation of said returning light.