Patent ID: 7695202

Claim:
An apparatus for coupling a laser diode to a fiber optic cable comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a focusing lens; (c) a retaining device; (d) a laser diode; (i) the housing having an opening at a distal end for receiving an optical connector, and an opening at a proximal end for receiving and retaining the laser diode, the housing having a lens cavity for securing the focusing lens to the housing between the proximal end and the distal end, with the lens cavity connecting the opening at the distal end and the opening at the proximal end so that light may pass from the proximal end to the distal end; (ii) the housing having a surface, and the retaining device operating to maintain the optical connector against the surface of the housing such that a portion of the optical connector along a length is in contact with the surface of the housing, the retaining device releasably retaining the optical connector in contact with the surface of the housing; (iii) the opening at the distal end being larger than an exterior circumference of the optical connector; and (e) a removable alignment port, said alignment port having a first outer portion with a circumference approximately the same as the circumference of the optical connector, and the alignment port having a second outer portion having a dimension larger than at least a portion of the width of the opening at the distal end of the housing, said alignment port having an aperture at a first end, said distal end of the housing receiving the first end of the alignment port, the retaining device operating to maintain the first end of the alignment port against the surface of the housing such that a portion of the first end of the alignment port along a length is in contact with the surface of the housing, the retaining device releasably retaining the first end of the alignment port in contact with the surface of the housing said second outer portion of the alignment port contacting a portion of the housing.