Patent ID: 7421159

Claim:
An integral device that is adapted to optically couple a plurality of optical fibers to a plurality of optical elements; wherein said device comprises: (a) a substrate; (b) a first collimator array, rigidly attached to said substrate, wherein said first collimator array comprises a plurality of first through-holes, wherein each of said first through-holes is adapted to receive an optical fiber and to hold the optical fiber in position, and wherein each of said first through-holes has a fixed position relative to said substrate; (c) a second collimator array, rigidly attached to said substrate, wherein said second collimator array comprises a plurality of second through-holes, wherein each of said second through-holes is adapted to receive an optical element and to hold the optical element in position, and wherein each of said second through-holes has a fixed position relative to said substrate; and (d) one or more lens arrays, rigidly attached to said substrate, wherein each said lens array comprises a plurality of optical lenses, wherein the optical properties and positions of each of said lenses are adapted to optically couple an optical fiber positioned in one of said first through-holes to an optical element in one of said second through-holes, and wherein each of said lenses has a fixed position relative to said substrate; and wherein: (e) said first and second collimator arrays and said one or more lens arrays are integral, formed from a single polymeric piece.