Patent ID: 7062125

Claim:
A prismatic reflection optical waveguide device transmitting a light beam interacting with an external medium, said device comprising: a pair of input and output optical waveguide segments, each being respectively provided with a core for propagating said light beam along a light guiding axis, a coupling end and a free end opposed thereto, the coupling ends of the input and output waveguide segments defining a coupling portion wherein said coupling ends are arranged in adjacent V-shaped relationship forming a predetermined angle α with each other, the input and the output optical waveguide segments being distinct segments, the coupling end of each segment being provided with an end surface forming an angle α/2 with the light guiding axis of the corresponding waveguide segment, the two end surfaces being connected flush with each other by connecting means, the cores of the input and output segments at the coupling ends thereof forming a continuous core portion for conveying said light beam, said continuous core portion having a substantially flattened surface in said coupling portion defining a reflection interface between said device and said external medium to expose said continuous core portion in said coupling portion to said external medium through said interface, said reflection interface being configured to convey the light beam coming from the input segment into the output segment by a single reflection thereof.