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fibre optics

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fibre optics

The science and technology of the transmission of light, including coherent laser light, along optical fibres and its applications. This has become important in medicine and surgery as it provides a method of internal illumination and examination through a natural orifice or through a very small artificial opening (endoscopy). Optical fibres can guide light around corners by virtue of the principle of total internal reflection. Bundles of fibres are used.
Collins Dictionary of Medicine © Robert M. Youngson 2004, 2005
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References in periodicals archive
A fibre-optic system has no bandwidth limitations when transmitting signals in both uni-and bidirection simultaneously.
A fibre-optic cable carries only signal information of light at a frequency thousands of times higher than normal electrical signals.
Because it transmits only light signals, the fibre-optic cable can be made up of glass or plastic--totally non-conductive materials.
The fibre-optic cable can thus be employed in different and adverse environments, because the optical-only signal makes the system intrinsically safe.
As the need for more bandwidth increases rapidly, the efficient use of fibre-optic network backbone goes up dramatically as well.
A single, thin fibre-optic cable can replace miles of copper cables to serve all these media functions simultaneously, while IP network cable and Wi-Fi are limited by distance and strength in the field.
Fibre-optic systems are powerful enough to multiplex multiple signals--audio, video or data--into a single fibre-optic cable.
Nevertheless, reliable and stable fibre-optic systems have been running for decades.
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