Biodegradable and biocompatible microstructured optical fiber made from Poly(D,L-Lactic Acid) (PDLLA)

Optical fiber-sensors based on biodegradable and biocompatible optical fibers can be considered for implantation and invivo biosensing applications. We report on the fabrication and characterization of microstructured biodegradable and biocompatible polymer optical fibers (mbioPOF) from poly(D,L-lactic acid) (PDLLA), which is a commercially available polyester regulated by the U.S. FDA. We manufactured the optical fiber preforms by means of a novel technique based on transfer molding and subsequently we fabricated microstructured optical fibers using a standard heat-draw tower. The attenuation coefficient of our mbioPOF is as low as 0.065 dB∕cm at 898 nm for a microstructured fiber with a diameter of 219±27 μm. Prolonged immersion of mbioPOFs in PBS at 37°C leads to an increase of the optical loss with only 0.4 dB/cm after 6h and with 0.8 dB/cm after 17h, as measured at a wavelength of 950 nm.