What are the Different Types of Fiber-Optic Products?

There are many different types of fiber-optic products available for commercial purchase and use, often designed with specific purposes. Some of the most common products that utilize fiber-optics are lamps and other types of lighting that use optical fibers to transmit light in a number of ways. There are also cables and wires that use fiber-optics to transmit data through them, often with greater speed and efficiency than other mediums used in data transfer. A number of other fiber-optic products are also available that may be designed for decorative or novelty purposes, such as holiday decorations and indoor displays.

Fiber-optic products are various devices and objects produced with the use of fiber-optics or optical fibers. Optical fibers are strands of clear wires that can act as an effective medium for the transmission of energy in a number of different forms. Some of the most common types of fiber-optic products for commercial use are lamps. There are a number of different lamps available that use optical fibers, including those that consist entirely of the fibers, creating light through numerous strands of illuminated wires, and lamps that utilize bundles of fibers to create lighting in a small, specific location.

Since optical fibers can transmit energy of any kind, not just visible light, there are many fiber-optic products in which the fibers are used for data transmission. Many providers of television, phone, and Internet services have begun using fiber-optics for delivery of signals to homes and businesses. These cables are often run underground, eliminating the need for large and unsightly telephone poles carrying phone cables; though they can be expensive to initially install, they often last longer than other methods. There are also fiber-optic products for use in data transfer in home or commercial use, such as cables used in networking.

A number of other fiber-optic products are designed and produced for use in homes and businesses for a number of other purposes as well. Optical fibers are often used in decorations, especially holiday decorations that include lights such as those seen at Christmas or Halloween. There are also specialized decorative uses for such cables, such as indoor installations that allow fiber-optics to be installed into a ceiling, this makes the ceiling appear like a night sky in the dark and the fiber-optic lights appear like stars. Fiber-optic products can also be produced to use the cables to transmit imaging data, and this is often done to create small cameras or scopes that allow someone to view an image from remote or very small locations, such devices may be used during exploratory surgery.