US Patent 10345543 High fiber density, low bend loss optical fiber cable

A highly packed, low bend loss optical cable is provided. The cable includes an outer cable jacket and a plurality of buffer tubes surrounded by the cable jacket. Each buffer tube includes an inner surface defining a channel having a diameter, D1, and an outer surface facing an inner surface of the cable jacket. The cable includes a plural number, N, of optical fibers, located within the channel of each buffer tube and surrounded by the inner surface of the buffer tube. Each optical fiber has an outer diameter, D2. The N optical fibers are densely packed within each buffer tube such that a diameter ratio parameter, Ω, is defined as the ratio D1/ D2, and is 2.25+0.143(N)≤Ω≤1.14+0.313(N).