US Patent 7596292 Treatment method for optical fiber

A treatment method for an optical fiber including accommodating an optical fiber inside a treatment chamber; introducing a deuterium containing gas into the treatment chamber; and in a deuterium treatment step, exposing the optical fiber to atmosphere of the deuterium containing gas. In the deuterium treatment step, a deuterium concentration D in the treatment chamber during the deuterium treatment is calculated from an initial value A of a deuterium concentration in the deuterium containing gas inside the treatment chamber, a concentration B of oxygen in an ambient atmosphere of the treatment chamber, and a concentration C of oxygen in the deuterium containing gas inside the treatment chamber, and the deuterium concentration in the treatment chamber is controlled based on the deuterium concentration D calculated. Other gases such as hydrogen containing gas or nitrogen containing gas may also be used according to the invention.