Fiber-optical sensor array for sensing and imaging

An apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• a substrate mounted within the housing;
• a plurality of sensor fibers secured to the substrate, each sensor fiber including:
• an optical waveguide, and
• an optical sensor structure configured for:
• detecting an acoustic signal, and
• providing an optical signal corresponding to the acoustic signal to the optical waveguide, and
• a plurality of electro-mechanical acoustic energy generating transducers disposed adjacent to the plurality of sensor fibers within the housing and configured to generate acoustic energy, wherein:
• each sensor fiber of the plurality of sensor fibers further includes an encapsulating structure surrounding the optical waveguide,
• each optical sensor structure includes an exposed portion defined by a lack of the encapsulating structure, and
• each optical sensor structure is a polarization based fiber sensor configured to receive the acoustic signal at the exposed portion and to cause an alteration in polarization of the optical signal traveling through the optical waveguide in response to the acoustic signal.

An apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• a substrate mounted within the housing;
• a plurality of sensor fibers secured to the substrate, each sensor fiber including:
• an optical waveguide, and
• an optical sensor structure configured for:
• detecting an acoustic signal, and
• providing an optical signal corresponding to the acoustic signal to the optical waveguide, and
• a plurality of electro-mechanical acoustic energy generating transducers disposed adjacent to the plurality of sensor fibers within the housing and configured to generate acoustic energy, wherein:
• proximal portions of the plurality of sensor fibers extend through the housing in an axial dimension,
• the substrate is configured to maintain a bend in each of the plurality of sensor fibers such that distal portions of the plurality of sensor fibers are disposed along an elevation dimension of the housing, and
• the plurality of sensor fibers are configured to receive the acoustic signal from directions lateral to the axes of the plurality of sensor fibers.

An apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• a substrate mounted within the housing;
• a plurality of sensor fibers secured to the substrate, each sensor fiber including:
• an optical waveguide, and
• an optical sensor structure configured for:
• detecting an acoustic signal, and
• providing an optical signal corresponding to the acoustic signal to the optical waveguide, and
• a plurality of electro-mechanical acoustic energy generating transducers disposed adjacent to the plurality of sensor fibers within the housing and configured to generate acoustic energy, wherein:
• proximal portions of the plurality of sensor fibers extend through the housing in an axial dimension,
• the substrate is configured to maintain a bend in each of the plurality of sensor fibers such that distal portions of the plurality of sensor fibers are disposed along a lateral dimension of the housing, and
• the plurality of sensor fibers are configured to receive the acoustic signal from directions lateral to the axes of the plurality of sensor fibers.

An apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• a substrate mounted within the housing;
• a plurality of sensor fibers secured to the substrate, each sensor fiber including:
• an optical waveguide, and
• an optical sensor structure configured for:
• detecting an acoustic signal, and
• providing an optical signal corresponding to the acoustic signal to the optical waveguide, and
• a plurality of electro-mechanical acoustic energy generating transducers disposed adjacent to the plurality of sensor fibers within the housing and configured to generate acoustic energy further comprising at least one heater disposed adjacent to the plurality of sensor fibers and configured to be controlled to provide thermal tuning to at least one of the plurality of sensor fibers.

An apparatus comprising:

• a housing;
• a substrate mounted within the housing, wherein the substrate is a chip;
• a plurality of sensor fibers secured to the substrate, each sensor fiber including:
• an optical waveguide;
• an optical sensor structure comprising a single shared optical sensor structure for the plurality of sensor fibers, wherein the plurality of sensor fibers is configured for
• detecting an acoustic signal, and
• providing an optical signal corresponding to the acoustic signal to the optical waveguide;
• and
• a plurality of electro-mechanical acoustic energy generating transducers configured to generate acoustic energy.