An overlapped chirped fiber bragg grating sensing fiber and methods and apparatus for parameter measurement using same
AssigneeIntuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.
InventorsMark E. FROGGATT, Justin W. KLEIN
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optical sensor includes an optical fiber inscribed with densely-overlapping, chirped-frequency fiber Bragg gratings at multiple locations along the optical fiber such that light reflected from a location on the optical fiber is reflected at multiple frequencies in a range of frequencies. An entire length of the optical sensor includes densely-overlapping, chirped-frequency fiber Bragg gratings. At least two of the densely-overlapping, chirped-frequency fiber Bragg gratings overlap at every measurement point along the entire length of the optical sensor. An optical sensing system uses the optical sensor. A method of making the optical sensor is described.
Claims20
An optical sensor comprising:
- an optical fiber inscribed with densely-overlapping, chirped-frequency fiber Bragg gratings at multiple locations along the optical fiber such that light reflected from a location on the optical fiber is reflected at multiple frequencies in a range of frequencies,
- wherein an entire length of the optical sensor includes densely-overlapping, chirped-frequency fiber Bragg gratings, and
- wherein at least two of the densely-overlapping, chirped-frequency fiber Bragg gratings overlap at every measurement point along the entire length of the optical sensor.
An optical sensing system comprising:
- an optical sensor including an optical fiber inscribed with densely-overlapping, chirped-frequency fiber Bragg gratings at multiple locations along the optical fiber such that light reflected from a location on the optical fiber is reflected at multiple frequencies in a range of frequencies, wherein an entire length of the optical sensor includes densely-overlapping, chirped-frequency fiber Bragg gratings, and wherein at least two of the densely-overlapping, chirped-frequency fiber Bragg gratings overlap at every measurement point along the entire length of the optical sensor;
- optical interrogation circuitry coupled to the optical sensor;
- and
- control circuitry, coupled to the optical sensor, configured to:
- detect measurement reflection data from the optical sensor over the range of frequencies,
- determine a change in the detected measurement reflection data over the range of frequencies, and
- determine a parameter describing a state of the optical sensor based on the determined change in the detected measurement reflection data.
A method for making an optical sensor that includes an optical fiber, the method comprising the steps of:
- inscribing a first chirped-frequency, light refracting pattern on the optical fiber at every measurement point along at least a portion of a length of the optical sensor;
- inscribing a second chirped-frequency, light refracting pattern on the optical fiber that overlaps the first chirped-frequency, light refracting pattern, the second chirped-frequency, light refracting pattern having a same pattern as the first chirped-frequency, light refracting pattern;
- and
- inscribing a third chirped-frequency, light refracting pattern on the optical fiber that overlaps the first and second chirped-frequency, light refracting patterns, the third chirped-frequency, light refracting pattern having the same pattern as the first and second chirped-frequency, light refracting patterns,
- wherein the optical fiber inscribed with the overlapping first, second, and third chirped-frequency, light refracting patterns reflects light from a location on the optical fiber at multiple frequencies in a range of frequencies, and
- wherein the first, second, and third chirped-frequency, light refracting patterns overlap at every measurement point along an entire length of the optical sensor.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.