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US 7,068,868 B1Granted
Sensing devices based on evanescent optical coupling
AssigneeIFOS, Inc.
InventorsBo Pi, Wei-Cheng Wilson Lin, Zhihao Chen, Shulai Zhao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Fiber sensors formed on side-polished fiber coupling ports based on evanescent coupling. Such sensors may be configured to measure various materials and may be used to form multi-phase sensing devices.
Claims25
A sensing device, comprising:
- a fiber having a core and a cladding;
- a fiber sensor in the fiber comprising a side surface on fiber cladding of the fiber within a reach of an evanescent field of guided light in the fiber, and an overlay waveguide on top of the side surface to extract light out of the side surface;
- said overlay waveguide having a planar surface including a coupling region along a length of said fiber for said extraction of light, where said overlay waveguide coupling region is substantially thicker than said fiber core;
- a housing unit having a chamber to hold the fiber sensor and a movable diaphragm in the chamber to transmit pressure to the fiber sensor in response to a pressure applied to the diaphragm;
- an optical detector to receive light in the fiber that transmits through the fiber sensor;
- and
- a signal processor to process output of the optical detector and to determine the pressure on the diaphragm.
4 more elements
A sensing device, comprising:
- a fiber having a core and a cladding;
- a fiber sensor in the fiber comprising a side surface on fiber cladding of the fiber within a reach of an evanescent field of guided light in the fiber, and an overlay waveguide on top of the side surface to extract light out of the side surface;
- said overlay waveguide having a planar surface including a coupling region along a length of said fiber for said extraction of light, where said overlay waveguide coupling region is substantially thicker than said fiber core;
- a housing unit having a chamber to hold the fiber sensor and a movable diaphragm in the chamber to transmit pressure to the fiber sensor in response to a pressure applied to said diaphragm;
- whereby said optical fiber is an input port for optical energy;
- a signal processor to process output of the optical detector and to determine the pressure on the diaphragm.
3 more elements
A process for sensing in a sensing device, the sensing device having:
- a fiber having a core and a cladding;
- a fiber sensor in the fiber comprising a side surface on fiber cladding of the fiber within a reach of an evanescent field of guided light in the fiber, and an overlay waveguide on top of the side surface to extract light out of the side surface;
- said overlay waveguide having a planar surface including a coupling region along a length of said fiber for said extraction of light, where said overlay waveguide coupling region is substantially thicker than said fiber core;
- a housing unit having a chamber to hold the fiber sensor and a movable diaphragm in the chamber to transmit pressure to the fiber sensor in response to a pressure applied to said diaphragm;
- said process comprising the introduction of optical energy on said fiber;
- of said sensing device and measuring a wavelength transmitted through said sensor or reflected from said sensor.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.