Tilted grating sensor
AssigneeLxdata Inc
InventorsJacques Albert, Chengkun Chen, Yanina Shevchenko, Alexei Ivanov
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Abstract
The present invention relates to a sensor using a tilted fiber grating to detect physical manifestations occurring in a medium. Such physical manifestations induce measurable changes in the optical property of the tilted fiber grating. The sensor comprises a sensing surface which is to be exposed to the medium, an optical pathway and a tilted grating in the optical pathway. The grating is responsive to electromagnetic radiation propagating in the optical pathway to generate a response conveying information on the physical manifestation.
Claims31
An apparatus for measuring at least one physical manifestation occurring in a medium, said apparatus comprising:
- (a) a sensor for sensing the physical manifestation, including:
- (i) a sensing surface for exposure to the medium;
- (ii) an optical pathway, the optical pathway including a core and a cladding;
- (iii) a tilted grating responsive to electromagnetic radiation propagating in the optical pathway to induce a propagation of cladding mode electromagnetic waves in the cladding and core mode electromagnetic waves in the core;
- (iv) the sensing surface defining an interaction interface between the medium and the cladding and allowing the physical manifestation to interact with the cladding mode electromagnetic waves;
- (b) a measuring device coupled to the optical path for sensing the core mode electromagnetic waves and the cladding mode electromagnetic waves that have interacted with the physical manifestation for deriving information on temperature in the vicinity of the sensing surface and a physical manifestation measurement.
A method for detecting the presence of bacteria in a medium, comprising:
- a) providing a sensor having a sensing surface, said sensor having an optical pathway containing a tilted grating, the optical pathway including a core and a cladding, the tilted grating being responsive to electromagnetic radiation traveling in the optical pathway to induce electromagnetic waves in the cladding susceptible to interact with the medium via the sensing surface;
- b) placing the sensing surface in contact with the medium;
- c) detecting a response produced by the sensor which conveys information about an interaction between the electromagnetic waves in the cladding and the medium;
- and
- d) determining from the response if bacteria are present in the medium.
A sensor for sensing at least one physical manifestation occurring in a medium, said sensor comprising:
- a. a sensing surface for exposure to the medium;
- b. an optical pathway;
- c. a tilted grating in said optical pathway, said grating being responsive to electromagnetic radiation propagating in said optical pathway to generate a response conveying information on the at least one physical manifestation;
- d. the electromagnetic radiation propagating in said optical pathway along a propagation direction, said sensor including a reflector in said optical pathway to reflect the response of said tilted grating;
- e. the reflector directing the response to travel in said optical pathway in a direction opposite to the direction of propagation;
- and
- f. the optical pathway including a straight termination, the reflector being at the termination.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.