CN108489948B - A U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe - Google Patents

Abstract

In order to solve the problems of low intensity, poor stability, high requirements on a signal detection device and the like of a fluorescence signal generated by embedding a fluorescent material into the existing micro hole, the invention designs a U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe, which is characterized in that a groove is processed at the bottom of a specially manufactured U-shaped optical fiber, and the fluorescent material is filled in the groove or the fluorescent material is coated after a cladding layer at the bottom of the U-shaped optical fiber is removed; when the ray irradiates the position of the fluorescent material, the optical fiber conducts the fluorescence to two ends, and the optical fiber coupler couples the fluorescence signals at the two ends of the optical fiber to one optical fiber. Therefore, compared with a probe with a single optical fiber end face embedded or wrapped with a fluorescent material, the novel U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescent probe has the advantages of higher fluorescent signal intensity, better stability and stronger interference resistance, reduces the requirements on a signal detection device, and can be applied to the fields of various high-energy ray detection, such as radiotherapy, cosmic ray observation, nuclear leakage monitoring and the like.

Description

A U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe

technical field

The invention belongs to the field of high-energy ray detection using optical fiber sensing, in particular to a U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescent radiation sensing probe.

Background technique

In today's society, high-energy rays are used in many fields, including ultraviolet rays, X-rays, gamma rays, and so on. In the 19th century, Ritter and Roentgen discovered ultraviolet rays and X-rays one after another. High-energy rays are used in all aspects of our lives, such as ultraviolet sterilization, X-ray diagnosis and tumor treatment, etc. However, if the use of high-energy rays cannot be controlled, it will affect our lives. cause adverse effects or even endanger life. Hospitals, nuclear power plants and other places need to detect the intensity of radiation in the process of using or shielding rays, because the quantitative and controllable use of these rays can make this double-edged sword only bring benefits to human beings, rather than harm us.

Fluorescent fiber optic sensors use optical fibers as the conducting means to transmit fluorescent signals. It not only has the high sensitivity and selectivity of the fluorescence method, but also has the strong anti-electromagnetic interference of the optical fiber. The optical information obtained has low transmission loss and large transmission capacity. It does not need a reference device. The optical fiber probe is easy to make, easy to miniaturize, and can be online in real time Features. When the excitation light is transmitted in the optical fiber in the way of total reflection and reaches the fluorescent reagent phase or the sensitive film, the detector detects the fluorescent signal and realizes the quantitative analysis of the object to be tested. The measured fluorescence signal can be fluorescence quenching or fluorescence enhancement; fluorescence lifetime and fluorescence energy conversion can be measured. Fluorescence-quenched fluorescent fiber optic sensors are the most numerous in this class of sensors. Oxygen molecules, halogen ions, heavy metal ions, nitro compounds, etc. can all cause fluorescence quenching, and the degree of quenching is related to the concentration of the quencher. When the measurement is carried out in a homogeneous system, the relationship between the fluorescence intensity and the concentration of the analyte follows the Stern-volmer equation. When the measurement is carried out in a heterogeneous system, the Stern-volmer linearity deviates. In the measurement of fluorescence energy transfer efficiency, the absorption spectrum of one molecule overlaps with the fluorescence emission spectrum of another molecule to a certain extent. That is, the receptor is released in the form of fluorescence, which increases the Stokes shift, which is beneficial to the separation of excitation light and fluorescence, and improves the sensitivity. The transfer of fluorescence energy is related to the non-radiative decay of the molecule in the excited state of the donor, and the fluorescence lifetime of the donor will be shortened, which can also be determined accordingly. The optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe in the present invention refers to a type of probe made by using the principle that some special materials are irradiated by high-energy rays to excite fluorescence in the visible light band. The special material is combined with the optical fiber so that the fluorescence can be conducted in the optical fiber, It is then accepted by the light intensity detector. Take an existing embedded radiation dose detection fiber probe as an example, namely the "Embedded Radiation Dose Detection Fiber Probe in Tumor X-ray Radiation Therapy" with Chinese Patent Application No. 2015101663730. Fluorescent material is embedded in one end face of the fluoride, but part of the fluorescent signal will be lost in this way, so the obtained fluorescent signal is weak, which is not conducive to the detection of the light intensity detector. In order to obtain a stronger fluorescence signal, the present invention designs a probe that embeds a fluorescent material in the middle of a section of optical fiber and transmits the fluorescent signal to both ends of the optical fiber, so that the transmitted fluorescence signal intensity is greater and more stable, so the optical fiber fluorescence Radiation sensing probes are also more reliable in measuring high-energy rays.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the invention is to use a U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe to convert high-energy rays into fluorescence for detection.

A U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe is characterized in that, the sensing probe is composed of a signal detection end and a signal coupling end, and specifically includes a special structure U-shaped optical fiber 1-1 with a fluorescent material, a fixing ring 1-2, fiber sleeve 1-3, fiber coupler 1-4, output fiber 1-5, detector; U-shaped fiber is a special structure U-shaped fiber with fluorescent material, and a special structure U with fluorescent material The optical fiber 1-1 is connected with the fixing ring 1-2 to form the signal detection end, the optical fiber coupler is connected with the output fiber to form the signal coupling end, and the signal detection end and the signal coupling end together form a U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe 4-2 The ray 4-1 is irradiated on the optical fiber at the signal detection end, the U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe 4-2 is connected with the detector 4-3 through the signal output optical fiber, and the detector is connected with the computer 4-4 through the data transmission line.

The special structure U-shaped fiber with fluorescent material specifically includes: U-shaped fiber with special structure with fluorescent material 1-1 U-shaped fiber with embedded detection end structure or U-shaped fiber with a coated detection end Structure of U-shaped fiber.

The U-shaped optical fiber with the embedded detection end structure specifically includes: the embedded detection end structure is located in the middle section of the bottom of the U-shaped optical fiber, and the bare optical fiber with the coating layer and the cladding removed in the middle section of the detection end of the U-shaped optical fiber has a cutout. The groove 2-2 is filled with fluorescent material and the gap is filled; the middle section of the bare optical fiber 2-1 is wrapped with a coating layer, and the two ends are installed with fixing rings 1-2.

The U-shaped optical fiber with the coated detection end structure specifically includes: the coated detection end structure is located in the middle section of the bottom of the U-shaped optical fiber, and the middle section of the detection end at the bottom of the U-shaped optical fiber has the coating layer and the cladding layer removed. There is a layer of fluorescent material 3-2, the middle section of the bare optical fiber 3-1 is wrapped with a coating layer, and fixed rings 1-2 are installed at both ends.

The U-shaped optical fiber with the coated detection end structure or the U-shaped optical fiber with the embedded detection end structure is sheathed in the optical fiber sleeve 1-3, and the optical fiber sleeves 1-3 at both ends of the U-shaped optical fiber are connected to the optical fiber. The couplers 1-4 are connected, and the other end of the optical fiber coupler 1-4 is connected with a transmission fiber 1-5.

The fluorescent material 2-2 is an inorganic fluorescent scintillation material or an organic fluorescent scintillation material.

The ray 4-1 is a high-energy ray, which is irradiated on the fluorescent carrying area of the U-shaped optical fiber with special structure with fluorescent material.

Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the advantages that the optical fiber fluorescent radiation sensing probe of the present invention has higher efficiency in converting high-energy rays into fluorescent signals, and the fluorescent energy of the filled fluorescent materials excited by the high-energy rays is more in Propagated in fiber. The traditional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe can only conduct the fluorescence excited by the fluorescent material in one direction, so that a larger part of the fluorescence cannot be effectively transmitted to the light intensity detector in the optical fiber, while the optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe of the present invention can The fluorescence excited by the fluorescent material conducts bidirectionally, and the fluorescence signals at both ends are coupled to a single optical fiber through a coupler, so that the output fluorescence signal intensity is greater. Therefore, compared with the traditional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe, the U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe of the present invention has lower requirements on the light intensity detector, and has better anti-interference ability and stability.

Description of drawings

Fig. 1 is a top view of a U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the optical fiber at the signal detection end of an embedded U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe;

3 is a cross-sectional view of the optical fiber at the signal detection end of a surface-coated U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe;

Figure 4 is a diagram of a measurement system with a U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe.

Specific implementation method

The present invention is described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

The sensing probe of the present invention is composed of a signal detection end and a signal coupling end, and specifically includes a special structure U-shaped optical fiber with fluorescent material 1-1, a fixing ring 1-2, an optical fiber sleeve 1-3, and an optical fiber coupler 1-4 , output fiber 1-5, detector; U-shaped fiber is a special structure U-shaped fiber with fluorescent material, and the special structure U-shaped fiber 1-1 with fluorescent material is connected with the fixing ring 1-2 to form a signal detection end, The optical fiber coupler is connected with the output optical fiber to form a signal coupling end, and the signal detection end and the signal coupling end together form a U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe 4-2; the ray 4-1 is irradiated on the optical fiber of the signal detection end, and the U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber The fluorescent radiation sensing probe 4-2 is connected to the detector 4-3 through a signal output fiber, and the detector is connected to the computer 4-4 through a data transmission line. Special structure U-shaped fiber with fluorescent material 1-1 adopts U-shaped fiber with embedded detection end structure or U-shaped fiber with coated detection end structure. The embedded detection end structure is located in the middle section of the bottom of the U-shaped fiber. The bare fiber with the coating and cladding removed in the middle section of the detection end at the bottom of the U-shaped fiber has a cut-out groove 2-2, and the groove 2-2 is filled with fluorescent material. And fill up the gap; the middle-section bare optical fiber 2-1 is wrapped with a coating layer, and the two ends are installed with fixing rings 1-2. The structure of the coated detection end is located in the middle section of the bottom of the U-shaped optical fiber. The bare optical fiber with the coating and cladding removed in the middle section of the detection end of the bottom of the U-shaped optical fiber is wrapped with a layer of fluorescent material 3-2, and the middle section of the bare fiber 3-1 is wrapped with Coating layer, with fixing rings 1-2 installed at both ends.

The U-shaped optical fiber with the coated detection end structure or the U-shaped optical fiber with the embedded detection end structure is sheathed in the fiber optic sleeve 1-3, the fiber optic sleeve 1-3 at both ends of the U-shaped fiber and the fiber coupler 1 -4 is connected, and the other end of the fiber coupler 1-4 is connected with the transmission fiber 1-5. The fluorescent material 2-2 is an inorganic fluorescent scintillation material or an organic fluorescent scintillation material. The ray 4-1 is a high-energy ray, which is irradiated on the fluorescent carrying area of the U-shaped optical fiber with special structure with fluorescent material.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe of the present invention includes two parts: a signal detection end and a signal coupling end. The signal detection end is composed of an optical fiber segment 1-1 filled with fluorescent material, and is connected to the signal coupling end through the optical fibers at both ends. The signal coupling end consists of an optical fiber coupler, and the coupler connects the two ends of the optical fiber and the signal output optical fiber.

The optical fiber at the signal detection end of the present invention can be processed into a U shape. A suitable amount of fluorescent material is embedded at the bottom end of the U-shape to receive the high-energy rays to be measured. The fiber is wrapped with a coating layer, which can be penetrated by the high-energy rays and isolate external stray light. The fiber at the signal detection end passes through the fiber optic sleeve. 1-3 is fixed with the optical fiber coupler 1-4 and protects the optical fiber, in addition, the fixed ring 1-2 fixes the relative spatial position of the optical fiber at the signal detection end. The fluorescent signal is transmitted from the position of the fluorescent material to the two ends of the optical fiber, the two ends of the optical fiber are connected to the optical fiber coupler, and the other end of the optical fiber coupler is connected to the signal output fiber, so that the excited fluorescent signal is transmitted from the signal output fiber to the detector.

The signal detection end of the present invention can be made into two structures. Figure 2 shows the structure of the signal detection end of the embedded U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe, and Figure 3 shows the surface-coated U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation The structure of the signal detection end of the sensing probe.

Embedded solution: Process a section of optical fiber into a U shape, cut a groove at the bottom of the U shape, that is, fiber 1-1 at the signal detection end, fill in fluorescent material 2-2 and fill the gap. Surface coating solution: a section of optical fiber is processed into a U shape, and a layer of fluorescent material 3-2 is wrapped around the bottom of the U shape, that is, the fiber at the signal detection end; the U-shaped fiber of the embedded solution is wrapped with a coating layer 2-1, Wrap the U-shaped optical fiber of the surface coating scheme with the coating layer 3-1, install the fixing ring 1-2, and finally insert the 1-3 as a whole to form the signal detection end, and the other end of the fiber coupler 1-4 is connected to the signal The output optical fibers 1-5 together form the signal coupling end; Figure 4 shows a measurement system diagram with a U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe. The ray 4-1 illuminates the signal detection end fiber, and the U-shaped fiber The end is connected with the optical fiber coupler to form the U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe 4-2; the U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe is connected with the detector 4-3 through the signal output fiber, and the detector is connected with the computer 4-3 through the data transmission line. 4 are connected. When the radiation shines on the position of the fluorescent material, the optical fiber conducts the fluorescence to both ends, and the optical fiber coupler couples the fluorescent signals at both ends of the optical fiber to one optical fiber. Therefore, compared with the probe with a single fiber end face embedded or wrapped with fluorescent material, the new U-shaped bidirectional fiber optic fluorescence probe has higher fluorescence signal intensity, better stability and stronger anti-interference ability, which reduces the requirements for signal detection devices.

The system with U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe can be applied to various fields. In the field of radiotherapy, the detector can be a photometric module, and the probe can replace detectors such as an ionization chamber. Multiple probes are placed in solid water to make a morning detector for detecting the dose inside and outside the field, and for the daily quality of the radiotherapy instrument. Guaranteed; in the field of astronomy, the detector can be an astronomical CCD imaging system, which converts high-energy cosmic rays into image information by multiple probe arrays, and judges the size and distribution of rays by reading the image information; in the field of nuclear power, multiple probes It is arranged in various environments where radiation needs to be monitored, and all optical fibers are converged to the detector end, and the radiation intensity information of various environments can be learned in real time by connecting the detector to the computer. In dealing with nuclear leakage and nuclear pollution, a robot can be used to transport the probe to a designated area for detection, and the other end of the optical fiber is connected to the detector to connect to the computer, which can prevent personnel from entering the dangerous area, and the relevant personnel only need to operate the computer outside the area. Realize radiation detection in nuclear leakage area.

Claims (1)

1. A U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe is characterized in that the sensing probe consists of a signal detection end and a signal coupling end, and specifically comprises a U-shaped optical fiber with a fluorescent material and an embedded detection end structure or a U-shaped optical fiber (1-1) with a coating detection end structure, a fixing ring (1-2), an optical fiber sleeve (1-3), an optical fiber coupler (1-4), an output optical fiber (1-5) and a detector; the U-shaped optical fiber is a U-shaped optical fiber with a fluorescent material and adopting an embedded detection end structure or a U-shaped optical fiber with a coating detection end structure, the U-shaped optical fiber with the fluorescent material and adopting the embedded detection end structure or the U-shaped optical fiber (1-1) with the coating detection end structure is connected with a fixing ring (1-2) to form a signal detection end, an optical fiber coupler is connected with an output optical fiber to form a signal coupling end, and the signal detection end and the signal coupling end jointly form a U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescent radiation sensing probe (4-2); the ray (4-1) irradiates on the optical fiber at the signal detection end, the U-shaped bidirectional optical fiber fluorescence radiation sensing probe (4-2) is connected with the detector (4-3) through the signal output optical fiber, and the detector is connected with the computer (4-4) through the data transmission line;

the U-shaped optical fiber with the embedded detection end structure specifically comprises:

the embedded detection end structure is positioned in the middle section of the bottom of the U-shaped optical fiber, a naked optical fiber with a coating layer and a cladding removed in the middle section of the detection end of the bottom of the U-shaped optical fiber is provided with a cut groove (2-2), and the groove (2-2) is filled with a fluorescent material and is used for filling gaps; the middle section bare fiber (2-1) is wrapped with a coating layer, and two ends of the middle section bare fiber are provided with fixing rings (1-2);

the U-shaped optical fiber with the coating type detection end structure specifically comprises:

the coating type detection end structure is positioned in the middle section of the bottom of the U-shaped optical fiber, a layer of fluorescent material (3-2) is wrapped outside the bare fiber with the coating layer and the cladding removed from the middle section of the detection end of the bottom of the U-shaped optical fiber, the coating layer is wrapped outside the bare fiber (3-1) in the middle section, and fixing rings (1-2) are installed at two ends of the bare fiber;

the U-shaped optical fiber with the coating type detection end structure or the U-shaped optical fiber with the embedded type detection end structure is sleeved in an optical fiber sleeve (1-3), the optical fiber sleeves (1-3) at two ends of the U-shaped optical fiber are connected with an optical fiber coupler (1-4), and the other end of the optical fiber coupler (1-4) is connected with an output optical fiber (1-5);

the fluorescent material (3-2) is an inorganic fluorescent scintillating material or an organic fluorescent scintillating material;

the ray (4-1) is high-energy ray and irradiates on a fluorescence carrying region of the U-shaped optical fiber with the fluorescent material and the embedded detection end structure or the U-shaped optical fiber with the coating detection end structure.

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