GB2210685A - Sensor - Google Patents
Sensor Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- GB2210685A GB2210685A GB8823127A GB8823127A GB2210685A GB 2210685 A GB2210685 A GB 2210685A GB 8823127 A GB8823127 A GB 8823127A GB 8823127 A GB8823127 A GB 8823127A GB 2210685 A GB2210685 A GB 2210685A
- Authority
- GB
- United Kingdom
- Prior art keywords
- fibre
- sensor
- light
- detected
- shaped
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Withdrawn
Links
- 239000000835 fiber Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 56
- 239000013307 optical fiber Substances 0.000 claims abstract description 11
- 230000005684 electric field Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 10
- 238000005253 cladding Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 7
- 230000003993 interaction Effects 0.000 claims abstract description 4
- 238000000253 optical time-domain reflectometry Methods 0.000 claims abstract description 3
- 238000010521 absorption reaction Methods 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000000717 retained effect Effects 0.000 claims description 4
- 239000000126 substance Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 claims description 3
- 229920002379 silicone rubber Polymers 0.000 claims description 2
- VNWKTOKETHGBQD-UHFFFAOYSA-N methane Chemical compound C VNWKTOKETHGBQD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 abstract description 6
- 238000001514 detection method Methods 0.000 description 3
- 238000007493 shaping process Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000006096 absorbing agent Substances 0.000 description 1
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 239000013626 chemical specie Substances 0.000 description 1
- 230000003247 decreasing effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000007788 liquid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
- G01N21/62—Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light
- G01N21/63—Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light optically excited
- G01N21/64—Fluorescence; Phosphorescence
- G01N21/645—Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters
- G01N21/648—Specially adapted constructive features of fluorimeters using evanescent coupling or surface plasmon coupling for the excitation of fluorescence
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
- G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
- G01N21/25—Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands
- G01N21/255—Details, e.g. use of specially adapted sources, lighting or optical systems
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
- G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
- G01N21/55—Specular reflectivity
- G01N21/552—Attenuated total reflection
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
- G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
- G01N21/41—Refractivity; Phase-affecting properties, e.g. optical path length
- G01N21/43—Refractivity; Phase-affecting properties, e.g. optical path length by measuring critical angle
- G01N21/431—Dip refractometers, e.g. using optical fibres
- G01N2021/432—Dip refractometers, e.g. using optical fibres comprising optical fibres
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
- G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
- G01N21/47—Scattering, i.e. diffuse reflection
- G01N2021/4704—Angular selective
- G01N2021/4709—Backscatter
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
- G01N21/62—Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light
- G01N21/63—Systems in which the material investigated is excited whereby it emits light or causes a change in wavelength of the incident light optically excited
- G01N21/64—Fluorescence; Phosphorescence
- G01N21/6428—Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes"
- G01N2021/6439—Measuring fluorescence of fluorescent products of reactions or of fluorochrome labelled reactive substances, e.g. measuring quenching effects, using measuring "optrodes" with indicators, stains, dyes, tags, labels, marks
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N21/00—Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light
- G01N21/17—Systems in which incident light is modified in accordance with the properties of the material investigated
- G01N21/25—Colour; Spectral properties, i.e. comparison of effect of material on the light at two or more different wavelengths or wavelength bands
- G01N21/31—Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry
- G01N21/35—Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry using infrared light
- G01N21/3504—Investigating relative effect of material at wavelengths characteristic of specific elements or molecules, e.g. atomic absorption spectrometry using infrared light for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G01—MEASURING; TESTING
- G01N—INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
- G01N2201/00—Features of devices classified in G01N21/00
- G01N2201/08—Optical fibres; light guides
- G01N2201/084—Fibres for remote transmission
Landscapes
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Biochemistry (AREA)
- Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
- Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
- Analytical Chemistry (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Immunology (AREA)
- Pathology (AREA)
- Spectroscopy & Molecular Physics (AREA)
- Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
- Examining Or Testing Airtightness (AREA)
- Investigating, Analyzing Materials By Fluorescence Or Luminescence (AREA)
- Investigating Or Analysing Materials By The Use Of Chemical Reactions (AREA)
Abstract
A sensor includes an optical fibre, having a core and a cladding, said optical fibre having a portion so shaped that light can leak from the core in the vicinity of the portion such that the electrical field associated with the light can interact with an environment in communication with the fibre. Means are provided for detecting a change in the intensity of light in the fibre. The portion may be shaped by providing a bend in the fibre. The sensor may be used to detect a species in the environment which gives rise to a change in the intensity of light in the fibre (e.g. methane). The intensity of the detected light may decrease or increase in response to the interaction with the environment. The electrical field may be used to excite fluorescence from an indicator species in the presence of the species to be detected, the fluorescence being detected using the same or a different fibre. Refractive index changes may be used to detect a species, as may backscattered light. The fibre may run through a plurality of sensing positions in a system using optical time domain reflectometry.
Description
Sensor
The present invention relates to sensors.
According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a sensor which includes an optical fibre, having a core and cladding, said optical fibre having a portion so shaped that light can leak from the core in the vicinity of the portion such that electrical field associated with the light can interact with an environment in communication with the fibre, and means for detecting a change in the intensity of light in the fibre.
sd
The portion may be shaped by providing a bend or bends in the fibre. For example, the fibre may be wound around a cylindrical former. The former may be for example, a cylindrical mandrel having a spiral groove; the fibre may thus be wound onto the mandrel and held in place by clips.
By way of further example, a portion of the fibre may be clamped in a former; thus a portion of the fibre may be fitted and retained (e.g. by means of a suitable lid) in a zig-zag groove provided in a block of material; preferably the block of material is permeable to facilitate communication between the environment and the shaped portion of the fibre.
Where, by way of example, communication with the environment results in leakage from the fibre (e.g. where energy is absorbed by a species to be detected (e.g. a chemical species such as methane) in the environment) the means for detecting a change in the intensity of light in the fibre may be means for detecting a decrease in intensity in the fibre.
It will be appreciated that, by way of further example, where interaction with the environment results in an increase in intensity in the fibre, the means for detecting a change in the intensity of light in the fibre may be means for detecting an increase in intensity of light in the fibre.
It will be appreciated that the light used in the fibre need not necessarily be in the visible range and thus, for example, light in the infrared or in the ultraviolet region may be used.
It will be further appreciated that the electrical field associated with light may be referred to as the "evanescant field". Also it will be appreciated that presence of light in the cladding may be referred to as operation with a "cladding mode".
The electrical field associated with the light can interact with species within the environment, for example, by using light of a wavelength such that the species in the environment to be detected acts as an absorber such that the intensity of light in the fibre is decreased. Thus, for example, in the case of methane, light of wavelengths of about 1.33 or 1.6 micrometres may be used.
By way of further example, the portion of the fibre may be encased in a substance (e.g. silicon rubber) whose refractive index or absorption properties change upon interaction with a species to be detected.
The electrical field in the region of the portion may, by way of further example, be used to excite fluorescence from an indicator species in the presence of a species to be detected and the fluorescent light thus produced may be coupled into the fibre or detected in another way, for example by use of an adjacent fibre. In this way it is possible to arrange for detection of substances such as oxygen.
A sensor in accordance with the present invention may be used, for example, in the detection of species in a gaseous environment or in the detection of species in a liquid environment.
In one embodiment the fibre may run from a source to a detector through positions where sensing is required.
In another embodiment the arrangement may be such that light travels down a fibre and light backscattered back along the fibre may be detected.
In accordance with the-present invention it is possible, by way of example, to provide a surveillence system for remote sensing by running an optical fibre through areas where sensing is to be carried out and shaping the fibre at positions where it is desired to detect species. Thus, for example, the fibre may be wound onto a former and held in place by clips or retained in a block, as hereinbefore disclosed, in a position or positions at which it is desired to carry out sensing.
The shaping may be removed from a particular position on the fibre and applied to another position of the fibre as desired. For example, a former or block as hereinbefore described may be positioned as desired.
Where the fibre is shaped at a number of positions the sensor may be used as a distributed sensor.
Position location of a shaped portion of a fibre may be effected, for example when a number of shaped positions are provided at various positions along a fibre, by any suitable timing technique an example of which is optical time domain reflectometry using pulses of light.
It will be appreciated that the intensity of light in the fibre may be affected by, for example, the refractive index or absorption properties of the environment.
One example of means for detecting a change in the intensity of light in the fibre is differential absorption.
According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a method for sensing a species in an environment which comprises positioning a shaped portion of an optical fibre in a position where sensing is to be effected, said optical fibre having a core and cladding and said shaped portion being so shaped that light can leak from the core in the vicinity of the portion such that electrical field associated with the light can interact with an environment in communication with the fibre, and measuring a change of intensity of light in the fibre.
Claims (19)
1. A sensor which includes an optical fibre, having a core and cladding, said optical fibre having a portion so shaped that light can leak from the core in the vicinity of the portion such that electrical field associated with the light can interact with an environment in communication with the fibre, and means for detecting a change in the intensity of light in the fibre.
2. A sensor as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the portion is shaped by providing a bend in the fibre.
3. A sensor as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein the fibre is wound around a cylindrical former.
4. A sensor as claimed in Claim 3 wherein the former is a cylindrical mandrel having a spiral groove.
5. A sensor as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein a portion of the fibre is clamped in a former.
6. A sensor as claimed Claim 5 wherein the portion is retained in a zig-zag groove in a block of material.
7. A sensor as claimed in Claim 6 wherein the portion is retained by means of a lid.
8. A sensor as Claimed in Claim 6 or Claim 7 wherein the block of material is permeable to facilitate communication between the environment and the shaped portion of the fibre.
9. A sensor as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the portion of the fibre is encased in a substance whose refractive index or absorption properties change upon interaction with a species to be detected.
10. A sensor as claimed in Claim 9 wherein the substance is silicon rubber.
11. A sensor as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the arrangement is such that electrical field in the region of the portion may be used to excite fluorescence from an indicator species in the presence of the species to be detected and fluorescent light thus produced is detected.
12. A sensor as claimed in, Claim 11 wherein the arrangement is such that the fluorescent light may be detected by being coupled into the fibre.
13. A sensor as claimed in Claim 11 wherein the arrangemenmt is such that the fluorescent light may be detected by use of a second, adjacent fibre.
14. A sensor as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the fibre runs from a source to a detector through a position or positions where sensing is required.
15. A sensor as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the arrangement is such that light may travel down the fibre and light backscattered back along the fibre may be detected.
16. A sensor as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the fibre is shaped at a number of positions such that the sensor may be used as a distributed sensor.
17. A sensor as claimed in any one of the preceding
Claims wherein the position location of a shaped portion of a fibre may be effected by optical time domain reflectometry using pulses of light.
18. A sensor as claimed in Claim 1 wherein the means of detecting a change in intensity of light in the fibre is differential absorption.
19. A method for sensing a species in an environment which comprises positioning a shaped portion of an optical fibre in a position where sensing is to be effected, said optical fibre having a core and cladding and said shaped portion being so shaped that light can leak from the core in the vicinity of the portion such that electrical field associated with the light can interact with an environment in communication with the fibre, and measuring a change of intensity of light in the fibre.
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB878723359A GB8723359D0 (en) | 1987-10-05 | 1987-10-05 | Sensor |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| GB8823127D0 GB8823127D0 (en) | 1988-11-09 |
| GB2210685A true GB2210685A (en) | 1989-06-14 |
Family
ID=10624815
Family Applications (2)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB878723359A Pending GB8723359D0 (en) | 1987-10-05 | 1987-10-05 | Sensor |
| GB8823127A Withdrawn GB2210685A (en) | 1987-10-05 | 1988-10-03 | Sensor |
Family Applications Before (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB878723359A Pending GB8723359D0 (en) | 1987-10-05 | 1987-10-05 | Sensor |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| GB (2) | GB8723359D0 (en) |
Cited By (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2218511A (en) * | 1988-05-09 | 1989-11-15 | Zeiss Jena Veb Carl | Apparatus for the automatic photometric analysis of small specimens |
| GB2228082A (en) * | 1989-01-13 | 1990-08-15 | Marconi Gec Ltd | Gas or liquid chemical sensor |
| US5067786A (en) * | 1989-12-21 | 1991-11-26 | Bicc Public Limited Company | Optical fibre monitoring |
| WO1997020200A1 (en) * | 1995-11-29 | 1997-06-05 | British Telecommunications Public Limited Company | Sensor arrangement |
| EP0794425A1 (en) * | 1996-03-08 | 1997-09-10 | Siemens-Elema AB | Gas sensor |
| GB2377492A (en) * | 2001-07-14 | 2003-01-15 | Marconi Applied Techn Ltd | Detecting analytes |
| WO2011027016A1 (en) * | 2009-09-07 | 2011-03-10 | Universidad Pública de Navarra | Coated fibre optic sensors based on near cutoff lossy mode resonance |
Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4240747A (en) * | 1979-10-03 | 1980-12-23 | Battelle Memorial Institute | Refractive-index responsive light-signal system |
| US4321057A (en) * | 1979-09-20 | 1982-03-23 | Buckles Richard G | Method for quantitative analysis using optical fibers |
| GB2180338A (en) * | 1985-09-09 | 1987-03-25 | Ord Inc | Fluorescence immunoassay |
| GB2198844A (en) * | 1986-07-17 | 1988-06-22 | Atomic Energy Authority Uk | Gas sensor |
| GB2200204A (en) * | 1987-01-17 | 1988-07-27 | Gen Electric Co Plc | Temperature sensing apparatus |
| GB2201511A (en) * | 1987-02-26 | 1988-09-01 | Bicc Plc | Optical sensors |
-
1987
- 1987-10-05 GB GB878723359A patent/GB8723359D0/en active Pending
-
1988
- 1988-10-03 GB GB8823127A patent/GB2210685A/en not_active Withdrawn
Patent Citations (6)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US4321057A (en) * | 1979-09-20 | 1982-03-23 | Buckles Richard G | Method for quantitative analysis using optical fibers |
| US4240747A (en) * | 1979-10-03 | 1980-12-23 | Battelle Memorial Institute | Refractive-index responsive light-signal system |
| GB2180338A (en) * | 1985-09-09 | 1987-03-25 | Ord Inc | Fluorescence immunoassay |
| GB2198844A (en) * | 1986-07-17 | 1988-06-22 | Atomic Energy Authority Uk | Gas sensor |
| GB2200204A (en) * | 1987-01-17 | 1988-07-27 | Gen Electric Co Plc | Temperature sensing apparatus |
| GB2201511A (en) * | 1987-02-26 | 1988-09-01 | Bicc Plc | Optical sensors |
Cited By (10)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GB2218511A (en) * | 1988-05-09 | 1989-11-15 | Zeiss Jena Veb Carl | Apparatus for the automatic photometric analysis of small specimens |
| GB2218511B (en) * | 1988-05-09 | 1992-12-02 | Zeiss Jena Veb Carl | Apparatus for the automatic photometric analysis of small quantities of a specimen |
| GB2228082A (en) * | 1989-01-13 | 1990-08-15 | Marconi Gec Ltd | Gas or liquid chemical sensor |
| US5067786A (en) * | 1989-12-21 | 1991-11-26 | Bicc Public Limited Company | Optical fibre monitoring |
| WO1997020200A1 (en) * | 1995-11-29 | 1997-06-05 | British Telecommunications Public Limited Company | Sensor arrangement |
| US5903685A (en) * | 1995-11-29 | 1999-05-11 | British Telecommunications Public Limited Company | Sensor arrangement |
| EP0794425A1 (en) * | 1996-03-08 | 1997-09-10 | Siemens-Elema AB | Gas sensor |
| GB2377492A (en) * | 2001-07-14 | 2003-01-15 | Marconi Applied Techn Ltd | Detecting analytes |
| WO2011027016A1 (en) * | 2009-09-07 | 2011-03-10 | Universidad Pública de Navarra | Coated fibre optic sensors based on near cutoff lossy mode resonance |
| ES2363285A1 (en) * | 2009-09-07 | 2011-07-28 | Universidad Publica De Navarra | COATED OPTICAL FIBER SENSORS BASED ON RESONANCE ORIGINATED BY MODES WITH LOSSES NEAR THE CUTTING CONDITION. |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| GB8723359D0 (en) | 1987-11-11 |
| GB8823127D0 (en) | 1988-11-09 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| WAP | Application withdrawn, taken to be withdrawn or refused ** after publication under section 16(1) |