Optical interrogation system and sensor system
First Claim
1. An optical interrogation system comprising:
- an optical source operable to generate optical pulses, to be coupled into one end of an optical waveguide, the waveguide being optically coupled at its other end to one or more reflective optical elements to be interrogated;
optical amplifying and gating means to be optically coupled to the waveguide and being operable to selectively transmit an optical pulse returned from a reflective optical element under interrogation, and being further operable to optically amplify an optical signal transmitted therethrough; and
optical detection means optically coupled to the optical amplifying and gating means, and being operable to detect a returned optical pulse transmitted by the optical amplifying and gating means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An optical interrogation system 10 includes optical amplifying and gating apparatus, in the form of a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA) 14 and an optical source 12, 14. Drive apparatus 22 (an electrical pulse generator driven by a variable frequency oscillator) is provided to generate electrical drive pulses (see inset (a)) which are applied to the SOA 14, to cause the SOA 14 to switch on and off. The optical source comprises a super-luminescent diode (SLD) 12, the CW output from which is gated into optical pulses by the SOA 14. The SOA 14 is optically coupled to the waveguide 16 containing an array of reflective optical elements (gratings G) to be interrogated. The interrogation system further includes an optical detector 18, optically coupled to the SOA 14, operable to evaluate the wavelength of a returned optical pulse transmitted by the SOA 14.
58 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An optical interrogation system comprising:
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an optical source operable to generate optical pulses, to be coupled into one end of an optical waveguide, the waveguide being optically coupled at its other end to one or more reflective optical elements to be interrogated;
optical amplifying and gating means to be optically coupled to the waveguide and being operable to selectively transmit an optical pulse returned from a reflective optical element under interrogation, and being further operable to optically amplify an optical signal transmitted therethrough; and
optical detection means optically coupled to the optical amplifying and gating means, and being operable to detect a returned optical pulse transmitted by the optical amplifying and gating means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification