Fiber Sensor

• US 20140212084A1
• Filed: 09/24/2013
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, FLIR Systems, Inc. (Teledyne Technologies Incorporated)
• Inventors: Fink, Yoel, Rose, Aimee, Gumennik, Alexander, Stolyarov, Alexander Mark, Schell, Brent Richard, Hou, Chong, Lestoquoy, Guillaume Romain, Sorin, Fabien, McDaniel, William Richard II, Joannopoulos, John Dimitris
• Granted Patent: US 10,338,000 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 385/12
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00721 involving preforms for the manufacture of light guides
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2201/86 Chalcogenide glasses, i.e. S, Se or Te glasses
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7753 Reagent layer on photoelectrical transducer
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7786 Fluorescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/76 Chemiluminescence; Bioluminescence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/7703 using reagent-clad optical fibres or optical waveguides using measurement of total internal reflection or attenuated total reflection G01N21/552; optical fibres or waveguides per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/84 Systems specially adapted for particular applications
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02314 Plurality of longitudinal structures extending along optical fibre axis, e.g. holes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4283 with electrical insulation means
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4291 by accessing the evanescent field of the light guide

Abstract

There is provided a sensor fiber including an electrically insulating material having a fiber length. At least one transduction element is disposed along at least a portion of the fiber length and is arranged for exposure to an intake species. A photoconducting element is in optical communication with the transduction element. At least one pair of electrically conducting electrodes are in electrical connection with the photoconducting element. The pair of electrodes extend the fiber length.

Claims

1. A sensor fiber comprising:

an electrically insulating material having a fiber length;

at least one transduction element disposed along at least a portion of the fiber length and arranged for exposure to an intake species;

a photoconducting element in optical communication with the transduction element; and

at least one pair of electrically conducting electrodes in electrical connection with the photoconducting element, the pair of electrodes extending the fiber length.

2. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the transduction element extends the fiber length.

3. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the transduction element is disposed at an end of the fiber.

4. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the transduction element comprises a plurality of transduction elements, each transduction element in the plurality disposed at a different site along the fiber length.

5. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the transduction element comprises a layer of material.

6. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the transduction element comprises a layer of material that is disposed on an internal wall of the sensor fiber.

7. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the transduction element comprises a material that emits light upon exposure to an intake species.

8. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the transduction element comprises a plurality of transduction elements, each transduction element in the plurality emitting light upon exposure to a different intake species.

9. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the transduction element comprises a material that chemically reacts with an intake species.

10. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the transduction element comprises a chemiluminescent material.

11. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the transduction element comprises a luminescent material.

12. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the transduction element comprises a material that emits light upon exposure to peroxide vapor.

13. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the transduction element comprises a material that emits light upon exposure to 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene.

14. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the transduction element comprises a material that emits light upon exposure to an explosive species.

15. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the transduction element comprises a material that scintillates upon exposure to a radioactive species.

16. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the transduction element comprises a material selected from the group consisting of fluorescein and naphthofluorescein.

17. The sensor fiber of claim 1 further comprising at least one intake microcapillary extending the fiber length for intake of species to be sensed, and wherein the transduction element is in communication with a microcapillary for exposure of the transduction element to an intake species.

18. The sensor fiber of claim 17 wherein the intake microcapillary comprises a plurality of spaced-apart intake microcapillaries.

19. The sensor fiber of claim 17 wherein the intake microcapillary comprises a hollow fiber core.

20. The sensor fiber of claim 17 wherein the intake microcapillary is generally circular.

21. The sensor fiber of claim 17 wherein the intake microcapillary is generally rectangular.

22. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the electrically insulating material comprises a circumferential fiber layer disposed at an outer surface of the fiber.

23. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the electrically insulating material is substantially transparent to a wavelength of light that is generated by the transduction element.

24. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the electrically insulating material comprises a circumferential fiber layer that is disposed at an outer surface of the fiber and that includes at least one intake aperture.

25. The sensor fiber of claim 24 further comprising at least one microcapillary extending the fiber length and in fluidic communication with at least one intake aperture, the microcapillary in communication with a transduction element for exposure of the transduction element to an intake species.

26. The sensor fiber of claim 24 wherein a transduction element is disposed in the fiber at a site adjacent to an intake aperture.

27. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the photoconducting element comprises a semiconducting material.

28. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the photoconducting element comprises a chalcogenide glass.

29. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the photoconducting element comprises a chalcogenide glass selected from the group consisting of Se₉₇S₃, As₂₄S₃₈Se₃₈, and As₃₀Se₆₃Sb₄Sn₃.

30. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the photoconducting element comprises a photoconducting material layer extending the fiber length.

31. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the photoconducting element comprises a photoconducting material layer extending the fiber length and including portions of photoconducting material that are crystalline, separated by portions of photoconducting material that are amorphous.

32. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the photoconducting element comprises a semiconducting material having a bandgap energy that is less than about 3 eV.

33. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the photoconducting element comprises a semiconducting layer disposed circumferentially in the fiber, along the fiber length.

34. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the photoconducting element comprises a material layer disposed in the fiber adjacent to the transduction element.

35. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the photoconducting element comprises a plurality of different photoconducting materials, each photoconducting material being sensitive to a different wavelength of light.

36. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the electrodes comprise a material selected from the group of metals and metal alloys.

37. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the electrodes are connected in a photodetector circuit that includes a voltage source connected to apply a bias voltage to the photoconducting element.

38. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the electrodes are connected to deliver an electrical signal from the sensor fiber to an output circuit that includes a current measurement element to measure an indication of photogenerated charge produced by the photoconducting element.

39. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein the electrodes are connected to deliver an electrical signal from the sensor fiber to an output circuit that produces an electrical indication of exposure of the transduction element to an intake species.

40. The sensor fiber of claim 1 wherein each electrode is geometrically confined by the insulating material.

41. A sensor fiber grid comprising:

a plurality of rows of sensor fibers;

a plurality of columns of sensor fibers;

wherein each sensor fiber in the fiber grid includes an electrically insulating material having a fiber length, at least one transduction element disposed along at least a portion of the fiber length and arranged for exposure to an intake species, a photoconducting element in optical communication with the transduction element; and

at least one pair of electrically conducting electrodes in electrical connection with the photoconducting element, the pair of electrodes extending the fiber length;

wherein the electrodes in each sensor fiber in the sensor fiber grid are connected to deliver an electrical signal from that sensor fiber to an output circuit.

42. A sensor fiber fabric comprising:

a plurality of sensor fibers woven together;

wherein each sensor fiber in the sensor fiber fabric includes an electrically insulating material having a fiber length, at least one transduction element disposed along at least a portion of the fiber length and arranged for exposure to an intake species, a photoconducting element in optical communication with the transduction element; and

at least one pair of electrically conducting electrodes in electrical connection with the photoconducting element, the pair of electrodes extending the fiber length; and

wherein the electrodes in each sensor fiber are connected to deliver an electrical signal from that sensor fiber to an output circuit.

43. A sensor fiber comprising:

an electrically insulating material having a fiber length;

at least one transduction element disposed along at least a portion of the fiber length and arranged for exposure to an intake species;

a photoconducting element in optical communication with the transduction element; and

at least one pair of electrically conducting electrodes in electrical connection with the photoconducting element, the pair of electrodes extending the fiber length;

wherein the photoconducting element, the electrodes, and the insulating material are disposed in a geometric relationship corresponding to a drawing preform of the sensor fiber.

44. The sensor fiber of claim 43 wherein the transduction element, the photoconducting element, the electrodes, and the insulating material are disposed in a geometric relationship corresponding to a drawing preform of the fiber.