Distributed optical chemical sensor

• US 9,507,081 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2015
• Issued: 11/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Original Assignee: Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-Natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno
• Inventors: Boersma, Arjen, Panken, Theodorus Henricus Cornelus, Cheng, Lun Kai
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Tina
• Application Number:
  US14/750,898
• Publication Number:
  US 20150330814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/268 using optical fibres G01D5/28 - G01D5/38 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01D 5/35316 using a Bragg gratings
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/7723 Swelling part, also for adsorption sensor, i.e. without chemical reaction
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/774 the reagent being on a grating or periodic structure
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02 Optical fibres with cladding with or without a coating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02104 characterised by the coating external to the cladding, e.g. coating influences grating properties
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0229 characterised by nanostructures, i.e. structures of size less than 100 nm, e.g. quantum dots

Abstract

The invention relates to a sensor system comprising a waveguide, which waveguide comprises a grating in at least a part of the waveguide, which waveguide further comprises a coating, the coating comprising a polymer, which polymer comprises a chain, in which chain are present an aromatic group and a chemical group selected from the group of sulfonyl groups, carbonyl groups, carbonate groups, fluorocarbon groups, siloxane groups, pyridine groups and amide groups.

Claims

1. A sensor system comprising a waveguide, which waveguide comprises a core and a cladding at least partially covering the core, wherein, in a cross-sectional plane that is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the waveguide, the thickness of the cladding in a first radial direction in said plane is different from the thickness of the cladding in a second radial direction in said plane, the waveguide further comprising a coating sensitive to a change in an environmental effect, which comprises a polymer, which polymer comprises a chain, in which chain are present an aromatic group and a chemical group selected from the group of sulfonyl groups, carbonyl groups, carbonate groups, siloxane groups, pyridine groups, organofluorine groups and amide groups or a different coating sensitive to a change in an environmental effect.

2. A sensor system according to claim 1, comprising a source for providing a first beam of polarized electromagnetic radiation having a plane of polarization perpendicular to said first radial direction, and a second beam of polarized electromagnetic radiation, having a plane of polarization perpendicular to said second radial direction.