Thermal sensing fiber devices

• US 7,805,029 B2
• Filed: 03/05/2009
• Issued: 09/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Abouraddy, Ayman F., Bayindir, Mehmet, Sorin, Fabien, Arnold, Jeremy R., Joannopoulos, John D, Shapira, Ofer, Fink, Yoel
• Primary Examiner(s): Peace; Rhonda S
• Application Number:
  US12/380,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20090169158A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 385/100, 385/101, 385/104, 385/105, 385/12, 385/13
• US Class Current: 385/12
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00663 Production of light guides
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 2201/86 Chalcogenide glasses, i.e. S, Se or Te glasses
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 37/01222 for making preforms of multiple core optical fibres preforms of multifibres C03B37/01214
• CPC Class Codes: C03B 37/026 Drawing fibres reinforced with a metal wire or with other non-glass material
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 13/00 Fibre or filament compositions manufacture of fibres or filaments C03B37/00
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 13/003 Conducting or semi-conducting fibres
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 13/043 Chalcogenide glass compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/54 Combinations of one or more coatings containing organic materials only with one or more coatings containing inorganic materials only
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02 Optical fibres with cladding with or without a coating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02304 Core having lower refractive index than cladding, e.g. air filled, hollow core
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02328 Hollow or gas filled core
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02361 Longitudinal structures forming multiple layers around the core, e.g. arranged in multiple rings with each ring having longitudinal elements at substantially the same radial distance from the core, having rotational symmetry about the fibre axis
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02366 Single ring of structures, e.g. "air clad"
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/02371 Cross section of longitudinal structures is non-circular
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/09 Devices sensitive to infrared, visible or ultraviolet radiation H01L31/101 takes precedence

Abstract

There is provided a feedback-controlled self-heat-monitoring fiber, including an insulator having a fiber length with at least one metal-semiconductor-metal thermal sensing element along the fiber length and disposed at a position in a cross section of the fiber for sensing changes in fiber temperature. An electronic circuit is connected to the thermal sensing element for indicating changes in fiber temperature. A controller is connected for controlling optical transmission through an optical transmission element, that is disposed along the fiber length, in response to indications of changes in fiber temperature.

Claims

1. A feedback-controlled self-heat-monitoring fiber comprising:

an insulator having a fiber length;

at least one metal-semiconductor-metal thermal sensing element along the fiber length and disposed at a position in a cross section of the fiber for sensing changes in fiber temperature;

an optical transmission element disposed along the fiber length;

an electronic circuit connected to the thermal sensing element for indicating a change in fiber temperature; and

a controller for controlling optical transmission through the optical transmission element in response to an indication of change in fiber temperature.

2. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the controller is connected to an optical input source for controlling optical transmission input to the optical transmission element.

3. The fiber of claim 2 wherein the controller is connected to the optical input source to control power input to the optical transmission element.

4. The fiber of claim 2 wherein the optical input source comprises a laser.

5. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the wherein the semiconductor comprises a semiconducting chalcogenide glass.

6. The fiber of claim 5 wherein the chalcogenide glass comprises Ge_xAs_40-xSe_yTe_60-y, where 10<

x<

20 and 10<

y<

15.

7. The fiber of claim 5 wherein the chalcogenide glass comprises Ge₁₇As₂₃Se₁₄Te₄₆.

8. The fiber of claim 1 wherein the semiconductor is characterized by a band gap energy corresponding to a selected operational temperature range for the fiber in which there is produced a change in thermally-excited electronic charge carrier population in the semiconductor in response to a temperature change in the selected temperature range.

9. The fiber of claim 8 wherein the semiconductor band gap energy is on the order of k_B T₀, where k_B is Boltzmann constant and T₀ is a reference temperature of about 37°

C.

10. The fiber of claim 1 wherein optical transmission element comprises a photonic bandgap waveguide.

11. A method for controlling optical fiber transmission comprising:

inputting an optical signal to an optical transmission element of a fiber having a fiber length;

generating in an electronic circuit an indication of fiber temperature based on an electrical signal produced by a metal-semiconductor-metal thermal sensing device that is disposed along the fiber length, as the optical signal is transmitted along the fiber length; and

controlling input of the optical signal based on the indication of fiber temperature.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the optical signal comprises a laser signal.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the optical signal comprises an infrared signal.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the optical signal comprises a visible-wavelength signal.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein controlling input of the optical signal comprises controlling power of the input optical signal.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein controlling power of the input optical signal comprises reducing power of the input signal.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein controlling power of the input optical signal comprises terminating input of the input signal.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein controlling power of the input optical signal comprises maintaining power of the input signal.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein controlling input of the optical signal is carried out as an optical signal is transmitted along the fiber length during a surgical procedure employing the fiber.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the surgical procedure comprises endoscopic surgery.