A method and device for manufacturing a temperature-measuring fluorescent optical fiber probe

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method and device for making a temperature-measuring fluorescent fiber optic probe, which solves the problems of the existing method of mixing fluorescent powder with colloid and then gluing it to the end face of the optical fiber, such as the difficulty in controlling the ratio of the glue powder and the fluorescent powder, the easy shedding of the fluorescent powder colloid when used for high-temperature measurement, the inability to standardize manual coating, low efficiency, and the failure to meet the requirements of the medical field for fast temperature change response time. The basic implementation principle of the present invention is as follows: 1. Prepare a needle made of high-temperature resistant metal material and inject fluorescent powder into the needle; 2. Prepare a single-core optical fiber and insert a portion of the single-core optical fiber into a heating device for heating and softening; 3. After the single-core optical fiber is softened, insert the needle into the optical fiber and apply pressure to the tail of the needle to inject the fluorescent powder into the optical fiber; 4. After the fluorescent powder is injected, slowly withdraw the single-core optical fiber from the heating device; 5. Insert the end of the single-core optical fiber injected with fluorescent powder into a sealing device for sealing, thereby completing the production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to optical fiber manufacturing technology, and in particular relates to a manufacturing method and a manufacturing device for a temperature measuring fluorescent optical fiber probe. Background Art

[0002] Fluorescent fiber optic sensing technology is a temperature sensing technology based on optical signals. Due to the many advantages of optical signals, it is mainly used in temperature measurement and monitoring of various equipment. It has been widely used in the fields of electricity, construction, petroleum, chemical industry, medical treatment, etc.

[0003] The sensing element of a fluorescent fiber optic sensor is a rare earth fluorescent material. When excited by ultraviolet light, certain rare earth fluorescent substances emit a visible linear spectrum, known as fluorescence. A certain parameter of this fluorescence is modulated by temperature, and the relationship between them is monotonic, which can be exploited for temperature measurement. Fluorescent fiber optics place phosphor powder at the tip of the fiber. Under the influence of ultraviolet light and the temperature of the object being measured, the temperature of the object is calculated using the fluorescence generated by the temperature measuring probe.

[0004] However, the existing method of placing phosphor at the end of fluorescent optical fiber is to mix the phosphor with colloid and then bond it to the end face of the optical fiber. However, this bonding method has the following problems:

[0005] 1. When implementing the existing method, both the bonding strength of the colloid and the ratio of phosphor to colloid must be considered. The ratio of phosphor to colloid requires a large number of experiments and data accumulation to reach an optimal solution. Therefore, the implementation process is cumbersome and inefficient.

[0006] 2. The existing method is to apply a glue-powder mixture on the flat cross section of the optical fiber and then bake it at high temperature for curing. When used for temperature measurement, the fluorescent powder colloid will fall off due to the high temperature baking, causing damage to the fluorescent fiber.

[0007] 3. The existing method requires that the optical fiber end face and the optical fiber within 1mm below the end face be fully wrapped with glue. The implementation process is often manual coating. The amount of manually coated glue is difficult to control and requires experience accumulation. It cannot be standardized and has low efficiency.

[0008] 4. The optical fiber probe prepared by the existing method cannot be directly used in the medical field because chemical substances such as glue powder can be directly contacted by the human body and cause allergies. Before use, an outer sheath must be added to the outside of the optical fiber to shield the glue powder and other chemical substances. However, the disadvantage of this is that it increases the temperature conduction time. During temperature measurement, the temperature change and stabilization time are relatively long, which does not meet the requirement of fast temperature change response time in the medical field. Summary of the Invention

[0009] In order to solve the problems of the existing method of mixing fluorescent powder with colloid and then gluing it to the end face of the optical fiber, such as the difficulty in controlling the ratio of glue powder to fluorescent powder, the easy falling off of fluorescent powder colloid when used for high-temperature measurement, the non-standardization of manual coating, low efficiency and failure to meet the requirements of the medical field for fast temperature change response time, the present invention provides a method and a device for manufacturing a temperature-measuring fluorescent optical fiber probe.

[0010] The specific technical solution diagram of the present invention is as follows:

[0011] A method for manufacturing a temperature measuring fluorescent optical fiber probe comprises the following steps:

[0012] Step 1: Prepare a needle made of high-temperature resistant metal and inject phosphor into the needle. The phosphor should be flush with the end face of the needle outlet.

[0013] Step 2: Prepare a single-core optical fiber and insert a portion of the single-core optical fiber into a heating device for heating and softening.

[0014] Step 3: After the single-core optical fiber softens, insert the needle into the optical fiber and apply pressure to the end of the needle to inject the phosphor into the optical fiber;

[0015] Step 4: After the phosphor injection is completed, slowly remove the single-core optical fiber from the heating device;

[0016] Step 5: Insert the end of the single-core optical fiber injected with phosphor into the sealing device for sealing, thereby completing the production.

[0017] Furthermore, the heating device comprises a metal block, an electric heating rod and a thermocouple;

[0018] The metal block is provided with a through hole;

[0019] There is at least one electric heating rod embedded in the metal block, and the electric heating rod is located around the through hole;

[0020] Thermocouples are used to detect the temperature of the heated metal block.

[0021] Furthermore, the sealing device is a hemispherical pit provided on the metal block, and the hemispherical pit is located on one side of the through hole.

[0022] Furthermore, there are multiple hemispherical pits, and the diameter of each hemispherical pit is different.

[0023] Furthermore, in the above step 4, the single-core optical fiber is removed from the heating device by using a moving assembly, wherein the moving assembly includes a moving platform and a guide rod;

[0024] The movable platform is located on one side of the single-core optical fiber, one end of the guide rod is connected to the movable end of the movable platform, and the other end is used to fix the single-core optical fiber.

[0025] Furthermore, the above-mentioned mobile platform is a three-dimensional mobile platform.

[0026] Furthermore, the single-core optical fiber is a plastic optical fiber, a quartz optical fiber, or a glass optical fiber; the diameter of the needle is 0.6 mm, and the material is iron.

[0027] In addition, the present invention also provides a manufacturing device for implementing the above manufacturing method, comprising a heating device, a fixing bracket, a phosphor injection device and a moving component;

[0028] The heating device includes a metal block, an electric heating rod, and a thermocouple; the metal block is mounted on a fixed bracket, and is provided with a through hole and a hemispherical pit. The hemispherical pit is located on the side of the through hole and is used to seal the single-core optical fiber;

[0029] There is at least one electric heating rod embedded in the metal block, and the electric heating rod is located around the through hole;

[0030] Thermocouples are used to detect the heating temperature of the metal block;

[0031] The phosphor injection device includes a syringe and a needle; the syringe is mounted on a fixed bracket, and the needle is inserted into the through hole from top to bottom;

[0032] The moving assembly includes a moving platform and a guide rod;

[0033] The movable platform is located on one side of the heating device. One end of the guide rod is connected to the movable end of the movable platform, and the other end is used to fix the single-core optical fiber. Driven by the movable platform, the single-core optical fiber can move up and down.

[0034] Furthermore, there are multiple hemispherical pits, and the diameter of each hemispherical pit is different.

[0035] Furthermore, the mobile platform is a three-dimensional mobile platform. Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following advantages:

[0036] 1. The present invention injects the phosphor into the optical fiber through a needle, avoiding the high-temperature curing step in the existing method of fixing the phosphor by glue. At the same time, there is no need to consider the ratio of phosphor to glue powder, so the implementation process is simple and the production efficiency is also improved.

[0037] 2. The present invention injects fluorescent powder into the interior of the optical fiber through a needle, so that when the prepared fluorescent optical fiber is used for high-temperature measurement, the high temperature point will not affect the fluorescent powder, thereby improving the reliability of the temperature measuring optical fiber.

[0038] 3. The present invention injects fluorescent powder into the interior of the optical fiber through a needle. The high-temperature point of the object to be measured depends on the optical fiber itself, which is higher than the fluorescent optical fiber with glue-fixed fluorescent powder, thereby expanding the temperature measurement range.

[0039] 4. The fluorescent optical fiber prepared by the present invention can be directly used in the medical field because the tail is directly coated with the optical fiber's own material. It not only avoids the allergic phenomenon caused by the contact of chemical colloids with the human body in the traditional method, but also increases the temperature conduction time compared to the existing optical fiber that needs to add an outer sheath to the outside of the optical fiber before use to block chemical substances such as glue powder. The coating material in the present invention is the optical fiber's own material and will not affect the temperature conduction time. The prepared optical fiber meets the use requirements of the medical field for fast response time to temperature changes.

[0040] 5. The preparation device of the present invention can control the single-core optical fiber to enter and exit the heating device through a mobile platform without manual intervention, thereby improving efficiency; at the same time, a semicircular pit is directly opened on the metal block to seal the end of the single-core optical fiber injected with fluorescent powder, so that the powder injection process and the sealing process have good continuity, the optical fiber yield is high, and the operation is simple. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Figure 1 It is a structural schematic diagram of the production device of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 2 This is a bottom view of the metal block.

[0043] The reference numerals are as follows:

[0044] 1-heating device, 2-fixed bracket, 3-phosphor injection device, 4-moving component, 5-metal block, 6-electric heating rod, 7-thermocouple, 8-through hole, 9-hemispherical pit, 10-syringe, 11-needle, 12-moving platform, 13-guide rod, 14-single-core optical fiber. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] To make the above-mentioned objects, features, and advantages of the present invention more clearly understood, the following detailed description of the specific embodiments of the present invention is given in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is obvious that the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of them. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary persons in this field without creative work should fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0046] In the following description, many specific details are set forth to facilitate a full understanding of the present invention. However, the present invention may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Those skilled in the art may make similar generalizations without violating the connotation of the present invention. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below.

[0047] At the same time, in the description of the present invention, it should be noted that the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the terms "front, back, inside and outside" are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the present invention.

[0048] Unless otherwise specified or limited, the terms "mounted, connected, and connected" in this disclosure should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed, removable, or integral connections. They may also refer to mechanical, electrical, or direct connections, indirect connections through an intermediary, or internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of these terms in this disclosure.

[0049] In order to solve the problem of placing fluorescent powder at the tail of the existing fluorescent optical fiber, the present invention provides a method for manufacturing a temperature measuring fluorescent optical fiber probe. The basic implementation idea of ​​this method is:

[0050] Step 1: Prepare a needle made of high-temperature resistant metal and inject phosphor into the needle. The phosphor should be flush with the end face of the needle outlet.

[0051] Step 2: Prepare a single-core optical fiber and insert a portion of the single-core optical fiber into a heating device for heating and softening.

[0052] Step 3: After the single-core optical fiber softens, insert the needle into the optical fiber and apply pressure to the end of the needle to inject the phosphor into the optical fiber;

[0053] Step 4: After the phosphor injection is completed, slowly remove the single-core optical fiber from the heating device;

[0054] Step 5: Insert the end of the single-core optical fiber injected with phosphor into the sealing device for sealing, thereby completing the production.

[0055] The above method is proposed: first, it avoids the high-temperature curing step in the existing method of fixing phosphor powder by glue, and there is no need to consider the ratio of phosphor powder to glue powder, so the implementation process is simple, and it also improves production efficiency. Second, when the prepared fluorescent optical fiber is used for high-temperature measurement, the high temperature point will not affect the phosphor, thereby improving the reliability of the temperature measuring optical fiber. Third, the highest temperature measurement point of the optical fiber prepared by this method depends on the optical fiber itself, which is higher than the fluorescent optical fiber with glue fixing phosphor powder, thus expanding the temperature measurement range. Fourth, it avoids the allergic reaction caused by chemical colloid contact with the human body in the traditional method, and does not affect the temperature conduction time. The prepared optical fiber meets the requirements of the medical field for fast response time to temperature changes.

[0056] In order to introduce the present invention in more detail, this embodiment provides a device for implementing the above method. Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown: a heating device 1, a fixed bracket 2, a phosphor injection device 3 and a moving component 4;

[0057] The heating device 1 includes a metal block 5, an electric heating rod 6, and a thermocouple 7. The metal block 5 is mounted on the fixed bracket 2 and is provided with a through hole 8 and a hemispherical pit 9. The hemispherical pit 9 is located to the side of the through hole 8 and is used to seal the single-core optical fiber 14. Depending on the diameter of the single-core optical fiber, multiple hemispherical pits 9 can be provided. The diameter of the hemispherical pit 9 used in this embodiment is 1.3 mm.

[0058] There is at least one electric heating rod 6 embedded in the metal block 5, and the electric heating rod 6 is located around the through hole 8. In this embodiment, there are two electric heating rods 6, the purpose of which is to make the heating more uniform.

[0059] The thermocouple 7 is used to detect the heating temperature of the metal block 5 in real time;

[0060] The phosphor injection device 3 includes a syringe 10 and a needle 11; the syringe 10 is mounted on the fixed bracket 2, and the needle 11 is inserted into the through hole 8 from top to bottom;

[0061] The moving assembly 4 includes a moving platform 12 and a guide rod 13; the moving platform 12 (in this embodiment, the moving platform 12 is a three-dimensional moving platform) is located on one side of the heating device 1, one end of the guide rod 13 is connected to the moving end of the moving platform 12, and the other end is used to fix the single-core optical fiber 14 (in this embodiment, a top screw can be used to fix the single-core optical fiber on the guide rod). Driven by the moving platform 12, the single-core optical fiber 14 can move up and down, as well as forward, backward, left and right in a horizontal plane.

[0062] The specific process of the above device when in use is as follows:

[0063] Prepare a single-core optical fiber 14 during operation. The material of the single-core optical fiber can be plastic, quartz or glass. In this embodiment, the material of the single-core optical fiber is plastic.

[0064] First, inject phosphor into the needle 11. Ensure that the injected phosphor is flush with the outlet end surface of the needle 11.

[0065] Then, the moving assembly 4 is started to drive the single-core optical fiber 14 to move upward into the through hole 8 of the heating device. At this time, the needle 11 is not inserted into the single-core optical fiber 14. The heating temperature is controlled at 330°C to 350°C and the heating time is controlled at 6 to 8 seconds to soften the end of the single-core optical fiber 14.

[0066] Next, the moving assembly 4 drives the single-core optical fiber 14 upward again, so that the needle 11 is inserted into the single-core optical fiber 14 to a depth of 2 mm.

[0067] Afterwards, pressure is applied to the needle 11 to inject the phosphor into the single-core optical fiber 14. After the phosphor injection is completed, the moving component 4 is used to remove the single-core optical fiber 14 from the through hole 8 of the heating device 1.

[0068] Finally, the end of the optical fiber is inserted into the hemispherical recess 9 of the metal block 5 by using the moving assembly 4. After a few seconds, the heating device stops heating and the optical fiber is sealed after cooling.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a temperature measuring fluorescent optical fiber probe, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Step 1: Prepare a needle made of high-temperature resistant metal and inject phosphor into the needle. The phosphor should be flush with the end face of the needle outlet. Step 2: Prepare a single-core optical fiber and insert a portion of the single-core optical fiber into a heating device for heating and softening; Step 3: After the single-core optical fiber softens, insert the needle into the optical fiber and apply pressure to the end of the needle to inject the phosphor into the optical fiber; Step 4: After the phosphor injection is completed, slowly remove the single-core optical fiber from the heating device; Step 5: Insert the end of the single-core optical fiber injected with phosphor into the sealing device for sealing, thereby completing the production; The heating device in step 2 includes a metal block, an electric heating rod, and a thermocouple; the metal block is mounted on a fixed bracket, and a through hole and a hemispherical pit are formed on the metal block, wherein the hemispherical pit is located on the side of the through hole and is used to seal the single-core optical fiber; There is at least one electric heating rod embedded in the metal block, and the electric heating rod is located around the through hole; Thermocouples are used to detect the heating temperature of the metal block; The sealing device in step 5 is a hemispherical pit set on the metal block.

2. The method for manufacturing a temperature-measuring fluorescent fiber optic probe according to claim 1, wherein: There are multiple hemispherical pits, and the diameters of the hemispherical pits are different.

3. The method for manufacturing a temperature-measuring fluorescent fiber probe according to claim 2, wherein: In step 4, the single-core optical fiber is removed from the heating device by using a moving component, wherein the moving component includes a moving platform and a guide rod; The movable platform is located on one side of the single-core optical fiber, one end of the guide rod is connected to the movable end of the movable platform, and the other end is used to fix the single-core optical fiber.

4. The method for manufacturing a temperature-measuring fluorescent fiber optic probe according to claim 3, wherein: The mobile platform is a three-dimensional mobile platform.

5. The method for manufacturing a temperature-measuring fluorescent fiber optic probe according to claim 1, wherein: The single-core optical fiber is a plastic optical fiber, a quartz optical fiber, or a glass optical fiber; the diameter of the needle is 0.6 mm, and the material is iron.

6. A manufacturing device for implementing the manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that: It includes a heating device, a fixing bracket, a phosphor injection device and a moving component; The heating device includes a metal block, an electric heating rod, and a thermocouple; the metal block is mounted on a fixed bracket, and is provided with a through hole and a hemispherical pit. The hemispherical pit is located on the side of the through hole and is used to seal the single-core optical fiber; There is at least one electric heating rod embedded in the metal block, and the electric heating rod is located around the through hole; Thermocouples are used to detect the heating temperature of the metal block; The phosphor injection device includes a syringe and a needle; the syringe is mounted on a fixed bracket, and the needle is inserted into the through hole from top to bottom; The moving assembly includes a moving platform and a guide rod; The movable platform is located on one side of the heating device. One end of the guide rod is connected to the movable end of the movable platform, and the other end is used to fix the single-core optical fiber. Driven by the movable platform, the single-core optical fiber can move up and down.

7. The manufacturing device of the temperature measuring fluorescent fiber probe according to claim 6, characterized in that: There are multiple hemispherical pits, and the diameters of the hemispherical pits are different.

8. The manufacturing device for the temperature measuring fluorescent fiber probe according to claim 7, characterized in that: The mobile platform is a three-dimensional mobile platform.

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