2306 results about "Fiber optic sensor" patented technology

Apparatus is provided for diagnosing or treating an organ or vessel, wherein a deformable body having at least two optical fiber sensors disposed in a distal extremity thereof is coupled to processing logic programmed to compute a multi-dimensional force vector responsive to detected changes in the optical characteristics of the optical fiber sensors arising from deflection of the distal extremity resulting from contact with the tissue of the wall of the organ or vessel. The force vector may be used to facilitate manipulation of the deformable body either directly or automatically using a robotic system.

Self-encoding microspheres having distinct characteristic optical response signatures to specific target analytes may be mixed together while the ability is retained to identify the sensor type and location of each sensor in a random dispersion of large numbers of such sensors in a sensor array using an optically interrogatable encoding scheme, resulting in a microsphere-based analytic chemistry system. Individual microsphere sensors are disposed in microwells at a distal end of a fiber bundle and are optically coupled to discrete fibers or groups of fibers within the bundle to form an optical fiber bundle sensor. The identities of the individual sensors in the array are self-encoded by exposing the array to a reference analyte while illuminating the array with excitation light energy. A single sensor array may carry thousands of discrete sensing elements whose combined signal provides for substantial improvements in sensor detection limits, response times and signal-to-noise ratios.

Apparatus is provided for diagnosing or treating an organ or vessel, wherein a device having at least two optical fiber sensors disposed in a distal extremity thereof is coupled to processing logic programmed to compute a multi-dimensional force vector responsive to detected changes in the optical characteristics of the optical fiber sensors arising from deflection of the distal extremity resulting from contact with the tissue of the wall of the organ or vessel. The force vector may be used to facilitate manipulation of the catheter either directly or automatically using a robotic system.

Filtering of optical fibers and other related devices. High-energy methods for depositing thin films directly onto the ends of optical fibers can be used to produce high-quality, high-performance filters in quantity at a reasonable cost. These high-quality filters provide the high performance needed for many demanding applications and often eliminate the need for filters applied to wafers or expanded-beam filtering techniques. Having high-quality filters applied directly to optical fiber and faces permits production of high-performance, micro-sized devices that incorporate optical filters. Devices in which these filters may be used include spectroscopic applications including those using fiber optic probes, wavelength division multiplexing, telecommunications, general fiber optic sensor usage, photonic computing, photonic amplifiers, pump blocking and a variety of laser devices.

A system such as for sensing strain or temperature of an aircraft and for transmitting information in communication systems. A sensor array includes a first light responsive Bragg grating sensor having a first operating bandwidth and a second light responsive Bragg grating sensor having a second operating bandwidth. Each sensor modifies light provided to it at a wavelength indicative of changes in strain or temperature. The second sensor operates within a bandwidth which is different from the operating bandwidth of the first sensor. A tunable light source such as an LED and tunable etalon provides light for illuminating the first and second sensors, the provided light having a wavelength which varies within a band including the first and second bandwidths. A detecting circuit provides signals representative of light modified by the first and second sensors. A processor processes the representative signals to determine the strain and / or temperature.

The present invention provides a method and apparatus for improving optical sensing of a plasma process through the use of a fiber optic sensor placed within a standard showerhead hole of a standard gas showerhead positioned in an upper electrode of a plasma system during the plasma processing of a substrate. A film property can be calculated based on the measured plasma emission from the surface of the substrate. The film property can be film deposition rate, refractive index, film thickness, etc. Based on the measured film property, the plasma processing of the substrate can be adjusted and / or terminated. In addition, a window is provided that is positioned in the upper electrode assembly for viewing the plasma emission through the standard showerhead hole.

Integral fiber optic-based condition sensors detect conditions of a composite structure, e.g., a coated wire assembly so as to detect damage or conditions that may damage the same. Preferably, at least one optical fiber sensor having a plurality of Bragg gratings written into the fiber at spaced-apart locations along its axial length is integrated into the electrical insulator coating of a wire, wire bundle or wiring harness. The fiber optic sensor may thus be employed to measure the environmental loads on the electrical wiring including stresses from bending, axial loading, pinch points, high temperature excursions and chemical damage. The system is capable of detecting and locating transient conditions that might cause damage to a wiring system or permanent changes in state associated with damage events. The residual stress in the electrical insulator coating of a wire, wire bundle, or wiring harness are used to monitor the evolution of damage by wear or chaffing processes. Detected stress relief on one or more Bragg gratings will thus be indicative of damage to the insulator coating on the conductor. As such, the magnitude of such stress relief may be detected and used as an alert that the wire insulation is damaged to an unsafe extent.

Disclosed are electroactive polymer fibers, processes of preparing electroactive polymer fibers, and devices containing electroactive polymer fibers. Devices can be used as actuators and sensors, generators and transducers. Applications include inter alia artificial muscles, prosthetics and robotics.

A retractable step assist for a vehicle comprises a step, an actuator, an optical fiber sensor, and a safety. The step is movable between a retracted position and a deployed position that is downward and outboard from the retracted position. The actuator is mechanically connected to the step to position the step. The optical fiber sensor has an output that varies when pressure is applied to the optical fiber sensor. The safety is triggered by this output from the optical fiber sensor. The safety is configured to terminate retraction of the step when the optical fiber sensor senses pressure from an object pinched by the step deck.

The present disclosure is related to an apparatus and method that enables fiber optic network installers to mount fiber optic connections in raised floor locations that would otherwise be unsuited to the task. The method and apparatus permit using a de facto standard raised floor enclosures to accommodate fiber optic connections while maintaining bend radius considerations. In an exemplary embodiment, a patch panel includes a panel face defined by a bottom edge, a top edge and opposing side edges each joined to the bottom and top edges; a cable management bar operably coupled to the panel face, spaced apart from at least one surface side defining the panel face and extending a substantial length defining a length of the panel face; and a pair of mounting brackets extending from the opposing side edges. Each mounting bracket includes a mounting plane aligned with a plane of a corresponding angled mounted rail for mounting thereto such that the panel face is perpendicular to a bottom wall defining the enclosure in which it is mounted.

The invention discloses a device for monitoring the state of a power transmission line tower-line system, which fully utilizes the advantages of corrosion resistance, wide operation temperature range, anti-electromagnetic interference, passivity, long measuring distance, reliable operation and long service life and the like of optical fiber sensors to configure the optical fiber sensors on a transmission conductor and a tower in a quasi-distributed structure for detecting the temperature, the strain and the acceleration of the transmission conductor and the multipoint stress variation on the tower which are transmitted to an optical modulator demodulator for demodulating and are sent to a computer analyzing and processing system for calculating to obtain the icing quality, the waving amplitude, the breeze vibration amplitude and frequency and the sag of the transmission conductor, and the inclination angle of the tower, thus realizing the simultaneous monitoring on the icing, the waving, the breeze vibration and the sag of the transmission conductor, and the inclination angle state of the tower, and being capable of finishing long-time reliable operation under the on-site severe environment conditions.

This invention provides a method for controlling production operations using fiber optic devices. An optical fiber carrying fiber-optic sensors is deployed downhole to provide information about downhole conditions. Parameters related to the chemicals being used for surface treatments are measured in real time and on-line, and these measured parameters are used to control the dosage of chemicals into the surface treatment system. The information is also used to control downhole devices that may be a packer, choke, sliding sleeve, perforating device, flow control valve, completion device, an anchor or any other device. Provision is also made for control of secondary recovery operations online using the downhole sensors to monitor the reservoir conditions. The present invention also provides a method of generating motive power in a wellbore utilizing optical energy. This can be done directly or indirectly, e.g., by first producing electrical energy that is then converted to another form of energy.

The invention provides a miniature robust fiber optic pressure sensor. The miniature fiber optic sensor comprises a Fabry-Perot chip bonded to an optical fiber. The invention provides a new sensor design that reduces the amount of adhesive required to bond the optical fiber to the Fabry-Perot sensor such that the sensor is less sensitive to moisture. The invention also provides manufacturing methods of the sensor comprising a method based on etching and a method based on using an excimer laser. The invention also provides a chip design that renders the chip less sensitive to thermal changes. The invention also provides a chip design in which a sensor diaphragm has a well-defined thickness. The invention also provides a chip design that protects the chip from etching.

A retractable step assist for a vehicle comprises a step, an actuator, an optical fiber sensor, and a safety. The step is movable between a retracted position and a deployed position that is downward and outboard from the retracted position. The actuator is mechanically connected to the step to position the step. The optical fiber sensor has an output that varies when pressure is applied to the optical fiber sensor. The safety is triggered by this output from the optical fiber sensor. The safety is configured to terminate retraction of the step when the optical fiber sensor senses pressure from an object pinched by the step deck.

A pre-connectorized network interconnection apparatus including a housing defining at least one opening for mounting at least one adapter therein, a cable storage tray movably attached to the housing movable between an opened position and a closed position for cable access, and a predetermined length of pre-connectorized fiber optic cable maintained on the storage tray, wherein a first end of the fiber optic cable terminates in at least one connector routed to the at least one connector adapter within the apparatus and a second end of the fiber optic cable terminates in at least one connector that is routed to a predetermined location within a fiber optic network. A data center network apparatus for linking separated fiber optic connection points using a length of pre-connectorized fiber optic cable.

An instrument system that includes an elongate instrument body and an optical fiber sensor is provided. The optical fiber sensor includes an elongate optical fiber that is coupled to the elongate instrument body, wherein a portion of the optical fiber is coupled to the elongate instrument body in a manner to provide slack in the fiber to allow for axial extension of the elongate instrument body relative to the optical fiber.

An apparatus and method to perform therapeutic treatment and diagnosis of a patient's vasculature through the use of an intravascular device having an optical fiber disposed therein. In an embodiment, the apparatus includes an intravascular device to perform a therapeutic treatment and at least one optical fiber disposed through the intravascular device. The optical fiber is configured to provide diagnostic information before, during, and after the therapeutic treatment. In an embodiment, diagnostic information includes vessel and blood characteristics such as hemodynamic characteristics, hematological parameters related to blood and blood components, and thermal parameters of the vasculature.

Fiber optic shelf assemblies and furcation mounting structures for securing a plurality of furcation bodies of respective fiber optic cable assembles within the fiber optic shelf are disclosed. In one embodiment, the fiber optic shelf has a one-to-one correspondence between a plurality of respective modules and the respective fiber optic cable assemblies. Additionally, the fiber optic shelf assemblies and furcation mounting structures disclosed advantageously allow the mounting of a relatively large number of furcation bodies within the fiber optic shelf assembly for supporting relatively large fiber optic connections per 1U rack space.

A fiber optic acoustic sensor system including an optical conductor having low reflectivity mirrors is provided. Optical sensors are provided by sections of the optical conductor bounded by pairs of the low reflectivity mirrors. Pulses of light are injected into the optical conductor and reflected by the low reflectivity mirrors. The reflected pulses of light are processed using a compensating interferometer to generate interference patterns representative of the environmental conditions acting upon the optical conductor.

The invention provides a miniature robust fiber optic pressure sensor. The miniature fiber optic sensor comprises a Fabry-Perot chip bonded to an optical fiber. The invention provides a new sensor design that reduces the amount of adhesive required to bond the optical fiber to the Fabry-Perot sensor such that the sensor is less sensitive to moisture. The invention also provides manufacturing methods of the sensor comprising a method based on etching and a method based on using an excimer laser. The invention also provides a chip design that renders the chip less sensitive to thermal changes. The invention also provides a chip design in which a sensor diaphragm has a well-defined thickness. The invention also provides a chip design that protects the chip from etching.

A fiber optic sensor has a hollow tube bonded to the endface of an optical fiber, and a diaphragm bonded to the hollow tube. The fiber endface and diaphragm comprise an etalon cavity. The length of the etalon cavity changes when applied pressure or acceleration flexes the diaphragm. The entire structure can be made of fused silica. The fiber, tube, and diaphragm can be bonded with a fusion splice. The present sensor is particularly well suited for measuring pressure or acceleration in high temperature, high pressure and corrosive environments (e.g., oil well downholes and jet engines). The present sensors are also suitable for use in biological and medical applications.

Fiber optic shelf assemblies and furcation mounting structures for securing a plurality of furcation bodies of respective fiber optic cable assembles within the fiber optic shelf are disclosed. In one embodiment, the fiber optic shelf has a one-to-one correspondence between a plurality of respective modules and the respective fiber optic cable assemblies. Additionally, the fiber optic shelf assemblies and furcation mounting structures disclosed advantageously allow the mounting of a relatively large number of furcation bodies within the fiber optic shelf assembly for supporting relatively large fiber optic connections per 1U rack space.

An assembly senses fluid pressure variations within a passageway along a length of a flowline. A fiber optic cable is disposed axially within the passageway of the flowline. The fiber optic cable experiences a mechanical strain responsive to variations in the fluid pressure of the fluid communicating through the passageway of the flowline along the length of the flowline. The assembly also includes an enhancing layer surrounding the fiber optic cable. The enhancing layer is more responsive to the fluid pressure of the fluid communicating through the passageway of the cable than the fiber optic cable, which enhances the responsiveness of the fiber optic cable to the pressure by magnifying the mechanical strain associated with the fiber optic cable within a particular region of varying fluid pressure. Strain associated with the cable is communicated through back-reflected light.

A fiber-optic method for making simultaneous multiple parameter measurements employs an optical fiber sensor having at least one long period grating disposed therein. An excitation is created in the optical fiber sensor wherein a plurality of evanescent field sensing depths result. At least two long period grating signatures are created. When the optical fiber sensor is exposed to at least one material, changes in the material are identified by simultaneously measuring and comparing shifts in each long period grating signature; correlating the shifts to changes in the material; and solving a series of equations that compare changes in the coupling wavelength for a specific loss band. A reactive coating may be applied to the optical fiber sensor proximate to the long period grating such that changes in the reactive coating as it reacts with the material may also be monitored.