Fabrication of fiber optic probes
Inventors
Hjelme, Dag Roar • Aune, Oddvar • Falch, Berit • Ostling, Dan • Ellingsen, Reinold
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-7616844-B2
Publication Date
2009-11-10
Expiration Date
Abstract
A method of fabricating a sensor probe comprises: placing the end of an optical fiber 10 in a polymerization space 2; applying a drop of hydrogel pre-gel solution 30 to the end of the fiber;exposing said pre-gel solution to an ultra-violet light source 24 to cause polymerization therein; andmonitoring a light signal that has passed down said optical fiber 10 in order to monitor said polymerization.
Core Innovation
The invention describes fabrication of a sensor probe by placing the end of an optical fiber in a polymerization space and applying a drop of hydrogel pre-gel solution to the end of the fiber. The pre-gel solution is exposed to an ultra-violet light source to cause polymerization therein, and the polymerization is monitored by monitoring a light signal that has passed down the optical fiber, so that polymerization quality can be monitored during fabrication.
The disclosed approach includes embodiments in which the polymerization environment and process parameters are governed, including the monitoring arrangement and, in some embodiments, active control of selected parameters using feedback. The monitoring can include one or more parameters of the light signal such as average signal level, amplitude variation with wavelength, signal period, and signal phase.
The disclosure further provides embodiments in which the polymerization space is formed by a liquid. In one set of embodiments, the end of an optical fiber is immersed in a liquid forming a polymerization space, a drop of hydrogel pre-gel solution is applied to the end, and the pre-gel solution is exposed to ultraviolet light to cause polymerization.
Claims Coverage
The document contains four independent claims. Across these independent claims, the coverage centers on fabricating a hydrogel-based sensor probe using an optical fiber and ultraviolet exposure to polymerize a hydrogel pre-gel drop, with monitoring of a light signal transmitted down the optical fiber in certain independent claim apparatus claims, and with polymerization-space configurations defined as liquid-phase in the liquid-based independent claim(s).
Fiber-end hydrogel pre-gel polymerization with fiber monitoring
A method of fabricating a sensor probe comprising: placing the end of an optical fiber in a polymerization space; applying a drop of hydrogel pre-gel solution to the end of the fiber; exposing said pre-gel solution to an ultra-violet light source to cause polymerization therein; and monitoring a light signal that has passed down said optical fiber in order to monitor said polymerization.
Liquid polymerization-space hydrogel pre-gel UV polymerization
A method of fabricating a sensor probe comprising: immersing the end of an optical fiber in a liquid forming a polymerization space; applying a drop of hydrogel pre-gel solution to the end of the optical fiber; and exposing said pre-gel solution to an ultra-violet light source to cause polymerization therein.
Apparatus with UV polymerization and monitoring arrangement
An apparatus for fabricating a sensor probe comprising: an optical fiber having a drop of hydrogel pre-gel solution on one end thereof; a polymerization space receiving said fiber end; an ultra-violet light source arranged to expose said pre-gel solution to said light to cause polymerization therein; and a monitoring arrangement for monitoring a light signal that has passed down said optical fiber in order to monitor said polymerization.
Liquid-containing polymerization space apparatus
An apparatus for fabricating a sensor probe comprising: a polymerization space containing a liquid; an optical fiber having a drop of hydrogel pre-gel solution on one end thereof, said end being immersed in said liquid; an ultra-violet light source arranged to expose said pre-gel solution to light from said ultra-violet light source to cause polymerization therein.
The independent claims collectively cover hydrogel pre-gel UV polymerization on an optical-fiber end, monitoring a light signal transmitted down the fiber to monitor polymerization in the method and apparatus framework, and polymerization-space configurations where the polymerization space is formed by a liquid.
Stated Advantages
Allows monitoring of polymerization by monitoring a light signal passed down the optical fiber.
Documented Applications
Fabrication of hydrogel-based interferometric fiber optic sensor probe sensors, including Fabry-Perot dome sensor formation, using UV-polymerized hydrogel pre-gel drops on optical fiber ends while monitoring polymerization quality.
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