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Optical Sensors

Learning more about optical sensors

Optical Sensors convert light rays into electrical signals. It measures a physical quantity of light then converts it into a form readable by an instrument. This reading is then used by other parts of the system where the sensor is located. In other words, changes in the light caught by the optical sensor cause the system to react accordingly. [2]

How do optical sensors work?

An optical fiber sensor consists of the core and a cladding both of which have different refractive indices. The light from a light source travels through the core as it repeatedly bounces off the walls of the cladding. The light beam passes through the fiber with minimal loss in light quantity. It is dispersed at an angle of approximately 60° and emitted to a target. [2]

Figure 1. Optical Fiber Configuration

Using optical sensors in medicine

Because of their small size, high sensitivity, lack of interference with electromagnetic radiation, and the potential to design multiplexed or distributed sensing systems, optical fiber sensors are used in structural health monitoring and biomedical instrumentation. [1]

References

[1] Correia, R., James, S., Lee, S.-W., Morgan, S. P., & Korposh, S. (2018). Biomedical application of optical fibre sensors. In Journal of Optics (Vol. 20, Issue 7, p. 073003). IOP Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1088/2040-8986/aac68d

[2] What is a Fiber Optic Sensor?| Sensor Basics: Introductory Guide to Sensors | KEYENCE. (2022). Keyence. https://www.keyence.com/ss/products/sensor/sensorbasics/fiber/info/