| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 356480000 | Resonant cavity | 27 |
| 20080204758 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CHEMICAL SENSING - A chemical detector for detecting predetermined chemicals. The chemical detector includes an optical fiber and a polymer having a high fractional free volume higher than about 0.1 that clads a length of the optical fiber. The optical fiber is arranged within an optical resonator. The chemical detector further includes a coherent light source that excites the optical resonator and a chemical signature detector that detects a predetermined chemical based upon a change in a resonance attenuation or refractive index of the optical fiber caused by absorption of the predetermined chemical into the high intrinsic microporosity polymer cladding of the fiber. | 08-28-2008 |
| 20080212104 | Apparatus and method for resonant chemical and biological sensing - Apparatus and method are provided for chemical and biological agent sensing. The sensing apparatus includes a resonator having a resonance frequency. The resonator includes a coil of a photonic crystal fiber. The photonic crystal fiber has a solid region configured to guide a substantially single optical mode of light having an evanescent tail, a first cladding surrounding an exterior of the solid region, and a polymer coating the first cladding. The polymer has an embedded indicator. The first cladding and polymer are together configured to extend a portion of the evanescent tail into the polymer. The resonator is configured to produce a resonance shape centered at the resonance frequency. A predetermined change in the resonance shape or the free spectral range indicates a reaction of the indicator to the agent. | 09-04-2008 |
| 20080304076 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PACKAGING AND MOUNTING READOUT AND LASER INTENSITY MONITOR SENSORS - Methods and apparatus for applying sensors to a ring laser gyro. An example apparatus includes a housing having a cavity, a laser intensity monitor (LIM) sensor mechanically and electrically connected within the cavity of the housing, and a readout sensor mechanically and electrically connected within the cavity of the housing. The LIM sensor and readout sensor are connected within the housing based on predetermined light output properties of a sensor mirror of a ring laser gyro. When the readout sensor is properly aligned with the sensor mirror, then the LIM sensor is automatically aligned with the sensor mirror. | 12-11-2008 |
| 20090086214 | ALIGNED EMBOSSED DIAPHRAGM BASED FIBER OPTIC SENSOR - The present invention is a diaphragm-fiber optic sensor (DFOS), interferometric sensor. This DFOS is based on the principles of Fabry-Perot and Michelson/Mach-Zehnder. The sensor is low cost and is designed with high efficiency, reliability, and Q-point stability, fabricated using MEMS (micro mechanic-electrical system) technology, and has demonstrated excellent performance. A DFOS according to the invention includes a cavity between two surfaces: a diaphragm made of silicon or other material with a rigid body (or boss) at the center and clamped along its edge, and the endface of a single mode optic fiber. By utilizing MEMS technology, the gap width between the diaphragm and the fiber endface is made accurately, ranging from 1 micron to 10 microns. To stabilize the Q-point of the DFOS when in use as an acoustic sensor, a system of microchannels is built in the structure of the diaphragm so that the pressure difference on two sides of the diaphragm is kept a constant, independent of the hydraulic pressure and/or low frequency noise when the device is inserted in liquid mediums. | 04-02-2009 |
| 20090207417 | High Intensity Fabry-Perot Sensor - A method and apparatus for detecting seismic vibrations using a series of MEMS units, with each MEMS unit including an interferometer is described. The interferometers on the MEMS units receive and modulate light from two differing wavelengths by way of a multiplexing scheme involving the use of Bragg gratings and light circulators, and an optoelectronic processor receives and processes the modulated light to discern vibrational movement of the system, which in turn allows for monitoring and calculation of a specified environmental parameter, such as seismic activity, temperature or pressure. | 08-20-2009 |
| 20090251705 | Optical Sensing Based on Overlapping Optical Modes in Optical Resonator Sensors and Interferometric Sensors - Techniques and devices based on transverse magnetic (TM) and transverse electric (TE) modes in an optical resonator or interferometer to provide sensitive optical detection with insensitivity to a change in temperature. | 10-08-2009 |
| 20090279099 | METHOD FOR FABRICATING A SENSOR, A SENSOR, AND A METHOD FOR SENSING - A method for fabricating a sensor, a sensor so fabricated, and a method for sensing a stimulus are provided. The method includes providing an elongated open channel, such as, a V-groove, in a substrate, the open channel providing a first surface; removing at least some material from at least a portion of the open channel to provide a second surface displaced from the first surface; positioning a diaphragm on the second surface; and positioning an elongated wave-guide having a beveled end in the elongated open channel wherein the beveled end is positioned over the diaphragm to define an interferometric cavity between the diaphragm and the outer surface of the wave-guide. The sensor so fabricated can provide an effective sensor for detecting acoustic emission waves, among other pressure waves. | 11-12-2009 |
| 20090310140 | Optical Sensing Devices and Methods - A method and system are disclosed for detecting the presence of a perturbation of a microresonator including the step of exciting at least first and second resonant guided optical modes of a microresonator with a light source that is in optical communication with the microresonator. The method further includes inducing a first frequency shift in the first resonant guided optical mode and a second frequency shift in the second resonant guided optical mode, wherein the second frequency shift can be zero. Another step of the method is comparing the first frequency shift and the second frequency shift. | 12-17-2009 |
| 20100007893 | Push-pull two wavelength fabry perot sensor for fiber optic acoustic sensor arrays - Two optical wavelengths are used to interrogate a fiber optic Fabry-Perot sensor having a moveable diaphragm that changes the width of a gap between two reflective surfaces. By picking the right operating point for the gap, the power output for one wavelength increases as the gap width changes and the power for the other wavelength decreases. A ratio of the difference of the two powers over the sum of the two powers is formed to generate a detected signal independent of power and phase fluctuations in a fiber between signal sources and sensor and between sensor and detector. This ratio, which is called the visibility, has a response proportional to the pressure of acoustic disturbances that move the diaphragm. The push-pull sensor can be used with both TDM and CW fan-out array architectures. | 01-14-2010 |
| 20100014094 | DISTRIBUTED GAS DETECTION - A system includes a plurality of optical resonators, a light source, an optical fiber that couples the plurality of optical resonators to the light source, and a detector that is coupled to the plurality of optical resonators. The detector is configured to detect an energy in the plurality of optical resonators. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100085573 | SPLIT FREQUENCY SENSING METHODS AND SYSTEMS - Resonant sensors and molecule detection methods utilizing split frequency. Optical energy is introduced into a microcavity, such as a toroid-shaped or spherical microcavity. A portion of the optical energy is backscattered and interacts with the introduced optical energy to form first and second modes of optical energy at respective first and second frequencies, also referred to as split frequency or mode doublets. One or more molecules bind to an outer surface of the microcavity and interact with an evanescent field of optical energy resonating within the microcavity. Binding of one or more molecules to the outer surface is detected based at least in part upon a change of the split frequency relative to a baseline split frequency. | 04-08-2010 |
| 20100149544 | Sensor apparatus and method using optical interferometry - A sensor apparatus and method includes a sensor head with at least two surfaces separated by a gap. One surface is mechanically fixed, a second surface is free to move and deflections of the second surface relative to the first surface are monitored by optical interferometry. In one embodiment, an optical fiber is used to direct light from a light source to the sensor and collect light reflected by the sensor. In alternate embodiments the sensor apparatus includes integrated optical elements, free-space optics, and direct laser-diode sensing. In operation, interaction of molecules or other objects in the sample with the second surface is detected as a change in amplitude and/or phase of deflection the second surface in response to an applied driving signal. A layer of binding molecules may be immobilized on the second surface and this surface exposed to a sample. The invention includes a method for detecting an analyte in a sample, including detecting the presence of analyte, the amount of analyte or the rate of association and/or dissociation of the analyte with a binding partner. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20100284020 | PHOTONIC CRYSTAL FIBER SENSOR - Apparatus and method for chemical and biological agent sensing. An example sensing apparatus includes a resonator having a resonance frequency. The resonator includes a coil of a photonic crystal fiber. The photonic crystal fiber has a solid region configured to guide a substantially single optical mode of light having, a cladding surrounding an exterior of the solid region, and at least one hollow core within the cladding. The cladding contains at least one hollow core. The photonic crystal fiber is configured to introduce a fluid that may contain an analyte to the hollow core. The photonic crystal fiber is configured so that the light interacts with the fluid. The resonator is configured to produce a resonance signal centered at the resonance frequency. A predetermined change in the resonance signal indicates a presence of a quantity of the analyte in the fluid. | 11-11-2010 |
| 20100296103 | OPTICAL MICRORESONATOR - An optical microresonator system and a sensor are disclosed. The optical microresonator system includes an optical waveguide and an optical microresonator that is directly optically coupled to the optical waveguide. The optical microresonator further includes an optical microcavity that is core coupled to the optical microresonator but not to the optical waveguide. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20110069318 | TRANSDUCER FOR MEASURING ENVIRONMENTAL PARAMETERS - Apparatus, methods, and other embodiments associated with measuring environmental parameters are described herein. In one embodiment, a transducer comprises a tube, an elongated member, a first reflective surface, a second reflective surface, and an optical fiber. The tube has a first end and a second end, and the elongated member also has a first end and a second end, with the first end of the elongated member secured to the tube. The second reflective surface is secured to the second end of the elongated member, and the first reflective surface is spaced apart from the second reflective surface and secured to the second end of the tube. The optical fiber is positioned to direct light towards the first and second reflective surfaces and to collect the reflected light from these two surfaces. | 03-24-2011 |
| 20110102803 | IN-LINE SINGLE FIBER MACH-ZEHNDER INTERFEROMETER - A single fiber Mach-Zehnder interferometer comprises an optical fiber having a core region and a cladding surrounding the core region, and a micro-cavity having part of the cladding and the core region removed, wherein the micro-cavity is adapted to receive a light beam and separate the light beam into a first light beam that propagates through the micro-cavity in an unguided mode, and a second light beam that propagates through the core region in a guided mode. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110102804 | PASSIVELY-THERMALLY-STABILIZED PHOTONIC APPARATUS, METHOD, AND APPLICATONS - Apparatus and methods that compensate for the thermally-induced drift of the resonance frequency of a closed-loop resonator include, in an exemplary embodiment, a waveguide-based Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) and an overcoupled, waveguide-based microring resonator. The temperature-induced red-shifting ring resonance can be balanced by a spectral blueshift with temperature of the MZI. To stabilize the resonance of the ring at a given wavelength, the change in optical path lengths with temperature of the ring and the MZI should be equal and opposite. The interplay of nonlinear change in phase of ring resonator with temperature and linear change in phase of MZI with temperature, along with matching the period of this phase change, gives rise to perfect oscillation in the combined system resonance with temperature. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20110170112 | HIGH INTENSITY FABRY-PEROT SENSOR - A sensor assembly having an optical fiber, a lens in optical communication with the optical fiber, a reflective surface spaced from the lens, for reflecting light from the beam back to the lens, a partially reflective surface positioned between the reflective surface and the lens, the partially reflective surface for reflecting light from the beam back to the lens, and an alignment device for aligning the lens and reflective surface with respect to one another, such that light from the beam of light transmitted from the lens reflects from the reflective surface back to the lens. The alignment device can have a rotational component and a base component, where the rotational component rotates to align a beam of light transmitted from the lens. The rotational component can also cooperate with the base component to move axially with respect to the reflective surfaces to align the beam for optimum power. | 07-14-2011 |
| 20110176143 | RESONATOR LENGTH MEASUREMENT - The invention provides a method and system for measuring the length of a reflective resonator, by analyzing an electromagnetic spectrum emitted therefrom. The emitted spectrum is used for estimating a first cavity length. This estimation is thereafter improved, by first computing at least one interference number for the spectrum, adjust this value to e.g. an integer or half-integer depending on the configuration of the resonator, and thereafter re-calculating the length of the resonator using the adjusted value of the interference number. The above is an efficient way of improving the accuracy in the determination of a physical property of a resonator. | 07-21-2011 |
| 20120147381 | Optical Fiber Reflective Sensor Interrogation Device - A system includes an optical source. The system further includes a reflective sensor remotely deployed from the optical source. The system further includes an optical processor. The system further includes a forward optical waveguide spanning the distance from, and transmitting light from, the optical source to the reflective sensor. The system further includes a return optical waveguide spanning the distance from, and transmitting light from, the reflective sensor to the optical processor. The forward optical waveguide follows substantially the same path as, but is completely separate from, the return optical waveguide. | 06-14-2012 |
| 20120218559 | OPTICAL CANTILEVER BASED ANALYTE DETECTION - An apparatus for detecting a presence of one or more analytes in a sample. The apparatus comprises a cantilever ( | 08-30-2012 |
| 20140168659 | MICROMACHINED METAL DIAPHRAGM BASED FABRY-PEROT FIBEROPTIC SENSOR SYSTEM AND DATA PROCESSING INVOLVING THE SAME - The present invention relates to micro machined metal diaphragm for Fabry-Perot interferometer sensor and Fabry Perot Fiber optic Sensor system using said metal diaphragm and method of fabrication thereof. Fabry Perot sensor with micro machined metallic diaphragms at the fiber optic end is developed ensuring accuracy, controllability by deterministic process. Advantageously, the system involves the metal diaphragm with high reflectivity inside surface facing the fiber end as a basic functional element. Importantly, the micro machined metal diaphragm is miniaturized to suit various critical applications including bio medical sensing devices for measuring various physiological parameters with desired accuracy. The metallic diaphragm based Fabry-Perot fiber optic sensor is directed to favour wide scale applications such as for measuring various parameters in nuclear industry, Chemical and Electrically harsh industry, biomedical applications with desired precision and favorable performance largely unaffected by radiation, high temperature or highly corrosive environment at work/application. | 06-19-2014 |
| 20140327919 | Remote Seal for Pressure Sensor - A system for sensing downhole pressure in in a hydrocarbon well using a Fabry-Perot (F-P) sensor in series with a Fiber Bragg Grating and maintaining the back pressure on the sensor system with a surface sealing system and a surface pressure control system. | 11-06-2014 |
| 20140368829 | OPTICAL CANTILEVER BASED ANALYSIS - An optical sensor including a MEMS structure, and a grating coupled resonating structure positioned adjacent to the MEMS structure, the grating coupled resonating structure comprising an interrogating grating coupler configured to direct light towards the MEMS structure. The interrogating grating coupler is two dimensional, and the interrogating grating coupler and the MEMS structure form an optical resonant cavity. | 12-18-2014 |
| 20150036147 | DISTRIBUTED MICROWAVE FABRY-PEROT INTERFEROMETER DEVICE AND METHOD - A device and method include a broadband light source in communication with a waveguide to provide a light signal for interrogating each of a plurality for sensors within the waveguide. An analyzer modulates the light signal with a microwave signal and demodulates and evaluates light signals reflected by the sensors. An amplitude and a phase of each reflected signal from each sensor is distinguished in the time domain and the modulated signal is reconstructed in the frequency domain. | 02-05-2015 |
| 20150292880 | DEFORMABLE INTERFEROMETRIC SENSOR - There is described a deformable interferometric sensor in which polymer swelling, upon analyte absorption, is used to deform an on-chip silicon Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI). The magnitude of the deformation, recorded through the resonance wavelength shift, is proportional to the analyte concentration. | 10-15-2015 |
| 20160047677 | Optical Sensor Arrangement and Method For Measuring an Observable - An optical sensor arrangement for measuring an observable, the arrangement including an optical resonance circuit including at least a first and a second optical resonator, each of the optical resonators including an entry port for coupling light into the optical resonator and a drop port for decoupling light from the optical resonator. The first and second resonator are configured such that only a portion of the first and second resonator detects the presence of the observable, a size of the portion of the first resonator being different from a size of the portion of the second resonator. The optical resonance circuit further configured to be coupled to a light generation circuit and to a detector unit for detecting light. | 02-18-2016 |
