Fiber Optic Spectrometer Research Articles

Comparison of the effectiveness of epoxy cure accelerators using a fluorescent molecular probe

A simple optical method for quantitative comparison of the effectiveness of epoxy cure accelerators, used for speeding up the crosslinking process of epoxy resins with cyclic anhydrides, is described. Fluorescent molecular probes and a miniature fiber optic spectrometer have been applied for measurement of the cure kinetics of a model epoxy resin/anhydride composition in the presence of various cure accelerators. A quantitative index of accelerator performance has been determined for several of the most common accelerators.

Fabrication, optimization and application of a dip-probe fluorescence spectrometer based on white-light excitation fluorescence

A dip-probe adapter was designed for easy analysis of complex multifluorophoric systems. The newly fabricated fiber optic compatible spectrometer design with dip-probe adapter could reach and analyze fluorophores kept at a distance from the analyzer. The new design and its parameters were optimized using standard fluorophores to get an optimal spectral response. This white-light excitation fluorescence (WLEF) based spectrometer could analyze any fluorophoric system rapidly without changing the instrument configuration. Fuel–oil blends such as petrol–2T oil and petrol–4T oil were precisely quantified with high accuracy (0.3% error) using a WLEF–multivariate analysis combination.

Nitrogen – Doped SnO<sub>2</sub> Thin Films Prepared by Direct Current Magnetron Sputtering

Nitrogen - doped tin oxide (N-doped SnO2) thin films were prepared on unheated glass substrate by dc magnetron sputtering of a Sn target in gas mixtures of O2 and N2. The N2 flow rates were varied from 0 to 15 SCCM with the same working pressure of 1×10-2 Torr. The as-deposited films were annealed in vacuum at 400 °C for 1 h. The films structure, electrical properties and optical properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), 4-point probe and Hall effect measurement and portable fiber optic UV-vis spectrometer, respectively. The observed XRD patterns of films showed preferred (101) orientation of the SnO2 tetragonal structure. The average crystalline size of the (101) diffraction peak decreased from 5.10 to 4.07 nm with N2 flow rate increased. Hall measurement indicated that resistivity increased and carrier concentrations decreased as N2 flow rate increased. The carrier concentrations decreased because N atoms substituted oxygen atom in SnO2 lattice. The N atoms may forms acceptor level in SnO2 band gap resulting in hole generation. The electron concentration from intrinsic defect were neutralized with the hole concentration. The carrier concentration decreased from 3.42×1017 cm-3 for un-doped SnO2 to the order of 1014 cm-3. The average percent transmittance of un-doped SnO2 of about 77.5% in visible range (400-700 nm) decreased to 60% with increasing N2 flow rate. The optical band gap decreased from 3.64 eV for un-doped SnO2 to 3.45 eV for N-doped SnO2 films.

Development of High-Resolution Fiber Spectrometer for LIBS Detection

This paper introduces a homemade high-resolution miniature fiber optic spectrometer for LIBS detection. The circuit part of the system is mainly controlled by a cortex-M3 chip, transmits data to the personal computer (PC) through the Universal Serial BUS (USB2.0), and a set of spectrometer test software is finished. The optical system is based on Czerny-Turner imaging system, using 1800grv/mm plane diffraction grating, 16μm slit and 2048 pixels linear array CCD as detector, high-resolution spectral output in the range of 335-455nm is required. By precisely calibration and testing, the precision of the system is 0.05nm, and the resolution of the wavelength at the blaze wavelength can up to 0.1nm which can fulfill the general LIBS detection.

Optical fibre spectrometer combined with a magnetic resonance sensor for multiple depth monitoring

Under some circumstances, it is necessary to do optical spectroscopy on a front surface while at the same time monitoring the presence of a hidden metallic layer. Here, a novel sensor system to do this based on the combination of a visible light optical fibre spectrometer with a magnetic resonance eddy current sensor is demonstrated. It is shown that the the eddy current sensor can probe a hidden metallic film placed up to 1 cm behind the dielectric front surface. The combination of two such detection principles allows one to probe layered materials at multiple depths, revealing their electromagnetic properties at different frequencies.

Influence of the temperature dependent spectral power distribution of light-emitting Diodes on the illuminance responsivity of a photometer

Accurate optical measurements of LEDs are crucial because of the increasing popularity of LEDs. However, a photometer with a V(λ) filter spectrum curve may yield large errors when it is used for photometric measurements of colored LEDs. The junction-dependent light output and spectral distribution of LEDs also introduce measurement errors of the measured photometric characteristics. For the accurate measurements of LEDs, the c(St,Ss) factors were used to estimate the possible deviation in the photometric measurement of colored LEDs with various junction temperatures using commercial and industrial grade photometer heads. The spectral measurements of LEDs with specified junction temperature were conducted using a miniature fiber-optic spectrometer, and the relative spectral power distributions of LEDs were used to calculate the spectral mismatch correction c(St,Ss) factors of the photometer heads. Therefore, the c(St,Ss) factors of colored LEDs were calculated according to the temperature dependent spectral power distributions with various junction temperatures, and these factors were used to estimate the possible deviation in the photometric measurement of colored LEDs. The estimation of the possible deviation in the photometric measurement shows that photometers with excellent relative spectral responsitivities must be used for accurate measurement; otherwise, careful calibration must be conducted when using a photometer with inferior relative spectral responsitivity of the photopic filter.

Quantification of doxorubicin in biofluids using white light excitation fluorescence

A fiber optic spectrometer setup was designed for white light excitation fluorescence 'WLEF' based measurements. Using this setup, two different analytical methods, a self referencing ratio-metric and a difference WLEF methods, were developed for the quantification of doxorubicin (DXR) in biofluids. It was seen that Acetonitrile (ACN) acts as an efficient and transparent extracting medium for DXR. The figures of merit and the percent recoveries of DXR in blood serum, even in presence of external fluorophores and in urine samples are comparable with existing analytical methods. The compact spectrometer is expected to be useful for easy quantification of fluorescent pharmaceuticals in biofluids.

Compact low-cost detector for in vivo assessment of microphytobenthos using laser induced fluorescence

The development of a compact low-cost detector for non-destructive assessment of microphytobenthos using laser induced fluorescence was described. The detector was built from a specially modified commercial miniature fiber optic spectrometer (Ocean Optics USB4000). Its usefulness is experimentally verified by the study of diatom-dominated biofilms inhabiting the upper layers of intertidal sediments of the Tagus Estuary, Portugal. It is demonstrated that, operating with a laser emitter producing 30 mJ pulses at the wavelength of 532 nm, the detector is capable to record fluorescence signals with sufficient intensity for the quantitative biomass characterization of the motile epipelic microphytobenthic communities and to monitor their migratory activity. This paves the way for building an entire emitter-detector LIF system for microphytobenthos monitoring, which will enable microalgae communities occupying hardly accessible intertidal flats to be monitored in vivo at affordable cost.

A Simple Point-of-Care Microfluidic Immunomagnetic Fluorescence Assay for Pathogens

In this work, we reported a simple rapid and point-of-care magnetic immunofluorescence assay for avian influenza virus (AIV) and developed a portable experimental setup equipped with an optical fiber spectrometer and a microfluidic device. We achieved the integration of immunomagnetic target capture, concentration, and fluorescence detection in the microfluidic chip. By optimizing flow rate and incubation time, we could get a limit of detection low up to 3.7 × 10(4) copy/μL with a sample consumption of 2 μL and a total assay time of less than 55 min. This approach had proved to possess high portability, fast analysis, high specificity, high precision, and reproducibility with an intra-assay variability of 2.87% and an interassay variability of 4.36%. As a whole, this microfluidic system may provide a powerful platform for the rapid detection of AIV and may be extended for detection of other viral pathogens; in addition, this portable experimental setup enables the development of point-of-care diagnostic systems while retaining adequate sensitivity.

Evaluation of the chemopreventive response of naringenin-loaded nanoparticles in experimental oral carcinogenesis using laser-induced autofluorescence spectroscopy

The aim of the present study is to investigate the chemopreventive effects of prepared naringenin-loaded nanoparticles (NARNPs) relative to the efficacy of free naringenin (NAR) in modifying the carcinogenic process and to study the changes in the endogenous fluorophores during DMBA-induced hamster buccal pouch (HBP) carcinogenesis by laser-induced autofluorescence (LIAF) spectroscopy. LIAF emission spectra from the hamster buccal mucosa of the control and experimental groups of animals were recorded in the 350–700 nm spectral range on a miniature fiber optic spectrometer from different anatomical sites of each group, with excitation at 404 nm from a diode laser. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) was developed in the buccal pouch of golden Syrian hamsters by painting with 0.5% DMBA in liquid paraffin three times a week for 14 weeks. DMBA-painted animals revealed morphological changes, hyperplasia, dysplasia and well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. LIAF emission spectra showed significant difference between the control and tumor tissues. The tumor tissues are characterized by an increase in the emission of porphyrins and a decrease in the emission of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrogenase (NADH) and flavin adenine nucleotide (FAD) when compared to the control tissues. Furthermore, oral administration of NAR and its nanoparticulates restored the status of endogenous fluorophores in the buccal mucosa of DMBA-painted animals. On a comparative basis, the treatment of nanoparticulate naringenin was found to be more effective than free naringenin in completely preventing the formation of squamous cell carcinoma and in improving the status of endogenous porphyrins to a normal range in DMBA-induced hamster buccal pouch carcinogenesis. The result of the present study further suggests that LIAF spectroscopy may be a very valuable tool for rapid and sensitive detection of endogenous fluorophore changes in response to chemopreventive agents.

Multispectral characterization of tissues encountered during laparoscopic colorectal surgery

AimsThis study investigated the feasibility of automated differentiation between essential tissue types encountered during laparoscopic colorectal surgery using spectral analysis. MethodsWide band (440–1830nm) spectra were collected using an optical fiber probe and spectrometer from freshly explanted, ex vivo, human colonic specimens. These data were normalized at 810nm (an isobestic wavelength for hemoglobin and oxy-hemoglobin) and mathematically analyzed using total principal component regression (TPCR). Results929 spectra were collected from specimens of 19 patients, distinguishing 5 tissue types: mesenteric fat (MF, n=269), blood vessels (BV, n=377), colonic tissue (CT, n=213), ureter (UR, n=10) and tumorous tissue in colon (TT, n=60). For each individual tissue type the distinctive ability was determined against all other tissue types pooled as a group. Paired probability density function (PDF) of “tissue” (centered around label 1) versus “all other pooled tissues” (centered around label 0) and the cumulative distribution function (CDF) at label crossover value 0.5 was determined for each tissue type (MF: CDF=0.99 [SD=0.19]; BV: CDF=0.95 [SD=0.29]; CT: CDF=0.98 [SD=0.22]; UR: CDF=0.99 [SD=0.09]; TT: CDF=0.99 [SD=0.18]). ConclusionAutomated spectral differentiation of blood vessel, ureter, mesenteric adipose tissue, colonic tissue and tumorous tissue in colon, is feasible in freshly explanted human colonic specimens. These results may be exploited for further steps toward multi- or hyperspectrally enhanced in vivo (laparoscopic) surgical imaging.

Specific absorption spectra of hemoglobin at different PO2 levels: potential noninvasive method to detect PO2 in tissues

Hemoglobin (Hb), as one of main components of blood, has a unique quaternary structure. Its release of oxygen is controlled by oxygen partial pressure (PO2). We investigate the specific spectroscopic changes in Hb under different PO2 levels to optimize clinical methods of measuring tissue PO2. The transmissivity of Hb under different PO2 levels is measured with a UV/Vis fiber optic spectrometer. Its plotted absorption spectral curve shows two high absorption peaks at 540 and 576 nm and an absorption valley at 560 nm when PO2 is higher than 100 mm Hg. The two high absorption peaks decrease gradually with a decrease in PO2, whereas the absorption valley at 560 nm increases. When PO2 decreases to approximately 0 mm Hg, the two high absorption peaks disappear completely, while the absorption valley has a hypochromic shift (8 to 10 nm) and forms a specific high absorption peak at approximately 550 nm. The same phenomena can be observed in visible reflectance spectra of finger-tip microcirculation. Specific changes in extinction coefficient and absorption spectra of Hb occur along with variations in PO2, which could be used to explain pathological changes caused by tissue hypoxia and for early detection of oxygen deficiency diseases in clinical monitoring.

Classification of Biological Spectrum Based on Principal Component Cluster Analysis

Spectrums of 17 biological tissue phantoms were measured using the fiber-optic spectrometer. Then, the spectrum was preprocessed by multiplicative scatter correction method to devoice the spectrum. Afterwards the features of the spectrum were extracted via principal component analysis. Ultimately, we applied cluster analysis for the spectral features. The results showed that the accumulated credibility of the first 12 spectral principal components was 99.86% for the spectrum after preprocessing; indicating that this spectrum feature extraction might be done in the case of losing no key information. And the results showed that the 17 biological tissue phantoms can be divided into four main categories according their optical features.

Raman Spectroscopy of Oral Buccal Mucosa: A Study on Age-Related Physiological Changes and Tobacco-Related Pathological Changes

Biophysical techniques play an important role in detecting physiological alterations during pathogenesis. Raman spectroscopy has shown immense potential in identifying several diseased conditions, including oral cancers. Classification of normal, inflammatory, premalignant and malignant conditions has been demonstrated using ex vivo Raman spectroscopy. Feasibility of recording in vivo spectra in clinically implementable time has also been shown. Translation of this technology to clinics requires extensive validation of methodologies, building of robust models and testing the same under stringent conditions as well as on diverse populations. In this context, the ability of Raman spectroscopy in identifying subtle changes in oral mucosa with increasing age, and the influence of these aging related changes on classification with tobacco-related pathological changes was evaluated. A total of 451 spectra from 62 subjects were recorded from buccal mucosa of healthy subjects of 4 different age groups (aged 20-60 years). Also, 478 spectra from 85 subjects belonging to 4 different categories, tobacco exposed mucosa, contralateral normal (opposite side of tumor), premalignant patches and tumors on buccal mucosa were recorded using fiber optic probe-coupled commercial Raman spectrometer. Differences in spectra were explored by unsupervised Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and supervised Linear Discriminant Analysis (LDA), followed by Leave one out cross validation. Results indicate feasibility of classifying early and late age groups. Also, clear classification is observed between healthy and pathological groups, thus inherent heterogeneity in healthy groups seems to have no bearing on classification of normal with abnormal conditions. Findings of the study indicate high sensitivity of Raman spectroscopy in detecting subtle mucosal changes, further supporting efficacy of Raman spectroscopic approaches in oral cancer applications. Prospectively, more vigorous validation studies of Raman methodology would enable routine clinical applications.

Optimization of the Single-Phased White Phosphor of Li2SrSiO4: Eu2+, Ce3+ for Light-Emitting Diodes by Using the Combinatorial Approach Assisted with the Taguchi Method

The best performance of the phosphor Li(2)SrSiO(4): Eu(2+), Ce(3+) in terms of luminescence efficiency (LE), color rendering index (CRI) and color temperature (Tc) for light-emitting diode application was optimized with combinatorial approach. The combinatorial libraries were synthesized with solution-based method and the scale-up samples were synthesized with conventional solid-reaction method. Crystal structure was investigated by using the X-ray diffraction spectrometer. The emission spectra of each sample in combinatorial libraries were measured in situ by using a fiber optic spectrometer. Fluorescence spectrometers were used to record excitation and emission spectra of bulk samples. White light generation was tuned up by tailoring Eu(2+) and Ce(3+) concentrations in the single-phased host of Li(2)SrSiO(4) under near-ultraviolet excitation, but it exhibited low efficiency of luminescence and poor color rendering index. The effects of each level of the Eu(2+) and Ce(3+) concentrations on LE, CRI, and Tc were evaluated with the Taguchi method. The optimum levels of the interaction pairs between Eu(2+) and Ce(3+) concentration on LE, CRI, and Tc were [2, 1] (0.006 M, 0.003 M), [1, 2] (0.003 M, 0.006 M), and [3, 1] (0.009 M, 0.00 3M), respectively. The thermal stability of luminescence, the external quantum efficiency (QE), luminance, chromaticity coordinates, correlated color temperature, color purity including the composition ratio of RGB in white light, and color rendering index of the white light emission of phosphor were evaluated comprehensively from a bulk sample.

Home-Made N-Channel Fiber-Optic Spectrometer from a Web Camera

This paper demonstrates the high potential of a web camera to be utilized as a low-cost multichannel fiber-optic spectrometer suitable for either educational or quality-control purposes in small and medium enterprises. The key idea is to arrange N input optical fibers in a line and position an external dispersive element to separate incoming optical beams into their associated spectral components in a two-dimensional (2D) space. With a commercial web camera, each set of the spectral components is imaged through a plastic lens onto the 2D image sensor of the web camera. For the demonstration, a five-channel webcam-based fiber-optic spectrometer is implemented where each channel is calibrated by selected reference light sources. The constructed spectrometer can perform wavelength analysis of the spectral irradiance in the range of 400 to 655 nm. Experimental results also show that peak operating wavelengths of five light-emitting diodes and a laser pointer can be determined with a wavelength measurement error of less than 10.5 nm. The total cost of the webcam-based five-channel fiber-optic spectrometer is only approximately US$92.50 and effectively performs to the desired results.

In vivoRaman spectroscopic identification of premalignant lesions in oral buccal mucosa

Cancers of oral cavities are one of the most common malignancies in India and other south-Asian countries. Tobacco habits are the main etiological factors for oral cancer. Identification of premalignant lesions is required for improving survival rates related to oral cancer. Optical spectroscopy methods are projected as alternative/adjunct for cancer diagnosis. Earlier studies have demonstrated the feasibility of classifying normal, premalignant, and malignant oral ex-vivo tissues. We intend to evaluate potentials of Raman spectroscopy in detecting premalignant conditions. Spectra were recorded from premalignant patches, contralateral normal (opposite to tumor site), and cancerous sites of subjects with oral cancers and also from age-matched healthy subjects with and without tobacco habits. A total of 861 spectra from 104 subjects were recorded using a fiber-optic probe-coupled HE-785 Raman spectrometer. Spectral differences in the 1200- to 1800-cm-1 region were subjected to unsupervised principal component analysis and supervised linear discriminant analysis followed by validation with leave-one-out and an independent test data set. Results suggest that premalignant conditions can be objectively discriminated with both normal and cancerous sites as well as from healthy controls with and without tobacco habits. Findings of the study further support efficacy of Raman spectroscopic approaches in oral-cancer applications.

EFFECT OF COLD STORAGE ON OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF SOME CITRUS FRUITS

The objective of this research was to compare the optical properties of some citrus fruits (orange, mandarin and lemon) before and after cold storage over the visible and near-infrared wave region (400–1000 nm). AvaSpec-2048 Standard Fiber Optic Spectrometer was used to acquire spatially resolved diffuse reflectance images from the samples of orange, mandarin and lemon. Seven effective wavelengths (480, 535, 675, 720, 840, 880, 978 nm) were selected to realize hyper-spectral tests. The obtained results show that for flesh and skin of fruits after cold storage, there was not any peak at 675 nm excluding orange skin, this attribute after cold storage fruits become over ripe that there was not chlorophyll content as before storage; cold storage had not any effect on chlorophyll content of orange skin. Results also show that

Light-addressable potentiometric sensor based on precise light intensity modulation for eliminating measurement error caused by light source

To eliminate measurement error caused by fluctuation, distortion and noise of light source output in a light-addressable potentiometric sensor (LAPS) system, LAPS system based on precise light intensity modulation is presented in this study. A superluminescence LED (SLED) module, with a home-made multi negative feedback SLED driver, is proposed as the precise light source in this system. A high-speed optical fiber spectrometer is introduced for on-line monitoring and long period intensity compensation. The precise light source provides light output to LAPS, and keeps light intensity on sensitive surface to meet sine rules with low distortion and low noise. Furthermore, it is immune from variation of ambient temperature. Detailed optical parameters of precise light source are presented and compared with conventional light source. H+ measurements for LAPS system based on precise light intensity modulation were given and compared with system with conventional light source. From contrast experiments, it can be deduced that LAPS system based on precise light intensity modulation has better linearity, higher accuracy and lower noise than LAPS system with conventional light source.

Molecularly imprinted polymer sensors for detection in the gas, liquid, and vapor phase

Fast, reliable, and inexpensive analytical techniques for detection of airborne chemical warfare agents are desperately needed. Recent advances in the field of molecularly imprinted polymers have created synthetic nanomaterials that can sensitively and selectively detect these materials in aqueous environments, but thus far, they have not been demonstrated to work for detection of vapors. The imprinted polymers function by mimicking the function of biological receptors. They can provide high sensitivity and selectivity but, unlike their biological counterparts, maintain excellent thermal and mechanical stability. The traditional imprinted polymer approach is further enhanced in this work by the addition of a luminescent europium that has been introduced into the polymers to provide enhanced chemical affinity as well as a method for signal transduction to indicate the binding event. The europium in these polymers is so sensitive to the bound target; it can distinguish between species differing by a single methyl group. The imprinted polymer technology is fiber optic-based making it inexpensive and easily integratable with commercially available miniature fiber optic spectrometer technologies to provide a shoebox size device. In this work, we will describe efforts to apply these sensors for detection of airborne materials and vapors. Successful application of this technology will provide accurate low level vapor detection of chemical agents or pesticides with little to no false positives.