Plastic Optical Fiber Research Articles

Ammonia detection in water using balloon-like fiber optic sensor coated with oxazine and PDMS

This paper presents the detection of ammonia in water using a balloon-like fiber optic sensor coated with Oxazine 170 perchlorate and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). The sensor was prepared by removing a middle portion of a plastic optical fiber cladding using acetone. The uncladded fiber optic sensor was then bent into a balloon-like shape using a 3D printed fiber holder to fix the diameter of the bent structure and a shrink tube to maintain the curvature of the balloon-like structure. A thin layer of Oxazine 170 perchlorate (sensing material) was then deposited on the fiber surface before it was dip coated with PDMS for the protection of the sensing material. Experimental results revealed that the sensor has linear relationship with ammonia concentration ranging from 0 mg/L to 15 mg/L. Moreover, the sensor managed to achieve the sensor sensitivity of 0.006 (mg/L)−1, linearity of 0.9154, resolution of 1.6667 mg/L, LOD of 2.9556 mg/L, average stability precision of 99.8 % and RSD of 0.0308 %.

Cooling and lighting effects of new plastic optical fiber lighting system based on high-transmittance heat-insulating film

Using plastic optical fibers (POFs) to channel sunlight for indoor lighting is an emerging approach for solar energy utilization. In this study, a long focal length mobile dual-axis automatic sun-tracking spotlighting equipment (DASSE) and a new type of illuminance detection device for illuminance detection were designed. The DASSE consists of high-transmission heat-insulating film, a Fresnel lens, a heat sink, a light diffuser, a dual-axis automatic sun tracking device, and POFs. Meanwhile, the illuminance detection device consists of a GY-485-44009 sensor, a 485-ttl conversion module, a USB connection module, and a 5 V battery pack. Our findings indicated that incorporating a light diffuser onto the radiator engendered a more uniform distribution of light flux received by the optical fiber. Furthermore, a direct relationship was observed between the incident angle of the focused light and the light loss incurred by the optical fiber. DASSE exhibited commendable cooling and lighting capabilities, achieving an impressive light utilization efficiency of 29 %. The proposed new illuminance detection device demonstrated remarkable precision. Lastly, we designed prospective architectural lighting application schemes for DASSE.

Optoelectronic system for measuring the sugar content in citrus fruits

The color of oranges originates from carotenoids, which are natural pigments ranging from yellow to red color and is indicative of the sugar level and degree of ripeness. During the degreening process, the fruit quality can deteriorate, which is manifested as insufficient ripeness and sugar (sucrose) content. Therefore, in this study, we have designed a low-cost, easy-to-use optoelectronic system to measure the sugar content in orange and lemon juice. The system consists of a U-shaped plastic optical fiber (POF) and a visible multispectral sensor. The device identifies variation in the absorption of the evanescent field of the POF when it comes in contact with orange juice. The response of the multispectral sensor in the wavelength range of 450–650 nm is digitally captured, improving the efficiency and accuracy of the measurements. To validate the multispectral sensor measurements, the sugar contents are compared with those obtained using a visible spectrum analyzer and refractometer.

Cascaded plastic optical fiber based SPR sensor for simultaneous measurement of refractive index and temperature.

A cascaded side-polish plastic optical fiber (POF) and FONTEX optical fiber based surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor is proposed for simultaneous measurement of refractive index (RI) and temperature. The side-polish POF and FONTEX optical fiber are connected by using the UV glue in a Teflon plastic tube. The SPR phenomenon can be excited at both of the side-polish region and the FONTEX fiber cladding. The polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is coated on the side-polish POF to get a temperature sensing channel. Due to the low RI sensitivity of the FONTEX optical fiber, the cascaded fiber sensor can obtain a broader RI measurement range with a low crosstalk. An RI sensitivity of 700 nm/RIU in the RI measurement range of 1.335-1.39 and a temperature sensitivity of -1.02 nm/°C measured in deionized water with a range of 20-60 °C are obtained. In addition, the cascaded POF based SPR sensor has potential application prospects in the field of biochemical sensing.

Stabilized Plastic Optical Fiber Link Even Without a Physical-Contact Fiber Connection

Stabilized Plastic Optical Fiber Link Even Without a Physical-Contact Fiber Connection

ITO Film-Coated SPR Sensor Based on Plastic Optical Fiber for Seawater Salinity Measurement

ITO Film-Coated SPR Sensor Based on Plastic Optical Fiber for Seawater Salinity Measurement

Evaluation of the MRI compatibility of PET detectors modules for organ-specific inserts in a 3T and 7T MRI scanner.

Simultaneous positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners and inserts are valuable tools for accurate diagnosis, treatment planning, and monitoring due to their complementary information. However, the integration of a PET system into an MRI scanner presents technical challenges for a distortion-free operation. We aim to develop a PET insert dedicated to breast imaging in combination with the 3T PET/MRI scanner Biograph mMR (Siemens Healthineers) as well as a brain PET insert for the 7T MRI scanner MAGNETOM Terra (Siemens Healthineers). For this development, we selected as a basis the C13500 series PET modules (Hamamatsu Photonics K.K.) as they offer an all-in-one solution with a scalable, modular design for compact integration with state-of-the-art performance. The original PET modules were not designed to be operated with an MRI scanner, therefore we implemented several modifications such as signal transmission via plastic optical fiber, radio frequency (RF) shielding of the front-end electronics, and filter for the power supply lines. In this work, we evaluated the mutual MRI compatibility between the modified PET modules and the 3T and 7T MRI scanner. We used a proof-of-concept setup with two detectors to comprehensively evaluate a potential distortion of the performance of the modified PET modules whilst exposing them to a variety of MR sequences up to the peak operation conditions of the Biograph mMR. A method using the periodicity of the sequences to identify distortions of the PET events in the phase of RF pulse transmission was introduced. Vice versa, the potential distortion of the Biograph mMR was evaluated by vendor proprietary MRI compatibility test sequences. Afterwards, these studies were extended to the MAGNETOM Terra. No distortions were introduced by gradient field switching (field strength up to 20 mT/m at a slew rate of 66.0 T/ms-1 ). However, RF pulse transmission induced a reduction of the single event rate from 33.0 kcounts/s to 32.0 kcounts/s and a degradation of the coincidence resolution time from 251 to 299ps. Further, the proposed method revealed artifacts in the energy and timing histograms. Finally, by using the front-end filters it was possible to prevent any RF pulse induced distortion of event rate, energy, or time stamps even for a 700° flip angle (45.5 μT) sequence. The evaluations to assess potential distortions of the MRI scanner showed that carefully designed RF shielding boxes for the PET modules were required to prevent distortion of the RF spectra. The increase in B0 field inhomogeneity of 0.254ppm and local changes of the B1 field of 12.5% introduced by the PET modules did not qualitatively affect the MR imaging with a spin echo and MPRAGE sequence for the Biograph mMR and the MAGNETOM Terra, respectively. Our study demonstrates the feasibility of using a modified version of the PET modules in combination with 3T and 7T MRI scanners. Building upon the encouraging MRI compatibility results from our proof-of-concept detectors, we will proceed to develop PET inserts for breast and brain imaging using these modules.

Immuno-SPR biosensor for the detection of Brucella abortus

A proof of principle biosensor for the Brucella abortus recognition onsite is presented. The system is based on a plasmonic optical fiber probe functionalized with an oriented antibody layer immobilized on a short polyethyleneglycol (PEG) interface through carbodiimide chemistry and protein G as an intermediate layer. The biosensor is inserted in a holder built in 3D printing technology, obtaining a custom holder useful for housing the sample to be measured and the equipment. The removable sensor chip is a low-cost Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) platform based on D-shaped plastic optical fibers (POFs), built-in in 3D printed connectors, used here for the first time to detect bacteria via a bio-receptor layer specific for its membrane protein. The performances of the biosensor in Brucella abortus recognition are tested by using two different SPR-POF probes combined with the same bio-receptor layer. The best sensor configuration has presented a sensitivity at low concentrations of one order of magnitude greater than the other. A limit of detection (LoD) of 2.8 bacteria/mL is achieved well competitive with other systems but without the need for amplification or special sample treatments. Specificity has been tested using Salmonella bacteria, and reproducibility, regenerability and stability are moreover evaluated. These experimental results pave the way for building an efficient and specific biosensor system for Brucella abortus detection onsite and in a few minutes. Moreover, the proposed POF-based SPR biosensor device, with respect to the already available technologies, could be a Point-of-care-test (POCT), simple to use, small-size and portable, low-cost, don’t necessary of a microfluidic system, and can be connected to the Internet (IoT).

Sensitivity Analysis of Intensity-Modulated Plastic Optical Fiber Sensors for Effective Aging Detection in Rapeseed Transformer Oil.

As the focus tilts toward online detection methodologies for transformer oil aging, bypassing challenges associated with traditional offline methods, such as sample contamination and misinterpretation, fiber optic sensors are gaining traction due to their compact nature, cost-effectiveness, and resilience to electromagnetic disturbances that are typical in high-voltage environments. This study delves into the sensitivity analysis of intensity-modulated plastic optical fiber sensors. The investigation encompasses key determinants such as the influence of optical source wavelengths, noise response dynamics, ramifications of varying sensing lengths, and repeatability assessments. Our findings highlight that elongating sensing length detrimentally affects both linearity response and repeatability, largely attributed to a diminished resistance to noise. Additionally, the choice of the optical source wavelength proved to be a critical variable in assessing sensor sensitivity.

Cellular Guardband NB-IoT Performance Over PMMA Plastic Optical Fibers

Cellular Guardband NB-IoT Performance Over PMMA Plastic Optical Fibers

Ag@Fe3O4-coated U-shaped plastic optical fiber sensor for H2S detection

This work presents the fabrication of U-shaped plastic optical fiber (POF) sensors for hydrogen sulfide (H2S) detection, coated with Fe3O4 nanoparticles synthetized using the Pulsed Laser Ablation in Liquid (PLAL) technique. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles were synthetized in ultra-pure water and in silver nitrate solution, resulting in two colloidal samples with different morphological, optical, and structural properties. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles were coated onto one POF sensor, while the other sensor was coated with a nanostructure composed of Ag as the core and Fe3O4 as the shell (Ag@Fe3O4). The performance of both sensors was evaluated by exposing them to different concentrations of H2S and other gases such as CH4, H2, and CO2. All experiments were conducted at 25 °C. Results showed that the sensor coated with Ag@Fe3O4 was 12 times more sensitive to H2S compared to the sensor coated with Fe3O4, with a detection limit of 1 ppm and a rise time of 15 s. Moreover, the POF sensor coated with Ag@Fe3O4 presented high selectivity to H2S, making it a promising candidate for H2S detection in different applications. The sensor's performance was also evaluated with a relative humidity range of 20–90%, exhibiting a minimal 0.75% signal variation at 90% humidity.

Mean wavelength-based Fresnel lens solar collector for eliminating the hotpot problem in daylighting systems

In this paper, the mean-wavelength-based Fresnel lens was designed by merging the modified edge ray principle and idea of superposition. The bottom-to-top approach optimizes the design of individual prisms according to the predetermined plastic optical fiber (POF) bundle size. The simulated optical efficiency of the collector for the sun’s visible spectrum (380–740 nm) light is 82.93% with a uniformity ratio of 0.434. Based on the designed collector, the daylighting system can deliver 199.38 lumens via a 10 m long POF bundle with an efficiency of 23.78%. The thermal analysis revealed that the maximum temperature on the focus plane was 49.7°C.

Low-Cost Angle Sensor for Robotics Applications Using Plastic Optical Fiber Based on Optical Loss Mechanism.

Robotic systems and the human body consist of numerous joint structures, all of which require precise angle adjustments. At present, encoder, strain gauge, and electrical resistance-based sensors are commonly used for angle measurement. However, these sensors have limitations when used in underwater or in environments with strong electromagnetic waves. Therefore, we have developed an angle sensor based on step-index profile plastic optical fiber (SI-POF), which is cost-effective and highly durable, in this study in order to overcome the limitations of existing angle measurement sensors. To this end, the amount of light loss according to the gab and angle changes that occur when the POF angle sensor is applied to the robot arm was experimentally measured, and based on the results, a simulation of the amount of light loss when the two losses occurred at the same time was conducted. In addition, the performance of the POF angle sensor was evaluated by measuring sensitivity and resolution, and comparative verification with a commonly used encoder was conducted to verify the reliability of sensors in extreme environments, such as those with electromagnetic fields and those that are underwater. Through this, the reliability and practicality of the POF angle sensor were confirmed. The results obtained in this study suggest that POF-based angle sensors can contribute to the development of the biomimetic robot industry as well as ordinary robots, especially in environments where existing sensors are difficult to apply, such as areas with underwater or electromagnetic interference (EMI).

Innovative optical pH sensors for the aquaculture sector: Comprehensive characterization of a cost-effective solution

Optical fiber sensors show potential for monitoring multiple parameters essential to the growth and health of fish, particularly the pH value of the aquaculture medium. Two types of optical fiber sensors, using tapered silica single mode fibers with a Bragg grating inscribed and D-shaped plastic optical fibers (home-made and reused) were produced. A pH-sensitive layer made of polyaniline (PANI) was deposited on the optical fibers’ surface. The sensors demonstrated reproducibility and repeatability with a sensitivity of −0.22 ± 0.02 dB/pH, −472 ± 9 Counts/pH, and −(26 ± 2) × 102 Counts/pH for tapers, D-shape home-made, and reused, respectively, but only for increasing pH. Stabilization time tests indicated that a minimum of 60 s is required for a stable response, with no significant cross-sensitivities regarding temperature and ionic strength.

650-nm vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) for plastic optical fiber communication

Vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) are widely used as light sources for high-speed communications. This is mainly due to their economical cost, high bandwidth, and scalability. However, efficient red VCSELs with emissions at 650 nm are required for plastic optical fiber (POF) technology because of the low-loss transmission window centered around this wavelength. This study investigates using 650-nm red VCSEL arrays in interconnected systems for POF communication to improve signal quality and increase data rates. The experimental results show that using one red VCSEL with a –3-dB bandwidth of 2 GHz in POF communication can achieve data rates of up to 4.7 Gb/s with 2 pJ/bit power efficiency using direct current-biased optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (DCO-OFDM). The bit error ratio (BER) is 3.6×10−3, which is less than the hard-decision forward-error correction (FEC) limit of 3.8 × 10−3. In addition, temperature dependence measurements of the VCSEL have been presented from 15 ∘C to 38 ∘C. The essential parameters of VCSEL have also been measured: the maximum optical power is 2.5 mW, and the power conversion efficiency is 14%.

Design, analysis and validation of Customised Homocentric Fresnel Collector based on longest wavelength of visible spectrum

The paper presents the design of a Customised Homocentric Fresnel Collector (CHFC) based on the principle of superposition and the longest wavelength of the visible spectrum. A bottom-to-top approach is proposed that uses an individually designed homocentric prism based on visible light at a wavelength of 740 nm. The homocentric prism of the CHFC follows a uniform height method with varying pitch. An area focus is achieved on the plastic optical fibre (POF) bundle inlet without employing any secondary optical element. The CHFC achieves a uniform distribution of concentrated visible spectrum radiation from the Sun with a significant reduction in the hotspot problem. Comparison of the CHFC versus a mid-wavelength-based Fresnel lens shows that the CHFC delivers 9.24% more visible spectrum radiation on the POF bundle inlet. The simulated optical efficiency of the CHFC is 90.6%. Numerical analysis of a CHFC-based daylighting system shows that 331 lm (efficiency of 39.4%) can be delivered via a 10 m long fibre bundle made up of 32 POF each of 1 mm diameter. Experimental observations demonstrated that the maximum temperature recorded on the POF bundle entrance is 56.8°C during peak direct normal illuminance conditions. Note that the spectral distribution of the radiation emerging from the POF differs from the incident sunlight spectrum because of the transmission characteristics of the optical components used in the CHFC testbed.

TRANSLUCENT CONCRETE

Translucent concrete is a concrete based building material with light trans-missive property due to embedded light optical elements usually Optical fibers and sometimes glass powder. It is also known as transparent concrete and light transmitting concrete(Li-tra-con) because of its properties of letting the light pass through it. It is used as a façade material and for cladding of walls and also as partition walls in structures. In this the optical fibers dia vary between 2 micron and 2mm in order to increase the transparency of material. The object have 95% of concrete and 5% of plastic optical fibers. And the fibers are disbursed in short direction to increase the transparency of concrete. This concrete is done to use sunlight as light source and to reduce power consumption.

Simultaneous measurement of temperature and refractive index based on plastic optical fiber knots and F–P interferometer

A reflective sensor based on F–P interferometer (FPI) and plastic optical fiber (POF) knots is proposed for simultaneously measuring the temperature and refractive index (RI). The FPI is fabricated by curing a polyvinyl chloride film on the end of a POF, and it is used to detect the temperature shifts. Meanwhile, the high sensitivity measurement of RI of the glucose solution is realized based on the POF knots. Finally, the RI and temperature are detected simultaneously with the help of the wavelength and reflected light intensity of an interference peak. The experimental results indicate that the proposed sensor achieves a maximum RI sensitivity of 2381.73%/RIU in the RI range of 1.33–1.374, and it can detect temperature simultaneously. The maximum relative deviations between the measured results and actual values of RI and temperature are only 0.038% and 2.76% respectively, and they have good repeatability. Furthermore, the proposed sensor has potential applications in biochemistry and food safety monitoring due to the unmodified and simple preparation process.

Plastic Optical Fiber as Water-Level Sensor

This research presents a low-cost sensor for measuring liquid levels using plastic optical fibers (POF). The sensor reduces the scattering-based optical losses in the fiber, which increase linearly with the liquid height. A U-bent fiber probe and photodetector are used to detect the change in optical intensity. The U-bent probe serves as a test probe for measuring the liquid level. The voltage response difference of the photodetector provides liquid level measurement. This study demonstrates the sensor's responsiveness to liquid level fluctuations above 55 cm at varying temperatures. Sensitivity levels of 1.4 and 3.3 mV/mm were achieved for water level fluctuations below and above 45 cm, respectively. Furthermore, the sensor demonstrated consistently stable responsiveness over multiple cycles.

Study on Transparent Concrete by Using Plastic Optical Fiber

Abstract: Transparent Concrete is the new type of concrete introduced in today’s world, properties of light transmitting due to appearance of light optical fibers. It is known as light transmitting concrete or translucent concrete. Also, there are many advantages to using light transmitting Concrete as compared regular Concrete. i.e lightning Occurs, good Aesthetically View, energy saving, etc. The Sample will contain 95 % of Concrete and 5 % of Plastic Optical fibers. Optical fibers Light transmit so Effectively that there is no loss of light conducted through the fibers. This type of concrete can introduced at average cost of construction and increasing Visual appearance of the building. This paper may help you to understand transparent Concrete for everyone easily.