A Dual Sensor for pH and Hydrogen Peroxide Using Polymer-Coated Optical Fibre Tips.

Science.gov (United States)

Purdey, Malcolm S; Thompson, Jeremy G; Monro, Tanya M; Abell, Andrew D; Schartner, Erik P

2015-12-17

This paper demonstrates the first single optical fibre tip probe for concurrent detection of both hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) concentration and pH of a solution. The sensor is constructed by embedding two fluorophores: carboxyperoxyfluor-1 (CPF1) and seminaphtharhodafluor-2 (SNARF2) within a polymer matrix located on the tip of the optical fibre. The functionalised fibre probe reproducibly measures pH, and is able to accurately detect H₂O₂ over a biologically relevant concentration range. This sensor offers potential for non-invasive detection of pH and H₂O₂ in biological environments using a single optical fibre.

Tapered Optical Fiber Sensor for Detection of pH in Microscopic Volumes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ondřej PODRAZKÝ

2014-05-01

Full Text Available A compact and robust tapered optical fiber microsensor is presented for detection of pH in a range from 5.8 to 7.5 in sub-microliter volumes. The sensor is based on a pH transducer 8- hydroxypyrene-1,3,6-trisulfonic acid trisodium salt immobilized in a xerogel matrix onto the tip of a optical fiber taper with a tip diameter below 20 mm. The sol-gel method and two silicon alkoxides is used for preparing the matrix. A ratio of the fluorescence emission intensities measured at 518 nm after the excitation at 400 and 450 nm is used for evaluating the sensor response to pH. This ratiometric approach enables to reduce effects of ambient light, bleaching of the sensitive layer and geometry of the probe to the fluorescence signal and achieve the resolution of about 0.07 pH units.

A Flexible Optical pH Sensor Based on Polysulfone Membranes Coated with pH-Responsive Polyaniline Nanofibers

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Nedal Abu-Thabit

2016-06-01

Full Text Available A new optical pH sensor based on polysulfone (PSU and polyaniline (PANI was developed. A transparent and flexible PSU membrane was employed as a support. The electrically conductive and pH-responsive PANI was deposited onto the membrane surface by in situ chemical oxidative polymerization (COP. The absorption spectra of the PANI-coated PSU membranes exhibited sensitivity to pH changes in the range of 4–12, which allowed for designing a dual wavelength pH optical sensor. The performance of the membranes was assessed by measuring their response starting from high pH and going down to low pH, and vice versa. It was found that it is necessary to precondition the sensor layers before each measurement due to the slight hysteresis observed during forward and backward pH titrations. PSU membranes with polyaniline coating thicknesses in the range of ≈100–200 nm exhibited fast response times of <4 s, which are attributed to the porous, rough and nanofibrillar morphology of the polyaniline coating. The fabricated pH sensor was characterized by a sigmoidal response (R2 = 0.997 which allows for pH determination over a wide dynamic range. All membranes were stable for a period of more than six months when stored in 1 M HCl solution. The reproducibility of the fabricated optical pH sensors was found to be <0.02 absorption units after one month storage in 1 M HCl solution. The performance of the optical pH sensor was tested and the obtained pH values were compared with the results obtained using a pH meter device.

A Dual Sensor for pH and Hydrogen Peroxide Using Polymer-Coated Optical Fibre Tips

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Malcolm S. Purdey

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper demonstrates the first single optical fibre tip probe for concurrent detection of both hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 concentration and pH of a solution. The sensor is constructed by embedding two fluorophores: carboxyperoxyfluor-1 (CPF1 and seminaphtharhodafluor-2 (SNARF2 within a polymer matrix located on the tip of the optical fibre. The functionalised fibre probe reproducibly measures pH, and is able to accurately detect H2O2 over a biologically relevant concentration range. This sensor offers potential for non-invasive detection of pH and H2O2 in biological environments using a single optical fibre.

No-core fiber-based highly sensitive optical fiber pH sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhardwaj, Vanita; Pathak, Akhilesh Kumar; Singh, Vinod Kumar

2017-05-01

The present work describes the fabrication and characterization of an optical fiber pH sensor using a sol–gel technique. The sensing head configuration is incorporated using a short section of no-core fiber, coated with tetraethyl orthosilicate and spliced at the end of a single mode fiber with a bulge. Different types of indicators (bromophenol blue, cresol red, and chlorophenol red) were used to achieve a wide pH range from 2 to 13. High sensitivities of the fabricated device were found to be 1.02 and ? 0.93 ?? nm / pH for acidic and alkaline solutions, respectively. From the characterization results, it was noted that there is an impact of ionic strength and an effect of the temperature of liquid on the response characteristic, which is an advantage of the existing device over the other pH sensors. The fabricated sensor exhibited good reflection spectrum, indicating a blueshift in resonance wavelength for alkaline solutions and a redshift for acidic solutions.

Design of an optically stable pH sensor based on immobilization of Giemsa on triacetylcellulose membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Khodadoust, Saeid; Kouri, Narges Cham; Talebiyanpoor, Mohammad Sharif; Deris, Jamile; Pebdani, Arezou Amiri

2015-12-01

In this work a simple, inexpensive, and sensitive optical sensor based on triacetylcellulose membrane as solid support was developed by using immobilization of Giemsa indicator for pH measurement. In this method, the influence variables on the membrane performance including pH concentration of indicator, response time, ionic strength, and reversibility were investigated. At optimum values of all variables the response of optical pH sensor is linear in the pH range of 3.0-12.0. This optical sensor was produced through simultaneous binding of the Giemsa on the activated triacetylcellulose membrane which responded to the pH changes in a broader linear range within less than 2.0 min and suitable reproducibility (RSDsensor was stable after 6 months of storage in the water/ethanol (50:50, v/v) solution without any measurable divergence in response properties (less than 5% RSD). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Using membrane composition to fine-tune the pKa of an optical liposome pH sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Clear, Kasey J; Virga, Katelyn; Gray, Lawrence; Smith, Bradley D

2016-04-14

Liposomes containing membrane-anchored pH-sensitive optical probes are valuable sensors for monitoring pH in various biomedical samples. The dynamic range of the sensor is maximized when the probe p K a is close to the expected sample pH. While some biomedical samples are close to neutral pH there are several circumstances where the pH is 1 or 2 units lower. Thus, there is a need to fine-tune the probe p K a in a predictable way. This investigation examined two lipid-conjugated optical probes, each with appended deep-red cyanine dyes containing indoline nitrogen atoms that are protonated in acid. The presence of anionic phospholipids in the liposomes stabilized the protonated probes and increased the probe p K a values by sensor for optimal pH sensing performance.

Fiber Optic pH Sensor with Self-Assembled Polymer Multilayer Nanocoatings

OpenAIRE

Shao, Li-Yang; Yin, Ming-Jie; Tam, Hwa-Yaw; Albert, Jacques

2013-01-01

A fiber-optic pH sensor based on a tilted fiber Bragg grating (TFBG) with electrostatic self-assembly multilayer sensing film is presented. The pH sensitive polymeric film, poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) was deposited on the circumference of the TFBG with the layer-by-layer (LbL) electrostatic self-assembly technique. The PDDA/PAA film exhibits a reduction in refractive index by swelling in different pH solutions. This effect results in wavelength s...

Study on pH Effect in Process of an Entero-gastric Fiber-optic Sensor Design

OpenAIRE

Guo-ping, Chen; Rong-min, Xia; Jun, Gong; Wen-de, Shou

2002-01-01

The pH effect on design of a fiber optic sensor newly developed for monitoring entero-gastric reflux is investigated. The research has been carried out by utilizing the sensor to measure characteristic absorption of bilirubin standard solution (used as a calibrator) at different pH values from about 1 to 8. The results show explicitly that the estimation error according to the calibration curves with pH

Highly Sensitive and Wide-Dynamic-Range Multichannel Optical-Fiber pH Sensor Based on PWM Technique

OpenAIRE

Md. Rajibur Rahaman Khan; Shin-Won Kang

2016-01-01

In this study, we propose a highly sensitive multichannel pH sensor that is based on an optical-fiber pulse width modulation (PWM) technique. According to the optical-fiber PWM method, the received sensing signal?s pulse width changes when the optical-fiber pH sensing-element of the array comes into contact with pH buffer solutions. The proposed optical-fiber PWM pH-sensing system offers a linear sensing response over a wide range of pH values from 2 to 12, with a high pH-sensing ability. The...

Fiber-optic pH sensor for in-situ applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Michels, M.H.; Dureault, B.

1992-01-01

An evaluation of the feasibility of a fiber-optic pH sensor was carried out. The pH sensor is composed of an optode connected to the transmitter-receiver apparatus (Optolec H) through a 100 m-long fiber. Three diodes of carefully chosen wavelengths are located in the Optolec H and emit through a bundle of nine fibers to the end of the optode where the oncoming light is reflected on an immobilized pH-indicator-based spherical bead of resin and sent back for analysis to the Optolec H through a central fiber. The influence of ionic strength as well as precision, response time, and lifetime have been determined. This device is to be used for routine in-situ measurements in an underground laboratory devoted to studies in connection with nuclear waste repositories where harsh conditions are encountered for direct collection of waters and traditional post-determination with a pH-meter

An Optical Sensor with Polyaniline-Gold Hybrid Nanostructures for Monitoring pH in Saliva

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chongdai Luo

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Saliva contains important personal physiological information that is related to some diseases, and it is a valuable source of biochemical information that can be collected rapidly, frequently, and without stress. In this article, we reported a new and simple localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR substrate composed of polyaniline (PANI-gold hybrid nanostructures as an optical sensor for monitoring the pH of saliva samples. The overall appearance and topography of the substrates, the composition, and the wettability of the LSPR surfaces were characterized by optical and scanning electron microscope (SEM images, infrared spectra, and contact angles measurement, respectively. The PANI-gold hybrid substrate readily responded to the pH. The response time was very short, which was 3.5 s when the pH switched from 2 to 7, and 4.5 s from 7 to 2. The changes of visible-near-infrared (NIR spectra of this sensor upon varying pH in solution showed that—for the absorption at given wavelengths of 665 nm and 785 nm—the sensitivities were 0.0299 a.u./pH (a.u. = arbitrary unit with a linear range of pH = 5–8 and 0.0234 a.u./pH with linear range of pH = 2–8, respectively. By using this new sensor, the pH of a real saliva sample was monitored and was consistent with the parallel measurements with a standard laboratory method. The results suggest that this novel LSPR sensor shows great potential in the field of mobile healthcare and home medical devices, and could also be modified by different sensitive materials to detect various molecules or ions in the future.

An Optical Sensor with Polyaniline-Gold Hybrid Nanostructures for Monitoring pH in Saliva.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Chongdai; Wang, Yangyang; Li, Xuemeng; Jiang, Xueqin; Gao, Panpan; Sun, Kang; Zhou, Jianhua; Zhang, Zhiguang; Jiang, Qing

2017-03-17

Saliva contains important personal physiological information that is related to some diseases, and it is a valuable source of biochemical information that can be collected rapidly, frequently, and without stress. In this article, we reported a new and simple localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) substrate composed of polyaniline (PANI)-gold hybrid nanostructures as an optical sensor for monitoring the pH of saliva samples. The overall appearance and topography of the substrates, the composition, and the wettability of the LSPR surfaces were characterized by optical and scanning electron microscope (SEM) images, infrared spectra, and contact angles measurement, respectively. The PANI-gold hybrid substrate readily responded to the pH. The response time was very short, which was 3.5 s when the pH switched from 2 to 7, and 4.5 s from 7 to 2. The changes of visible-near-infrared (NIR) spectra of this sensor upon varying pH in solution showed that-for the absorption at given wavelengths of 665 nm and 785 nm-the sensitivities were 0.0299 a.u./pH (a.u. = arbitrary unit) with a linear range of pH = 5-8 and 0.0234 a.u./pH with linear range of pH = 2-8, respectively. By using this new sensor, the pH of a real saliva sample was monitored and was consistent with the parallel measurements with a standard laboratory method. The results suggest that this novel LSPR sensor shows great potential in the field of mobile healthcare and home medical devices, and could also be modified by different sensitive materials to detect various molecules or ions in the future.

Physiological pH fiber-optic chemical sensor based on energy transfer. [Eosin and phenol red

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jordan, D.M.; Walt, D.R.; Milanovich, F.P.

1987-02-01

A fiber-optic sensor has been developed containing a fluorophore, eosin, and an absorber, phenol red, coimmobilized on the distal end of an optical fiber. When an argon laser is used to excite eosin with light of lambda 488 nm, a region of the spectrum where phenol red does not absorb, eosin emits light in a spectral region that overlaps significantly with the absorption spectru of the basic form of phenol red. Consequently, nonradiative energy transfer occurs from eosin (donor) to phenol red (acceptor). The amount of energy transfer increases as the pH increases resulting in a diminished fluorescence intensity. Thus, changes in the absorption of phenol red as a function of pH are detected as changes in the fluorescent signal. In this manner a pH sensor optimized for physiological pH measurement has been prepared. The fiber exhibits a precision of at least 0.01 pH units.

The Influence of Polymerization Condition to Optical Properties of Poly-o-toludine Films for PH Sensor Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanti Sabarinah

2006-04-01

Full Text Available Properties of poly-o-toludine film strongly bonded to non polar substrate was studied for application as optical pH sensor. Characterization of film in various pH value is carried out by recording absorbance curve using uv-visible spectrophotometer. All poly-o-toluidine film was then found to be applicable as optical pH sensor in the pH range of 2.0- 6.0. Further computational processing by means of curve fitting into logaritmic trend will allow expansion of measurement to the pH range of 2.0-8.0. Sensitivity of pH response was highest in poly-o-toluidine film fabricate at HCl 1.0 M and at 12 hours of dipping time. This paper also studied hysteresis effect in pH response. It was concluded that poly-o-toluidine salt exposed to basic pH will not be easily regenerated. For this reason, poly-o-toluidine film will only be suitable for single usage of pH measurement.

Development of Hybrid pH sensor for long-term seawater pH monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Nakano, Y.; Egashira, T.; Miwa, T.; Kimoto, H.

2016-02-01

We have been developing the in situ pH sensor (Hybrid pH sensor: HpHS) for the long-term seawater pH monitoring. We are planning to provide the HpHS for researchers and environmental consultants for observation of the CCS (Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage) monitoring system, the coastal environment monitoring system (e.g. Blue Carbon) and ocean acidification. The HpHS has two types of pH sensors (i.e. potentiometric pH sensor and spectrophotometric pH sensor). The spectrophotometric pH sensor can measure pH correctly and stably, however it needs large power consumption and a lot of reagents in a long period of observation. The pH sensor used m-cresol purple (mCP) as an indicator of pH (Clayton and Byrne, 1993 and Liu et al., 2011). We can choose both coefficients before deployment. On the other hand, although the potentiometric pH sensor is low power consumption and high-speed response (within 10 seconds), drifts in the pH of the potentiometric measurements may possibly occur for a long-term observation. The HpHS can measure in situ pH correctly and stably combining advantage of both pH sensors. The HpHS consists of an aluminum pressure housing with optical cell (main unit) and an aluminum silicon-oil filled, pressure-compensated vessel containing pumps and valves (diaphragm pump and valve unit) and pressure-compensated reagents bags (pH indicator, pure water and Tris buffer or certified reference material: CRM) with an ability to resist water pressure to 3000m depth. The main unit holds system control boards, pump drivers, data storage (micro SD card), LED right source, photodiode, optical cell and pressure proof windows. The HpHS also has an aluminum pressure housing that holds a rechargeable lithium-ion battery or a lithium battery for the power supply (DC 24 V). The HpHS is correcting the value of the potentiometric pH sensor (measuring frequently) by the value of the spectrophotometric pH sensor (measuring less frequently). It is possible to calibrate in

Double-pass Mach-Zehnder fiber interferometer pH sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Tou, Zhi Qiang; Chan, Chi Chiu; Hong, Jesmond; Png, Shermaine; Eddie, Khay Ming Tan; Tan, Terence Aik Huang

2014-04-01

A biocompatible fiber-optic pH sensor based on a unique double-pass Mach-Zehnder interferometer is proposed. pH responsive poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) hydrogel coating on the fiber swells/deswells in response to local pH, leading to refractive index changes that manifest as shifting of interference dips in the optical spectrum. The pH sensor is tested in spiked phosphate buffer saline and demonstrates high sensitivity of 1.71  nm/pH, pH 0.004 limit of detection with good responsiveness, repeatability, and stability. The proposed sensor has been successfully applied in monitoring the media pH in cell culture experiments to investigate the relationship between pH and cancer cell growth.

Development and application of an excitation ratiometric optical pH sensor for bioprocess monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Badugu, Ramachandram; Kostov, Yordan; Rao, Govind; Tolosa, Leah

2008-01-01

The development of a fluorescent excitation ratiometric pH sensor (AHQ-PEG) using a novel allylhydroxyquinolinium (AHQ) derivative copolymerized with polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate (PEG) is described. The AHQ-PEG sensor film is shown to be suitable for real-time, noninvasive, continuous, online pH monitoring of bioprocesses. Optical ratiometric measurements are generally more reliable, robust, inexpensive, and insensitive to experimental errors such as fluctuations in the source intensity and fluorophore photobleaching. The sensor AHQ-PEG in deionized water was shown to exhibit two excitation maxima at 375 and 425 nm with a single emission peak at 520 nm. Excitation spectra of AHQ-PEG show a decrease in emission at the 360 nm excitation and an increase at the 420 nm excitation with increasing pH. Accordingly, the ratio of emission at 420:360 nm excitation showed a maximum change between pH 5 and 8 with an apparent pK(a) of 6.40. The low pK(a) value is suitable for monitoring the fermentation of most industrially important microorganisms. Additionally, the AHQ-PEG sensor was shown to have minimal sensitivity to ionic strength and temperature. Because AHQ is covalently attached to PEG, the film shows no probe leaching and is sterilizable by steam and alcohol. It shows rapid (approximately 2 min) and reversible response to pH over many cycles without any photobleaching. Subsequently, the AHQ-PEG sensor film was tested for its suitability in monitoring the pH of S. cereviseae (yeast) fermentation. The observed pH using AHQ-PEG film is in agreement with a conventional glass pH electrode. However, unlike the glass electrode, the present sensor is easily adaptable to noninvasive monitoring of sterilized, closed bioprocess environments without the awkward wire connections that electrodes require. In addition, the AHQ-PEG sensor is easily miniaturized to fit in microwell plates and microbioreactors for high-throughput cell culture applications.

pH sensor based on boron nitride nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Q; Bando, Y; Zhao, L; Zhi, C Y; Golberg, D

2009-10-14

A submicrometer-sized pH sensor based on biotin-fluorescein-functionalized multiwalled BN nanotubes with anchored Ag nanoparticles is designed. Intrinsic pH-dependent photoluminescence and Raman signals in attached fluorescein molecules enhanced by Ag nanoparticles allow this novel nanohybrid to perform as a practical pH sensor. It is able to work in a submicrometer-sized space. For example, the sensor may determine the environmental pH of sub-units in living cells where a traditional optical fiber sensor fails because of spatial limitations.

pH sensor based on boron nitride nanotubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang, Q; Bando, Y; Zhao, L; Zhi, C Y; Golberg, D

2009-01-01

A submicrometer-sized pH sensor based on biotin-fluorescein-functionalized multiwalled BN nanotubes with anchored Ag nanoparticles is designed. Intrinsic pH-dependent photoluminescence and Raman signals in attached fluorescein molecules enhanced by Ag nanoparticles allow this novel nanohybrid to perform as a practical pH sensor. It is able to work in a submicrometer-sized space. For example, the sensor may determine the environmental pH of sub-units in living cells where a traditional optical fiber sensor fails because of spatial limitations.

A novel "modularized" optical sensor for pH monitoring in biological matrixes.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xun; Zhang, Shang-Qing; Wei, Xing; Yang, Ting; Chen, Ming-Li; Wang, Jian-Hua

2018-06-30

A novel core-shell structure optical pH sensor is developed with upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) serving as the core and silica as the shell, followed by grafting bovineserumalbumin (BSA) as another shell via glutaraldehyde cross-linking. The obtained core-shell-shell structure is shortly termed as UCNPs@SiO 2 @BSA, and its surface provides a platform for loading various pH sensitive dyes, which are alike "modules" to make it feasible for measuring pHs within different pH ranges by simply regulating the type of dyes. Generally, a single pH sensitive dye is adopted to respond within a certain pH range. This study employs bromothymol blue (BTB) and rhodamine B (RhB) to facilitate their responses to pH variations within two ranges, i.e., pH 5.99-8.09 and pH 4.98-6.40, respectively, with detection by ratio-fluorescence protocol. The core-shell-shell structure offers superior sensitivity, which is tens of times more sensitive than those achieved by ratio-fluorescence approaches based on various nanostructures, and favorable stability is achieved in high ionic strength medium. In addition, this sensor exhibits superior photostability under continuous excitation at 980 nm. Thanks to the near infrared excitation in the core-shell-shell structure, it effectively avoids the self-fluorescence from biological samples and thus facilitates accurate sensing of pH in various biological sample matrixes. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Surface plasmon resonance based fiber optic pH sensor utilizing Ag/ITO/Al/hydrogel layers.

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, Satyendra K; Gupta, Banshi D

2013-05-07

The fabrication and characterization of a surface plasmon resonance based pH sensor using coatings of silver, ITO (In2O3:SnO2), aluminium and smart hydrogel layers over an unclad core of an optical fiber have been reported. The silver, aluminium and ITO layers were coated using a thermal evaporation technique, while the hydrogel layer was prepared using a dip-coating method. The sensor works on the principle of detecting changes in the refractive index of the hydrogel layer due to its swelling and shrinkage caused by changes in the pH of the fluid surrounding the hydrogel layer. The sensor utilizes a wavelength interrogation technique and operates in a particular window of low and high pH values. Increasing the pH value of the fluid causes swelling of the hydrogel layer, which decreases its refractive index and results in a shift of the resonance wavelength towards blue in the transmitted spectra. The thicknesses of the ITO and aluminium layers have been optimized to achieve the best performance of the sensor. The ITO layer increases the sensitivity while the aluminium layer increases the detection accuracy of the sensor. The proposed sensor possesses maximum sensitivity in comparison to the sensors reported in the literature. A negligible effect of ambient temperature in the range 25 °C to 45 °C on the performance of the sensor has been observed. The additional advantages of the sensor are short response time, low cost, probe miniaturization, probe re-usability and the capability of remote sensing.

Determination of water pH using absorption-based optical sensors: evaluation of different calculation methods

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Hongliang; Liu, Baohua; Ding, Zhongjun; Wang, Xiangxin

2017-02-01

Absorption-based optical sensors have been developed for the determination of water pH. In this paper, based on the preparation of a transparent sol-gel thin film with a phenol red (PR) indicator, several calculation methods, including simple linear regression analysis, quadratic regression analysis and dual-wavelength absorbance ratio analysis, were used to calculate water pH. Results of MSSRR show that dual-wavelength absorbance ratio analysis can improve the calculation accuracy of water pH in long-term measurement.

Critical review of pH sensing with optical fibers

Science.gov (United States)

Baldini, Francesco

1999-02-01

The chemical parameter most investigated with optical fibers is doubtless pH. The first pH optical fiber sensor was described in 1980. Since then, more than one hundred and twenty original papers describing different pH sensors have been published, based on absorption-based indicators on fluorophores. Such interest is perfectly justified, since pH detection is essential in many fields of application, ranging from the environment and medicine to industry and process control. Moreover, pH transduction can be used for measuring different chemical species, such as carbon dioxide, ammonia and pesticides. Notwithstanding the great number of prototypes realized in different laboratories all over the world, only a few products are available on the market. A critical analysis of the state of art in pH sensing using optical fibers is described, outlining the advantages and disadvantages of an optical approach.

Embedded micro-sensor for monitoring pH in concrete structures

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivasan, Rengaswamy; Phillips, Terry E.; Bargeron, C. Brent; Carlson, Micah A.; Schemm, Elizabeth R.; Saffarian, Hassan M.

2000-04-01

Three major causes of corrosion of steel in concrete are chloride ions (Cl-), temperature (T) and acidity (pH). Under normal operating temperatures and with pH above 13, steel does not undergo pitting corrosion. In presence of Cl-, if the pH decreases below 12, the probability of pitting increases. Acid rain and atmospheric carbon dioxide cause the pH to drop in concrete, often leading to corrosion of the structure with the concomitant cost of repair or replacement. Currently, the pH level in concrete is estimated through destructive testing of the structures. Glass ISFET, and other pH sensors that need maintenance and calibration cannot be embedded in concrete. In this paper, we describe an inexpensive solid state pH sensor that can be embedded in concrete, to detect pH changes at the early stages. It employs a chemical reagent, trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) that exhibits changes in optical properties in the 12 - 14 pH range, and is held in a film of a sol-gel/TNBS composite on an optically transparent surface. A simple LED/filter/photodiode transducer monitors pH-induced changes in TNBS. Such a device needs no periodic calibration or maintenance. The optical window, the light-source and sensor can be easily housed and encapsulated in a chemically inert structure, and embedded in concrete.

Evaluating Nanoparticle Sensor Design for Intracellular pH Measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Benjaminsen, Rikke Vicki; Sun, Honghao; Henriksen, Jonas Rosager

2011-01-01

Particle-based nanosensors have over the last decade been designed for optical fluorescent-based ratiometric measurements of pH in living cells. However, quantitative and time-resolved intracellular measurements of pH in endosomes and lysosomes using particle nanosensors is challenging...... and there is a need to improve measurement methodology. In the present paper, we have successfully carried out time resolved pH measurements in endosomes and lyosomes in living cells using nanoparticle sensors and show the importance of sensor choice for successful quantification. We have studied two nanoparticle...... quantification of pH is an unfortunate result when measuring pH too close to the limit of the sensitive range of the sensors. Triple-labeled nanosensors with a pH measurement range of 3.2-7.0, which was synthesized by adding two pH-sensitive fluorophores with different pKa to each sensor, seem to be a solution...

Evaluating nanoparticle sensor design for intracellular pH measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Benjaminsen, Rikke V; Sun, Honghao; Henriksen, Jonas R; Christensen, Nynne M; Almdal, Kristoffer; Andresen, Thomas L

2011-07-26

Particle-based nanosensors have over the past decade been designed for optical fluorescent-based ratiometric measurements of pH in living cells. However, quantitative and time-resolved intracellular measurements of pH in endosomes and lysosomes using particle nanosensors are challenging, and there is a need to improve measurement methodology. In the present paper, we have successfully carried out time-resolved pH measurements in endosomes and lyosomes in living cells using nanoparticle sensors and show the importance of sensor choice for successful quantification. We have studied two nanoparticle-based sensor systems that are internalized by endocytosis and elucidated important factors in nanosensor design that should be considered in future development of new sensors. From our experiments it is clear that it is highly important to use sensors that have a broad measurement range, as erroneous quantification of pH is an unfortunate result when measuring pH too close to the limit of the sensitive range of the sensors. Triple-labeled nanosensors with a pH measurement range of 3.2-7.0, which was synthesized by adding two pH-sensitive fluorophores with different pK(a) to each sensor, seem to be a solution to some of the earlier problems found when measuring pH in the endosome-lysosome pathway.

Versatile common instrumentation for optical detection of pH and dissolved oxygen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sardesai, Neha [Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, Maryland 21250 (United States); Rao, Govind [Center for Advanced Sensor Technology and Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, Maryland 21250 (United States); Kostov, Yordan, E-mail: kostov@umbc.edu [Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, Maryland 21250 (United States); Center for Advanced Sensor Technology and Department of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering, University of Maryland Baltimore County, 1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, Maryland 21250 (United States)

2015-07-15

The recent trend toward use of disposable and miniature bioreactors requires the use of appropriate sensors. pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) are often measured using optical chemical sensors due to their small form factor and convenience in use. These sensors are often interrogated using a specialized opto-electronic transducer that is designed around the optical sensor. In this contribution, we are presenting a new class of opto-electronic transducers that are usable with several different chemical sensors without the need to switch the optics or hardware when changing the type of the chemical sensor. This allows flexibility closer to the lab-grade devices while the size is closer to a dedicated sensor. This versatile instrumentation is capable of seamlessly switching between the pH and DO measurement modes and is capable of auto recognition of the sensor type. The principle of ratiometric fluorescence is used for pH measurements, and that of fluorescence lifetime for DO measurements. An approach to obtain identical calibrations between several devices is also presented. The described hardware constitutes common instrumentation for measuring either pH or DO and has been tested in actual bioprocesses. It has been found adequate for continuous bioprocess monitoring.

Versatile common instrumentation for optical detection of pH and dissolved oxygen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sardesai, Neha; Rao, Govind; Kostov, Yordan

2015-01-01

The recent trend toward use of disposable and miniature bioreactors requires the use of appropriate sensors. pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) are often measured using optical chemical sensors due to their small form factor and convenience in use. These sensors are often interrogated using a specialized opto-electronic transducer that is designed around the optical sensor. In this contribution, we are presenting a new class of opto-electronic transducers that are usable with several different chemical sensors without the need to switch the optics or hardware when changing the type of the chemical sensor. This allows flexibility closer to the lab-grade devices while the size is closer to a dedicated sensor. This versatile instrumentation is capable of seamlessly switching between the pH and DO measurement modes and is capable of auto recognition of the sensor type. The principle of ratiometric fluorescence is used for pH measurements, and that of fluorescence lifetime for DO measurements. An approach to obtain identical calibrations between several devices is also presented. The described hardware constitutes common instrumentation for measuring either pH or DO and has been tested in actual bioprocesses. It has been found adequate for continuous bioprocess monitoring

TAPERED OPTICAL FIBRES FOR LOCAL pH DETECTION

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Martan, Tomáš; Pospíšilová, Marie; Aubrecht, Jan; Mrázek, Jan; Podrazký, Ondřej; Kašík, Ivan; Matějec, Vlastimil

2010-01-01

Roč. 206, č. 1 (2010), 0120171-0120172 ISSN 1742-6588. [8th International Workshop on Information Optics (WIO' 09). Paris, 20.07.2009-24.07.2009] R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GP102/08/P639 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20670512 Keywords : optical planar sensor * fluorescence * pH Subject RIV: JB - Sensor s, Measurment, Regulation

[The recent development of fiber-optic chemical sensor].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jian; Wei, Jian-ping; Yang, Bo; Gao, Zhi-yang; Zhang, Li-wei; Yang, Xue-feng

2014-08-01

The present article provides a brief review of recent research on fiber-optic chemical sensor technology and the future development trends. Especially, fiber-optic pH chemical sensor, fiber-optic ion chemicl sensor, and fiber-optic gas chemical sensor are introduced respectively. Sensing film preparation methods such as chemical bonding method and sol-gel method were briefly reviewed. The emergence of new type fiber-microstructured optical fiber opened up a new development direction for fiber-optic chemical sensor. Because of its large inner surface area, flexible design of structure, having internal sensing places in fibers, it has rapidly become an important development direction and research focus of the fiber-optic chemical sensors. The fiber-optic chemical sensor derived from microstructured optical fiber is also discussed in detail. Finally, we look to the future of the fiber-optic chemical sensor.

Alkaline pH sensor molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Murayama, Takashi; Maruyama, Ichiro N

2015-11-01

Animals can survive only within a narrow pH range. This requires continual monitoring of environmental and body-fluid pH. Although a variety of acidic pH sensor molecules have been reported, alkaline pH sensor function is not well understood. This Review describes neuronal alkaline pH sensors, grouped according to whether they monitor extracellular or intracellular alkaline pH. Extracellular sensors include the receptor-type guanylyl cyclase, the insulin receptor-related receptor, ligand-gated Cl- channels, connexin hemichannels, two-pore-domain K+ channels, and transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. Intracellular sensors include TRP channels and gap junction channels. Identification of molecular mechanisms underlying alkaline pH sensing is crucial for understanding how animals respond to environmental alkaline pH and how body-fluid pH is maintained within a narrow range. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Ground and river water quality monitoring using a smartphone-based pH sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sibasish Dutta

2015-05-01

Full Text Available We report here the working of a compact and handheld smartphone-based pH sensor for monitoring of ground and river water quality. Using simple laboratory optical components and the camera of the smartphone, we develop a compact spectrophotometer which is operational in the wavelength range of 400-700 nm and having spectral resolution of 0.305 nm/pixel for our equipment. The sensor measures variations in optical absorption band of pH sensitive dye sample in different pH solutions. The transmission image spectra through a transmission grating gets captured by the smartphone, and subsequently converted into intensity vs. wavelengths. Using the designed sensor, we measure water quality of ground water and river water from different locations in Assam and the results are found to be reliable when compared with the standard spectrophotometer tool. The overall cost involved for development of the sensor is relatively low. We envision that the designed sensing technique could emerge as an inexpensive, compact and portable pH sensor that would be useful for in-field applications.

Application of time-correlated single photon counting and stroboscopic detection methods with an evanescent-wave fibre-optic sensor for fluorescence-lifetime-based pH measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henning, Paul E; Geissinger, Peter

2012-01-01

Quasi-distributed optical fibre sensor arrays containing luminescent sensor molecules can be read out spatially resolved utilizing optical time-of-flight detection (OTOFD) methods, which employ pulsed laser interrogation of the luminosensors and time-resolved detection of the sensor signals. In many cases, sensing is based on a change in sensor luminescence intensity; however, sensing based on luminescence lifetime changes is preferable because it reduces the need for field calibration. Because in OTOFD detection is time-resolved, luminescence-lifetime information is already available through the signal pulses, although in practise applications were restricted to sensors with long luminescence lifetimes (hundreds of ns). To implement lifetime-based sensing in crossed-optical-fibre-sensor arrays for sensor molecules with lifetimes less than 10 ns, two time-domain methods, time-correlated single photon counting and stroboscopic detection, were used to record the pH-dependent emission of a fluorescein derivative covalently attached to a highly-porous polymer. A two-term nonexponential decay function yielded both a good fit for experimental lifetime data during reconvolution and a pH response that matches Henderson–Hasselbalch behaviour, yielding a sensor accuracy of 0.02 pH units. Moreover, strong agreement was obtained for the two lifetime determination methods and with intensity-based measurements taken previously. (paper)

Optical fiber pH sensors for high temperature water. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCrae, D.; Saaski, E.

1994-11-01

The goal of this program was the development of an optical pH measurement system capable of operating in a high-temperature aqueous environment. This project built upon a dual-wavelength fiber optic sensing system previously developed by Research International which utilizes light-emitting diodes as light sources and provides remote absorption spectroscopy via a single bidirectional optical fiber. Suitable materials for constructing an optical pH sensing element were identified during the program. These included a sapphire/Ti/Pt/Au thin-film reflector, quartz and sapphire waveguides, a poly(benzimidazole) matrix, and an azo chromophore indicator. By a suitable combination of these design elements, it appears possible to optically measure pH in aqueous systems up to a temperature of about 150 degrees C. A pH sensing system capable of operating in high-purity, low-conductivity water was built using quasi-evanescent wave sensing techniques. The sensing element incorporated a novel, mixed cellulose/cellulose acetate waveguide to which an azo indicator was bound. Testing revealed that the system could reproducibly respond to pH changes arising from 1 ppm differences in the morpholine content of low-conductivity water without influencing the measurement. The sensing system was stable for 150 hrs at room temperature, and no loss or degradation of the pH-responsive optical indicator was seen in 160 hrs at 50 degrees C. However, the prototype polymer waveguide lost transparency at 1.7% per day during this same 50 degrees C test. Additional effort is warranted in the areas of water-compatible waveguides and evanescent-wave detection methods

Expanding the dynamic measurement range for polymeric nanoparticle pH sensors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sun, Honghao; Almdal, Kristoffer; Andresen, Thomas Lars

2011-01-01

Conventional optical nanoparticle pH sensors that are designed for ratiometric measurements in cells have been based on utilizing one sensor fluorophore and one reference fluorophore in each nanoparticle, which results in a relatively narrow dynamic measurement range. This results in substantial...

Hydrogel-coated fiber Bragg grating sensor for pH monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Pabbisetti, Vayu Nandana Kishore; Madhuvarasu, Sai Shankar

2016-06-01

We present a fiber-optic wavelength-modulated sensor for pH applications. Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is functionalized with a stimulus-responsive hydrogel that induces a strain on FBG due to mechanical expansion of the gel in response to ambient pH changes. The gel is synthesized from the blends of poly (vinyl alcohol)/poly (acrylic acid). The induced strain results in a shift of FBG reflected peak that is monitored by an interrogator. The sensor system shows good linearity in the acidic pH range of 3 to 7 with a sensitivity of 12.16 pm/pH. In addition, it shows good repeatability and oscillator behavior, which proves it to be fit for pH sensing applications.

pH sensor calibration procedure

OpenAIRE

Artero Delgado, Carola; Nogueras Cervera, Marc; Manuel Lázaro, Antonio; Prat Tasias, Jordi; Prat Farran, Joana d'Arc

2013-01-01

This paper describes the calibration of pH sensor located at the OBSEA marine Observatory. This instrument is based on an industrial pH electrode that is connected to a CTD instrument (Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth ). The calibration of the pH sensor has been done using a high precision spectrophotometer pH meter from Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM), and in this way it has been obtained a numerical function for the p H sensor propor...

Sensitivity improvement of a fibre Bragg grating pH sensor with elastomeric coating

Science.gov (United States)

Yulianti, Ian; Supa'at, A. S. M.; Idrus, Sevia M.; Kurdi, Ojo; Anwar, M. R. S.

2012-01-01

A new optical pH sensor based on fibre Bragg grating (FBG) is demonstrated. The sensor consists of a FBG coated with pH sensitive hydrogel. The sensing was performed through the detection of wavelength shifts resulting from the induced strain on the FBG due to mechanical expansion of the hydrogel. An elastomeric coating was applied before the hydrogel coating to improve the sensitivity. The sensor performance was investigated by simulating the hydrogel swelling and the strain induced on the FBG. The swelling of hydrogel due to pH change was modelled using a free-energy function and was solved using the finite element method. With silicone rubber as the elastomer material, the results show that the sensitivity was improved by up to 66% compared to that of the FBG pH sensor without elastomeric coating.

Sensitivity improvement of a fibre Bragg grating pH sensor with elastomeric coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yulianti, Ian; Supa'at, A S M; Idrus, Sevia M; Anwar, M R S; Kurdi, Ojo

2012-01-01

A new optical pH sensor based on fibre Bragg grating (FBG) is demonstrated. The sensor consists of a FBG coated with pH sensitive hydrogel. The sensing was performed through the detection of wavelength shifts resulting from the induced strain on the FBG due to mechanical expansion of the hydrogel. An elastomeric coating was applied before the hydrogel coating to improve the sensitivity. The sensor performance was investigated by simulating the hydrogel swelling and the strain induced on the FBG. The swelling of hydrogel due to pH change was modelled using a free-energy function and was solved using the finite element method. With silicone rubber as the elastomer material, the results show that the sensitivity was improved by up to 66% compared to that of the FBG pH sensor without elastomeric coating

Rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing in a microfluidic pH sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Yanyan; Zhen, Li; Liu, Jingqing; Wu, Jianmin

2013-03-05

For appropriate selection of antibiotics in the treatment of pathogen infection, rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) is urgently needed in clinical practice. This study reports the utilization of a microfluidic pH sensor for monitoring bacterial growth rate in culture media spiked with different kinds of antibiotics. The microfluidic pH sensor was fabricated by integration of pH-sensitive chitosan hydrogel with poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microfluidic channels. For facilitating the reflectometric interference spectroscopic measurements, the chitosan hydrogel was coated on an electrochemically etched porous silicon chip, which was used as the substrate of the microfluidic channel. Real-time observation of the pH change in the microchannel can be realized by Fourier transform reflectometric interference spectroscopy (FT-RIFS), in which the effective optical thickness (EOT) was selected as the optical signal for indicating the reversible swelling process of chitosan hydrogel stimulated by pH change. With this microfluidic pH sensor, we demonstrate that confinement of bacterial cells in a nanoliter size channel allows rapid accumulation of metabolic products and eliminates the need for long-time preincubation, thus reducing the whole detection time. On the basis of this technology, the whole bacterial growth curve can be obtained in less than 2 h, and consequently rapid AST can be realized. Compared with conventional methods, the AST data acquired from the bacterial growth curve can provide more detailed information for studying the antimicrobial behavior of antibiotics during different stages. Furthermore, the new technology also provides a convenient method for rapid minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) determination of individual antibiotics or the combinations of antibiotics against human pathogens that will find application in clinical and point-of-care medicine.

Influence of Methacrylic-Acrylic Copolymer Composition on Plasticiser-free Optode Films for pH Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Musa Ahmad

2003-03-01

Full Text Available In this work we have examined the use of plasticiser-free polymeric films incorporating a proton selective chromoionophore for optical pH sensor. Four types of methacrylic-acrylic copolymers containing different compositions of n-butyl acrylate (nBA and methyl methacrylate (MMA were synthesised for use as optical sensor films. The copolymers were mixed with appropriate amounts of chromoionophore (ETH5294 and a lipophilic salt before spin coated on glass slides to form films for the evaluation of pH response using spectrophotometry. Co-polymer films with high nBA content gave good response and the response time depended on the film thickness. A preliminary evaluation of the optical films of high nBA content with pHs from 2 - 14 showed distinguishable responses from pH 5 - 9. However, the adhesion of the pH sensitive film was good for copolymers with higher content of MMA but not for films with high nBA.

Design and application of optical nanosensors for pH imaging in cell compartments

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Benjaminsen, Rikke Vicki; Almdal, Kristoffer

the last two decades. However, even though these sensor systems have proven themselves as superior to conventional methods, there are still questions about the use of these sensors that need to be addressed, especially regarding sensor design and calibration. We have developed a new triple-labelled p......Measurements of pH in acidic cellular compartments of mammalian cells is important for our understanding of cell metabolism, and organelle acidification is an essential event in living cells especially in the endosomal-lysosomal pathway where pH is critical for cellular sorting of internalized...... material. Intracellular pH can be measured by the use of fluorescence ratio imaging microscopy (FRIM), however, available methods for pH measurements in living cells are not optimal. Nanoparticle based optical sensor technology for quantification of metabolites in living cells has been developed over...

Evanescent Properties of Optical Diffraction from 2-Dimensional Hexagonal Photonic Crystals and Their Sensor Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Liao, Yu-Yang; Chen, Yung-Tsan; Chen, Chien-Chun; Huang, Jian-Jang

2018-04-03

The sensitivity of traditional diffraction grating sensors is limited by the spatial resolution of the measurement setup. Thus, a large space is required to improve sensor performance. Here, we demonstrate a compact hexagonal photonic crystal (PhC) optical sensor with high sensitivity. PhCs are able to diffract optical beams to various angles in azimuthal space. The critical wavelength that satisfies the phase matching or becomes evanescent was used to benchmark the refractive index of a target analyte applied on a PhC sensor. Using a glucose solution as an example, our sensor demonstrated very high sensitivity and a low limit of detection. This shows that the diffraction mechanism of hexagonal photonic crystals can be used for sensors when compact size is a concern.

A wide range and highly sensitive optical fiber pH sensor using polyacrylamide hydrogel

Science.gov (United States)

Pathak, Akhilesh Kumar; Singh, Vinod Kumar

2017-12-01

In the present study we report the fabrication and characterization of no-core fiber sensor (NCFS) using smart hydrogel coating for pH measurement. The no-core fiber (NCF) is stubbed between two single-mode fibers with SMA connector before immobilizing of smart hydrogel. The wavelength interrogation technique is used to calculate the sensitivity of the proposed sensor. The result shows a high sensitivity of 1.94 nm/pH for a wide range of pH values varied from 3 to 10 with a good linear response. In addition to high sensitivity, the fabricated sensor provides a fast response time with a good stability, repeatability and reproducibility.

Inverse opal pH sensors with various protic monomers copolymerized with polyhydroxyethylmethacrylate hydrogel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Jinsub; Han, Sung Gu; Lee, Wonmok

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► We polymerized four different inverse opal pH sensors by using vinyl monomers containing acidic or basic substituents. ► Stepwise swelling response from polyprotic acid sensor was investigated. ► Opposite color changing responses were obtained for acidic and basic sensors. ► Composite pH sensor with wide pH sensing range was fabricated by mixing different monomers. ► Both acid and base sensors show the response time as fast as ∼10 s. - Abstract: pH sensitive inverse opal sensors were synthesized using various vinyl monomers containing acidic or basic substituents. Acrylic acid (AA), vinylphosphonic acid (VPA), vinylimidazole (VI), and dimethylaminoethylmethacrylic acid (DMAEMA) were respectively copolymerized with hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA), the building block monomer of the hydrogel via UV-initiated photopolymerization. Opal templating and subsequent template removal enabled the fabrication of four inverse opal (IO) hydrogel colorimetric sensors, which responded to pH in different fashions. pH-dependent swelling of the IO hydrogel induced the red-shift of the diffracted color. The sensors containing AA or VPA, the proton donating monomers showed the color shifts from green to red with pH increase due to the increased concentration of carboxylate anions bound to the hydrogel. Diprotic VPA sensor exhibited two-step increases of diffracted wavelengths at its pK a1 and pK a2 respectively. The sensors containing proton acceptors, VI and DMAEMA showed the pH-dependent color changes in an opposite way to the AA sensor and the VPA sensor since their ionizations take place by lowering pH due to the protonation at the amino groups. The shapes of pH response curves of VI and DMAEMA sensors were similar but pK b s were different from each other. Optical diffraction responses of four sensors were compared with the calculated concentration ratios of the ionized species to the total monomer with pH variation, and a deswelling effect in the

CMOS COLOUR SENSOR BASED pH MEASUREMENT FOR WATER QUALITY ANALYSIS

OpenAIRE

Sanjay Kumar; Arvind Singh

2016-01-01

A Real-Time pH measurement system using a novel design Programmable CMOS optical Colour light to frequency converter TCS230 is presented. The system uses Bogen’s universal indicator solution combined with a white light source and the Programmable CMOS colour sensor TCS230 to measure pH as a function of colour change in a sample. Bogen’s universal indicator solution causes a colour change in a sample according to the pH of the sample. The output frequency from the colour-sensitive CM...

Fiber-optic pH detection in small volumes of biosamples

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kašík, Ivan; Mrázek, Jan; Martan, Tomáš; Pospíšilová, Marie; Podrazký, Ondřej; Matějec, Vlastimil; Hoyerová, Klára; Kamínek, Miroslav

2010-01-01

Roč. 398, č. 5 (2010), s. 1883-1889 ISSN 1618-2642 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC06034; GA ČR(CZ) GP102/08/P639; GA AV ČR IAA600380805 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20670512; CEZ:AV0Z50380511 Keywords : optical fiber sensor * plants * pH Subject RIV: JB - Sensor s, Measurment, Regulation Impact factor: 3.841, year: 2010

Fiber-optic pH detection in small volumes of biosamples

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Kašík, Ivan; Mrázek, Jan; Martan, Tomáš; Pospíšilová, Marie; Podrazký, Ondřej; Matějec, Vlastimil; Hoyerová, Klára; Kamínek, Miroslav

2010-01-01

Roč. 398, č. 5 (2010), s. 1883-1889 ISSN 1618-2642 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LC06034; GA ČR(CZ) GP102/08/P639; GA AV ČR IAA600380805 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20670512; CEZ:AV0Z50380511 Keywords : optic al fiber sensor * plants * pH Subject RIV: JB - Sensors, Measurment, Regulation Impact factor: 3.841, year: 2010

MEMS optical sensor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2013-01-01

The present invention relates to an all-optical sensor utilizing effective index modulation of a waveguide and detection of a wavelength shift of reflected light and a force sensing system accommodating said optical sensor. One embodiment of the invention relates to a sensor system comprising...... at least one multimode light source, one or more optical sensors comprising a multimode sensor optical waveguide accommodating a distributed Bragg reflector, at least one transmitting optical waveguide for guiding light from said at least one light source to said one or more multimode sensor optical...... waveguides, a detector for measuring light reflected from said Bragg reflector in said one or more multimode sensor optical waveguides, and a data processor adapted for analyzing variations in the Bragg wavelength of at least one higher order mode of the reflected light....

Application of Optical Imaging Techniques for Quantification of pH and O2 Dynamicsin Porous Media

Science.gov (United States)

Li, B.; Seliman, A. F.; Pales, A. R.; Liang, W.; Sams, A.; Darnault, C. J. G.; DeVol, T. A.

2016-12-01

Understanding the spatial and temporal distribution of physical and chemical parameters (e.g. pH, O2) is imperative to characterize the behavior of contaminants in a natural environment. The objectives of this research are to calibrate pH and O2 sensor foils, to develop a dual pH/O2 sensor foil, and to apply them into flow and transport experiments, in order to understand the physical and chemical parameters that control contaminant fate and transport in an unsaturated sandy porous medium. In addition, demonstration of a sensor foil that quantifies aqueous uranium concentration will be presented. Optical imaging techniques will be conducted with 2D tanks to investigate the influence of microbial exudates and plant roots on pH and O2 parameters and radionuclides transport. As a non-invasive method, the optical imaging technique utilizes optical chemical sensor films and either a digital camera or a spectrometer to capture the changes with high temporal and spatial resolutions. Sensor foils are made for different parameters by applying dyes to generate favorable fluorescence that is proportional to the parameter of interest. Preliminary results suggested that this method could detect pH ranging from 4.5 to 7.5. The result from uranium foil test with different concentrations in the range of 2 to 8 ppm indicated that a higher concentration of uranium resulted in a greater color intensity.

A modular optical sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Conklin, John Albert

This dissertation presents the design of a modular, fiber-optic sensor and the results obtained from testing the modular sensor. The modular fiber-optic sensor is constructed in such manner that the sensor diaphragm can be replaced with different configurations to detect numerous physical phenomena. Additionally, different fiber-optic detection systems can be attached to the sensor. Initially, the modular sensor was developed to be used by university of students to investigate realistic optical sensors and detection systems to prepare for advance studies of micro-optical mechanical systems (MOMS). The design accomplishes this by doing two things. First, the design significantly lowers the costs associated with studying optical sensors by modularizing the sensor design. Second, the sensor broadens the number of physical phenomena that students can apply optical sensing techniques to in a fiber optics sensor course. The dissertation is divided into seven chapters covering the historical development of fiber-optic sensors, a theoretical overview of fiber-optic sensors, the design, fabrication, and the testing of the modular sensor developed in the course of this work. Chapter 1 discusses, in detail, how this dissertation is organized and states the purpose of the dissertation. Chapter 2 presents an historical overview of the development of optical fibers, optical pressure sensors, and fibers, optical pressure sensors, and optical microphones. Chapter 3 reviews the theory of multi-fiber optic detection systems, optical microphones, and pressure sensors. Chapter 4 presents the design details of the modular, optical sensor. Chapter 5 delves into how the modular sensor is fabricated and how the detection systems are constructed. Chapter 6 presents the data collected from the microphone and pressure sensor configurations of the modular sensor. Finally, Chapter 7 discusses the data collected and draws conclusions about the design based on the data collected. Chapter 7 also

A Dual-Mode Large-Arrayed CMOS ISFET Sensor for Accurate and High-Throughput pH Sensing in Biomedical Diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xiwei; Yu, Hao; Liu, Xu; Jiang, Yu; Yan, Mei; Wu, Dongping

2015-09-01

The existing ISFET-based DNA sequencing detects hydrogen ions released during the polymerization of DNA strands on microbeads, which are scattered into microwell array above the ISFET sensor with unknown distribution. However, false pH detection happens at empty microwells due to crosstalk from neighboring microbeads. In this paper, a dual-mode CMOS ISFET sensor is proposed to have accurate pH detection toward DNA sequencing. Dual-mode sensing, optical and chemical modes, is realized by integrating a CMOS image sensor (CIS) with ISFET pH sensor, and is fabricated in a standard 0.18-μm CIS process. With accurate determination of microbead physical locations with CIS pixel by contact imaging, the dual-mode sensor can correlate local pH for one DNA slice at one location-determined microbead, which can result in improved pH detection accuracy. Moreover, toward a high-throughput DNA sequencing, a correlated-double-sampling readout that supports large array for both modes is deployed to reduce pixel-to-pixel nonuniformity such as threshold voltage mismatch. The proposed CMOS dual-mode sensor is experimentally examined to show a well correlated pH map and optical image for microbeads with a pH sensitivity of 26.2 mV/pH, a fixed pattern noise (FPN) reduction from 4% to 0.3%, and a readout speed of 1200 frames/s. A dual-mode CMOS ISFET sensor with suppressed FPN for accurate large-arrayed pH sensing is proposed and demonstrated with state-of-the-art measured results toward accurate and high-throughput DNA sequencing. The developed dual-mode CMOS ISFET sensor has great potential for future personal genome diagnostics with high accuracy and low cost.

Optical Sensing Material for pH Detection based on the Use of Roselle Extract

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nurul Huda Abd Karim; Musa Ahmad; Mohammad Osman Herman; Ahmad Mahir Mokhtar

2008-01-01

This research assessed the potential of natural colour extract of Hibiscus Sabdariffa L. (roselle) as sensing material.The pH sensor was developed based on the use of natural reddish colour in roselle calyx, delphinidin-3-sambubioside immobilised in a glass fibre filter paper. In free solution, roselle extract was characterised by using UV-visible spectrophotometer to study the effect of pH, extract concentration, response time, repeatability and photo stability. The study showed that natural colour extract can be used as sensing material for the development of an optical pH sensor. (author)

A ph sensor based on a flexible substrate

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Wen-Ding

pH sensor is an essential component used in many chemical, food, and bio-material industries. Conventional glass electrodes have been used to construct pH sensors, however, have some disadvantages. Glass electrodes are easily affected by alkaline or HF solution, they require a high input impedance pH meter, they often exhibit a sluggish response. In some specific applications, it is also difficult to use glass electrodes for in vivo biomedical or food monitoring applications due to the difficulty of size miniaturization, planarization and polymerization based on current manufacturing technologies. In this work, we have demonstrated a novel flexible pH sensor based on low-cost sol-gel fabrication process of iridium oxide (IrOx) sensing film (IROF). A pair of flexible miniature IrOx/AgCl electrode generated the action potential from the solution by electrochemical mechanism to obtain the pH level of the reagent. The fabrication process including sol-gel, thermal oxidation, and the electro-plating process of the silver chloride (AgCl) reference electrode were reported in the work. The IrOx film was verified and characterized using electron dispersive analysis (EDAX), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The flexible pH sensor's performance and characterization have been investigated with different testing parameters such as sensitivity, response time, stability, reversibility, repeatability, selectivity and temperature dependence. The flexible IrOx pH sensors exhibited promising sensing performance with a near-Nernstian response of sensitivity which is between --51.1mV/pH and --51.7mV/pH in different pH levels ranging from 1.5 to 12 at 25°C. Two applications including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) diagnosis and food freshness wireless monitoring using our micro-flexible IrOx pH sensors were demonstrated. For the GERD diagnosing system, we embedded the micro flexible pH sensor on a 1.2cmx3.8cm of the capsule size of wireless sensor

Development of a novel pH sensor based upon Janus Green B immobilized on triacetyl cellulose membrane: Experimental design and optimization

Science.gov (United States)

Chamkouri, Narges; Niazi, Ali; Zare-Shahabadi, Vali

2016-03-01

A novel pH optical sensor was prepared by immobilizing an azo dye called Janus Green B on the triacetylcellulose membrane. Condition of the dye solution used in the immobilization step, including concentration of the dye, pH, and duration were considered and optimized using the Box-Behnken design. The proposed sensor showed good behavior and precision (RSD < 5%) in the pH range of 2.0-10.0. Advantages of this optical sensor include on-line applicability, no leakage, long-term stability (more than 6 months), fast response time (less than 1 min), high selectivity and sensitivity as well as good reversibility and reproducibility.

A quantum dot-spore nanocomposite pH sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xingya; Li, Zheng; Zhou, Tao; Zhou, Qian; Zeng, Zhiming; Xu, Xiangdong; Hu, Yonggang

2016-04-01

A new quantum dot (QD)-based pH sensor design is investigated. The sensor is synthesized based on the self-assembly of green QDs onto treated spores to form QD@spore nanocomposites. The nanocomposites are characterized using laser scanning confocal microscopy, transmission electron microscope, and fluorescence spectroscopy, among others. Fluorescence measurements showed that these nanocomposites are sensitive to pH in a broad pH range of 5.0-10.0. The developed pH sensors have been satisfactorily applied for pH estimation of real samples and are comparable with those of the commercial assay method, indicating the potential practical application of the pH sensors. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integration and application of optical chemical sensors in microbioreactors.

Science.gov (United States)

Gruber, Pia; Marques, Marco P C; Szita, Nicolas; Mayr, Torsten

2017-08-08

The quantification of key variables such as oxygen, pH, carbon dioxide, glucose, and temperature provides essential information for biological and biotechnological applications and their development. Microfluidic devices offer an opportunity to accelerate research and development in these areas due to their small scale, and the fine control over the microenvironment, provided that these key variables can be measured. Optical sensors are well-suited for this task. They offer non-invasive and non-destructive monitoring of the mentioned variables, and the establishment of time-course profiles without the need for sampling from the microfluidic devices. They can also be implemented in larger systems, facilitating cross-scale comparison of analytical data. This tutorial review presents an overview of the optical sensors and their technology, with a view to support current and potential new users in microfluidics and biotechnology in the implementation of such sensors. It introduces the benefits and challenges of sensor integration, including, their application for microbioreactors. Sensor formats, integration methods, device bonding options, and monitoring options are explained. Luminescent sensors for oxygen, pH, carbon dioxide, glucose and temperature are showcased. Areas where further development is needed are highlighted with the intent to guide future development efforts towards analytes for which reliable, stable, or easily integrated detection methods are not yet available.

Fiber-Optic Chemical Sensors and Fiber-Optic Bio-Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Pospíšilová, Marie; Kuncová, Gabriela; Trögl, Josef

2015-01-01

This review summarizes principles and current stage of development of fiber-optic chemical sensors (FOCS) and biosensors (FOBS). Fiber optic sensor (FOS) systems use the ability of optical fibers (OF) to guide the light in the spectral range from ultraviolet (UV) (180 nm) up to middle infrared (IR) (10 µm) and modulation of guided light by the parameters of the surrounding environment of the OF core. The introduction of OF in the sensor systems has brought advantages such as measurement in flammable and explosive environments, immunity to electrical noises, miniaturization, geometrical flexibility, measurement of small sample volumes, remote sensing in inaccessible sites or harsh environments and multi-sensing. The review comprises briefly the theory of OF elaborated for sensors, techniques of fabrications and analytical results reached with fiber-optic chemical and biological sensors. PMID:26437407

Fiber-Optic Chemical Sensors and Fiber-Optic Bio-Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Pospíšilová, Marie; Kuncová, Gabriela; Trögl, Josef

2015-09-30

This review summarizes principles and current stage of development of fiber-optic chemical sensors (FOCS) and biosensors (FOBS). Fiber optic sensor (FOS) systems use the ability of optical fibers (OF) to guide the light in the spectral range from ultraviolet (UV) (180 nm) up to middle infrared (IR) (10 μm) and modulation of guided light by the parameters of the surrounding environment of the OF core. The introduction of OF in the sensor systems has brought advantages such as measurement in flammable and explosive environments, immunity to electrical noises, miniaturization, geometrical flexibility, measurement of small sample volumes, remote sensing in inaccessible sites or harsh environments and multi-sensing. The review comprises briefly the theory of OF elaborated for sensors, techniques of fabrications and analytical results reached with fiber-optic chemical and biological sensors.

Fiber-Optic Chemical Sensors and Fiber-Optic Bio-Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie Pospíšilová

2015-09-01

Full Text Available This review summarizes principles and current stage of development of fiber-optic chemical sensors (FOCS and biosensors (FOBS. Fiber optic sensor (FOS systems use the ability of optical fibers (OF to guide the light in the spectral range from ultraviolet (UV (180 nm up to middle infrared (IR (10 μm and modulation of guided light by the parameters of the surrounding environment of the OF core. The introduction of OF in the sensor systems has brought advantages such as measurement in flammable and explosive environments, immunity to electrical noises, miniaturization, geometrical flexibility, measurement of small sample volumes, remote sensing in inaccessible sites or harsh environments and multi-sensing. The review comprises briefly the theory of OF elaborated for sensors, techniques of fabrications and analytical results reached with fiber-optic chemical and biological sensors.

Tapered Optical Fiber Sensor for Detection of pH in Microscopic Volumes

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Podrazký, Ondřej; Matějec, Vlastimil; Mrázek, Jan; Martan, Tomáš; Aubrecht, Jan; Kašík, Ivan

2014-01-01

Roč. 27, May (2014), s. 312-328 ISSN 2306-8515 Institutional support: RVO:67985882 Keywords : Optical sensor s * Fluorescence * Microfiber tip Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering

Nanoparticle assembled microcapsules for application as pH and ammonia sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amali, Arlin Jose; Awwad, Nour H.; Rana, Rohit Kumar; Patra, Digambara

2011-01-01

Graphical abstract: HPTS encapsulated nanoparticle assembled microcapsule is exploited as dual excitations ratiometic pH sensor. This nanoparticle assembled microcapsule based fluorescence sensor can determine ammonia and offers a robust, simple and fast sensing material. Highlights: ► A novel HPTS encapsulated nanoparticle assembled microcapsule is developed. ► Its dual excitation facilitates a ratiometic pH sensor. ► It is successfully applied for the determination of ammonia. ► It provides a robust, simple and fast sensing material. - Abstract: The encapsulation of molecular probes in a suitable nanostructured matrix can be exploited to alter their optical properties and robustness for fabricating efficient chemical sensors. Despite high sensitivity, simplicity, selectivity and cost effectiveness, the photo-destruction and photo-bleaching are the serious concerns while utilizing molecular probes. Herein we demonstrate that hydroxy pyrene trisulfonate (HPTS), a pH sensitive molecular probe, when encapsulated in a microcapsule structure prepared via the assembly of silica nanoparticles mediated by poly-L-lysine and trisodium citrate, provides a robust sensing material for pH sensing under the physiological conditions. The temporal evolution under continuous irradiation indicates that the fluorophore inside the silica microcapsule is extraordinarily photostable. The fluorescence intensity alternation at dual excitation facilitates for a ratiometic sensing of the pH, however, the fluorescence lifetime is insensitive to hydrogen ion concentration. The sensing scheme is found to be robust, fast and simple for the measurement of pH in the range 5.8–8.0, and can be successfully applied for the determination of ammonia in the concentration range 0–1.2 mM, which is important for aquatic life and the environment.

Differential Sensor for PH Monitoring of Environmental Objects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Romanenko Sergey

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Differential pH sensor is proposed. Reference electrode and measuring electrode are the same type. Reference electrode is immersed in standard buffer solution with known pH value. The differential pH sensor has longer service life as compared with the traditionally used sensors with silver chloride reference electrode. Ultrasonic cleaning system is proposed to clean the primary measuring transducer from pollution that form as result of silting during long-term operation with the sensor.

A novel optical probe for pH sensing in gastro-esophageal apparatus

Science.gov (United States)

Baldini, F.; Ghini, G.; Giannetti, A.; Senesi, F.; Trono, C.

2011-03-01

Monitoring gastric pH for long periods, usually 24 h, may be essential in analyzing the physiological pattern of acidity, in obtaining information on changes in activity during peptic ulcer disease, and in assessing the effect of antisecretory drugs. Gastro-esophageal reflux, which causes a pH decrease in the esophagus content from pH 7 even down to pH 2, can determine esophagitis with possible strictures and Barrett's esophagus. One of the difficulties of the optical measurement of pH in the gastro-esophageal apparatus lies in the required extended working range from 1 to 8 pH units. The present paper deals with a novel optical pH sensor, using methyl red as optical pH indicator. Contrary to all acidbase indicators characterized by working ranges limited to 2-3 pH units, methyl red, after its covalent immobilization on controlled pore glass (CPG), is characterized by a wide working range which fits with the clinical requirements. The novel probe design here described is suitable for gastro-esophageal applications and allows the optimization of the performances of the CPG with the immobilised indicator. This leads to a very simple configuration characterized by a very fast response time.

Biobased, Internally pH-Sensitive Materials: Immobilized Yellow Fluorescent Protein as an Optical Sensor for Spatiotemporal Mapping of pH Inside Porous Matrices.

Science.gov (United States)

Consolati, Tanja; Bolivar, Juan M; Petrasek, Zdenek; Berenguer, Jose; Hidalgo, Aurelio; Guisán, Jose M; Nidetzky, Bernd

2018-02-28

The pH is fundamental to biological function and its measurement therefore crucial across all biosciences. Unlike homogenous bulk solution, solids often feature internal pH gradients due to partition effects and confined biochemical reactions. Thus, a full spatiotemporal mapping for pH characterization in solid materials with biological systems embedded in them is essential. In here, therefore, a fully biocompatible methodology for real-time optical sensing of pH within porous materials is presented. A genetically encoded ratiometric pH sensor, the enhanced superfolder yellow fluorescent protein (sYFP), is used to functionalize the internal surface of different materials, including natural and synthetic organic polymers as well as silica frameworks. By using controlled, tailor-made immobilization, sYFP is homogenously distributed within these materials and so enables, via self-referenced imaging analysis, pH measurements in high accuracy and with useful spatiotemporal resolution. Evolution of internal pH is monitored in consequence of a proton-releasing enzymatic reaction, the hydrolysis of penicillin by a penicillin acylase, taking place in solution or confined to the solid surface of the porous matrix. Unlike optochemical pH sensors, which often interfere with biological function, labeling with sYFP enables pH sensing without altering the immobilized enzyme's properties in any of the materials used. Fast response of sYFP to pH change permits evaluation of biochemical kinetics within the solid materials. Thus, pH sensing based on immobilized sYFP represents a broadly applicable technique to the study of biology confined to the internally heterogeneous environment of solid matrices.

Uso de membranas de Nafion para a construção de sensores ópticos para medidas de pH Use of Nafion® membranes for the construction of optical sensors for pH measurements

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Silvia Cristina Lopes Pinheiro

2005-10-01

Full Text Available The behaviour of Nafion® polymeric membranes containing acid-base dyes, bromothymol blue (BB and methyl violet (MV, were studied aiming at constructing an optical sensor for pH measurement. BB revealed to be inadequate for developing sensing phases due to the electrostatic repulsion between negative groups of their molecules and the negative charge of the sulfonate group of the Nafion®, which causes leaching of the dye from the membrane. On the other hand, MV showed to be suitable due to the presence of positive groups in its structure. The membrane prepared from a methanolic solution whose Nafion®/dye molar ratio was 20 presented the best analytical properties, changing its color from green to violet in the pH range from 0.6 to 3.0. The membrane can be prepared with good reproducibility, presenting durability of ca. 6 months and response time of 22 s, making possible its use for pH determination in flow analysis systems.

Development of luminescent pH sensor films for monitoring bacterial growth through tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Fenglin; Raval, Yash; Chen, Hongyu; Tzeng, Tzuen-Rong J; DesJardins, John D; Anker, Jeffrey N

2014-02-01

Although implanted medical devices (IMDs) offer many benefits, they are susceptible to bacterial colonization and infections. Such infections are difficult to treat because bacteria could form biofilms on the implant surface, which reduce antibiotics penetration and generate local dormant regions with low pH and low oxygen. In addition, these infections are hard to detect early because biofilms are often localized on the surface. Herein, an optical sensor film is developed to detect local acidosis on an implanted surface. The film contains both upconverting particles (UCPs) that serve as a light source and a pH indicator that alters the luminescence spectrum. When irradiated with 980 nm light, the UCPs produce deeply penetrating red light emission, while generating negligible autofluorescence in the tissue. The basic form of the pH indicator absorbs more of upconversion luminescence at 661 nm than at 671 nm and consequently the spectral ratio indicates pH. Implanting this pH sensor film beneath 6-7 mm of porcine tissue does not substantially affect the calibration curve because the peaks are closely spaced. Furthermore, growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis on the sensor surface causes a local pH decrease that can be detected non-invasively through the tissue. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Efficient colorimetric pH sensor based on responsive polymer-quantum dot integrated graphene oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Paek, Kwanyeol; Yang, Hyunseung; Lee, Junhyuk; Park, Junwoo; Kim, Bumjoon J

2014-03-25

In this paper, we report the development of a versatile platform for a highly efficient and stable graphene oxide (GO)-based optical sensor that exhibits distinctive ratiometric color responses. To demonstrate the applicability of the platform, we fabricated a colorimetric, GO-based pH sensor that responds to a wide range of pH changes. Our sensing system is based on responsive polymer and quantum dot (QD) hybrids integrated on a single GO sheet (MQD-GO), with the GO providing an excellent signal-to-noise ratio and high dispersion stability in water. The photoluminescence emissions of the blue and orange color-emitting QDs (BQDs and OQDs) in MQD-GO can be controlled independently by different pH-responsive linkers of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) (pKa=4.5) and poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) (pKa=3.0) that can tune the efficiencies of Förster resonance energy transfer from the BQDs to the GO and from the OQDs to the GO, respectively. As a result, the color of MQD-GO changes from orange to near-white to blue over a wide range of pH values. The detailed mechanism of the pH-dependent response of the MQD-GO sensor was elucidated by measurements of time-resolved fluorescence and dynamic light scattering. Furthermore, the MQD-GO sensor showed excellent reversibility and high dispersion stability in pure water, indicating that our system is an ideal platform for biological and environmental applications. Our colorimetric GO-based optical sensor can be expanded easily to various other multifunctional, GO-based sensors by using alternate stimuli-responsive polymers.

Field Performance of ISFET based Deep Ocean pH Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Branham, C. W.; Murphy, D. J.

2017-12-01

Historically, ocean pH time series data was acquired from infrequent shipboard grab samples and measured using labor intensive spectrophotometry methods. However, with the introduction of robust and stable ISFET pH sensors for use in ocean applications a paradigm shift in the methods used to acquire long-term pH time series data has occurred. Sea-Bird Scientific played a critical role in the adoption this new technology by commercializing the SeaFET pH sensor and float pH Sensor developed by the MBARI chemical sensor group. Sea-Bird Scientific continues to advance this technology through a concerted effort to improve pH sensor accuracy and reliability by characterizing their performance in the laboratory and field. This presentation will focus on calibration of the ISFET pH sensor, evaluate its analytical performance, and validate performance using recent field data.

Fiber-Optic Chemical Sensors and Fiber-Optic Bio-Sensors

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Pospíšilová, M.; Kuncová, Gabriela; Trögl, J.

2015-01-01

Roč. 15, č. 10 (2015), s. 25208-25259 ISSN 1424-8220 Institutional support: RVO:67985858 Keywords : fiber-optic sensor * chemical sensors * enzymatic sensor Subject RIV: JB - Sensors, Measurment, Regulation Impact factor: 2.033, year: 2015

Development of a novel pH sensor based upon Janus Green B immobilized on triacetyl cellulose membrane: Experimental design and optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Chamkouri, Narges; Niazi, Ali; Zare-Shahabadi, Vali

2016-03-05

A novel pH optical sensor was prepared by immobilizing an azo dye called Janus Green B on the triacetylcellulose membrane. Condition of the dye solution used in the immobilization step, including concentration of the dye, pH, and duration were considered and optimized using the Box-Behnken design. The proposed sensor showed good behavior and precision (RSDpH range of 2.0-10.0. Advantages of this optical sensor include on-line applicability, no leakage, long-term stability (more than 6 months), fast response time (less than 1 min), high selectivity and sensitivity as well as good reversibility and reproducibility. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Metal/Metal Oxide Differential Electrode pH Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

West, William; Buehler, Martin; Keymeulen, Didier

2007-01-01

Solid-state electrochemical sensors for measuring the degrees of acidity or alkalinity (in terms of pH values) of liquid solutions are being developed. These sensors are intended to supplant older electrochemical pH sensors that include glass electrode structures and reference solutions. The older sensors are fragile and subject to drift. The present developmental solid-state sensors are more rugged and are expected to be usable in harsh environments. The present sensors are based on a differential-electrode measurement principle. Each sensor includes two electrodes, made of different materials, in equilibrium with the solution of interest.

Introduction to optical fiber sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moukdad, S.

1991-01-01

Optical fiber sensors have many advantages over other types of sensors, for example: Low weight, immunity from EMI, electrical isolation, chemical passivity, and high sensitivity. In this seminar, a brief explanation of the optical fiber sensors, their use, and their advantages will be given. After, a description of the main optical fiber sensor components will be presented. Principles of some kinds of optical fiber sensors will be presented, and the principle of the fiber-optic rotation sensor and its realization will be discussed in some details, as well as its main applications. (author). 5 refs, 8 figs, 2 tabs

Novel silica surface charge density mediated control of the optical properties of embedded optically active materials and its application for fiber optic pH sensing at elevated temperatures.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Congjun; Ohodnicki, Paul R; Su, Xin; Keller, Murphy; Brown, Thomas D; Baltrus, John P

2015-02-14

Silica and silica incorporated nanocomposite materials have been extensively studied for a wide range of applications. Here we demonstrate an intriguing optical effect of silica that, depending on the solution pH, amplifies or attenuates the optical absorption of a variety of embedded optically active materials with very distinct properties, such as plasmonic Au nanoparticles, non-plasmonic Pt nanoparticles, and the organic dye rhodamine B (not a pH indicator), coated on an optical fiber. Interestingly, the observed optical response to varying pH appears to follow the surface charge density of the silica matrix for all the three different optically active materials. To the best of our knowledge, this optical effect has not been previously reported and it appears universal in that it is likely that any optically active material can be incorporated into the silica matrix to respond to solution pH or surface charge density variations. A direct application of this effect is for optical pH sensing which has very attractive features that can enable minimally invasive, remote, real time and continuous distributed pH monitoring. Particularly, as demonstrated here, using highly stable metal nanoparticles embedded in an inorganic silica matrix can significantly improve the capability of pH sensing in extremely harsh environments which is of increasing importance for applications in unconventional oil and gas resource recovery, carbon sequestration, water quality monitoring, etc. Our approach opens a pathway towards possible future development of robust optical pH sensors for the most demanding environmental conditions. The newly discovered optical effect of silica also offers the potential for control of the optical properties of optically active materials for a range of other potential applications such as electrochromic devices.

Dielectrophoresis Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as pH Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Pengfei; Martin, Caleb M; Yeung, Kan Kan; Xue, Wei

2011-01-31

Here we report the fabrication and characterization of pH sensors using aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The SWNTs are dispersed in deionized (DI) water after chemical functionalization and filtration. They are deposited and organized on silicon substrates with the dielectrophoresis process. Electrodes with "teeth"-like patterns-fabricated with photolithography and wet etching-are used to generate concentrated electric fields and strong dielectrophoretic forces for the SWNTs to deposit and align in desired locations. The device fabrication is inexpensive, solution-based, and conducted at room temperature. The devices are used as pH sensors with the electrodes as the testing pads and the dielectrophoretically captured SWNTs as the sensing elements. When exposed to aqueous solutions with various pH values, the SWNTs change their resistance accordingly. The SWNT-based sensors demonstrate a linear relationship between the sensor resistance and the pH values in the range of 5-9. The characterization of multiple sensors proves that their pH sensitivity is highly repeatable. The real-time data acquisition shows that the sensor response time depends on the pH value, ranging from 2.26 s for the pH-5 solution to 23.82 s for the pH-9 solution. The long-term stability tests illustrate that the sensors can maintain their original sensitivity for a long period of time. The simple fabrication process, high sensitivity, and fast response of the SWNT-based sensors facilitate their applications in a wide range of areas.

RuO₂ pH Sensor with Super-Glue-Inspired Reference Electrode.

Science.gov (United States)

Lonsdale, Wade; Wajrak, Magdalena; Alameh, Kamal

2017-09-06

A pH-sensitive RuO₂ electrode coated in a commercial cyanoacrylate adhesive typically exhibits very low pH sensitivity, and could be paired with a RuO₂ working electrode as a differential type pH sensor. However, such sensors display poor performance in real sample matrices. A pH sensor employing a RuO₂ pH-sensitive working electrode and a SiO₂-PVB junction-modified RuO₂ reference electrode is developed as an alternative high-performance solution. This sensor exhibits a performance similar to that of a commercial glass pH sensor in some common sample matrices, particularly, an excellent pH sensitivity of 55.7 mV/pH, a hysteresis as low as 2.7 mV, and a drift below 2.2 mV/h. The developed sensor structure opens the way towards the development of a simple, cost effective, and robust pH sensor for pH analysis in various sample matrices.

Roadmap on optical sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Mário F. S.; Castro-Camus, Enrique; Ottaway, David J.; López-Higuera, José Miguel; Feng, Xian; Jin, Wei; Jeong, Yoonchan; Picqué, Nathalie; Tong, Limin; Reinhard, Björn M.; Pellegrino, Paul M.; Méndez, Alexis; Diem, Max; Vollmer, Frank; Quan, Qimin

2017-08-01

Sensors are devices or systems able to detect, measure and convert magnitudes from any domain to an electrical one. Using light as a probe for optical sensing is one of the most efficient approaches for this purpose. The history of optical sensing using some methods based on absorbance, emissive and florescence properties date back to the 16th century. The field of optical sensors evolved during the following centuries, but it did not achieve maturity until the demonstration of the first laser in 1960. The unique properties of laser light become particularly important in the case of laser-based sensors, whose operation is entirely based upon the direct detection of laser light itself, without relying on any additional mediating device. However, compared with freely propagating light beams, artificially engineered optical fields are in increasing demand for probing samples with very small sizes and/or weak light-matter interaction. Optical fiber sensors constitute a subarea of optical sensors in which fiber technologies are employed. Different types of specialty and photonic crystal fibers provide improved performance and novel sensing concepts. Actually, structurization with wavelength or subwavelength feature size appears as the most efficient way to enhance sensor sensitivity and its detection limit. This leads to the area of micro- and nano-engineered optical sensors. It is expected that the combination of better fabrication techniques and new physical effects may open new and fascinating opportunities in this area. This roadmap on optical sensors addresses different technologies and application areas of the field. Fourteen contributions authored by experts from both industry and academia provide insights into the current state-of-the-art and the challenges faced by researchers currently. Two sections of this paper provide an overview of laser-based and frequency comb-based sensors. Three sections address the area of optical fiber sensors, encompassing both

Roadmap on optical sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferreira, Mário F S; Castro-Camus, Enrique; Ottaway, David J; López-Higuera, José Miguel; Feng, Xian; Jin, Wei; Jeong, Yoonchan; Picqué, Nathalie; Tong, Limin; Reinhard, Björn M; Pellegrino, Paul M; Méndez, Alexis; Diem, Max; Vollmer, Frank; Quan, Qimin

2017-08-01

Sensors are devices or systems able to detect, measure and convert magnitudes from any domain to an electrical one. Using light as a probe for optical sensing is one of the most efficient approaches for this purpose. The history of optical sensing using some methods based on absorbance, emissive and florescence properties date back to the 16th century. The field of optical sensors evolved during the following centuries, but it did not achieve maturity until the demonstration of the first laser in 1960. The unique properties of laser light become particularly important in the case of laser-based sensors, whose operation is entirely based upon the direct detection of laser light itself, without relying on any additional mediating device. However, compared with freely propagating light beams, artificially engineered optical fields are in increasing demand for probing samples with very small sizes and/or weak light-matter interaction. Optical fiber sensors constitute a subarea of optical sensors in which fiber technologies are employed. Different types of specialty and photonic crystal fibers provide improved performance and novel sensing concepts. Actually, structurization with wavelength or subwavelength feature size appears as the most efficient way to enhance sensor sensitivity and its detection limit. This leads to the area of micro- and nano-engineered optical sensors. It is expected that the combination of better fabrication techniques and new physical effects may open new and fascinating opportunities in this area. This roadmap on optical sensors addresses different technologies and application areas of the field. Fourteen contributions authored by experts from both industry and academia provide insights into the current state-of-the-art and the challenges faced by researchers currently. Two sections of this paper provide an overview of laser-based and frequency comb-based sensors. Three sections address the area of optical fiber sensors, encompassing both

Polymeric gel nanoparticle pH sensors for intracellular measurements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Almdal, Kristoffer; Andresen, Thomas Lars; Benjaminsen, Rikke Vicki

pH range is approximately 4 pH units and thus a nanoparticle sensor with two pH sensitive fluorophores is appropriate. With one pH sensitive fluorophore the output from the sensor follows R=R0+R1/10(pKa-pH), where R is the ratio of fluorescence for the two fluorophores, R0 is the minimum value of R...

Experimental design rules for implementing biconically tapered single mode optical fibre displacement sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Arregui, Francisco J.; Matias, Ignacio R.; Bariain, Candido; Lopez-Amo, Manuel

1998-06-01

Tapered optical fibers are used to design couplers, wavelength division multiplexers, near field scanning optical microscopy, just to mention a few. Moreover, and due to its strong transmission dependence to external medium the tapered fiber may also be used to sense distinct parameters such as temperature, humidity, PH, etc. In this work bending effects in tapers are exploited to achieved displacement sensors and to present design rules for implementing these sensors according to the desired both range and sensitivity.

Dielectrophoresis Aligned Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes as pH Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Xue

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Here we report the fabrication and characterization of pH sensors using aligned single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs. The SWNTs are dispersed in deionized (DI water after chemical functionalization and filtration. They are deposited and organized on silicon substrates with the dielectrophoresis process. Electrodes with “teeth”-like patterns—fabricated with photolithography and wet etching—are used to generate concentrated electric fields and strong dielectrophoretic forces for the SWNTs to deposit and align in desired locations. The device fabrication is inexpensive, solution-based, and conducted at room temperature. The devices are used as pH sensors with the electrodes as the testing pads and the dielectrophoretically captured SWNTs as the sensing elements. When exposed to aqueous solutions with various pH values, the SWNTs change their resistance accordingly. The SWNT-based sensors demonstrate a linear relationship between the sensor resistance and the pH values in the range of 5–9. The characterization of multiple sensors proves that their pH sensitivity is highly repeatable. The real-time data acquisition shows that the sensor response time depends on the pH value, ranging from 2.26 s for the pH-5 solution to 23.82 s for the pH-9 solution. The long-term stability tests illustrate that the sensors can maintain their original sensitivity for a long period of time. The simple fabrication process, high sensitivity, and fast response of the SWNT-based sensors facilitate their applications in a wide range of areas.

Temperature and pH sensors based on graphenic materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Salvo, P; Calisi, N; Melai, B; Cortigiani, B; Mannini, M; Caneschi, A; Lorenzetti, G; Paoletti, C; Lomonaco, T; Paolicchi, A; Scataglini, I; Dini, V; Romanelli, M; Fuoco, R; Di Francesco, F

2017-05-15

Point-of-care applications and patients' real-time monitoring outside a clinical setting would require disposable and durable sensors to provide better therapies and quality of life for patients. This paper describes the fabrication and performances of a temperature and a pH sensor on a biocompatible and wearable board for healthcare applications. The temperature sensor was based on a reduced graphene oxide (rGO) layer that changed its electrical resistivity with the temperature. When tested in a human serum sample between 25 and 43°C, the sensor had a sensitivity of 110±10Ω/°C and an error of 0.4±0.1°C compared with the reference value set in a thermostatic bath. The pH sensor, based on a graphene oxide (GO) sensitive layer, had a sensitivity of 40±4mV/pH in the pH range between 4 and 10. Five sensor prototypes were tested in a human serum sample over one week and the maximum deviation of the average response from reference values obtained by a glass electrode was 0.2pH units. For biological applications, the temperature and pH sensors were successfully tested for in vitro cytotoxicity with human fibroblast cells (MRC-5) over 24h. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optical acetylcholine sensor based on free base porphyrin as a chromoionophore.

Science.gov (United States)

Mroczkiewicz, Monika; Pietrzak, Mariusz; Górski, Łukasz; Malinowska, Elżbieta

2011-09-21

In this work, the possibility of application of free base porphyrin as a lipophilic pH chromoionophore for the preparation of optical cation-selective sensors was investigated. The properties of polymeric membranes, containing porphyrins of different structures, namely tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP) and octaethylporphyrin (OEP), were compared. Changes in equilibrium between protonated and deprotonated form of porphyrin, resulting from variations in ACh concentration, were evaluated. The influence of various factors (kind and quantity of anionic additive and porphyrin in the membrane phase, pH of sample solution) on initial equilibrium was studied. The best membrane composition was chosen as: TPP 3 wt.%, KTFPB 175 mol.% relative to ionophore, PVC:o-NPOE (1 : 4) and measuring buffer solution: 0.05 M MES, pH 4.5. Selectivity, response stability, reversibility and repeatability tests were carried out for chosen sensor. Developed sensor allowed for the determination of a model analyte, acetylcholine, at the concentration range of 10(-5) to 10(-2) M, both in stationary and flow-injection system. Sensor response was reversible and repeatable in the mentioned concentration range.

An Impedance-Based Mold Sensor with on-Chip Optical Reference

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Poornachandra Papireddy Vinayaka

2016-09-01

Full Text Available A new miniaturized sensor system with an internal optical reference for the detection of mold growth is presented. The sensor chip comprises a reaction chamber provided with a culture medium that promotes the growth of mold species from mold spores. The mold detection is performed by measuring impedance changes with integrated electrodes fabricated inside the reaction chamber. The impedance change in the culture medium is caused by shifts in the pH (i.e., from 5.5 to 8 as the mold grows. In order to determine the absolute pH value without the need for calibration, a methyl red indicator dye has been added to the culture medium. It changes the color of the medium as the pH passes specific values. This colorimetric principle now acts as a reference measurement. It also allows the sensitivity of the impedance sensor to be established in terms of impedance change per pH unit. Major mold species that are involved in the contamination of food, paper and indoor environments, like Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium incarnatum, Eurotium amstelodami, Aspergillus penicillioides and Aspergillus restrictus, have been successfully analyzed on-chip.

Photoconductivity, pH Sensitivity, Noise, and Channel Length Effects in Si Nanowire FET Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Gasparyan, Ferdinand; Zadorozhnyi, Ihor; Khondkaryan, Hrant; Arakelyan, Armen; Vitusevich, Svetlana

2018-03-01

Silicon nanowire (NW) field-effect transistor (FET) sensors of various lengths were fabricated. Transport properties of Si NW FET sensors were investigated involving noise spectroscopy and current-voltage (I-V) characterization. The static I-V dependencies demonstrate the high quality of fabricated silicon FETs without leakage current. Transport and noise properties of NW FET structures were investigated under different light illumination conditions, as well as in sensor configuration in an aqueous solution with different pH values. Furthermore, we studied channel length effects on the photoconductivity, noise, and pH sensitivity. The magnitude of the channel current is approximately inversely proportional to the length of the current channel, and the pH sensitivity increases with the increase of channel length approaching the Nernst limit value of 59.5 mV/pH. We demonstrate that dominant 1/f-noise can be screened by the generation-recombination plateau at certain pH of the solution or external optical excitation. The characteristic frequency of the generation-recombination noise component decreases with increasing of illumination power. Moreover, it is shown that the measured value of the slope of 1/f-noise spectral density dependence on the current channel length is 2.7 which is close to the theoretically predicted value of 3.

Wearable Optical Sensors

KAUST Repository

Ballard, Zachary S.

2017-07-12

The market for wearable sensors is predicted to grow to $5.5 billion by 2025, impacting global health in unprecedented ways. Optics and photonics will play a key role in the future of these wearable technologies, enabling highly sensitive measurements of otherwise invisible information and parameters about our health and surrounding environment. Through the implementation of optical wearable technologies, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and glucose monitors, among others, individuals are becoming more empowered to generate a wealth of rich, multifaceted physiological and environmental data, making personalized medicine a reality. Furthermore, these technologies can also be implemented in hospitals, clinics, point-of-care offices, assisted living facilities or even in patients’ homes for real-time, remote patient monitoring, creating more expeditious as well as resource-efficient systems. Several key optical technologies make such sensors possible, including e.g., optical fiber textiles, colorimetric, plasmonic, and fluorometric sensors, as well as Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) and Organic Photo-Diode (OPD) technologies. These emerging technologies and platforms show great promise as basic sensing elements in future wearable devices and will be reviewed in this chapter along-side currently existing fully integrated wearable optical sensors.

RuO2 pH Sensor with Super-Glue-Inspired Reference Electrode

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wade Lonsdale

2017-09-01

Full Text Available A pH-sensitive RuO2 electrode coated in a commercial cyanoacrylate adhesive typically exhibits very low pH sensitivity, and could be paired with a RuO2 working electrode as a differential type pH sensor. However, such sensors display poor performance in real sample matrices. A pH sensor employing a RuO2 pH-sensitive working electrode and a SiO2-PVB junction-modified RuO2 reference electrode is developed as an alternative high-performance solution. This sensor exhibits a performance similar to that of a commercial glass pH sensor in some common sample matrices, particularly, an excellent pH sensitivity of 55.7 mV/pH, a hysteresis as low as 2.7 mV, and a drift below 2.2 mV/h. The developed sensor structure opens the way towards the development of a simple, cost effective, and robust pH sensor for pH analysis in various sample matrices.

RuO2 pH Sensor with Super-Glue-Inspired Reference Electrode

Science.gov (United States)

Wajrak, Magdalena; Alameh, Kamal

2017-01-01

A pH-sensitive RuO2 electrode coated in a commercial cyanoacrylate adhesive typically exhibits very low pH sensitivity, and could be paired with a RuO2 working electrode as a differential type pH sensor. However, such sensors display poor performance in real sample matrices. A pH sensor employing a RuO2 pH-sensitive working electrode and a SiO2-PVB junction-modified RuO2 reference electrode is developed as an alternative high-performance solution. This sensor exhibits a performance similar to that of a commercial glass pH sensor in some common sample matrices, particularly, an excellent pH sensitivity of 55.7 mV/pH, a hysteresis as low as 2.7 mV, and a drift below 2.2 mV/h. The developed sensor structure opens the way towards the development of a simple, cost effective, and robust pH sensor for pH analysis in various sample matrices. PMID:28878182

Bedside arterial blood gas monitoring system using fluorescent optical sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Bartnik, Daniel J.; Rymut, Russell A.

1995-05-01

We describe a bedside arterial blood gas (ABG) monitoring system which uses fluorescent optical sensors in the measurement of blood pH, PCO2 and PO2. The Point-of-Care Arterial Blood Gas Monitoring System consists of the SensiCathTM optical sensor unit manufactured by Optical Sensors Incorporated and the TramTM Critical Care Monitoring System with ABG Module manufactured by Marquette Electronics Incorporated. Current blood gas measurement techniques require a blood sample to be removed from the patient and transported to an electrochemical analyzer for analysis. The ABG system does not require removal of blood from the patient or transport of the sample. The sensor is added to the patient's existing arterial line. ABG measurements are made by drawing a small blood sample from the arterial line in sufficient quantity to ensure an undiluted sample at the sensor. Measurements of pH, PCO2 and PO2 are made within 60 seconds. The blood is then returned to the patient, the line flushed and results appear on the bedside monitor. The ABG system offers several advantages over traditional electrochemical analyzers. Since the arterial line remains closed during the blood sampling procedure the patient's risk of infection is reduced and the caregiver's exposure to blood is eliminated. The single-use, disposable sensor can be measure 100 blood samples over 72 hours after a single two-point calibration. Quality Assurance checks are also available and provide the caregiver the ability to assess system performance even after the sensor is patient attached. The ABG module integrates with an existing bedside monitoring system. This allows ABG results to appear on the same display as ECG, respiration, blood pressure, cardiac output, SpO2, and other clinical information. The small module takes up little space in the crowded intensive care unit. Performance studies compare the ABG system with an electrochemical blood gas analyzer. Study results demonstrated accurate and precise blood

Assessment of fiber optic sensors for aging monitoring of industrial liquid coolants

Science.gov (United States)

Riziotis, Christos; El Sachat, Alexandros; Markos, Christos; Velanas, Pantelis; Meristoudi, Anastasia; Papadopoulos, Aggelos

2015-03-01

Lately the demand for in situ and real time monitoring of industrial assets and processes has been dramatically increased. Although numerous sensing techniques have been proposed, only a small fraction can operate efficiently under harsh industrial environments. In this work the operational properties of a proposed photonic based chemical sensing scheme, capable to monitor the ageing process and the quality characteristics of coolants and lubricants in industrial heavy machinery for metal finishing processes is presented. The full spectroscopic characterization of different coolant liquids revealed that the ageing process is connected closely to the acidity/ pH value of coolants, despite the fact that the ageing process is quite complicated, affected by a number of environmental parameters such as the temperature, humidity and development of hazardous biological content as for example fungi. Efficient and low cost optical fiber sensors based on pH sensitive thin overlayers, are proposed and employed for the ageing monitoring. Active sol-gel based materials produced with various pH indicators like cresol red, bromophenol blue and chorophenol red in tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), were used for the production of those thin film sensitive layers deposited on polymer's and silica's large core and highly multimoded optical fibers. The optical characteristics, sensing performance and environmental robustness of those optical sensors are presented, extracting useful conclusions towards their use in industrial applications.

Assessment of fiber optic pressure sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashemian, H.M.; Black, C.L.; Farmer, J.P.

1995-04-01

This report presents the results of a six-month Phase 1 study to establish the state-of-the-art in fiber optic pressure sensing and describes the design and principle of operation of various fiber optic pressure sensors. This study involved a literature review, contact with experts in the field, an industrial survey, a site visit to a fiber optic sensor manufacturer, and laboratory testing of a fiber optic pressure sensor. The laboratory work involved both static and dynamic performance tests. In addition, current requirements for environmental and seismic qualification of sensors for nuclear power plants were reviewed to determine the extent of the qualification tests that fiber optic pressure sensors may have to meet before they can be used in nuclear power plants. This project has concluded that fiber optic pressure sensors are still in the research and development stage and only a few manufacturers exist in the US and abroad which supply suitable fiber optic pressure sensors for industrial applications. Presently, fiber optic pressure sensors are mostly used in special applications for which conventional sensors are not able to meet the requirements

Fiber optic chemical sensors: The evolution of high- density fiber-optic DNA microarrays

Science.gov (United States)

Ferguson, Jane A.

2001-06-01

Sensors were developed for multianalyte monitoring, fermentation monitoring, lactate analysis, remote oxygen detection for use in bioremediation monitoring and in a fuel spill clean-up project, heavy metal analysis, and high density DNA microarrays. The major focus of this thesis involved creating and improving high-density DNA gene arrays. Fiber optic sensors are created using fluorescent indicators, polymeric supports, and optical fiber substrates. The fluorescent indicator is entrapped in a polymer layer and attached to the tip of the optical fiber. The tip of the fiber bearing the sensing layer (the distal end) is placed in the sample of interest while the other end of the fiber (the proximal end) is connected to an analysis system. Any length of fiber can be used without compromising the integrity or sensitivity of the system. A fiber optic oxygen sensor was designed incorporating an oxygen sensitive fluorescent dye and a gas permeable polymer attached to an optical fiber. The construction simplicity and ruggedness of the sensor enabled its deployment for in situ chemical oxidation and bioremediation studies. Optical fibers were also used as the substrate to detect biomolecules in solution. To monitor bioprocesses, the production of the analyte of interest must be coupled with a species that is optically measurable. For example, oxygen is consumed in many metabolic functions. The fiber optic oxygen sensor is equipped with an additional sensing layer. Upon contact with a specific biochemical in the sample, a reaction occurs in the additional sensing layer that either consumes or produces oxygen. This dual layer system was used to monitor the presence of lactate, an important metabolite for clinical and bioprocess analysis. In many biological and environmental systems, the generation of one species occurs coincidentally with the generation or consumption of another species. A multianalyte sensor was prepared that can monitor the simultaneous activity of pH, CO2

A Novel Optical Sensor Platform Designed for Wireless Sensor Networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Shuo; Zhou, Bochao; Sun, Tong; Grattan, Kenneth T V

2013-01-01

This paper presents a novel design of an optical sensor platform, enabling effective integration of a number of optical fibre ('wired') sensors with wireless sensor networks (WSNs). In this work, a fibre Bragg grating-based temperature sensor with low power consumption is specially designed as a sensing module and integrated successfully into a WSN, making full use of the advantages arising from both the advanced optical sensor designs and the powerful network functionalities resident in WSNs. The platform is expected to make an important impact on many applications, where either the conventional optical sensor designs or WSNs alone cannot meet the requirements.

Overview of Fiber-Optical Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Depaula, Ramon P.; Moore, Emery L.

1987-01-01

Design, development, and sensitivity of sensors using fiber optics reviewed. State-of-the-art and probable future developments of sensors using fiber optics described in report including references to work in field. Serves to update previously published surveys. Systems incorporating fiber-optic sensors used in medical diagnosis, navigation, robotics, sonar, power industry, and industrial controls.

Micro-fabricated all optical pressure sensors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Havreland, Andreas Spandet; Petersen, Søren Dahl; Østergaard, Christian

2017-01-01

Optical pressure sensors can operate in certain harsh application areas where the electrical pressure sensors cannot. However, the sensitivity is often not as good for the optical sensors. This work presents an all optical pressure sensor, which is fabricated by micro fabrication techniques, where...... the sensitivity can be tuned in the fabrication process. The developed sensor design, simplifies the fabrication process leading to a lower fabrication cost, which can make the all optical pressure sensors more competitive towards their electrical counterpart. The sensor has shown promising results and a linear...... pressure response has been measured with a sensitivity of 0.6nm/bar....

Iridium Oxide pH Sensor Based on Stainless Steel Wire for pH Mapping on Metal Surface

Science.gov (United States)

Shahrestani, S.; Ismail, M. C.; Kakooei, S.; Beheshti, M.; Zabihiazadboni, M.; Zavareh, M. A.

2018-03-01

A simple technique to fabricate the iridium oxide pH sensor is useful in several applications such as medical, food processing and engineering material where it is able to detect the changes of pH. Generally, the fabrication technique can be classified into three types: electro-deposition iridium oxide film (EIrOF), activated iridium oxide film (AIROF) and sputtering iridium oxide film (SIROF). This study focuses on fabricating electrode, calibration and test. Electro-deposition iridium oxide film is a simple and effective method of fabricating this kind of sensor via cyclic voltammetry process. The iridium oxide thick film was successfully electrodeposited on the surface of stainless steel wire with 500 cycles of sweep potential. A further analysis under FESEM shows detailed image of iridium oxide film which has cauliflower-liked microstructure. EDX analysis shows the highest element present are iridium and oxygen which concluded that the process is successful. The iridium oxide based pH sensor has shown a good performance in comparison to conventional glass pH sensor when it is being calibrated in buffer solutions with 2, 4, 7 and 9 pH values. The iridium oxide pH sensor is specifically designed to measure the pH on the surface of metal plate.

High pressure fiber optic sensor system

Science.gov (United States)

Guida, Renato; Xia, Hua; Lee, Boon K; Dekate, Sachin N

2013-11-26

The present application provides a fiber optic sensor system. The fiber optic sensor system may include a small diameter bellows, a large diameter bellows, and a fiber optic pressure sensor attached to the small diameter bellows. Contraction of the large diameter bellows under an applied pressure may cause the small diameter bellows to expand such that the fiber optic pressure sensor may measure the applied pressure.

A proteorhodopsin-based biohybrid light-powering pH sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Siyuan; Guo, Zhibin; Liang, Dawei; Chen, Deliang; Wei, Yen; Xiang, Yan

2013-10-14

The biohybrid sensor is an emerging technique for multi-functional detection that utilizes the instinctive responses or interactions of biomolecules. We develop a biohybrid pH sensor by taking advantage of the pH-dependent photoelectric characteristics of proteorhodopsin (pR). The transient absorption kinetics study indicates that the photoelectric behavior of pR is attributed to the varying lifetime of the M intermediate at different environmental pH values. This pR-based biohybrid light-powering sensor with microfluidic design can achieve real-time pH detection with quick response and high sensitivity. The results of this work would shed light on pR and its potential applications.

Optical seismic sensor systems and methods

Science.gov (United States)

Beal, A. Craig; Cummings, Malcolm E.; Zavriyev, Anton; Christensen, Caleb A.; Lee, Keun

2015-12-08

Disclosed is an optical seismic sensor system for measuring seismic events in a geological formation, including a surface unit for generating and processing an optical signal, and a sensor device optically connected to the surface unit for receiving the optical signal over an optical conduit. The sensor device includes at least one sensor head for sensing a seismic disturbance from at least one direction during a deployment of the sensor device within a borehole of the geological formation. The sensor head includes a frame and a reference mass attached to the frame via at least one flexure, such that movement of the reference mass relative to the frame is constrained to a single predetermined path.

Roughness and pH changes of enamel surface induced by soft drinks in vitro-applications of stylus profilometry, focus variation 3D scanning microscopy and micro pH sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujii, Mie; Kitasako, Yuichi; Sadr, Alireza; Tagami, Junji

2011-01-01

This study aimed to evaluate enamel surface roughness (Ra) and pH before and after erosion by soft drinks. Enamel was exposed to a soft drink (cola, orange juice or green tea) for 1, 5 or 60 min; Ra was measured using contact-stylus surface profilometry (SSP) and non-contact focus variation 3D microscope (FVM). Surface pH was measured using a micro pH sensor. Data were analyzed at significance level of alpha=0.05. There was a significant correlation in Ra between SSP and FVM. FVM images showed no changes in the surface morphology after various periods of exposure to green tea. Unlike cola and orange juice, exposure to green tea did not significantly affect Ra or pH. A significant correlation was observed between surface pH and Ra change after exposure to the drinks. Optical surface analysis and micro pH sensor may be useful tools for non-damaging, quantitative assessment of soft drinks erosion on enamel.

pH-dependence of the optical bio-sensor based on DNA-carbon nanotube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vu Thuy Huong; Quach Kha Quang; Tran Thanh Thuy; Phan Duc Anh; Ngo Van Thanh; Nguyen Ai Viet

2010-01-01

In 2006, Daniel A. Heller et al. [1] demonstrated that carbon nanotubes (CNNTs) wrapped with DNA can be placed inside living cells and detect trace amounts of harmful contaminants using near infrared light. This discovery could lead to new types of optical sensors and biomarkers at the sub cellular level. The working principle of this optical bio-sensor from DNA and CNNTs can be explained by a simple theoretical model which was introduced in [3]. In this paper, the pH-dependence of DNA and the pH-dependence of solution around CNNTs are shown by using data analysis method. By substituting them into the same model, the pH-dependence of DNA-wrapped CNNTs was elicited in this paper. The range of parameters for workable conditions of this bio-sensor was indicated that the solution should have pH from 6 to 9 and the concentration of ions should be more than a critical value. These results are according to the experimental data and the deduction about pH and salt concentration in solution. They are very useful as using such a new bio-sensor like this in living environment. (author)

A graphene oxide pH sensor for wound monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Melai, B; Salvo, P; Calisi, N; Moni, L; Bonini, A; Paoletti, C; Lomonaco, T; Mollica, V; Fuoco, R; Di Francesco, F

2016-08-01

This article describes the fabrication and characterization of a pH sensor for monitoring the wound status. The pH sensitive layer consists of a graphene oxide (GO) layer obtained by drop-casting 5 μΐ of GO dispersion onto the working electrode of a screen-printed substrate. Sensitivity was 31.8 mV/pH with an accuracy of 0.3 unit of pH. Open-circuit potentiometry was carried out to measure pH in an exudate sample. The GO pH sensor proved to be reliable as the comparison with results obtained from a standard glass electrode pH-meter showed negligible differences (pH units in the worst case) for measurements performed over a period of 4 days.

Deep-Sea DuraFET: A Pressure Tolerant pH Sensor Designed for Global Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Kenneth S; Jannasch, Hans W; Coletti, Luke J; Elrod, Virginia A; Martz, Todd R; Takeshita, Yuichiro; Carlson, Robert J; Connery, James G

2016-03-15

Increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide is driving a long-term decrease in ocean pH which is superimposed on daily to seasonal variability. These changes impact ecosystem processes, and they serve as a record of ecosystem metabolism. However, the temporal variability in pH is observed at only a few locations in the ocean because a ship is required to support pH observations of sufficient precision and accuracy. This paper describes a pressure tolerant Ion Sensitive Field Effect Transistor pH sensor that is based on the Honeywell Durafet ISFET die. When combined with a AgCl pseudoreference sensor that is immersed directly in seawater, the system is capable of operating for years at a time on platforms that cycle from depths of several km to the surface. The paper also describes the calibration scheme developed to allow calibrated pH measurements to be derived from the activity of HCl reported by the sensor system over the range of ocean pressure and temperature. Deployments on vertical profiling platforms enable self-calibration in deep waters where pH values are stable. Measurements with the sensor indicate that it is capable of reporting pH with an accuracy of 0.01 or better on the total proton scale and a precision over multiyear periods of 0.005. This system enables a global ocean observing system for ocean pH.

Comparison of pH Data Measured with a pH Sensor Array Using Different Data Fusion Methods

OpenAIRE

Yi-Hung Liao; Jung-Chuan Chou

2012-01-01

This paper introduces different data fusion methods which are used for an electrochemical measurement using a sensor array. In this study, we used ruthenium dioxide sensing membrane pH electrodes to form a sensor array. The sensor array was used for detecting the pH values of grape wine, generic cola drink and bottled base water. The measured pH data were used for data fusion methods to increase the reliability of the measured results, and we also compared the fusion results with other differ...

Novel Fiber-Optic Ring Acoustic Emission Sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Peng; Han, Xiaole; Xia, Dong; Liu, Taolin; Lang, Hao

2018-01-13

Acoustic emission technology has been applied to many fields for many years. However, the conventional piezoelectric acoustic emission sensors cannot be used in extreme environments, such as those with heavy electromagnetic interference, high pressure, or strong corrosion. In this paper, a novel fiber-optic ring acoustic emission sensor is proposed. The sensor exhibits high sensitivity, anti-electromagnetic interference, and corrosion resistance. First, the principle of a novel fiber-optic ring sensor is introduced. Different from piezoelectric and other fiber acoustic emission sensors, this novel sensor includes both a sensing skeleton and a sensing fiber. Second, a heterodyne interferometric demodulating method is presented. In addition, a fiber-optic ring sensor acoustic emission system is built based on this method. Finally, fiber-optic ring acoustic emission experiments are performed. The novel fiber-optic ring sensor is glued onto the surface of an aluminum plate. The 150 kHz standard continuous sinusoidal signals and broken lead signals are successfully detected by the novel fiber-optic ring acoustic emission sensor. In addition, comparison to the piezoelectric acoustic emission sensor is performed, which shows the availability and reliability of the novel fiber-optic ring acoustic emission sensor. In the future, this novel fiber-optic ring acoustic emission sensor will provide a new route to acoustic emission detection in harsh environments.

Vesicular perylene dye nanocapsules as supramolecular fluorescent pH sensor systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xin; Rehm, Stefanie; Safont-Sempere, Marina M; Würthner, Frank

2009-11-01

Water-soluble, self-assembled nanocapsules composed of a functional bilayer membrane and enclosed guest molecules can provide smart (that is, condition responsive) sensors for a variety of purposes. Owing to their outstanding optical and redox properties, perylene bisimide chromophores are interesting building blocks for a functional bilayer membrane in a water environment. Here, we report water-soluble perylene bisimide vesicles loaded with bispyrene-based energy donors in their aqueous interior. These loaded vesicles are stabilized by in situ photopolymerization to give nanocapsules that are stable over the entire aqueous pH range. On the basis of pH-tunable spectral overlap of donors and acceptors, the donor-loaded polymerized vesicles display pH-dependent fluorescence resonance energy transfer from the encapsulated donors to the bilayer dye membrane, providing ultrasensitive pH information on their aqueous environment with fluorescence colour changes covering the whole visible light range. At pH 9.0, quite exceptional white fluorescence could be observed for such water-soluble donor-loaded perylene vesicles.

Comparison of pH Data Measured with a pH Sensor Array Using Different Data Fusion Methods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yi-Hung Liao

2012-09-01

Full Text Available This paper introduces different data fusion methods which are used for an electrochemical measurement using a sensor array. In this study, we used ruthenium dioxide sensing membrane pH electrodes to form a sensor array. The sensor array was used for detecting the pH values of grape wine, generic cola drink and bottled base water. The measured pH data were used for data fusion methods to increase the reliability of the measured results, and we also compared the fusion results with other different data fusion methods.

A fiber optic ammonia sensor using a universal pH indicator

OpenAIRE

Rodríguez Rodríguez, Adolfo Josué; Domínguez Cruz, Rene F.; May Arrioja, Daniel A.; Ruiz Zamarreño, Carlos; Matías Maestro, Ignacio; Arregui San Martín, Francisco Javier

2014-01-01

A universal pH indicator is used to fabricate a fiber optic ammonia sensor. The advantage of this pH indicator is that it exhibits sensitivity toammonia over a broad wavelength range. This provides a differential response, with a valley around 500 nm and a peak around 650 nm, which allows us to perform ratiometric measurements. The ratiometric measurements provide not only an enhanced signal, but can also eliminate any external disturbance due to humidity or temperature fluctuations. In addit...

pH Mapping on Tooth Surfaces for Quantitative Caries Diagnosis Using Micro Ir/IrOx pH Sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Ratanaporncharoen, Chindanai; Tabata, Miyuki; Kitasako, Yuichi; Ikeda, Masaomi; Goda, Tatsuro; Matsumoto, Akira; Tagami, Junji; Miyahara, Yuji

2018-04-03

A quantitative diagnostic method for dental caries would improve oral health, which directly affects the quality of life. Here we describe the preparation and application of Ir/IrOx pH sensors, which are used to measure the surface pH of dental caries. The pH level is used as an indicator to distinguish between active and arrested caries. After a dentist visually inspected and defined 18 extracted dentinal caries at various positions as active or arrested caries, the surface pH values of sound and caries areas were directly measured with an Ir/IrOx pH sensor with a diameter of 300 μm as a dental explorer. The average pH values of the sound root, the arrested caries, and active caries were 6.85, 6.07, and 5.30, respectively. The pH obtained with an Ir/IrOx sensor was highly correlated with the inspection results by the dentist, indicating that the types of caries were successfully categorized. This caries testing technique using a micro Ir/IrOx pH sensor provides an accurate quantitative caries evaluation and has potential in clinical diagnosis.

Fiber-optic seismic sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finch, G. W.; Udd, E.

1985-01-01

A vibration sensor is constructed by providing two preferably matched coils of fiber-optic material. When the sensor experiences vibration, a differential pressure is exerted on the two fiber coils. The differential pressure results in a variation in the relative optical path lengths between the two fibers so that light beams transmitted through the two fibers are differently delayed, the phase difference therebetween being a detectable indication of the vibration applied to the sensor

Miniaturized pH Sensors Based on Zinc Oxide Nanotubes/Nanorods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Magnus Willander

2009-11-01

Full Text Available ZnO nanotubes and nanorods grown on gold thin film were used to create pH sensor devices. The developed ZnO nanotube and nanorod pH sensors display good reproducibility, repeatability and long-term stability and exhibit a pH-dependent electrochemical potential difference versus an Ag/AgCl reference electrode over a large dynamic pH range. We found the ZnO nanotubes provide sensitivity as high as twice that of the ZnO nanorods, which can be ascribed to the fact that small dimensional ZnO nanotubes have a higher level of surface and subsurface oxygen vacancies and provide a larger effective surface area with higher surface-to-volume ratio as compared to ZnO nanorods, thus affording the ZnO nanotube pH sensor a higher sensitivity. Experimental results indicate ZnO nanotubes can be used in pH sensor applications with improved performance. Moreover, the ZnO nanotube arrays may find potential application as a novel material for measurements of intracellular biochemical species within single living cells.

Microneedle pH Sensor: Direct, Label-Free, Real-Time Detection of Cerebrospinal Fluid and Bladder pH.

Science.gov (United States)

Mani, Ganesh Kumar; Miyakoda, Kousei; Saito, Asuka; Yasoda, Yutaka; Kajiwara, Kagemasa; Kimura, Minoru; Tsuchiya, Kazuyoshi

2017-07-05

Acid-base homeostasis (body pH) inside the body is precisely controlled by the kidneys and lungs and buffer systems, such that even a minor pH change could severely affect many organs. Blood and urine pH tests are common in day-to-day clinical trials and require little effort for diagnosis. There is always a great demand for in vivo testing to understand more about body metabolism and to provide effective diagnosis and therapy. In this article, we report the simple fabrication of microneedle-based direct, label-free, and real-time pH sensors. The reference and working electrodes were Ag/AgCl thick films and ZnO thin films on tungsten (W) microneedles, respectively. The morphological and structural characteristics of microneedles were carefully investigated through various analytical methods. The developed sensor exhibited a Nernstian response of -46 mV/pH. Different conditions were used to test the sensor to confirm their accuracy and stability, such as various buffer solutions, with respect to time, and we compared the reading with commercial pH electrodes. Besides that, the fabricated microneedle sensor ability is proven by in vivo testing in mouse cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and bladders. The pH sensor procedure reported here is totally reversible, and results were reproducible after several rounds of testing.

Novel Fiber-Optic Ring Acoustic Emission Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peng Wei

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Acoustic emission technology has been applied to many fields for many years. However, the conventional piezoelectric acoustic emission sensors cannot be used in extreme environments, such as those with heavy electromagnetic interference, high pressure, or strong corrosion. In this paper, a novel fiber-optic ring acoustic emission sensor is proposed. The sensor exhibits high sensitivity, anti-electromagnetic interference, and corrosion resistance. First, the principle of a novel fiber-optic ring sensor is introduced. Different from piezoelectric and other fiber acoustic emission sensors, this novel sensor includes both a sensing skeleton and a sensing fiber. Second, a heterodyne interferometric demodulating method is presented. In addition, a fiber-optic ring sensor acoustic emission system is built based on this method. Finally, fiber-optic ring acoustic emission experiments are performed. The novel fiber-optic ring sensor is glued onto the surface of an aluminum plate. The 150 kHz standard continuous sinusoidal signals and broken lead signals are successfully detected by the novel fiber-optic ring acoustic emission sensor. In addition, comparison to the piezoelectric acoustic emission sensor is performed, which shows the availability and reliability of the novel fiber-optic ring acoustic emission sensor. In the future, this novel fiber-optic ring acoustic emission sensor will provide a new route to acoustic emission detection in harsh environments.

Development of a colorimetric microfluidic pH sensor for autonomous seawater measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Rérolle, Victoire M C; Floquet, Cedric F A; Harris, Andy J K; Mowlem, Matt C; Bellerby, Richard R G J; Achterberg, Eric P

2013-07-05

High quality carbonate chemistry measurements are required in order to fully understand the dynamics of the oceanic carbonate system. Seawater pH data with good spatial and temporal coverage are particularly critical to apprehend ocean acidification phenomena and their consequences. There is a growing need for autonomous in situ instruments that measure pH on remote platforms. Our aim is to develop an accurate and precise autonomous in situ pH sensor for long term deployment on remote platforms. The widely used spectrophotometric pH technique is capable of the required high-quality measurements. We report a key step towards the miniaturization of a colorimetric pH sensor with the successful implementation of a simple microfluidic design with low reagent consumption. The system is particularly adapted to shipboard deployment: high quality data was obtained over a period of more than a month during a shipboard deployment in northwest European shelf waters, and less than 30 mL of indicator was consumed. The system featured a short term precision of 0.001 pH (n=20) and an accuracy within the range of a certified Tris buffer (0.004 pH). The quality of the pH system measurements have been checked using various approaches: measurements of certified Tris buffer, measurement of certified seawater for DIC and TA, comparison of measured pH against calculated pH from pCO2, DIC and TA during the cruise in northwest European shelf waters. All showed that our measurements were of high quality. The measurements were made close to in situ temperature (+0.2°C) in a sampling chamber which had a continuous flow of the ship's underway seawater supply. The optical set up was robust and relatively small due to the use of an USB mini-spectrometer, a custom made polymeric flow cell and an LED light source. The use of a three wavelength LED with detection that integrated power across the whole of each LED output spectrum indicated that low wavelength resolution detectors can be used

Improved Optical Fiber Chemical Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Egalon, Claudio O.; Rogowski, Robert S.

1994-01-01

Calculations, based on exact theory of optical fiber, have shown how to increase optical efficiency sensitivity of active-core, step-index-profile optical-fiber fluorosensor. Calculations result of efforts to improve efficiency of optical-fiber chemical sensor of previous concept described in "Making Optical-Fiber Chemical Sensors More Sensitive" (LAR-14525). Optical fiber chemical detector of enhanced sensitivity made in several configurations. Portion of fluorescence or chemiluminescence generated in core, and launched directly into bound electromagnetic modes that propagate along core to photodetector.

Measuring pH variability using an experimental sensor on an underwater glider

Science.gov (United States)

Hemming, Michael P.; Kaiser, Jan; Heywood, Karen J.; Bakker, Dorothee C. E.; Boutin, Jacqueline; Shitashima, Kiminori; Lee, Gareth; Legge, Oliver; Onken, Reiner

2017-05-01

Autonomous underwater gliders offer the capability of measuring oceanic parameters continuously at high resolution in both vertical and horizontal planes, with timescales that can extend to many months. An experimental ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET) sensor measuring pH on the total scale was attached to a glider during the REP14-MED experiment in June 2014 in the Sardinian Sea in the northwestern Mediterranean. During the deployment, pH was sampled at depths of up to 1000 m along an 80 km transect over a period of 12 days. Water samples were collected from a nearby ship and analysed for dissolved inorganic carbon concentration and total alkalinity to derive the pH for validating the ISFET sensor measurements. The vertical resolution of the pH sensor was good (1 to 2 m), but stability was poor and the sensor drifted in a non-monotonous fashion. In order to remove the sensor drift, a depth-constant time-varying offset was applied throughout the water column for each dive, reducing the spread of the data by approximately two-thirds. Furthermore, the ISFET sensor required temperature- and pressure-based corrections, which were achieved using linear regression. Correcting for this decreased the apparent sensor pH variability by a further 13 to 31 %. Sunlight caused an apparent sensor pH decrease of up to 0.1 in surface waters around local noon, highlighting the importance of shielding the sensor from light in future deployments. The corrected pH from the ISFET sensor is presented along with potential temperature, salinity, potential density anomalies (σθ), and dissolved oxygen concentrations (c(O2)) measured by the glider, providing insights into the physical and biogeochemical variability in the Sardinian Sea. The pH maxima were identified close to the depth of the summer chlorophyll maximum, where high c(O2) values were also found. Longitudinal pH variations at depth (σθ > 28. 8 kg m-3) highlighted the variability of water masses in the Sardinian

Measuring pH variability using an experimental sensor on an underwater glider

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. P. Hemming

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Autonomous underwater gliders offer the capability of measuring oceanic parameters continuously at high resolution in both vertical and horizontal planes, with timescales that can extend to many months. An experimental ion-sensitive field-effect transistor (ISFET sensor measuring pH on the total scale was attached to a glider during the REP14-MED experiment in June 2014 in the Sardinian Sea in the northwestern Mediterranean. During the deployment, pH was sampled at depths of up to 1000 m along an 80 km transect over a period of 12 days. Water samples were collected from a nearby ship and analysed for dissolved inorganic carbon concentration and total alkalinity to derive the pH for validating the ISFET sensor measurements. The vertical resolution of the pH sensor was good (1 to 2 m, but stability was poor and the sensor drifted in a non-monotonous fashion. In order to remove the sensor drift, a depth-constant time-varying offset was applied throughout the water column for each dive, reducing the spread of the data by approximately two-thirds. Furthermore, the ISFET sensor required temperature- and pressure-based corrections, which were achieved using linear regression. Correcting for this decreased the apparent sensor pH variability by a further 13 to 31 %. Sunlight caused an apparent sensor pH decrease of up to 0.1 in surface waters around local noon, highlighting the importance of shielding the sensor from light in future deployments. The corrected pH from the ISFET sensor is presented along with potential temperature, salinity, potential density anomalies (σθ, and dissolved oxygen concentrations (c(O2 measured by the glider, providing insights into the physical and biogeochemical variability in the Sardinian Sea. The pH maxima were identified close to the depth of the summer chlorophyll maximum, where high c(O2 values were also found. Longitudinal pH variations at depth (σθ > 28. 8 kg m−3 highlighted the variability of

Multiple approaches for enhancing all-organic electronics photoluminescent sensors: Simultaneous oxygen and pH monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Rui; Xiao, Teng; Cui, Weipan; Shinar, Joseph; Shinar, Ruth

2013-01-01

Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Novel simply-fabricated all-organic electronics pH and oxygen optical monitor. •Excitation sources: directionally emitting, narrowed multicolor microcavity OLEDs. •Photodetectors: small molecule- or polymer-based with selective spectral responses. •Sensor film: structured high molecular weight polystyrene:polyethylene glycol blend. •×1.9 sensitivity enhancement and ×2.7 increase in the photoluminescence for oxygen. -- Abstract: Key issues in using organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) as excitation sources in structurally integrated photoluminescence (PL)-based sensors are the low forward light outcoupling, the OLEDs’ broad electroluminescence (EL) bands, and the long-lived remnant EL that follows an EL pulse. The outcoupling issue limits the detection sensitivity (S) as only ∼20% of the light generated within standard OLEDs can be forward outcoupled and used for sensor probe excitation. The EL broad band interferes with the analyte-sensitive PL, leading to a background that reduces S and dynamic range. In particular, these issues hinder designing compact sensors, potentially miniaturizable, that are devoid of optical filters and couplers. We address these shortcomings by introducing easy-to-employ multiple approaches for outcoupling improvement, PL enhancement, and background EL reduction leading to novel, compact all-organic device architectures demonstrated for simultaneous monitoring of oxygen and pH. The sensor comprises simply-fabricated, directionally-emitting, narrower-band, multicolor microcavity OLED excitation and small molecule- and polymer-based organic photodetectors (OPDs) with a more selective spectral response. Additionally, S and PL intensity for oxygen are enhanced by using polystyrene (PS):polyethylene glycol (PEG) blends as the sensing film matrix. By utilizing higher molecular weight PS, the ratio τ 0 /τ 100 (PL decay time τ at 0% O 2 /τ at 100% O 2 ) that is often used to express S

Soil pH mapping with an on-the-go sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Schirrmann, Michael; Gebbers, Robin; Kramer, Eckart; Seidel, Jan

2011-01-01

Soil pH is a key parameter for crop productivity, therefore, its spatial variation should be adequately addressed to improve precision management decisions. Recently, the Veris pH Manager™, a sensor for high-resolution mapping of soil pH at the field scale, has been made commercially available in the US. While driving over the field, soil pH is measured on-the-go directly within the soil by ion selective antimony electrodes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Veris pH Manager™ under farming conditions in Germany. Sensor readings were compared with data obtained by standard protocols of soil pH assessment. Experiments took place under different scenarios: (a) controlled tests in the lab, (b) semicontrolled test on transects in a stop-and-go mode, and (c) tests under practical conditions in the field with the sensor working in its typical on-the-go mode. Accuracy issues, problems, options, and potential benefits of the Veris pH Manager™ were addressed. The tests demonstrated a high degree of linearity between standard laboratory values and sensor readings. Under practical conditions in the field (scenario c), the measure of fit (r(2)) for the regression between the on-the-go measurements and the reference data was 0.71, 0.63, and 0.84, respectively. Field-specific calibration was necessary to reduce systematic errors. Accuracy of the on-the-go maps was considerably higher compared with the pH maps obtained by following the standard protocols, and the error in calculating lime requirements was reduced by about one half. However, the system showed some weaknesses due to blockage by residual straw and weed roots. If these problems were solved, the on-the-go sensor investigated here could be an efficient alternative to standard sampling protocols as a basis for liming in Germany.

Graphene Channel Liquid Container Field Effect Transistor as ph Sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, X.; Shi, J.; Pang, J.; Liu, W.; Wang, X.; Liu, H.

2014-01-01

Graphene channel liquid container field effect transistor ph sensor with interdigital micro trench for liquid ion testing is presented. Growth morphology and ph sensing property of continuous few-layer graphene (FLG) and quasi-continuous monolayer graphene (MG) channels are compared. The experiment results show that the source-to-drain current of the graphene channel FET has a significant and fast response after adsorption of the measured molecule and ion at the room temperature; at the same time, the FLG response time is less than 4 s. The resolution of MG (0.01) on ph value is one order of magnitude higher than that of FLG (0.1). The reason is that with fewer defects, the MG is more likely to adsorb measured molecule and ion, and the molecules and ions can make the transport property change. The output sensitivities of MG are from 34.5% to 57.4% when the ph value is between 7 and 8, while sensitivity of FLG is 4.75% when the Ph=6. The sensor fabrication combines traditional silicon technique and flexible electronic technology and provides an easy way to develop graphene-based electrolyte gas sensor or even biological sensors.

New Nanomaterials and Luminescent Optical Sensors for Detection of Hydrogen Peroxide

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalia A. Burmistrova

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Accurate methods that can continuously detect low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 have a huge application potential in biological, pharmaceutical, clinical and environmental analysis. Luminescent probes and nanomaterials are used for fabrication of sensors for H2O2 that can be applied for these purposes. In contrast to previous reviews focusing on the chemical design of molecular probes for H2O2, this mini-review highlights the latest luminescent nanoparticular materials and new luminescent optical sensors for H2O2 in terms of the nanomaterial composition and luminescent receptor used in the sensors. The nanomaterial section is subdivided into schemes based on gold nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles with embedded enzymes, probes showing aggregation-induced emission enhancement, quantum dots, lanthanide-based nanoparticles and carbon based nanomaterials, respectively. Moreover, the sensors are ordered according to the type of luminescent receptor used within the sensor membranes. Among them are lanthanide complexes, metal-ligand complexes, oxidic nanoparticles and organic dyes. Further, the optical sensors are confined to those that are capable to monitor the concentration of H2O2 in a sample over time or are reusable. Optical sensors responding to gaseous H2O2 are not covered. All nanomaterials and sensors are characterized with respect to the analytical reaction towards H2O2, limit of detection (LOD, analytical range, electrolyte, pH and response time/incubation time. Applications to real samples are given. Finally, we assess the suitability of the nanomaterials to be used in membrane-based sensors and discuss future trends and perspectives of these sensors in biomedical research.

A wireless pH sensor using magnetoelasticity for measurement of body fluid acidity.

Science.gov (United States)

Pang, Pengfei; Gao, Xianjuan; Xiao, Xilin; Yang, Wenyue; Cai, Qingyun; Yao, Shouzhuo

2007-04-01

The determination of body fluid acidity using a wireless magnetoelastic pH-sensitive sensor is described. The sensor was fabricated by casting a layer of pH-sensitive polymer on a magnetoelastic ribbon. In response to an externally applied time-varying magnetic field, the magnetoelastic sensor mechanically vibrates at a characteristic frequency that is inversely dependent upon the mass of the pH polymer film, which varies as the film swells and shrinks in response to pH. As the magnetoelastic sensor is magnetostrictive, the mechanical vibrations of the sensor launch magnetic flux that can be detected remotely using a pickup coil. The sensor can be used for direct measurements of body fluid acidity without a pretreatment of the sample by using a filtration membrane. A reversible and linear response was obtained between pH 5.0 and 8.0 with a measurement resolution of pH 0.1 and a slope of 0.2 kHz pH(-1). Since there are no physical connections between the sensor and the instrument, the sensor can be applied to in vivo and in situ monitoring of the physiological pH and its fluctuations.

Post-deposition annealing temperature dependence TiO_2-based EGFET pH sensor sensitivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zulkefle, M. A.; Rahman, R. A.; Yusoff, K. A.; Abdullah, W. F. H.; Rusop, M.; Herman, S. H.

2016-01-01

EGFET pH sensor is one type of pH sensor that is used to measure and determine pH of a solution. The sensing membrane of EGFET pH sensor plays vital role in the overall performance of the sensor. This paper studies the effects of different annealing temperature of the TiO_2 sensing membranes towards sensitivity of EGFET pH sensor. Sol-gel spin coating was chosen as TiO_2 deposition techniques since it is cost-effective and produces thin film with uniform thickness. Deposited TiO_2 thin films were then annealed at different annealing temperatures and then were connected to the gate of MOSFET as a part of the EGFET pH sensor structure. The thin films now act as sensing membranes of the EGFET pH sensor and sensitivity of each sensing membrane towards pH was measured. From the results it was determined that sensing membrane annealed at 300 °C gave the highest sensitivity followed by sample annealed at 400 °C and 500 °C.

Development of a pH sensor using nanoporous nanostructures of NiO.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibupoto, Z H; Khun, K; Willander, M

2014-09-01

Glass is the conventional material used in pH electrodes to monitor pH in various applications. However, the glass-based pH electrode has some limitations for particular applications. The glass sensor is limited in the use of in vivo biomedical, clinical or food applications because of the brittleness of glass, its large size, the difficulty in measuring small volumes and the absence of deformation (inflexibility). Nanostructure-based pH sensors are very sensitive, reliable, fast and applicable towards in vivo measurements. In this study, nanoporous NiO nanostructures are synthesized on a gold-coated glass substrate by a hydrothermal route using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as a stabilizer. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were used for the morphological and crystalline studies. The grown NiO nanostructures are uniform and dense, and they possess good crystallinity. A pH sensor based on these NiO nanostructures was developed by testing the different pH values from 2-12 of phosphate buffered saline solution. The proposed pH sensor showed robust sensitivity of -43.74 ± 0.80 mV/pH and a quick response time of less than 10 s. Moreover, the repeatability, reproducibility and stability of the presented pH sensor were also studied.

A wide range optical pH sensor for living cells using Au@Ag nanoparticles functionalized carbon nanotubes based on SERS signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Peng; Wang, Zhuyuan; Zong, Shenfei; Chen, Hui; Zhu, Dan; Zhong, Yuan; Cui, Yiping

2014-10-01

p-Aminothiophenol (pATP) functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been demonstrated as an efficient pH sensor for living cells. The proposed sensor employs gold/silver core-shell nanoparticles (Au@Ag NPs) functionalized MWCNTs hybrid structure as the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate and pATP molecules as the SERS reporters, which possess a pH-dependent SERS performance. By using MWCNTs as the substrate to be in a state of aggregation, the pH sensing range could be extended to pH 3.0∼14.0, which is much wider than that using unaggregated Au@Ag NPs without MWCNTs. Furthermore, the pH-sensitive performance was well retained in living cells with a low cytotoxicity. The developed SERS-active MWCNTs-based nanocomposite is expected to be an efficient intracellular pH sensor for bio-applications.

Nanoparticle assembled microcapsules for application as pH and ammonia sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Amali, Arlin Jose; Awwad, Nour H; Rana, Rohit Kumar; Patra, Digambara

2011-12-05

The encapsulation of molecular probes in a suitable nanostructured matrix can be exploited to alter their optical properties and robustness for fabricating efficient chemical sensors. Despite high sensitivity, simplicity, selectivity and cost effectiveness, the photo-destruction and photo-bleaching are the serious concerns while utilizing molecular probes. Herein we demonstrate that hydroxy pyrene trisulfonate (HPTS), a pH sensitive molecular probe, when encapsulated in a microcapsule structure prepared via the assembly of silica nanoparticles mediated by poly-L-lysine and trisodium citrate, provides a robust sensing material for pH sensing under the physiological conditions. The temporal evolution under continuous irradiation indicates that the fluorophore inside the silica microcapsule is extraordinarily photostable. The fluorescence intensity alternation at dual excitation facilitates for a ratiometic sensing of the pH, however, the fluorescence lifetime is insensitive to hydrogen ion concentration. The sensing scheme is found to be robust, fast and simple for the measurement of pH in the range 5.8-8.0, and can be successfully applied for the determination of ammonia in the concentration range 0-1.2 mM, which is important for aquatic life and the environment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multifunctional optical sensor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

2010-01-01

The invention relates to a multifunctional optical sensor, having at least 2 areas which independently react to different input parameters, the sensor comprising a substrate and a polymeric layer comprising polymerized liquid crystal monomers having an ordered morphology, wherein the color, the

Fiber Bragg Grating Based pH Sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Yulianti, Ian; Sahmah, Abu; Supa'at, M.; Idrus, M.; Kassim, Norazan M.; Al-hetar, Abdulaziz M.

2011-05-01

This paper demonstrates the modeling of pH sensor based on pH sensitive hydrogel coated FBG. The modeling was done by simulating the hydrogel swelling behavior, then calculating the strain induced by hydrogel expansion. Meshless numerical method was adopted to solve the Poison Nernst Planck equation coupled to mechanical equation to simulate the hydrogel swelling. The strain induced in the FBG due to mechanical expansion of hydrogel was calculated analytically. Strain of more than 10 μɛ was obtained at pH> 5. At pH of 5, λB shift of more than 10 pm was achieved.

RuO2 pH Sensor with Super-Glue-Inspired Reference Electrode

OpenAIRE

Lonsdale, Wade; Wajrak, Magdalena; Alameh, Kamal

2017-01-01

A pH-sensitive RuO2 electrode coated in a commercial cyanoacrylate adhesive typically exhibits very low pH sensitivity, and could be paired with a RuO2 working electrode as a differential type pH sensor. However, such sensors display poor performance in real sample matrices. A pH sensor employing a RuO2 pH-sensitive working electrode and a SiO2-PVB junction-modified RuO2 reference electrode is developed as an alternative high-performance solution. This sensor exhibits a performance similar to...

Robust optical sensors for safety critical automotive applications

Science.gov (United States)

De Locht, Cliff; De Knibber, Sven; Maddalena, Sam

2008-02-01

Optical sensors for the automotive industry need to be robust, high performing and low cost. This paper focuses on the impact of automotive requirements on optical sensor design and packaging. Main strategies to lower optical sensor entry barriers in the automotive market include: Perform sensor calibration and tuning by the sensor manufacturer, sensor test modes on chip to guarantee functional integrity at operation, and package technology is key. As a conclusion, optical sensor applications are growing in automotive. Optical sensor robustness matured to the level of safety critical applications like Electrical Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) and Drive-by-Wire by optical linear arrays based systems and Automated Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Change Assist and Driver Classification/Smart Airbag Deployment by camera imagers based systems.

Paper-based potentiometric pH sensor using carbon electrode drawn by pencil

Science.gov (United States)

Kawahara, Ryotaro; Sahatiya, Parikshit; Badhulika, Sushmee; Uno, Shigeyasu

2018-04-01

A flexible and disposable paper-based pH sensor fabricated with a pencil-drawn working electrode and a Ag/AgCl paste reference electrode is demonstrated for the first time to show pH response by the potentiometric principle. The sensor substrate is made of chromatography paper with a wax-printed hydrophobic area, and various types of carbon pencils are tested as working electrodes. The pH sensitivities of the electrodes drawn by carbon pencils with different hardnesses range from 16.5 to 26.9 mV/pH. The proposed sensor is expected to be more robust against shape change in electrodes on a flexible substrate than other types of chemiresistive/amperometric pH sensors.

Reagentless chemiluminescence-based fiber optic sensors for regenerative life support in space

Science.gov (United States)

Atwater, James E.; Akse, James R.; DeHart, Jeffrey; Wheeler, Richard R., Jr.

1995-04-01

The initial feasibility demonstration of a reagentless chemiluminescence based fiber optic sensor technology for use in advanced regenerative life support applications in space and planetary outposts is described. The primary constraints for extraterrestrial deployment of any technology are compatibility with microgravity and hypogravity environments; minimal size, weight, and power consumption; and minimal use of expendables due to the great expense and difficulty inherent to resupply logistics. In the current research, we report the integration of solid state flow through modules for the production of aqueous phase reagents into an integrated system for the detection of important analytes by chemiluminescence, with fiber optic light transmission. By minimizing the need for resupply expendables, the use of solid phase modules makes complex chemical detection schemes practical. For the proof of concept, hydrogen peroxide and glucose were chosen as analytes. The reaction is catalyzed by glucose oxidase, an immobilized enzyme. The aqueous phase chemistry required for sensor operation is implemented using solid phase modules which adjust the pH of the influent stream, catalyze the oxidation of analyte, and provide the controlled addition of the luminophore to the flowing aqueous stream. Precise control of the pH has proven essential for the long-term sustained release of the luminophore. Electrocatalysis is achieved using a controlled potential across gold mesh and gold foil electrodes which undergo periodic polarity reversals. The development and initial characterization of performance of the reagentless fiber optic chemiluminescence sensors are presented in this paper.

Toward Optical Sensors: Review and Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabri, Naseer; Aljunid, S A; Ahmad, R B; Salim, M S; Kamaruddin, R

2013-01-01

Recent advances in fiber optics (FOs) and the numerous advantages of light over electronic systems have boosted the utility and demand for optical sensors in various military, industry and social fields. Environmental and atmospheric monitoring, earth and space sciences, industrial chemical processing and biotechnology, law enforcement, digital imaging, scanning, and printing are exemplars of them. The ubiquity of photonic technologies could drive down prices which reduced the cost of optical fibers and lasers. Fiber optic sensors (FOSs) offer a wide spectrum of advantages over traditional sensing systems, such as small size and longer lifetime. Immunity to electromagnetic interference, amenability to multiplexing, and high sensitivity make FOs the sensor technology of choice in several fields, including the healthcare and aerospace sectors. FOSs show reliable and rigid sensing tasks over conventional electrical and electronic sensors. This paper presents an executive review of optical fiber sensors and the most beneficial applications.

Toward Optical Sensors: Review and Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Sabri, Naseer; Aljunid, S. A.; Salim, M. S.; Ahmad, R. B.; Kamaruddin, R.

2013-04-01

Recent advances in fiber optics (FOs) and the numerous advantages of light over electronic systems have boosted the utility and demand for optical sensors in various military, industry and social fields. Environmental and atmospheric monitoring, earth and space sciences, industrial chemical processing and biotechnology, law enforcement, digital imaging, scanning, and printing are exemplars of them. The ubiquity of photonic technologies could drive down prices which reduced the cost of optical fibers and lasers. Fiber optic sensors (FOSs) offer a wide spectrum of advantages over traditional sensing systems, such as small size and longer lifetime. Immunity to electromagnetic interference, amenability to multiplexing, and high sensitivity make FOs the sensor technology of choice in several fields, including the healthcare and aerospace sectors. FOSs show reliable and rigid sensing tasks over conventional electrical and electronic sensors. This paper presents an executive review of optical fiber sensors and the most beneficial applications.

FLEXIBLE PH SENSOR WITH POLYANILINE LAYER BASED ON IMPEDANCE MEASUREMENT

OpenAIRE

Chuang, Cheng-Hsin; Wu, Hsun-Pei; Chen, Cheng-Ho; Wu, Peng-Rong

2012-01-01

A flexible sensor with conducting polyaniline layer for detecting pH value based on the impedance measurement is fabricated and demonstrated in this study. The pH sensor consists of an interdigital electrode array on a flexible printed circuit and a thin-film polyaniline as the sensing layer. As the conductivity of polyaniline depends on the redox state, the impedance change of the polyaniline after it has reacted with different pH value solutions works as the sensing mechanism. In order to o...

A protein-dye hybrid system as a narrow range tunable intracellular pH sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Anees, Palapuravan; Sudheesh, Karivachery V; Jayamurthy, Purushothaman; Chandrika, Arunkumar R; Omkumar, Ramakrishnapillai V; Ajayaghosh, Ayyappanpillai

2016-11-18

Accurate monitoring of pH variations inside cells is important for the early diagnosis of diseases such as cancer. Even though a variety of different pH sensors are available, construction of a custom-made sensor array for measuring minute variations in a narrow biological pH window, using easily available constituents, is a challenge. Here we report two-component hybrid sensors derived from a protein and organic dye nanoparticles whose sensitivity range can be tuned by choosing different ratios of the components, to monitor the minute pH variations in a given system. The dye interacts noncovalently with the protein at lower pH and covalently at higher pH, triggering two distinguishable fluorescent signals at 700 and 480 nm, respectively. The pH sensitivity region of the probe can be tuned for every unit of the pH window resulting in custom-made pH sensors. These narrow range tunable pH sensors have been used to monitor pH variations in HeLa cells using the fluorescence imaging technique.

High performance flexible pH sensor based on polyaniline nanopillar array electrode.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoon, Jo Hee; Hong, Seok Bok; Yun, Seok-Oh; Lee, Seok Jae; Lee, Tae Jae; Lee, Kyoung G; Choi, Bong Gill

2017-03-15

Flexible pH sensor technologies have attracted a great deal of attention in many applications, such as, wearable health care devices and monitors for chemical and biological processes. Here, we fabricated flexible and thin pH sensors using a two electrode configuration comprised of a polyaniline nanopillar (PAN) array working electrode and an Ag/AgCl reference electrode. In order to provide nanostructure, soft lithography using a polymeric blend was employed to create a flexible nanopillar backbone film. Polyaniline-sensing materials were deposited on a patterned-nanopillar array by electrochemical deposition. The pH sensors produced exhibited a near-Nernstian response (∼60.3mV/pH), which was maintained in a bent state. In addition, pH sensors showed other excellent sensor performances in terms of response time, reversibility, repeatability, selectivity, and stability. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optic nerve pH and PO2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Daniella B; Stefánsson, Einar; Kiilgaard, Jens Folke

2006-01-01

Earlier studies have demonstrated that carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs) increase optic nerve oxygen tension (ONPO(2)) in pigs. We hypothesized that the mechanism of this effect was either a CO(2) increase or a pH decrease in tissue and blood. To test this hypothesis we investigated and compared...... how optic nerve pH (ONpH) and ONPO(2) are affected by: (1) carbonic anhydrase inhibition; (2) respiratory acidosis, and (3) metabolic acidosis. We measured ONpH with a glass pH electrode and ONPO(2) with a polarographic oxygen electrode. One of the electrodes was placed in the vitreous cavity 0.5 mm...... over the optic nerve in the eyes of domestic pigs....

Fiber optic sensor and method for making

Science.gov (United States)

Vartuli, James Scott; Bousman, Kenneth Sherwood; Deng, Kung-Li; McEvoy, Kevin Paul; Xia, Hua

2010-05-18

A fiber optic sensor including a fiber having a modified surface integral with the fiber wherein the modified surface includes an open pore network with optical agents dispersed within the open pores of the open pore network. Methods for preparing the fiber optic sensor are also provided. The fiber optic sensors can withstand high temperatures and harsh environments.

New fluorescent pH sensors based on covalently linkable PET rhodamines

Science.gov (United States)

Aigner, Daniel; Borisov, Sergey M.; Orriach Fernández, Francisco J.; Fernández Sánchez, Jorge F.; Saf, Robert; Klimant, Ingo

2012-01-01

A new class of rhodamines for the application as indicator dyes in fluorescent pH sensors is presented. Their pH-sensitivity derives from photoinduced electron transfer between non-protonated amino groups and the excited chromophore which results in effective fluorescence quenching at increasing pH. The new indicator class carries a pentafluorophenyl group at the 9-position of the xanthene core where other rhodamines bear 2-carboxyphenyl substituents instead. The pentafluorophenyl group is used for covalent coupling to sensor matrices by “click” reaction with mercapto groups. Photophysical properties are similar to “classical” rhodamines carrying 2′-carboxy groups. pH sensors have been prepared with two different matrix materials, silica gel and poly(2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate). Both sensors show high luminescence brightness (absolute fluorescence quantum yield ΦF≈0.6) and high pH-sensitivity at pH 5–7 which makes them suitable for monitoring biotechnological samples. To underline practical applicability, a dually lifetime referenced sensor containing Cr(III)-doped Al2O3 as reference material is presented. PMID:22967541

A drift free nernstian iridium oxide PH sensor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendrikse, J.; Olthuis, Wouter; Bergveld, Piet

1997-01-01

A novel way of eliminating drift problems in metal oxide pH sensors is presented. The method employs a FET-structure under the electrode that uses the metal oxide as a gate contact. In addition to the enhanced drift properties, the new sensor has an almost ideal nernstian response. First a

Theory of signal and noise in double-gated nanoscale electronic pH sensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Go, Jonghyun; Nair, Pradeep R.; Alam, Muhammad A. [School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47907 (United States)

2012-08-01

The maximum sensitivity of classical nanowire (NW)-based pH sensors is defined by the Nernst limit of 59 mV/pH. For typical noise levels in ultra-small single-gated nanowire sensors, the signal-to-noise ratio is often not sufficient to resolve pH changes necessary for a broad range of applications. Recently, a new class of double-gated devices was demonstrated to offer apparent 'super-Nernstian' response (>59 mV/pH) by amplifying the original pH signal through innovative biasing schemes. However, the pH-sensitivity of these nanoscale devices as a function of biasing configurations, number of electrodes, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) remains poorly understood. Even the basic question such as 'Do double-gated sensors actually resolve smaller changes in pH compared to conventional single-gated sensors in the presence of various sources of noise?' remains unanswered. In this article, we provide a comprehensive numerical and analytical theory of signal and noise of double-gated pH sensors to conclude that, while the theoretical lower limit of pH-resolution does not improve for double-gated sensors, this new class of sensors does improve the (instrument-limited) pH resolution.

A flowing liquid test system for assessing the linearity and time-response of rapid fibre optic oxygen partial pressure sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, R; Hahn, C E W; Farmery, A D

2012-08-15

The development of a methodology for testing the time response, linearity and performance characteristics of ultra fast fibre optic oxygen sensors in the liquid phase is presented. Two standard medical paediatric oxygenators are arranged to provide two independent extracorporeal circuits. Flow from either circuit can be diverted over the sensor under test by means of a system of rapid cross-over solenoid valves exposing the sensor to an abrupt change in oxygen partial pressure, P O2. The system is also capable of testing the oxygen sensor responses to changes in temperature, carbon dioxide partial pressure P CO2 and pH in situ. Results are presented for a miniature fibre optic oxygen sensor constructed in-house with a response time ≈ 50 ms and a commercial fibre optic sensor (Ocean Optics Foxy), when tested in flowing saline and stored blood. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microchamber arrays with an integrated long luminescence lifetime pH sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Poehler, Elisabeth; Pfeiffer, Simon A; Herm, Marc; Gaebler, Michael; Busse, Benedikt; Nagl, Stefan

2016-04-01

A pH probe with a microsecond luminescence lifetime was obtained via covalent coupling of 6-carboxynaphthofluorescein (CNF) moieties to ruthenium-tris-(1,10-phenanthroline)(2+). The probe was covalently attached to amino-modified poly-(2-hydroxyethyl)methacrylate (pHEMA) and showed a pH-dependent FRET with luminescence lifetimes of 681 to 1260 ns and a working range from ca. pH 6.5 to 9.0 with a pKa of 7.79 ± 0.14. The pH sensor matrix was integrated via spin coating as ca. 1- to 2-μm-thick layer into "CytoCapture" cell culture dishes of 6 mm in diameter. These contained a microcavity array of square-shaped regions of 40 μm length and width and 15 μm depth that was homogeneously coated with the pH sensor matrix. The sensor layer showed fast response times in both directions. A microscopic setup was developed that enabled imaging of the pH inside the microchamber arrays over many hours. As a proof of principle, we monitored the pH of Escherichia coli cell cultures grown in the microchamber arrays. The integrated sensor matrix allowed pH monitoring spatially resolved in every microchamber, and the differences in cell growth between individual chambers could be resolved and quantified.

Fiber optic pressure sensors for nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hashemian, H.M.; Black, C.L. [Analysis and Measurement Services Corp., Knoxville, TN (United States)

1995-04-01

In the last few years, the nuclear industry has experienced some problems with the performance of pressure transmitters and has been interested in new sensors based on new technologies. Fiber optic pressure sensors offer the potential to improve on or overcome some of the limitations of existing pressure sensors. Up to now, research has been motivated towards development and refinement of fiber optic sensing technology. In most applications, reliability studies and failure mode analyses remain to be exhaustively conducted. Fiber optic sensors have currently penetrated certain cutting edge markets where they possess necessary inherent advantages over other existing technologies. In these markets (e.g. biomedical, aerospace, automotive, and petrochemical), fiber optic sensors are able to perform measurements for which no alternate sensor previously existed. Fiber optic sensing technology has not yet been fully adopted into the mainstream sensing market. This may be due to not only the current premium price of fiber optic sensors, but also the lack of characterization of their possible performance disadvantages. In other words, in conservative industries, the known disadvantages of conventional sensors are sometimes preferable to unknown or not fully characterized (but potentially fewer and less critical) disadvantages of fiber optic sensors. A six-month feasibility study has been initiated under the auspices of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to assess the performance and reliability of existing fiber optic pressure sensors for use in nuclear power plants. This assessment will include establishment of the state of the art in fiber optic pressure sensing, characterization of the reliability of fiber optic pressure sensors, and determination of the strengths and limitations of these sensors for nuclear safety-related services.

Fiber optic pressure sensors for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashemian, H.M.; Black, C.L.

1995-01-01

In the last few years, the nuclear industry has experienced some problems with the performance of pressure transmitters and has been interested in new sensors based on new technologies. Fiber optic pressure sensors offer the potential to improve on or overcome some of the limitations of existing pressure sensors. Up to now, research has been motivated towards development and refinement of fiber optic sensing technology. In most applications, reliability studies and failure mode analyses remain to be exhaustively conducted. Fiber optic sensors have currently penetrated certain cutting edge markets where they possess necessary inherent advantages over other existing technologies. In these markets (e.g. biomedical, aerospace, automotive, and petrochemical), fiber optic sensors are able to perform measurements for which no alternate sensor previously existed. Fiber optic sensing technology has not yet been fully adopted into the mainstream sensing market. This may be due to not only the current premium price of fiber optic sensors, but also the lack of characterization of their possible performance disadvantages. In other words, in conservative industries, the known disadvantages of conventional sensors are sometimes preferable to unknown or not fully characterized (but potentially fewer and less critical) disadvantages of fiber optic sensors. A six-month feasibility study has been initiated under the auspices of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to assess the performance and reliability of existing fiber optic pressure sensors for use in nuclear power plants. This assessment will include establishment of the state of the art in fiber optic pressure sensing, characterization of the reliability of fiber optic pressure sensors, and determination of the strengths and limitations of these sensors for nuclear safety-related services

Skin-Attachable, Stretchable Electrochemical Sweat Sensor for Glucose and pH Detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Oh, Seung Yun; Hong, Soo Yeong; Jeong, Yu Ra; Yun, Junyeong; Park, Heun; Jin, Sang Woo; Lee, Geumbee; Oh, Ju Hyun; Lee, Hanchan; Lee, Sang-Soo; Ha, Jeong Sook

2018-04-25

As part of increased efforts to develop wearable healthcare devices for monitoring and managing physiological and metabolic information, stretchable electrochemical sweat sensors have been investigated. In this study, we report on the fabrication of a stretchable and skin-attachable electrochemical sensor for detecting glucose and pH in sweat. A patterned stretchable electrode was fabricated via layer-by-layer deposition of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on top of patterned Au nanosheets (AuNS) prepared by filtration onto stretchable substrate. For the detection of glucose and pH, CoWO 4 /CNT and polyaniline/CNT nanocomposites were coated onto the CNT-AuNS electrodes, respectively. A reference electrode was prepared via chlorination of silver nanowires. Encapsulation of the stretchable sensor with sticky silbione led to a skin-attachable sweat sensor. Our sensor showed high performance with sensitivities of 10.89 μA mM -1 cm -2 and 71.44 mV pH -1 for glucose and pH, respectively, with mechanical stability up to 30% stretching and air stability for 10 days. The sensor also showed good adhesion even to wet skin, allowing the detection of glucose and pH in sweat from running while being attached onto the skin. This work suggests the application of our stretchable and skin-attachable electrochemical sensor to health management as a high-performance healthcare wearable device.

Post-deposition annealing temperature dependence TiO{sub 2}-based EGFET pH sensor sensitivity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zulkefle, M. A., E-mail: alhadizulkefle@gmail.com; Rahman, R. A., E-mail: rohanieza.abdrahman@gmail.com; Yusoff, K. A., E-mail: khairul.aimi.yusof@gmail.com [NANO-ElecTronic Centre (NET), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Abdullah, W. F. H., E-mail: wanfaz@salam.uitm.edu.my [Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Rusop, M., E-mail: rusop@salam.uitm.edu.my [NANO-Science Technology (NST), Institute of Science (IOS), Faculty of Applied Sciences, Universiti Teknologi MARA - UiTM, 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia); Herman, S. H., E-mail: hana1617@salam.uitm.edu.my [Core of Frontier Materials & Industry Applications, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), 40450 Shah Alam, Selangor (Malaysia)

2016-07-06

EGFET pH sensor is one type of pH sensor that is used to measure and determine pH of a solution. The sensing membrane of EGFET pH sensor plays vital role in the overall performance of the sensor. This paper studies the effects of different annealing temperature of the TiO{sub 2} sensing membranes towards sensitivity of EGFET pH sensor. Sol-gel spin coating was chosen as TiO{sub 2} deposition techniques since it is cost-effective and produces thin film with uniform thickness. Deposited TiO{sub 2} thin films were then annealed at different annealing temperatures and then were connected to the gate of MOSFET as a part of the EGFET pH sensor structure. The thin films now act as sensing membranes of the EGFET pH sensor and sensitivity of each sensing membrane towards pH was measured. From the results it was determined that sensing membrane annealed at 300 °C gave the highest sensitivity followed by sample annealed at 400 °C and 500 °C.

Nanomechanical DNA origami pH sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuzuya, Akinori; Watanabe, Ryosuke; Yamanaka, Yusei; Tamaki, Takuya; Kaino, Masafumi; Ohya, Yuichi

2014-10-16

Single-molecule pH sensors have been developed by utilizing molecular imaging of pH-responsive shape transition of nanomechanical DNA origami devices with atomic force microscopy (AFM). Short DNA fragments that can form i-motifs were introduced to nanomechanical DNA origami devices with pliers-like shape (DNA Origami Pliers), which consist of two levers of 170-nm long and 20-nm wide connected at a Holliday-junction fulcrum. DNA Origami Pliers can be observed as in three distinct forms; cross, antiparallel and parallel forms, and cross form is the dominant species when no additional interaction is introduced to DNA Origami Pliers. Introduction of nine pairs of 12-mer sequence (5'-AACCCCAACCCC-3'), which dimerize into i-motif quadruplexes upon protonation of cytosine, drives transition of DNA Origami Pliers from open cross form into closed parallel form under acidic conditions. Such pH-dependent transition was clearly imaged on mica in molecular resolution by AFM, showing potential application of the system to single-molecular pH sensors.

Realization of fiber optic displacement sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Guzowski, Bartlomiej; Lakomski, Mateusz

2018-03-01

Fiber optic sensors are very promising because of their inherent advantages such as very small size, hard environment tolerance and impact of electromagnetic fields. In this paper three different types of Intensity Fiber Optic Displacement Sensors (I-FODS) are presented. Three configurations of I-FODS were realized in two varieties. In the first one, the cleaved multimode optical fibers (MMF) were used to collect reflected light, while in the second variety the MMF ended with ball lenses were chosen. To ensure an accurate alignment of optical fibers in the sensor head the MTP C9730 optical fiber ferrules were used. In this paper the influence of distribution of transmitting and detecting optical fibers on sensitivity and linear range of operation of developed I-FODS were investigated. We have shown, that I-FODS with ball lenses receive average 10.5% more reflected power in comparison to the cleaved optical fibers and they increase linearity range of I-FODS by 33%. In this paper, an analysis of each type of the realized sensor and detailed discussion are given.

ISFET sensor evaluation and modification for seawater pH measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Martz, T. R.; Johnson, K. S.; Jannasch, H.; Coletti, L.; Barry, J.; Lovera, C.

2008-12-01

In the future, short-term cycles (daily to subannual) and long-term trends (annual and greater) in the carbonate system will be observed by autonomous sensors operating from a variety of platforms (e.g., moorings, profiling floats, AUVs, etc.). Of the four carbonate parameters, pH measurement has the longest history of development - yet robust autonomous sensing techniques remain elusive due to a catalog of technical challenges. Existing commercial sensor technologies generally do not meet the stringent demands of accuracy, long-term stability, low power, pressure tolerance, resistance to biofouling, and ease of use required by the oceanographic community. We report here on some recent advances in Ion Sensitive Field Effect Transistor (ISFET) technology that may open the door for more widespread autonomous seawater pH measurements. Much of our work has focused on applications of the Honeywell Durafet pH sensor, a product designed for industrial process control. Initial results from laboratory testing and deployments in the MBARI test tank and near shore moorings will be presented. Sensor calibration techniques will be addressed. Applications of now-available off-the-shelf sensors including shipboard underway measurement, shallow water mooring deployment, and a gas controlled seawater aquarium for pH perturbation experiments will be discussed. We hope that an ongoing collaboration between MBARI and Honeywell will result in a commercially available product, designed specifically for oceanographic applications, within the next several years.

Oxygen sensitive polymeric nanocapsules for optical dissolved oxygen sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Zhijuan; Cai, Chenxin; Guo, Fei; Ye, Changhuai; Luo, Yingwu; Ye, Shuming; Luo, Jianchao; Zhu, Fan; Jiang, Chunyue

2018-04-01

Immobilization of the oxygen-sensitive probes (OSPs) in the host matrix greatly impacts the performance and long-term usage of the optical dissolved oxygen (DO) sensors. In this work, fluorescent dyes, as the OSPs, were encapsulated with a crosslinked fluorinated polymer shell by interfacial confined reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer miniemulsion polymerization to fabricate oxygen sensitive polymeric nanocapsules (NCs). The location of fluorescent dyes and the fluorescent properties of the NCs were fully characterized by fourier transform infrared spectrometer, x-ray photoelectron spectrometer and fluorescent spectrum. Dye-encapsulated capacity can be precisely tuned from 0 to 1.3 wt% without self-quenching of the fluorescent dye. The crosslinked fluorinated polymer shell is not only extremely high gas permeability, but also prevents the fluorescent dyes from leakage in aqueous as well as in various organic solvents, such as ethanol, acetone and tetrahydrofuran (THF). An optical DO sensor based on the oxygen sensitive NCs was fabricated, showing high sensitivity, short response time, full reversibility, and long-term operational stability of online monitoring DO. The sensitivity of the optical DO sensor is 7.02 (the ratio of the response value in fully deoxygenated and saturated oxygenated water) in the range 0.96-14.16 mg l-1 and the response time is about 14.3 s. The sensor’s work curve was fit well using the modified Stern-Volmer equation by two-site model, and its response values are hardly affected by pH ranging from 2 to 12 and keep constant during continuous measurement for 3 months. It is believed that the oxygen sensitive polymeric NCs-based optical DO sensor could be particularly useful in long-term online DO monitoring in both aqueous and organic solvent systems.

All-optical pressure sensor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2014-01-01

The present invention relates to an all-optical pressure sensor comprising a waveguide accommodating a distributed Bragg reflector. Pressure sensing can then be provided by utilizing effective index modulation of the waveguide and detection of a wavelength shift of light reflected from the Bragg...... reflector. Sound sensing may also be provided thereby having an all-optical microphone. One embodiment of the invention relates to an optical pressure sensor comprising at least one outer membrane and a waveguide, the waveguide comprising at least one core for confining and guiding light,at least one...... distributed Bragg reflector located in said at least one core, and at least one inner deflecting element forming at least a part of the core,wherein the pressure sensor is configured such that the geometry and/or dimension of the at least one core is changed when the at least one outer membrane is submitted...

Optical networks for wideband sensor array

Science.gov (United States)

Sheng, Lin Horng

2011-12-01

This thesis presents the realization of novel systems for optical sensing networks with an array of long-period grating (LPG) sensors. As a launching point of the thesis, the motivation to implement optical sensing network in precisely catering LPG sensors is presented. It highlights the flexibility of the sensing network to act as the foundation in order to boost the application of the various LPG sensor design in biological and chemical sensing. After the thorough study on the various optical sensing networks, sub-carrier multiplexing (SCM) and optical time division multiplexing (OTDM) schemes are adopted in conjunction with tunable laser source (TLS) to facilitate simultaneous interrogation of the LPG sensors array. In fact, these systems are distinct to have the capability to accommodate wideband optical sensors. Specifically, the LPG sensors which is in 20nm bandwidth are identified to operate in these systems. The working principles of the systems are comprehensively elucidated in this thesis. It highlights the mathematical approach to quantify the experimental setup of the optical sensing network. Additionally, the system components of the designs are identified and methodically characterized so that the components well operate in the designed environment. A mockup has been setup to demonstrate the application in sensing of various liquid indices and analyse the response of the LPG sensors in order to evaluate the performance of the systems. Eventually, the resemblance of the demultiplexed spectral response to the pristine spectral response are quantified to have excellent agreement. Finally, the promising result consistency of the systems is verified through repeatability test.

Application of zirconia membranes as high-temperature PH sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neidrach, L.W.

1983-01-01

The zirconia pH sensor behaves much like the classical glass electrode, but it extends the range of measurement to much higher temperatures - about 300 0 vs 120 0 C. It also has virtues over the glass electrode at lower temperatures because of the absence of an ''alkaline error.'' Like the glass electrode, it is insensitive to changes in the redox potential of the environment and, in turn, it exerts no influence on the environment. Such sensors have been finding application in the direct measurement of the pH of geothermal brines, of water in nuclear reactors, and in high-temperature corrosion studies. The sensors can also be used as ''pseudoreference'' electrodes for the measurement of redox and corrosion potentials in high-temperature media

Monolithic fiber optic sensor assembly

Science.gov (United States)

Sanders, Scott

2015-02-10

A remote sensor element for spectrographic measurements employs a monolithic assembly of one or two fiber optics to two optical elements separated by a supporting structure to allow the flow of gases or particulates therebetween. In a preferred embodiment, the sensor element components are fused ceramic to resist high temperatures and failure from large temperature changes.

Distributed Fiber-Optic Sensors for Vibration Detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xin; Jin, Baoquan; Bai, Qing; Wang, Yu; Wang, Dong; Wang, Yuncai

2016-07-26

Distributed fiber-optic vibration sensors receive extensive investigation and play a significant role in the sensor panorama. Optical parameters such as light intensity, phase, polarization state, or light frequency will change when external vibration is applied on the sensing fiber. In this paper, various technologies of distributed fiber-optic vibration sensing are reviewed, from interferometric sensing technology, such as Sagnac, Mach-Zehnder, and Michelson, to backscattering-based sensing technology, such as phase-sensitive optical time domain reflectometer, polarization-optical time domain reflectometer, optical frequency domain reflectometer, as well as some combinations of interferometric and backscattering-based techniques. Their operation principles are presented and recent research efforts are also included. Finally, the applications of distributed fiber-optic vibration sensors are summarized, which mainly include structural health monitoring and perimeter security, etc. Overall, distributed fiber-optic vibration sensors possess the advantages of large-scale monitoring, good concealment, excellent flexibility, and immunity to electromagnetic interference, and thus show considerable potential for a variety of practical applications.

High performance flexible pH sensor based on carboxyl-functionalized and DEP aligned SWNTs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Lu; Shao, Jinyou; Li, Xiangming; Zhao, Qiang; Nie, Bangbang; Xu, Chuan; Ding, Haitao

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The flexible chemiresistive pH sensor based on two-terminal microsensors eliminating the need for a reference electrode, is simple in structure and can be fabricated on a variety of substrates such as PET, PI and PVC. • SWNTs as an ideal one dimensional material are carboxyl-functionalized to make the pH sensor show high sensitivity and outstanding flexibility for practical applications. • DEP technique is used to manipulate and position SWNTs into appropriate locations and desired formations to improve the metal-nanotube interface and highly rapid detection of pH value, resulting in better overall device performance. • Mechanical bendability of the pH sensor, which arises from the combination of flexible PET substrates and SWNTs, offer a significant improvement for applications that are difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional sensors on rigid substrates. - Abstract: The detection and control of the pH is very important in many biomedical and chemical reaction processes. A miniaturized flexible pH sensor that is light weight, robust, and conformable is very important in many applications, such as multifunctional lab-on-a-chip systems or wearable biomedical devices. In this work, we demonstrate a flexible chemiresistive pH sensor based on dielectrophoresis (DEP) aligned carboxyl-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Decorated carboxyl groups can react with hydrogen (H"+) and hydroxide (OH"−) ions, enabling the sensor to be capable of sensing the pH. DEP is used to deposit well-organized and highly aligned SWNTs in desired locations, which improves the metal-nanotube interface and highly rapid detection of the pH, resulting in better overall device performance. When pH buffer solutions are dropped onto such SWNTs, the H"+ and OH"− ions caninteract with the carboxyl groups and affect the generation of holes and electrons in the SWNTs, leading to resistance variations in the SWNTs. The results shows that the

High performance flexible pH sensor based on carboxyl-functionalized and DEP aligned SWNTs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Lu; Shao, Jinyou, E-mail: jyshao@mail.xjtu.edu.cn; Li, Xiangming; Zhao, Qiang; Nie, Bangbang; Xu, Chuan; Ding, Haitao

2016-11-15

Highlights: • The flexible chemiresistive pH sensor based on two-terminal microsensors eliminating the need for a reference electrode, is simple in structure and can be fabricated on a variety of substrates such as PET, PI and PVC. • SWNTs as an ideal one dimensional material are carboxyl-functionalized to make the pH sensor show high sensitivity and outstanding flexibility for practical applications. • DEP technique is used to manipulate and position SWNTs into appropriate locations and desired formations to improve the metal-nanotube interface and highly rapid detection of pH value, resulting in better overall device performance. • Mechanical bendability of the pH sensor, which arises from the combination of flexible PET substrates and SWNTs, offer a significant improvement for applications that are difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional sensors on rigid substrates. - Abstract: The detection and control of the pH is very important in many biomedical and chemical reaction processes. A miniaturized flexible pH sensor that is light weight, robust, and conformable is very important in many applications, such as multifunctional lab-on-a-chip systems or wearable biomedical devices. In this work, we demonstrate a flexible chemiresistive pH sensor based on dielectrophoresis (DEP) aligned carboxyl-functionalized single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). Decorated carboxyl groups can react with hydrogen (H{sup +}) and hydroxide (OH{sup −}) ions, enabling the sensor to be capable of sensing the pH. DEP is used to deposit well-organized and highly aligned SWNTs in desired locations, which improves the metal-nanotube interface and highly rapid detection of the pH, resulting in better overall device performance. When pH buffer solutions are dropped onto such SWNTs, the H{sup +} and OH{sup −} ions caninteract with the carboxyl groups and affect the generation of holes and electrons in the SWNTs, leading to resistance variations in the SWNTs. The results

Fiber optic based optical tomography sensor for monitoring plasma uniformity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Benck, Eric C.; Etemadi, Kasra

2001-01-01

A new type of fiber optic based optical tomography sensor has been developed for in situ monitoring of plasma uniformity. Optical tomography inverts optical emission measurements into the actual plasma distribution without assuming radial symmetry. The new sensor is designed to operate with only two small windows and acquire the necessary data in less than a second. Optical tomography is being tested on an ICP-GEC RF plasma source. Variations in plasma uniformity are measured as a function of different plasma conditions

A Coloured Spin Trap which works as a pH Sensor

African Journals Online (AJOL)

NJD

Synthesis; free radical; spin-trapping; pH sensor; nitrone. 1. Introduction. There is a contemporary interest in ... easily used as sensors and markers in free radical chemistry.11 On the other hand, a coloured spin trap may .... methanol mixture, were as follows: for compound 6, at acidic. pH, the colour is yellow with λmax = 390 ...

High-temperature fiber optic pressure sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Berthold, J. W.

1984-01-01

Attention is given to a program to develop fiber optic methods to measure diaphragm deflection. The end application is intended for pressure transducers capable of operating to 540 C. In this paper are reported the results of a laboratory study to characterize the performance of the fiber-optic microbend sensor. The data presented include sensitivity and spring constant. The advantages and limitations of the microbend sensor for static pressure measurement applications are described. A proposed design is presented for a 540 C pressure transducer using the fiber optic microbend sensor.

Ratiometric detection of pH fluctuation in mitochondria with a new fluorescein/cyanine hybrid sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yuncong; Zhu, Chengcheng; Cen, Jiajie; Bai, Yang; He, Weijiang; Guo, Zijian

2015-05-01

The homeostasis of mitochondrial pH (pH m ) is crucial in cell physiology. Developing small-molecular fluorescent sensors for the ratiometric detection of pH m fluctuation is highly demanded yet challenging. A ratiometric pH sensor, Mito-pH , was constructed by integrating a pH-sensitive FITC fluorophore with a pH-insensitive hemicyanine group. The hemicyanine group also acts as the mitochondria targeting group due to its lipophilic cationic nature. Besides its ability to target mitochondria, this sensor provides two ratiometric pH sensing modes, the dual excitation/dual emission mode (D ex /D em ) and dual excitation (D ex ) mode, and its linear and reversible ratiometric response range from pH 6.15 to 8.38 makes this sensor suitable for the practical tracking of pH m fluctuation in live cells. With this sensor, stimulated pH m fluctuation has been successfully tracked in a ratiometric manner via both fluorescence imaging and flow cytometry.

Water Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

1992-01-01

Mike Morris, former Associate Director of STAC, formed pHish Doctor, Inc. to develop and sell a pH monitor for home aquariums. The monitor, or pHish Doctor, consists of a sensor strip and color chart that continually measures pH levels in an aquarium. This is important because when the level gets too high, ammonia excreted by fish is highly toxic; at low pH, bacteria that normally break down waste products stop functioning. Sales have run into the tens of thousands of dollars. A NASA Tech Brief Technical Support Package later led to a salt water version of the system and a DoE Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for development of a sensor for sea buoys. The company, now known as Ocean Optics, Inc., is currently studying the effects of carbon dioxide buildup as well as exploring other commercial applications for the fiber optic sensor.

Photocured thiol-ene based optical fluorescence sensor for determination of gold(III)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Çubuk, Soner, E-mail: sonercubuk@marmara.edu.tr; Kahraman, Memet Vezir; Yetimoğlu, Ece Kök; Kenan, Sibel

2014-02-17

Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Photopolymerized fluorescence sensor for Au(III) analysis has been developed. •Preparation of polymeric sensor is simple and quick. •Fluorescence sensor used for analysis of Au(III) in real samples. -- Abstract: This study describes the preparation and the characterization of a new thiol-ene based polymeric fluorescence sensor by photo initiated polymerization of trimethylolpropane tris(3-mercaptopropionate), 2-hydroxyethylacrylate, and 2,4,6-triallyloxy-1,3,5-triazine which are used as monomers and also a photo initiator (2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone) for its usage as optical sensor for gold ions. The thiol-ene based polymeric membrane sensor was characterized by using attenuated total reflectance-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The response characteristics of the sensors including dynamic range, pH effect, response time, and the effect of foreign ions were investigated. Fluorescence spectra showed that the excitation/emission maxima of the membrane were at 379/425 nm, respectively.

Photocured thiol-ene based optical fluorescence sensor for determination of gold(III)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Çubuk, Soner; Kahraman, Memet Vezir; Yetimoğlu, Ece Kök; Kenan, Sibel

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Photopolymerized fluorescence sensor for Au(III) analysis has been developed. •Preparation of polymeric sensor is simple and quick. •Fluorescence sensor used for analysis of Au(III) in real samples. -- Abstract: This study describes the preparation and the characterization of a new thiol-ene based polymeric fluorescence sensor by photo initiated polymerization of trimethylolpropane tris(3-mercaptopropionate), 2-hydroxyethylacrylate, and 2,4,6-triallyloxy-1,3,5-triazine which are used as monomers and also a photo initiator (2,2-dimethoxy-2-phenylacetophenone) for its usage as optical sensor for gold ions. The thiol-ene based polymeric membrane sensor was characterized by using attenuated total reflectance-fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The response characteristics of the sensors including dynamic range, pH effect, response time, and the effect of foreign ions were investigated. Fluorescence spectra showed that the excitation/emission maxima of the membrane were at 379/425 nm, respectively

Optical fiber powered pressure sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schweizer, P.; Neveux, L.; Ostrowsky, D.B.

1987-01-01

In the system described, a pressure sensor and its associated electronics are optically powered by a 20 mw laser and a photovoltaic cell via an optical fiber. The sensor is periodically interrogated and sends the measures obtained back to the central unit using an LED and a second fiber. The results obtained as well as the expected evolution will be described

Optic nerve pH and PO2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Daniella B; Stefánsson, Einar; Kiilgaard, Jens Folke

2006-01-01

Earlier studies have demonstrated that carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (CAIs) increase optic nerve oxygen tension (ONPO(2)) in pigs. We hypothesized that the mechanism of this effect was either a CO(2) increase or a pH decrease in tissue and blood. To test this hypothesis we investigated and compared...... how optic nerve pH (ONpH) and ONPO(2) are affected by: (1) carbonic anhydrase inhibition; (2) respiratory acidosis, and (3) metabolic acidosis. We measured ONpH with a glass pH electrode and ONPO(2) with a polarographic oxygen electrode. One of the electrodes was placed in the vitreous cavity 0.5 mm...

Nanomechanical DNA Origami pH Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akinori Kuzuya

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Single-molecule pH sensors have been developed by utilizing molecular imaging of pH-responsive shape transition of nanomechanical DNA origami devices with atomic force microscopy (AFM. Short DNA fragments that can form i-motifs were introduced to nanomechanical DNA origami devices with pliers-like shape (DNA Origami Pliers, which consist of two levers of 170-nm long and 20-nm wide connected at a Holliday-junction fulcrum. DNA Origami Pliers can be observed as in three distinct forms; cross, antiparallel and parallel forms, and cross form is the dominant species when no additional interaction is introduced to DNA Origami Pliers. Introduction of nine pairs of 12-mer sequence (5'-AACCCCAACCCC-3', which dimerize into i-motif quadruplexes upon protonation of cytosine, drives transition of DNA Origami Pliers from open cross form into closed parallel form under acidic conditions. Such pH-dependent transition was clearly imaged on mica in molecular resolution by AFM, showing potential application of the system to single-molecular pH sensors.

Development of an optical fiber flow velocity sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Harada, Toshio; Kamoto, Kenji; Abe, Kyutaro; Izumo, Masaki

2009-01-01

A new optical fiber flow velocity sensor was developed by using an optical fiber information network system in sewer drainage pipes. The optical fiber flow velocity sensor operates without electric power, and the signals from the sensor can be transmitted over a long distance through the telecommunication system in the optical fiber network. Field tests were conducted to check the performance of the sensor in conduits in the pumping station and sewage pond managed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Test results confirmed that the velocity sensor can be used for more than six months without any trouble even in sewer drainage pipes.

Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopic Analysis of RuO2 Based Thick Film pH Sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manjakkal, Libu; Djurdjic, Elvira; Cvejin, Katarina; Kulawik, Jan; Zaraska, Krzysztof; Szwagierczak, Dorota

2015-01-01

The conductimetric interdigitated thick film pH sensors based on RuO 2 were fabricated and their electrochemical reactions with solutions of different pH values were studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) technique. The microstructural properties and composition of the sensitive films were examined by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The EIS analysis of the sensor was carried out in the frequency range 10 mHz–2 MHz for pH values of test solutions 2–12. The electrical parameters of the sensor were found to vary with changing pH. The conductance and capacitance of the film were distinctly dependent on pH in the low frequency range. The Nyquist and Bode plots derived from the impedance data for the metal oxide thick film pH sensor provided information about the underlying electrochemical reactions

Embedded fiber optic ultrasonic sensors and generators

Science.gov (United States)

Dorighi, John F.; Krishnaswamy, Sridhar; Achenbach, Jan D.

1995-04-01

Ultrasonic sensors and generators based on fiber-optic systems are described. It is shown that intrinsic fiber optic Fabry-Perot ultrasound sensors that are embedded in a structure can be stabilized by actively tuning the laser frequency. The need for this method of stabilization is demonstrated by detecting piezoelectric transducer-generated ultrasonic pulses in the presence of low frequency dynamic strains that are intentionally induced to cause sensor drift. The actively stabilized embedded fiber optic Fabry-Perot sensor is also shown to have sufficient sensitivity to detect ultrasound that is generated in the interior of a structure by means of a high-power optical fiber that pipes energy from a pulsed laser to an embedded generator of ultrasound.

Layer configurations comparison of bilayer-films for EGFET pH sensor application

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, R. A.; Zulkefle, M. A.; Yusof, K. A.; Abdullah, W. F. H.; Rusop, M.; Herman, S. H.

2018-05-01

The comparison between bilayer configurations were presented in this paper. TiO2 and ZnO layer configurations were manipulated in order to investigate which configuration produce highest sensing performance to be applied as EGFET pH sensor. Both of the materials were deposited together as the bilayer film. The configurations were manipulated between TiO2/ZnO and ZnO/TiO2. ITO was used as the substrate in this study and both of the materials were deposited by using sol-gel spin coating technique. After deposition process, these bilayer film then undergone for EGFET pH sensor measurement and physical characterization. The EGFET pH sensor measurement was done by dipping the fabricated bilayer film into three different pH values, which is pH4, pH7 and pH10. Bilayer film act as the pH-sensitive membrane, which connected to the commercial metal-oxide semiconductor FET (MOSFET). This MOSFET was connected to the interfacing circuit. Voltage output obtained were recorded and the graph was plotted by using the data recorded. Based on the EGFET pH sensor measurement, TiO2/ZnO bilayer film exhibit higher sensing performance, compared with ZnO/TiO2. TiO2/ZnO bilayer film produced 53.10 mV/pH with the linearity value of 0.9913. Afterwards, fabricated bilayer films then were characterized with AFM to explore their surface roughness and surface topography behavior.

Interferometric interrogation concepts for integrated electro-optical sensor systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ikkink, T.J.; Ikkink, Teunis Jan

1998-01-01

Integrated optical sensors have a high potential in the measurement of a large variety of measurands. Research on integrated optical sensors enjoys increasing interest. In order to reach accurate performance and to facilitate the use of integrated optical sensors, electronic functions for sensor

Optical hydrogen sensors based on metal-hydrides

Science.gov (United States)

Slaman, M.; Westerwaal, R.; Schreuders, H.; Dam, B.

2012-06-01

For many hydrogen related applications it is preferred to use optical hydrogen sensors above electrical systems. Optical sensors reduce the risk of ignition by spark formation and are less sensitive to electrical interference. Currently palladium and palladium alloys are used for most hydrogen sensors since they are well known for their hydrogen dissociation and absorption properties at relatively low temperatures. The disadvantages of palladium in sensors are the low optical response upon hydrogen loading, the cross sensitivity for oxygen and carbon, the limited detection range and the formation of micro-cracks after some hydrogen absorption/desorption cycles. In contrast to Pd, we find that the use of magnesium or rear earth bases metal-hydrides in optical hydrogen sensors allow tuning of the detection levels over a broad pressure range, while maintaining a high optical response. We demonstrate a stable detection layer for detecting hydrogen below 10% of the lower explosion limit in an oxygen rich environment. This detection layer is deposited at the bare end of a glass fiber as a micro-mirror and is covered with a thin layer of palladium. The palladium layer promotes the hydrogen uptake at room temperature and acts as a hydrogen selective membrane. To protect the sensor for a long time in air a final layer of a hydrophobic fluorine based coating is applied. Such a sensor can be used for example as safety detector in automotive applications. We find that this type of fiber optic hydrogen sensor is also suitable for hydrogen detection in liquids. As example we demonstrate a sensor for detecting a broad range of concentrations in transformer oil. Such a sensor can signal a warning when sparks inside a high voltage power transformer decompose the transformer oil over a long period.

Recent Developments in Fiber Optics Humidity Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ascorbe, Joaquin; Corres, Jesus M; Arregui, Francisco J; Matias, Ignacio R

2017-04-19

A wide range of applications such as health, human comfort, agriculture, food processing and storage, and electronic manufacturing, among others, require fast and accurate measurement of humidity. Sensors based on optical fibers present several advantages over electronic sensors and great research efforts have been made in recent years in this field. The present paper reports the current trends of optical fiber humidity sensors. The evolution of optical structures developed towards humidity sensing, as well as the novel materials used for this purpose, will be analyzed. Well-known optical structures, such as long-period fiber gratings or fiber Bragg gratings, are still being studied towards an enhancement of their sensitivity. Sensors based on lossy mode resonances constitute a platform that combines high sensitivity with low complexity, both in terms of their fabrication process and the equipment required. Novel structures, such as resonators, are being studied in order to improve the resolution of humidity sensors. Moreover, recent research on polymer optical fibers suggests that the sensitivity of this kind of sensor has not yet reached its limit. Therefore, there is still room for improvement in terms of sensitivity and resolution.

Preparation of acridine orange-doped silica nanoparticles for pH measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, Jinshui; Zang, Lingjie; Wang, Yiru; Liu, Guoning

2014-01-01

Acridine orange was first encapsulated into silica shell via a facile reverse microemusion method to built core–shell fluorescent nanoparticles. The nanoparticles are all in spherical shape and have a narrow size distribution, and its application as a optical pH sensor has been demonstrated. This novel sensor is based on the pH-dependent fluorescence intensities of acridine orange in different pH value. The fluorescence intensity of acridine orange-doped silica nanoparticles was decreased by increasing pH value. Under optimum conditions, the changes of fluorescence intensity were proportional to the pH value in the range of 8.00–10.90. In addition, the sensor can be easily separated by centrifugation and adds no pollution to the environment compared to the free dyes. Furthermore, the effects of ionic strength and co-existing substances were proved to have little influence on the determination of pH. The sensor has been successfully applied to determine the pH of two artificial samples. Hence, the core–shell fluorescent nanoparticles show potential for practical application. -- Highlights: • Acridine orange was encapsulated into silica shell via a facile reverse microemusion method to built core–shell fluorescent nanoparticles. • The fluorescence intensity of acridine orange-doped silica nanoparticles was decreased by increasing pH value. • Its can be used as an optical pH sensor. • The sensor can be easily separated by centrifugation and adds no pollution to the environment compared to the free dyes. • The sensor has been successfully applied to determine the pH of artificial samples

Electro-optical rendezvous and docking sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Tubbs, David J.; Kesler, Lynn O.; Sirko, Robert J.

1991-01-01

Electro-optical sensors provide unique and critical functionality for space missions requiring rendezvous, docking, and berthing. McDonnell Douglas is developing a complete rendezvous and docking system for both manned and unmanned missions. This paper examines our sensor development and the systems and missions which benefit from rendezvous and docking sensors. Simulation results quantifying system performance improvements in key areas are given, with associated sensor performance requirements. A brief review of NASA-funded development activities and the current performance of electro-optical sensors for space applications is given. We will also describe current activities at McDonnell Douglas for a fully functional demonstration to address specific NASA mission needs.

Reflection-mode micro-spherical fiber-optic probes for in vitro real-time and single-cell level pH sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Qingbo; Wang, Hanzheng; Lan, Xinwei; Cheng, Baokai; Chen, Sisi; Shi, Honglan; Xiao, Hai; Ma, Yinfa

2015-02-01

pH sensing at the single-cell level without negatively affecting living cells is very important but still a remaining issue in the biomedical studies. A 70 μm reflection-mode fiber-optic micro-pH sensor was designed and fabricated by dip-coating thin layer of organically modified aerogel onto a tapered spherical probe head. A pH sensitive fluorescent dye 2', 7'-Bis (2-carbonylethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF) was employed and covalently bonded within the aerogel networks. By tuning the alkoxide mixing ratio and adjusting hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) priming procedure, the sensor can be optimized to have high stability and pH sensing ability. The in vitro real-time sensing capability was then demonstrated in a simple spectroscopic way, and showed linear measurement responses with a pH resolution up to an average of 0.049 pH unit within a narrow, but biological meaningful pH range of 6.12-7.81. Its novel characterizations of high spatial resolution, reflection mode operation, fast response and high stability, great linear response within biological meaningful pH range and high pH resolutions, make this novel pH probe a very cost-effective tool for chemical/biological sensing, especially within the single cell level research field.

Simple graphene chemiresistors as pH sensors: fabrication and characterization

Science.gov (United States)

Lei, Nan; Li, Pengfei; Xue, Wei; Xu, Jie

2011-10-01

We report the fabrication and characterization of a simple gate-free graphene device as a pH sensor. The graphene sheets are made by mechanical exfoliation. Platinum contact electrodes are fabricated with a mask-free process using a focused ion beam and then expanded by silver paint. Annealing is used to improve the electrical contact. The experiment on the fabricated graphene device shows that the resistance of the device decreases linearly with increasing pH values (in the range of 4-10) in the surrounding liquid environment. The resolution achieved in our experiments is approximately 0.3 pH in alkali environment. The sensitivity of the device is calculated as approximately 2 kΩ pH-1. The simple configuration, miniaturized size and integration ability make graphene-based sensors promising candidates for future micro/nano applications.

Simple graphene chemiresistors as pH sensors: fabrication and characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lei, Nan; Li, Pengfei; Xue, Wei; Xu, Jie

2011-01-01

We report the fabrication and characterization of a simple gate-free graphene device as a pH sensor. The graphene sheets are made by mechanical exfoliation. Platinum contact electrodes are fabricated with a mask-free process using a focused ion beam and then expanded by silver paint. Annealing is used to improve the electrical contact. The experiment on the fabricated graphene device shows that the resistance of the device decreases linearly with increasing pH values (in the range of 4–10) in the surrounding liquid environment. The resolution achieved in our experiments is approximately 0.3 pH in alkali environment. The sensitivity of the device is calculated as approximately 2 kΩ pH −1 . The simple configuration, miniaturized size and integration ability make graphene-based sensors promising candidates for future micro/nano applications. (technical design note)

Development and characterization of a voltammetric carbon-fiber microelectrode pH sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Makos, Monique A; Omiatek, Donna M; Ewing, Andrew G; Heien, Michael L

2010-06-15

This work describes the development and characterization of a modified carbon-fiber microelectrode sensor capable of measuring real-time physiological pH changes in biological microenvironments. The reagentless sensor was fabricated under ambient conditions from voltammetric reduction of the diazonium salt Fast Blue RR onto a carbon-fiber surface in aprotic media. Fast-scan cyclic voltammetry was used to probe redox activity of the p-quinone moiety of the surface-bound molecule as a function of pH. In vitro calibration of the sensor in solutions ranging from pH 6.5 to 8.0 resulted in a pH-dependent anodic peak potential response. Flow-injection analysis was used to characterize the modified microelectrode, revealing sensitivity to acidic and basic changes discernible to 0.005 pH units. Furthermore, the modified electrode was used to measure dynamic in vivo pH changes evoked during neurotransmitter release in the central nervous system of the microanalytical model organism Drosophila melanogaster.

Genetically encoded proton sensors reveal activity-dependent pH changes in neurons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph Valentino Raimondo

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The regulation of hydrogen ion concentration (pH is fundamental to cell viability, metabolism and enzymatic function. Within the nervous system, the control of pH is also involved in diverse and dynamic processes including development, synaptic transmission and the control of network excitability. As pH affects neuronal activity, and can also itself be altered by neuronal activity, the existence of tools to accurately measure hydrogen ion fluctuations is important for understanding the role pH plays under physiological and pathological conditions. Outside of their use as a marker of synaptic release, genetically encoded pH sensors have not been utilised to study hydrogen ion fluxes associated with network activity. By combining whole-cell patch clamp with simultaneous two-photon or confocal imaging, we quantified the amplitude and time course of neuronal, intracellular, acidic transients evoked by epileptiform activity in two separate in vitro models of temporal lobe epilepsy. In doing so, we demonstrate the suitability of three genetically encoded pH sensors: deGFP4, E2GFP and Cl-sensor for investigating activity-dependent pH changes at the level of single neurons.

Genetically encoded proton sensors reveal activity-dependent pH changes in neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Raimondo, Joseph V; Irkle, Agnese; Wefelmeyer, Winnie; Newey, Sarah E; Akerman, Colin J

2012-01-01

The regulation of hydrogen ion concentration (pH) is fundamental to cell viability, metabolism, and enzymatic function. Within the nervous system, the control of pH is also involved in diverse and dynamic processes including development, synaptic transmission, and the control of network excitability. As pH affects neuronal activity, and can also itself be altered by neuronal activity, the existence of tools to accurately measure hydrogen ion fluctuations is important for understanding the role pH plays under physiological and pathological conditions. Outside of their use as a marker of synaptic release, genetically encoded pH sensors have not been utilized to study hydrogen ion fluxes associated with network activity. By combining whole-cell patch clamp with simultaneous two-photon or confocal imaging, we quantified the amplitude and time course of neuronal, intracellular, acidic transients evoked by epileptiform activity in two separate in vitro models of temporal lobe epilepsy. In doing so, we demonstrate the suitability of three genetically encoded pH sensors: deGFP4, E(2)GFP, and Cl-sensor for investigating activity-dependent pH changes at the level of single neurons.

Optical ammonia gas sensor based on a porous silicon rugate filter coated with polymer-supported dye.

Science.gov (United States)

Shang, Yunling; Wang, Xiaobo; Xu, Erchao; Tong, Changlun; Wu, Jianmin

2011-01-24

An ammonia gas sensor chip was prepared by coating an electrochemically-etched porous Si rugate filter with a chitosan film that is crosslinked by glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane (GPTMS). The bromothylmol blue (BTB), a pH indicator, was loaded in the film as ammonia-sensing molecules. White light reflected from the porous Si has a narrow bandwidth spectrum with a peak at 610 nm. Monitoring reflective optical intensity at the peak position allows for direct, real-time observation of changes in the concentration of ammonia gas in air samples. The reflective optical intensity decreased linearly with increasing concentrations of ammonia gas over the range of 0-100 ppm. The lowest detection limit was 0.5 ppm for ammonia gas. At optimum conditions, the full response time of the ammonia gas sensor was less than 15s. The sensor chip also exhibited a good long-term stability over 1 year. Therefore, the simple sensor design has potential application in miniaturized optical measurement for online ammonia gas detection. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fluorescent pH sensor based on Ag@SiO2 core-shell nanoparticle.

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Zhenhua; Chen, Rui; Si, Peng; Huang, Youju; Sun, Handong; Kim, Dong-Hwan

2013-06-26

We have demonstrated a novel method for the preparation of a fluorescence-based pH sensor by combining the plasmon resonance band of Ag core and pH sensitive dye (HPTS). A thickness-variable silica shell is placed between Ag core and HPTS dye to achieve the maximum fluorescence enhancement. At the shell thickness of 8 nm, the fluorescence intensity increases 4 and 9 times when the sensor is excited at 405 and 455 nm, respectively. At the same time, the fluorescence intensity shows a good sensitivity toward pH value in the range of 5-9, and the ratio of emission intensity at 513 nm excited at 455 nm to that excited at 405 nm versus the pH value in the range of 5-9 is determined. It is believed that the present pH sensor has the potential for determining pH real time in the biological sample.

A microfabricated fringing field capacitive pH sensor with an integrated readout circuit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arefin, Md Shamsul; Redoute, Jean-Michel; Rasit Yuce, Mehmet; Bulut Coskun, M.; Alan, Tuncay; Neild, Adrian

2014-01-01

This work presents a microfabricated fringe-field capacitive pH sensor using interdigitated electrodes and an integrated modulation-based readout circuit. The changes in capacitance of the sensor result from the permittivity changes due to pH variations and are converted to frequency shifts using a crossed-coupled voltage controlled oscillator readout circuit. The shift in resonant frequency of the readout circuit is 30.96 MHz for a change in pH of 1.0–5.0. The sensor can be used for the measurement of low pH levels, such as gastric acid, and can be integrated with electronic pills. The measurement results show high repeatability, low noise, and a stable output.

A microfabricated fringing field capacitive pH sensor with an integrated readout circuit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arefin, Md Shamsul, E-mail: md.arefin@monash.edu; Redoute, Jean-Michel; Rasit Yuce, Mehmet [Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne (Australia); Bulut Coskun, M.; Alan, Tuncay; Neild, Adrian [Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne (Australia)

2014-06-02

This work presents a microfabricated fringe-field capacitive pH sensor using interdigitated electrodes and an integrated modulation-based readout circuit. The changes in capacitance of the sensor result from the permittivity changes due to pH variations and are converted to frequency shifts using a crossed-coupled voltage controlled oscillator readout circuit. The shift in resonant frequency of the readout circuit is 30.96 MHz for a change in pH of 1.0–5.0. The sensor can be used for the measurement of low pH levels, such as gastric acid, and can be integrated with electronic pills. The measurement results show high repeatability, low noise, and a stable output.

An Electrochemical pH Sensor Based on the Amino-Functionalized Graphene and Polyaniline Composite Film.

Science.gov (United States)

Su, W; Xu, J; Ding, Xianting

2016-12-01

Conventional glass-based pH sensors are usually fragile and space consuming. Herein, a miniature electrochemical pH sensor based on amino-functionalized graphene fragments and polyaniline (NH 2 -G/PANI) composite film is developed via simply one-pot electrochemical polymerization on the ITO-coated glass substrates. Cyclic Voltammetry (CV), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and Raman Spectra are involved to confirm the successful synthesis and to characterize the properties of the NH 2 -G/PANI composite film. The developed electrochemical pH sensor presents fast response, high sensitivity (51.1 mV/pH) and wide detection range when applied to PBS solutions of pH values from 1 to 11. The robust reproducibility and good stability of the developed pH sensors are investigated as well. Compared to the conventional glass-based pH meters, the NH 2 -G/PANI composite film-based pH sensor could be a promising contender for the flexible and miniaturized pH-sensing devices.

Iridium oxide pH sensor for biomedical applications. Case urea-urease in real urine samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Prats-Alfonso, Elisabet; Abad, Llibertat; Casañ-Pastor, Nieves; Gonzalo-Ruiz, Javier; Baldrich, Eva

2013-01-15

This work demonstrates the implementation of iridium oxide films (IROF) grown on silicon-based thin-film platinum microelectrodes, their utilization as a pH sensor, and their successful formatting into a urea pH sensor. In this context, Pt electrodes were fabricated on Silicon by using standard photolithography and lift-off procedures and IROF thin films were growth by a dynamic oxidation electrodeposition method (AEIROF). The AEIROF pH sensor reported showed a super-Nerstian (72.9±0.9mV/pH) response between pH 3 and 11, with residual standard deviation of both repeatability and reproducibility below 5%, and resolution of 0.03 pH units. For their application as urea pH sensors, AEIROF electrodes were reversibly modified with urease-coated magnetic microparticles (MP) using a magnet. The urea pH sensor provided fast detection of urea between 78μM and 20mM in saline solution, in sample volumes of just 50μL. The applicability to urea determination in real urine samples is discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A miniature integrated multimodal sensor for measuring pH, EC and temperature for precision agriculture.

Science.gov (United States)

Futagawa, Masato; Iwasaki, Taichi; Murata, Hiroaki; Ishida, Makoto; Sawada, Kazuaki

2012-01-01

Making several simultaneous measurements with different kinds of sensors at the same location in a solution is difficult because of crosstalk between the sensors. In addition, because the conditions at different locations in plant beds differ, in situ measurements in agriculture need to be done in small localized areas. We have fabricated a multimodal sensor on a small Si chip in which a pH sensor was integrated with electrical conductivity (EC) and temperature sensors. An ISFET with a Si(3)N(4) membrane was used for the pH sensor. For the EC sensor, the electrical conductivity between platinum electrodes was measured, and the temperature sensor was a p-n junction diode. These are some of the most important measurements required for controlling the conditions in plant beds. The multimodal sensor can be inserted into a plant bed for in situ monitoring. To confirm the absence of crosstalk between the sensors, we made simultaneous measurements of pH, EC, and temperature of a pH buffer solution in a plant bed. When the solution was diluted with hot or cold water, the real time measurements showed changes to the EC and temperature, but no change in pH. We also demonstrated that our sensor was capable of simultaneous in situ measurements in rock wool without being affected by crosstalk.

Multiple approaches for enhancing all-organic electronics photoluminescent sensors: Simultaneous oxygen and pH monitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Rui; Xiao, Teng; Cui, Weipan [Ames Laboratory-USDOE and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Shinar, Joseph, E-mail: jshinar@iastate.edu [Ames Laboratory-USDOE and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States); Shinar, Ruth, E-mail: rshinar@iastate.edu [Microelectronics Research Center and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011 (United States)

2013-05-17

Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •Novel simply-fabricated all-organic electronics pH and oxygen optical monitor. •Excitation sources: directionally emitting, narrowed multicolor microcavity OLEDs. •Photodetectors: small molecule- or polymer-based with selective spectral responses. •Sensor film: structured high molecular weight polystyrene:polyethylene glycol blend. •×1.9 sensitivity enhancement and ×2.7 increase in the photoluminescence for oxygen. -- Abstract: Key issues in using organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) as excitation sources in structurally integrated photoluminescence (PL)-based sensors are the low forward light outcoupling, the OLEDs’ broad electroluminescence (EL) bands, and the long-lived remnant EL that follows an EL pulse. The outcoupling issue limits the detection sensitivity (S) as only ∼20% of the light generated within standard OLEDs can be forward outcoupled and used for sensor probe excitation. The EL broad band interferes with the analyte-sensitive PL, leading to a background that reduces S and dynamic range. In particular, these issues hinder designing compact sensors, potentially miniaturizable, that are devoid of optical filters and couplers. We address these shortcomings by introducing easy-to-employ multiple approaches for outcoupling improvement, PL enhancement, and background EL reduction leading to novel, compact all-organic device architectures demonstrated for simultaneous monitoring of oxygen and pH. The sensor comprises simply-fabricated, directionally-emitting, narrower-band, multicolor microcavity OLED excitation and small molecule- and polymer-based organic photodetectors (OPDs) with a more selective spectral response. Additionally, S and PL intensity for oxygen are enhanced by using polystyrene (PS):polyethylene glycol (PEG) blends as the sensing film matrix. By utilizing higher molecular weight PS, the ratio τ{sub 0}/τ{sub 100} (PL decay time τ at 0% O{sub 2}/τ at 100% O{sub 2}) that is often used

Planar optical waveguide sensor of ammonia

Science.gov (United States)

Sarkisov, Sergey S.; Curley, Michael J.; Boykin, Courtney; Diggs, Darnell E.; Grote, James G.; Hopkins, Frank K.

2004-12-01

We describe a novel sensor of ammonia based on a planar optical waveguide made of a thin film of polymer polyimide doped with indicator dye bromocresol purple. The film of dye-doped polyimide demonstrated reversible increase of absorption with a peak near 600 nm in response to presence of ammonia in ambient air. Coupling of input and output optic fibers with the waveguide was done by means of coupling prisms or coupling grooves. The latter configuration has the advantage of low cost, less sensitivity to temperature variation, and the possibility of coupling from both sides of the waveguide. Special experimental setup was built to test the sensor. It included test gas chamber with sealed optic fiber feed-throughs, gas filling line, laser source, photodetector, and signal processing hardware and software. The sensor was capable of detecting 100 ppm of ammonia in air within 8 seconds. Further increase of sensitivity can be achieved by adding more dye dopant to the polymer, increase of the length of the waveguide, and suppression of noise. Overexposure of the sensor to more than 5000 ppm of ammonia led to the saturation of the polymer film and, as a result, significant decrease of sensitivity and increase of the response time. The sensor can be used as low cost component of a distributed optical network of chemical sensors for monitoring presence of hazardous industrial pollutants in air.

Optical detection system for MEMS-type pressure sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sareło, K; Górecka-Drzazga, A; Dziuban, J A

2015-01-01

In this paper a special optical detection system designed for a MEMS-type (micro-electro-mechanical system) silicon pressure sensor is presented. The main part of the optical system—a detection unit with a perforated membrane—is bonded to the silicon sensor, and placed in a measuring system. An external light source illuminates the membrane of the pressure sensor. Owing to the light reflected from the deflected membrane sensor, the optical pattern consisting of light points is visible, and pressure can be estimated. The optical detection unit (20   ×   20   ×   20.4 mm 3 ) is fabricated using microengineering techniques. Its dimensions are adjusted to the dimensions of the pressure sensor (5   ×   5 mm 2 silicon membrane). Preliminary tests of the optical detection unit integrated with the silicon pressure sensor are carried out. For the membrane sensor from 15 to 60 µm thick, a repeatable detection of the differential pressure in the range of 0 to 280 kPa is achieved. The presented optical microsystem is especially suitable for the pressure measurements in a high radiation environment. (paper)

Measuring heart rate with optical sensor

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barachi, M. (Mitra)

2014-01-01

The problem addressed in this report is to verify the possibility of using an optical sensor in the SaxShirt in order to extract the heart rate. There are specifically three questions that we try to address. 1) How is it possible to extract heart rate (BPM) from the optical sensor? 2) Is it

A luminescent ratiometric pH sensor based on a nanoscale and biocompatible Eu/Tb-mixed MOF.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Tifeng; Zhu, Fengliang; Jiang, Ke; Cui, Yuanjing; Yang, Yu; Qian, Guodong

2017-06-13

The precise and real-time monitoring of localized pH changes is of great importance in many engineering and environmental fields, especially for monitoring small pH changes in biological environments and living cells. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with their nanoscale processability show very promising applications in bioimaging and biomonitoring, but the fabrication of nanoscale MOFs is still a challenge. In this study, we synthesized a nanoscale mixed-lanthanide metal-organic framework by a microemulsion method. The morphology and size of the NMOF can be simply adjusted by the addition of different amounts of the CTAB surfactant. This NMOF exhibits significant pH-dependent luminescence emission, which can act as a self-referenced pH sensor based on two emissions of Tb 3+ at 545 nm and Eu 3+ at 618 nm in the pH range from 3.00 to 7.00. The MTT assay and optical microscopy assay demonstrate the low cytotoxicity and good biocompatibility of the nanosensor.

Imaging Intracellular pH in Live Cells with a Genetically-Encoded Red Fluorescent Protein Sensor

OpenAIRE

Tantama, Mathew; Hung, Yin Pun; Yellen, Gary

2011-01-01

Intracellular pH affects protein structure and function, and proton gradients underlie the function of organelles such as lysosomes and mitochondria. We engineered a genetically-encoded pH sensor by mutagenesis of the red fluorescent protein mKeima, providing a new tool to image intracellular pH in live cells. This sensor, named pHRed, is the first ratiometric, single-protein red fluorescent sensor of pH. Fluorescence emission of pHRed peaks at 610 nm while exhibiting dual excitation peaks at...

Applications of fiber optic sensors in concrete structural health monitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Jingyun; Zhang, Wentao; Sun, Baochen; Du, Yanliang

2007-11-01

The research of fiber optic extrinsic Fabry-Perot interferometer (EFPI) sensors and their applications in concrete structural health monitoring are presented in this paper. Different types of fiber optic EFPI sensors are designed and fabricated. Experiments are carried out to test the performance of the sensors. The results show that the sensors have good linearity and stability. The applications of the fiber optic EFPI sensors in concrete structural health monitoring are also introduced. Ten fiber optic sensors are embedded into one section of the Liaohe Bridge in Qinghuangdao-Shenyang Railway. Field test demonstrates that the results of fiber optic sensors agree well with conventional strain gauges.

The enhanced cyan fluorescent protein: a sensitive pH sensor for fluorescence lifetime imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Poëa-Guyon, Sandrine; Pasquier, Hélène; Mérola, Fabienne; Morel, Nicolas; Erard, Marie

2013-05-01

pH is an important parameter that affects many functions of live cells, from protein structure or function to several crucial steps of their metabolism. Genetically encoded pH sensors based on pH-sensitive fluorescent proteins have been developed and used to monitor the pH of intracellular compartments. The quantitative analysis of pH variations can be performed either by ratiometric or fluorescence lifetime detection. However, most available genetically encoded pH sensors are based on green and yellow fluorescent proteins and are not compatible with multicolor approaches. Taking advantage of the strong pH sensitivity of enhanced cyan fluorescent protein (ECFP), we demonstrate here its suitability as a sensitive pH sensor using fluorescence lifetime imaging. The intracellular ECFP lifetime undergoes large changes (32 %) in the pH 5 to pH 7 range, which allows accurate pH measurements to better than 0.2 pH units. By fusion of ECFP with the granular chromogranin A, we successfully measured the pH in secretory granules of PC12 cells, and we performed a kinetic analysis of intragranular pH variations in living cells exposed to ammonium chloride.

Optical fiber sensors: Systems and applications. Volume 2

Science.gov (United States)

Culshaw, Brian; Dakin, John

State-of-the-art fiber-optic (FO) sensors and their applications are described in chapters contributed by leading experts. Consideration is given to interferometers, FO gyros, intensity- and wavelength-based sensors and optical actuators, Si in FO sensors, point-sensor multiplexing principles, and distributed FO sensor systems. Also examined are chemical, biochemical, and medical sensors; physical and chemical sensors for process control; FO-sensor applications in the marine and aerospace industries; FO-sensor monitoring systems for security and safety, structural integrity, NDE, and the electric-power industry; and the market situation for FO-sensor technology. Diagrams, drawings, graphs, and photographs are provided.

Hyperpolarized Amino Acid Derivatives as Multivalent Magnetic Resonance pH Sensor Molecules

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian Hundshammer

2018-02-01

Full Text Available pH is a tightly regulated physiological parameter that is often altered in diseased states like cancer. The development of biosensors that can be used to non-invasively image pH with hyperpolarized (HP magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging has therefore recently gained tremendous interest. However, most of the known HP-sensors have only individually and not comprehensively been analyzed for their biocompatibility, their pH sensitivity under physiological conditions, and the effects of chemical derivatization on their logarithmic acid dissociation constant (pKa. Proteinogenic amino acids are biocompatible, can be hyperpolarized and have at least two pH sensitive moieties. However, they do not exhibit a pH sensitivity in the physiologically relevant pH range. Here, we developed a systematic approach to tailor the pKa of molecules using modifications of carbon chain length and derivatization rendering these molecules interesting for pH biosensing. Notably, we identified several derivatives such as [1-13C]serine amide and [1-13C]-2,3-diaminopropionic acid as novel pH sensors. They bear several spin-1/2 nuclei (13C, 15N, 31P with high sensitivity up to 4.8 ppm/pH and we show that 13C spins can be hyperpolarized with dissolution dynamic polarization (DNP. Our findings elucidate the molecular mechanisms of chemical shift pH sensors that might help to design tailored probes for specific pH in vivo imaging applications.

Hyperpolarized Amino Acid Derivatives as Multivalent Magnetic Resonance pH Sensor Molecules.

Science.gov (United States)

Hundshammer, Christian; Düwel, Stephan; Ruseckas, David; Topping, Geoffrey; Dzien, Piotr; Müller, Christoph; Feuerecker, Benedikt; Hövener, Jan B; Haase, Axel; Schwaiger, Markus; Glaser, Steffen J; Schilling, Franz

2018-02-15

pH is a tightly regulated physiological parameter that is often altered in diseased states like cancer. The development of biosensors that can be used to non-invasively image pH with hyperpolarized (HP) magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging has therefore recently gained tremendous interest. However, most of the known HP-sensors have only individually and not comprehensively been analyzed for their biocompatibility, their pH sensitivity under physiological conditions, and the effects of chemical derivatization on their logarithmic acid dissociation constant (p K a ). Proteinogenic amino acids are biocompatible, can be hyperpolarized and have at least two pH sensitive moieties. However, they do not exhibit a pH sensitivity in the physiologically relevant pH range. Here, we developed a systematic approach to tailor the p K a of molecules using modifications of carbon chain length and derivatization rendering these molecules interesting for pH biosensing. Notably, we identified several derivatives such as [1- 13 C]serine amide and [1- 13 C]-2,3-diaminopropionic acid as novel pH sensors. They bear several spin-1/2 nuclei ( 13 C, 15 N, 31 P) with high sensitivity up to 4.8 ppm/pH and we show that 13 C spins can be hyperpolarized with dissolution dynamic polarization (DNP). Our findings elucidate the molecular mechanisms of chemical shift pH sensors that might help to design tailored probes for specific pH in vivo imaging applications.

Identification of a molecular pH sensor in coral.

Science.gov (United States)

Barott, Katie L; Barron, Megan E; Tresguerres, Martin

2017-11-15

Maintaining stable intracellular pH (pHi) is essential for homeostasis, and requires the ability to both sense pH changes that may result from internal and external sources, and to regulate downstream compensatory pH pathways. Here we identified the cAMP-producing enzyme soluble adenylyl cyclase (sAC) as the first molecular pH sensor in corals. sAC protein was detected throughout coral tissues, including those involved in symbiosis and calcification. Application of a sAC-specific inhibitor caused significant and reversible pHi acidosis in isolated coral cells under both dark and light conditions, indicating sAC is essential for sensing and regulating pHi perturbations caused by respiration and photosynthesis. Furthermore, pHi regulation during external acidification was also dependent on sAC activity. Thus, sAC is a sensor and regulator of pH disturbances from both metabolic and external origin in corals. Since sAC is present in all coral cell types, and the cAMP pathway can regulate virtually every aspect of cell physiology through post-translational modifications of proteins, sAC is likely to trigger multiple homeostatic mechanisms in response to pH disturbances. This is also the first evidence that sAC modulates pHi in any non-mammalian animal. Since corals are basal metazoans, our results indicate this function is evolutionarily conserved across animals. © 2017 The Author(s).

Coaxial-structured ZnO/silicon nanowires extended-gate field-effect transistor as pH sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Hung-Hsien; Yang, Chi-En; Kei, Chi-Chung; Su, Chung-Yi; Dai, Wei-Syuan; Tseng, Jung-Kuei; Yang, Po-Yu; Chou, Jung-Chuan; Cheng, Huang-Chung

2013-01-01

An extended-gate field-effect transistor (EGFET) of coaxial-structured ZnO/silicon nanowires as pH sensor was demonstrated in this paper. The oriented 1-μm-long silicon nanowires with the diameter of about 50 nm were vertically synthesized by the electroless metal deposition method at room temperature and were sequentially capped with the ZnO films using atomic layer deposition at 50 °C. The transfer characteristics (I DS –V REF ) of such ZnO/silicon nanowire EGFET sensor exhibited the sensitivity and linearity of 46.25 mV/pH and 0.9902, respectively for the different pH solutions (pH 1–pH 13). In contrast to the ZnO thin-film ones, the ZnO/silicon nanowire EGFET sensor achieved much better sensitivity and superior linearity. It was attributed to a high surface-to-volume ratio of the nanowire structures, reflecting a larger effective sensing area. The output voltage and time characteristics were also measured to indicate good reliability and durability for the ZnO/silicon nanowires sensor. Furthermore, the hysteresis was 9.74 mV after the solution was changed as pH 7 → pH 3 → pH 7 → pH 11 → pH 7. - Highlights: ► Coaxial-structured ZnO/silicon nanowire EGFET was demonstrated as pH sensor. ► EMD and ALD methods were proposed to fabricate ZnO/silicon nanowires. ► ZnO/silicon nanowire EGFET sensor achieved better sensitivity and linearity. ► ZnO/silicon nanowire EGFET sensor had good reliability and durability

A Miniature Integrated Multimodal Sensor for Measuring pH, EC and Temperature for Precision Agriculture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hiroaki Murata

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Making several simultaneous measurements with different kinds of sensors at the same location in a solution is difficult because of crosstalk between the sensors. In addition, because the conditions at different locations in plant beds differ, in situ measurements in agriculture need to be done in small localized areas. We have fabricated a multimodal sensor on a small Si chip in which a pH sensor was integrated with electrical conductivity (EC and temperature sensors. An ISFET with a Si₃N₄ membrane was used for the pH sensor. For the EC sensor, the electrical conductivity between platinum electrodes was measured, and the temperature sensor was a p-n junction diode. These are some of the most important measurements required for controlling the conditions in plant beds. The multimodal sensor can be inserted into a plant bed for in situ monitoring. To confirm the absence of crosstalk between the sensors, we made simultaneous measurements of pH, EC, and temperature of a pH buffer solution in a plant bed. When the solution was diluted with hot or cold water, the real time measurements showed changes to the EC and temperature, but no change in pH. We also demonstrated that our sensor was capable of simultaneous in situ measurements in rock wool without being affected by crosstalk.

Optical fiber sensors embedded in flexible polymer foils

Science.gov (United States)

van Hoe, Bram; van Steenberge, Geert; Bosman, Erwin; Missinne, Jeroen; Geernaert, Thomas; Berghmans, Francis; Webb, David; van Daele, Peter

2010-04-01

In traditional electrical sensing applications, multiplexing and interconnecting the different sensing elements is a major challenge. Recently, many optical alternatives have been investigated including optical fiber sensors of which the sensing elements consist of fiber Bragg gratings. Different sensing points can be integrated in one optical fiber solving the interconnection problem and avoiding any electromagnetical interference (EMI). Many new sensing applications also require flexible or stretchable sensing foils which can be attached to or wrapped around irregularly shaped objects such as robot fingers and car bumpers or which can even be applied in biomedical applications where a sensor is fixed on a human body. The use of these optical sensors however always implies the use of a light-source, detectors and electronic circuitry to be coupled and integrated with these sensors. The coupling of these fibers with these light sources and detectors is a critical packaging problem and as it is well-known the costs for packaging, especially with optoelectronic components and fiber alignment issues are huge. The end goal of this embedded sensor is to create a flexible optical sensor integrated with (opto)electronic modules and control circuitry. To obtain this flexibility, one can embed the optical sensors and the driving optoelectronics in a stretchable polymer host material. In this article different embedding techniques for optical fiber sensors are described and characterized. Initial tests based on standard manufacturing processes such as molding and laser structuring are reported as well as a more advanced embedding technique based on soft lithography processing.

Hybrid Piezoelectric/Fiber-Optic Sensor Sheets

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Mark; Qing, Xinlin

2004-01-01

Hybrid piezoelectric/fiber-optic (HyPFO) sensor sheets are undergoing development. They are intended for use in nondestructive evaluation and long-term monitoring of the integrity of diverse structures, including aerospace, aeronautical, automotive, and large stationary ones. It is anticipated that the further development and subsequent commercialization of the HyPFO sensor systems will lead to economic benefits in the form of increased safety, reduction of life-cycle costs through real-time structural monitoring, increased structural reliability, reduction of maintenance costs, and increased readiness for service. The concept of a HyPFO sensor sheet is a generalization of the concept of a SMART Layer(TradeMark), which is a patented device that comprises a thin dielectric film containing an embedded network of distributed piezoelectric actuator/sensors. Such a device can be mounted on the surface of a metallic structure or embedded inside a composite-material structure during fabrication of the structure. There is has been substantial interest in incorporating sensors other than piezoelectric ones into SMART Layer(TradeMark) networks: in particular, because of the popularity of the use of fiber-optic sensors for monitoring the "health" of structures in recent years, it was decided to incorporate fiber-optic sensors, giving rise to the concept of HyPFO devices.

Polymer Optical Fiber Sensor and the Prediction of Sensor Response Utilizing Artificial Neural Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Haroglu, Derya

The global market researches showed that there is a growing trend in the field of polymer optical fiber (POF) and POF sensors. Telecommunications, medicine, defense, aerospace, and automotive are the application areas of fiber optic sensors, where the automotive industry is the most promising application area for innovations in the field of POF sensors. The POF sensors in automobiles are particularly for detection of seat occupancy, and intelligent pedestrian protection systems. This dissertation investigates graded index perfluorinated polymer optical fiber as an intensity modulated intrinsic sensor for application in automotive seat occupancy sensing. Since a fiber optic sensor has a high bandwidth, is small in size, is lightweight, and is immune to electromagnetic interference (EMI) it offers higher performance than that of its electrical based counterparts such as strain gauge, elastomeric bladder, and resistive sensor systems. This makes the fiber optic sensor a potential suitable material for seat occupancy sensing. A textile-based fiber optic sensor was designed to be located in the area beneath the typical seated human's thighs. The pressure interval under which the proposed POF sensor design could perform well was found to be between 0.18 and 0.21 N/cm2, where perfluorinated (PF) graded index (GI) POF (62.5/750 mum) was used as the POF material. In addition, the effect of the automotive seat covering including face material (fabric) and foam backing to the sensor's performance was analyzed. The face fabric structure and the thickness of foam backing were not found to be significant factors to change the sensor results. A research study, survey, was conducted of which purpose was to better understand market demands in terms of sensor performance characteristics for automotive seat weight sensors, as a part of the Quality Function Deployment (QFD) House of Quality analysis. The companies joined the survey agreed on the first 5 most important sensor

Soil pH Mapping with an On-The-Go Sensor

OpenAIRE

Schirrmann, Michael; Gebbers, Robin; Kramer, Eckart; Seidel, Jan

2011-01-01

Soil pH is a key parameter for crop productivity, therefore, its spatial variation should be adequately addressed to improve precision management decisions. Recently, the Veris pH ManagerTM, a sensor for high-resolution mapping of soil pH at the field scale, has been made commercially available in the US. While driving over the field, soil pH is measured on-the-go directly within the soil by ion selective antimony electrodes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the Veris pH ManagerTM under ...

Optical Fibre Pressure Sensors in Medical Applications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sven Poeggel

2015-07-01

Full Text Available This article is focused on reviewing the current state-of-the-art of optical fibre pressure sensors for medical applications. Optical fibres have inherent advantages due to their small size, immunity to electromagnetic interferences and their suitability for remote monitoring and multiplexing. The small dimensions of optical fibre-based pressure sensors, together with being lightweight and flexible, mean that they are minimally invasive for many medical applications and, thus, particularly suited to in vivo measurement. This means that the sensor can be placed directly inside a patient, e.g., for urodynamic and cardiovascular assessment. This paper presents an overview of the recent developments in optical fibre-based pressure measurements with particular reference to these application areas.

Optical Fibre Pressure Sensors in Medical Applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Poeggel, Sven; Tosi, Daniele; Duraibabu, DineshBabu; Leen, Gabriel; McGrath, Deirdre; Lewis, Elfed

2015-07-15

This article is focused on reviewing the current state-of-the-art of optical fibre pressure sensors for medical applications. Optical fibres have inherent advantages due to their small size, immunity to electromagnetic interferences and their suitability for remote monitoring and multiplexing. The small dimensions of optical fibre-based pressure sensors, together with being lightweight and flexible, mean that they are minimally invasive for many medical applications and, thus, particularly suited to in vivo measurement. This means that the sensor can be placed directly inside a patient, e.g., for urodynamic and cardiovascular assessment. This paper presents an overview of the recent developments in optical fibre-based pressure measurements with particular reference to these application areas.

Optical Fibre Pressure Sensors in Medical Applications

Science.gov (United States)

Poeggel, Sven; Tosi, Daniele; Duraibabu, DineshBabu; Leen, Gabriel; McGrath, Deirdre; Lewis, Elfed

2015-01-01

This article is focused on reviewing the current state-of-the-art of optical fibre pressure sensors for medical applications. Optical fibres have inherent advantages due to their small size, immunity to electromagnetic interferences and their suitability for remote monitoring and multiplexing. The small dimensions of optical fibre-based pressure sensors, together with being lightweight and flexible, mean that they are minimally invasive for many medical applications and, thus, particularly suited to in vivo measurement. This means that the sensor can be placed directly inside a patient, e.g., for urodynamic and cardiovascular assessment. This paper presents an overview of the recent developments in optical fibre-based pressure measurements with particular reference to these application areas. PMID:26184228

Optical Fiber Grating Hydrogen Sensors: A Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Jixiang; Zhu, Li; Wang, Gaopeng; Xiang, Feng; Qin, Yuhuan; Wang, Min; Yang, Minghong

2017-03-12

In terms of hydrogen sensing and detection, optical fiber hydrogen sensors have been a research issue due to their intrinsic safety and good anti-electromagnetic interference. Among these sensors, hydrogen sensors consisting of fiber grating coated with sensitive materials have attracted intensive research interests due to their good reliability and distributed measurements. This review paper mainly focuses on optical fiber hydrogen sensors associated with fiber gratings and various materials. Their configurations and sensing performances proposed by different groups worldwide are reviewed, compared and discussed in this paper. Meanwhile, the challenges for fiber grating hydrogen sensors are also addressed.

[Ph-Sensor Properties of a Fluorescent Protein from Dendronephthya sp].

Science.gov (United States)

Pakhomov, A A; Chertkova, R V; Martynov, V I

2015-01-01

Genetically encoded biosensors based on fluorescent proteins are now widely applicable for monitoring pH changes in live cells. Here, we have shown that a fluorescent protein from Dendronephthya sp. (DendFP) exhibits a pronounced pH-sensitivity. Unlike most of known genetically encoded pH-sensors, fluorescence of the protein is not quenched upon medium acidification, but is shifting from the red to green spectral range. Therefore, quantitative measurements of intracellular pH are feasible by ratiometric comparison of emission intensities in the red and green spectral ranges, which makes DendFP advantageous compared with other genetically encoded pH-sensors.

A fluorescent colorimetric pH sensor and the influences of matrices on sensing performances

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Yanqing; Fuller, Emily; Klug, Summer; Lee, Fred; Su, Fengyu; Zhang, Liqiang; Chao, Shih-hui; Meldrum, Deirdre R.

2013-01-01

A fluorescent colorimetric pH sensor was developed by a polymerization of a monomeric fluorescein based green emitter (SM1) with a monomeric 2-dicyanomethylene-3-cyano-4,5,5-trimethyl-2,5-dihydrofuran derived red emitter (SM2) in poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)-co-polyacrylamide (PHEMA-co-PAM) matrices. Polymerized SM1 (PSM1) in the polymer matrices showed bright emissions at basic conditions and weak emissions at acidic conditions. Polymerized SM2 (PSM2) in the polymer matrices exhibited a vastly different response when compared to PSM1. The emissions of PSM2 are stronger under acidic conditions than those under basic conditions. When SM1 and SM2 were polymerized in the same polymer matrix, a dual emission sensor acting as a ratiometric pH sensor (PSM1,2) was successfully developed. Because the PSM1 and PSM2 exhibited different pH responses and separated emission windows, the changes in the emission colors were clearly observed in their dual color sensor of PSM1,2, which changed emission colors dramatically from green at pH 7 to red at pH 4, which was detected visually and/or by using a color camera under an excitation of 488 nm. In addition to the development of the dual color ratiometric pH sensor, we also studied the effects of different matrix compositions, crosslinkers, and charges on the reporting capabilities of the sensors (sensitivity and pKa). PMID:24078772

A fluorescent colorimetric pH sensor and the influences of matrices on sensing performances.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Yanqing; Fuller, Emily; Klug, Summer; Lee, Fred; Su, Fengyu; Zhang, Liqiang; Chao, Shih-Hui; Meldrum, Deirdre R

2013-10-01

A fluorescent colorimetric pH sensor was developed by a polymerization of a monomeric fluorescein based green emitter ( SM1 ) with a monomeric 2-dicyanomethylene-3-cyano-4,5,5-trimethyl-2,5-dihydrofuran derived red emitter ( SM2 ) in poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)- co -polyacrylamide (PHEMA-co-PAM) matrices. Polymerized SM1 ( PSM1 ) in the polymer matrices showed bright emissions at basic conditions and weak emissions at acidic conditions. Polymerized SM2 ( PSM2 ) in the polymer matrices exhibited a vastly different response when compared to PSM1 . The emissions of PSM2 are stronger under acidic conditions than those under basic conditions. When SM1 and SM2 were polymerized in the same polymer matrix, a dual emission sensor acting as a ratiometric pH sensor ( PSM1,2 ) was successfully developed. Because the PSM1 and PSM2 exhibited different pH responses and separated emission windows, the changes in the emission colors were clearly observed in their dual color sensor of PSM1,2 , which changed emission colors dramatically from green at pH 7 to red at pH 4, which was detected visually and/or by using a color camera under an excitation of 488 nm. In addition to the development of the dual color ratiometric pH sensor, we also studied the effects of different matrix compositions, crosslinkers, and charges on the reporting capabilities of the sensors (sensitivity and p K a ).

Characterisation and deployment of an immobilised pH sensor spot towards surface ocean pH measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, Jennifer S; Achterberg, Eric P; Rérolle, Victoire M C; Abi Kaed Bey, Samer; Floquet, Cedric F A; Mowlem, Matthew C

2015-10-15

The oceans are a major sink for anthropogenic atmospheric carbon dioxide, and the uptake causes changes to the marine carbonate system and has wide ranging effects on flora and fauna. It is crucial to develop analytical systems that allow us to follow the increase in oceanic pCO2 and corresponding reduction in pH. Miniaturised sensor systems using immobilised fluorescence indicator spots are attractive for this purpose because of their simple design and low power requirements. The technology is increasingly used for oceanic dissolved oxygen measurements. We present a detailed method on the use of immobilised fluorescence indicator spots to determine pH in ocean waters across the pH range 7.6-8.2. We characterised temperature (-0.046 pH/°C from 5 to 25 °C) and salinity dependences (-0.01 pH/psu over 5-35), and performed a preliminary investigation into the influence of chlorophyll on the pH measurement. The apparent pKa of the sensor spots was 6.93 at 20 °C. A drift of 0.00014 R (ca. 0.0004 pH, at 25 °C, salinity 35) was observed over a 3 day period in a laboratory based drift experiment. We achieved a precision of 0.0074 pH units, and observed a drift of 0.06 pH units during a test deployment of 5 week duration in the Southern Ocean as an underway surface ocean sensor, which was corrected for using certified reference materials. The temperature and salinity dependences were accounted for with the algorithm, R=0.00034-0.17·pH+0.15·S(2)+0.0067·T-0.0084·S·1.075. This study provides a first step towards a pH optode system suitable for autonomous deployment. The use of a short duration low power illumination (LED current 0.2 mA, 5 μs illumination time) improved the lifetime and precision of the spot. Further improvements to the pH indicator spot operations include regular application of certified reference materials for drift correction and cross-calibration against a spectrophotometric pH system. Desirable future developments should involve novel

Wearable Optical Sensors

KAUST Repository

Ballard, Zachary S.; Ozcan, Aydogan

2017-01-01

The market for wearable sensors is predicted to grow to $5.5 billion by 2025, impacting global health in unprecedented ways. Optics and photonics will play a key role in the future of these wearable technologies, enabling highly sensitive

Optical sensor for measuring humidity, strain and temperature

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2015-01-01

The present invention relates to an optical sensor (100) adapted to measure at least three physical parameters, said optical sensor comprising a polymer-based optical waveguide structure comprising a first Bragg grating structure (101) being adapted to provide information about a first, a second...

Endoscopic sensing of alveolar pH.

Science.gov (United States)

Choudhury, D; Tanner, M G; McAughtrie, S; Yu, F; Mills, B; Choudhary, T R; Seth, S; Craven, T H; Stone, J M; Mati, I K; Campbell, C J; Bradley, M; Williams, C K I; Dhaliwal, K; Birks, T A; Thomson, R R

2017-01-01

Previously unobtainable measurements of alveolar pH were obtained using an endoscope-deployable optrode. The pH sensing was achieved using functionalized gold nanoshell sensors and surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The optrode consisted of an asymmetric dual-core optical fiber designed for spatially separating the optical pump delivery and signal collection, in order to circumvent the unwanted Raman signal generated within the fiber. Using this approach, we demonstrate a ~100-fold increase in SERS signal-to-fiber background ratio, and demonstrate multiple site pH sensing with a measurement accuracy of ± 0.07 pH units in the respiratory acini of an ex vivo ovine lung model. We also demonstrate that alveolar pH changes in response to ventilation.

All-Optical Graphene Oxide Humidity Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Weng Hong Lim

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The optical characteristics of graphene oxide (GO were explored to design and fabricate a GO-based optical humidity sensor. GO film was coated onto a SU8 polymer channel waveguide using the drop-casting technique. The proposed sensor shows a high TE-mode absorption at 1550 nm. Due to the dependence of the dielectric properties of the GO film on water content, this high TE-mode absorption decreases when the ambient relative humidity increases. The proposed sensor shows a rapid response (<1 s to periodically interrupted humid air flow. The transmission of the proposed sensor shows a linear response of 0.553 dB/% RH in the range of 60% to 100% RH.

All-optical graphene oxide humidity sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Weng Hong; Yap, Yuen Kiat; Chong, Wu Yi; Ahmad, Harith

2014-12-17

The optical characteristics of graphene oxide (GO) were explored to design and fabricate a GO-based optical humidity sensor. GO film was coated onto a SU8 polymer channel waveguide using the drop-casting technique. The proposed sensor shows a high TE-mode absorption at 1550 nm. Due to the dependence of the dielectric properties of the GO film on water content, this high TE-mode absorption decreases when the ambient relative humidity increases. The proposed sensor shows a rapid response (<1 s) to periodically interrupted humid air flow. The transmission of the proposed sensor shows a linear response of 0.553 dB/% RH in the range of 60% to 100% RH.

Imaging intracellular pH in live cells with a genetically encoded red fluorescent protein sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Tantama, Mathew; Hung, Yin Pun; Yellen, Gary

2011-07-06

Intracellular pH affects protein structure and function, and proton gradients underlie the function of organelles such as lysosomes and mitochondria. We engineered a genetically encoded pH sensor by mutagenesis of the red fluorescent protein mKeima, providing a new tool to image intracellular pH in live cells. This sensor, named pHRed, is the first ratiometric, single-protein red fluorescent sensor of pH. Fluorescence emission of pHRed peaks at 610 nm while exhibiting dual excitation peaks at 440 and 585 nm that can be used for ratiometric imaging. The intensity ratio responds with an apparent pK(a) of 6.6 and a >10-fold dynamic range. Furthermore, pHRed has a pH-responsive fluorescence lifetime that changes by ~0.4 ns over physiological pH values and can be monitored with single-wavelength two-photon excitation. After characterizing the sensor, we tested pHRed's ability to monitor intracellular pH by imaging energy-dependent changes in cytosolic and mitochondrial pH.

Development of innovative pH sensor to evaluate phagocytosis of nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leclerc, L; Boudard, D; Pourchez, J; Cottier, M; Marmuse, L; Louis, C; Palle, S; Grosseau, P; Bernache, D

2011-01-01

The aim of this work was the development of pH-sensor-NP allowing the quantification of the amount of NP phagocytosed by macrophages. Two types of fluorescent NP with variable and well-characterized sizes and chemicals coatings have been synthesized: - NP with a FITC core (FITC-NP): green fluorescence (control). - FITC-NP functionalized with a pH sensitive probe (pH-sensor-NP): green fluorescence of the FITC and red fluorescence of the pH probe in acidic conditions. Our pH-sensor-NP model was first validated in acellular conditions. They were then incubated with a macrophage cell line allowing distinction and quantification of internalized NP with no major effects on biological toxicity.

Tracking bacterial infection of macrophages using a novel red-emission pH sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Jin, Yuguang; Tian, Yanqing; Zhang, Weiwen; Jang, Sei-Hum; Jen, Alex K-Y; Meldrum, Deirdre R

2010-10-01

The relationship between bacteria and host phagocytic cells is key to the induction of immunity. To visualize and monitor bacterial infection, we developed a novel bacterial membrane permeable pH sensor for the noninvasive monitoring of bacterial entry into murine macrophages. The pH sensor was constructed using 2-dicyanomethylene-3-cyano-4,5,5-trimethyl-2,5-dihydrofuran (TCF) as an electron-withdrawing group and aniline as an electron-donating group. A piperazine moiety was used as the pH-sensitive group. Because of the strong electron-donating and -withdrawing units conjugated in the sensing moiety M, the fluorophore emitted in the red spectral window, away from the autofluorescence regions of the bacteria. Following the engulfment of sensor-labeled bacteria by macrophages and their subsequent merger with host lysosomes, the resulting low-pH environment enhances the fluorescence intensity of the pH sensors inside the bacteria. Time-lapse analysis of the fluorescent intensity suggested significant heterogeneity of bacterial uptake among macrophages. In addition, qRT-PCR analysis of the bacterial 16 S rRNA gene expression within single macrophage cells suggested that the 16 S rRNA of the bacteria was still intact 120 min after they had been engulfed by macrophages. A toxicity assay showed that the pH sensor has no cytotoxicity towards either E. coli or murine macrophages. The sensor shows good repeatability, a long lifetime, and a fast response to pH changes, and can be used for a variety of bacteria.

Fibre-optic temperature sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao Jie; Liu Zhenyuan.

1993-04-01

This experiment is a kind of nonfunction fibre-optic temperature sensor. It utilizes high-sensitive bimetallic strip for element of measuring temperature. The changing of bimetallic strip alterates intensity of light through fibre-optic. This equipment is simple in structure, subtle in design, extensive in application, and so on. (author). 4 refs, 6 figs, 1 tab

Fiber-Optic Sensor Facility

Data.gov (United States)

Federal Laboratory Consortium — FUNCTION: Constructs and evaluates fiber-optic sensors for a variety of measurands. These measurands include acoustic, pressure, magnetic, and electric field as well...

Corrosion induced strain monitoring through fibre optic sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grattan, S K T; Basheer, P A M; Taylor, S E; Zhao, W; Sun, T; Grattan, K T V

2007-01-01

The use of strain sensors is commonplace within civil engineering. Fibre optic strain sensors offer a number of advantages over the current electrical resistance type gauges. In this paper the use of fibre optic strain sensors and electrical resistance gauges to monitor the production of corrosion by-products has been investigated and reported

Determination of pH by flow-injection analysis and by fiber-optrode analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pia, S.H.; Waltman, D.P.; Hillman, D.C.

1988-07-01

Two new procedures for measuring pH were developed. The first measures pH colorimetrically using a proprietary indicator-dye mixture in a flow injection analysis (FIA) procedure. The second measures pH using a fiber-optic chemical sensor (FOCS) specifically developed for pH determinations. The FOCS method measures pH by monitoring the fluorescence of a fluorescein derivative bonded to the distal end of a fiber-optic cable called an optrade. The FIA method currently has a precision and accuracy of about + or - 0.2 pH units and can measure 100 samples/hour. The FOCS method has a precision of + or - 0.05-0.20 pH units and an accuracy of + or - 0.1 to 0.6 pH units. About 10 to 60 samples can be analyzed. The characteristics of the FOCS Method will vary significantly with individual optrodes. The experimental results indicate that either flow-injection analysis or fiber optic chemical sensor analysis could form the basis for an alternative to electrometric measurement of pH in certain circumstances

Dynamic temperature measurements with embedded optical sensors.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dolan, Daniel H.,; Seagle, Christopher T; Ao, Tommy

2013-10-01

This report summarizes LDRD project number 151365, \\Dynamic Temperature Measurements with Embedded Optical Sensors". The purpose of this project was to develop an optical sensor capable of detecting modest temperature states (<1000 K) with nanosecond time resolution, a recurring diagnostic need in dynamic compression experiments at the Sandia Z machine. Gold sensors were selected because the visible re ectance spectrum of gold varies strongly with temperature. A variety of static and dynamic measurements were performed to assess re ectance changes at di erent temperatures and pressures. Using a minimal optical model for gold, a plausible connection between static calibrations and dynamic measurements was found. With re nements to the model and diagnostic upgrades, embedded gold sensors seem capable of detecting minor (<50 K) temperature changes under dynamic compression.

Non-contact optical Liquid Level Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Kiseleva, L. L.; Tevelev, L. V.; Shaimukhametov, R. R.

2016-06-01

Information about characteristics of the optical liquid level sensor are present. Sensors are used to control of the light level limit fluid - water, kerosene, alcohol, solutions, etc. Intrinsically safe, reliable and easy to use. The operating principle of the level sensor is an optoelectronic infrared device.

The pH sensor for flavivirus membrane fusion

OpenAIRE

Harrison, Stephen C.

2008-01-01

Viruses that infect cells by uptake through endosomes have generally evolved to ?sense? the local pH as part of the mechanism by which they penetrate into the cytosol. Even for the very well studied fusion proteins of enveloped viruses, identification of the specific pH sensor has been a challenge, one that has now been met successfully, for flaviviruses, by Fritz et al. (Fritz, R., K. Stiasny, and F.X. Heinz. 2008. J. Cell Biol. 183:353?361) in this issue. Thorough mutational analysis of con...

Semiconductor sensor for optically measuring polarization rotation of optical wavefronts using rare earth iron garnets

Science.gov (United States)

Duncan, Paul G.

2002-01-01

Described are the design of a rare earth iron garnet sensor element, optical methods of interrogating the sensor element, methods of coupling the optical sensor element to a waveguide, and an optical and electrical processing system for monitoring the polarization rotation of a linearly polarized wavefront undergoing external modulation due to magnetic field or electrical current fluctuation. The sensor element uses the Faraday effect, an intrinsic property of certain rare-earth iron garnet materials, to rotate the polarization state of light in the presence of a magnetic field. The sensor element may be coated with a thin-film mirror to effectively double the optical path length, providing twice the sensitivity for a given field strength or temperature change. A semiconductor sensor system using a rare earth iron garnet sensor element is described.

Characterization of Industrial Coolant Fluids and Continuous Ageing Monitoring by Wireless Node—Enabled Fiber Optic Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandros El Sachat

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Environmentally robust chemical sensors for monitoring industrial processes or infrastructures are lately becoming important devices in industry. Low complexity and wireless enabled characteristics can offer the required flexibility for sensor deployment in adaptable sensing networks for continuous monitoring and management of industrial assets. Here are presented the design, development and operation of a class of low cost photonic sensors for monitoring the ageing process and the operational characteristics of coolant fluids used in an industrial heavy machinery infrastructure. The chemical, physical and spectroscopic characteristics of specific industrial-grade coolant fluids were analyzed along their entire life cycle range, and proper parameters for their efficient monitoring were identified. Based on multimode polymer or silica optical fibers, wide range (3–11 pH sensors were developed by employing sol-gel derived pH sensitive coatings. The performances of the developed sensors were characterized and compared, towards their coolants’ ageing monitoring capability, proving their efficiency in such a demanding application scenario and harsh industrial environment. The operating characteristics of this type of sensors allowed their integration in an autonomous wireless sensing node, thus enabling the future use of the demonstrated platform in wireless sensor networks for a variety of industrial and environmental monitoring applications.

Characterization of Industrial Coolant Fluids and Continuous Ageing Monitoring by Wireless Node-Enabled Fiber Optic Sensors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sachat, Alexandros El; Meristoudi, Anastasia; Markos, Christos; Sakellariou, Andreas; Papadopoulos, Aggelos; Katsikas, Serafim; Riziotis, Christos

2017-03-11

Environmentally robust chemical sensors for monitoring industrial processes or infrastructures are lately becoming important devices in industry. Low complexity and wireless enabled characteristics can offer the required flexibility for sensor deployment in adaptable sensing networks for continuous monitoring and management of industrial assets. Here are presented the design, development and operation of a class of low cost photonic sensors for monitoring the ageing process and the operational characteristics of coolant fluids used in an industrial heavy machinery infrastructure. The chemical, physical and spectroscopic characteristics of specific industrial-grade coolant fluids were analyzed along their entire life cycle range, and proper parameters for their efficient monitoring were identified. Based on multimode polymer or silica optical fibers, wide range (3-11) pH sensors were developed by employing sol-gel derived pH sensitive coatings. The performances of the developed sensors were characterized and compared, towards their coolants' ageing monitoring capability, proving their efficiency in such a demanding application scenario and harsh industrial environment. The operating characteristics of this type of sensors allowed their integration in an autonomous wireless sensing node, thus enabling the future use of the demonstrated platform in wireless sensor networks for a variety of industrial and environmental monitoring applications.

Characterization of Industrial Coolant Fluids and Continuous Ageing Monitoring by Wireless Node—Enabled Fiber Optic Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

El Sachat, Alexandros; Meristoudi, Anastasia; Markos, Christos; Sakellariou, Andreas; Papadopoulos, Aggelos; Katsikas, Serafim; Riziotis, Christos

2017-01-01

Environmentally robust chemical sensors for monitoring industrial processes or infrastructures are lately becoming important devices in industry. Low complexity and wireless enabled characteristics can offer the required flexibility for sensor deployment in adaptable sensing networks for continuous monitoring and management of industrial assets. Here are presented the design, development and operation of a class of low cost photonic sensors for monitoring the ageing process and the operational characteristics of coolant fluids used in an industrial heavy machinery infrastructure. The chemical, physical and spectroscopic characteristics of specific industrial-grade coolant fluids were analyzed along their entire life cycle range, and proper parameters for their efficient monitoring were identified. Based on multimode polymer or silica optical fibers, wide range (3–11) pH sensors were developed by employing sol-gel derived pH sensitive coatings. The performances of the developed sensors were characterized and compared, towards their coolants’ ageing monitoring capability, proving their efficiency in such a demanding application scenario and harsh industrial environment. The operating characteristics of this type of sensors allowed their integration in an autonomous wireless sensing node, thus enabling the future use of the demonstrated platform in wireless sensor networks for a variety of industrial and environmental monitoring applications. PMID:28287488

A new fiber optic sensor for inner surface roughness measurement

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Xiaomei; Liu, Shoubin; Hu, Hong

2009-11-01

In order to measure inner surface roughness of small holes nondestructively, a new fiber optic sensor is researched and developed. Firstly, a new model for surface roughness measurement is proposed, which is based on intensity-modulated fiber optic sensors and scattering modeling of rough surfaces. Secondly, a fiber optical measurement system is designed and set up. Under the help of new techniques, the fiber optic sensor can be miniaturized. Furthermore, the use of micro prism makes the light turn 90 degree, so the inner side surface roughness of small holes can be measured. Thirdly, the fiber optic sensor is gauged by standard surface roughness specimens, and a series of measurement experiments have been done. The measurement results are compared with those obtained by TR220 Surface Roughness Instrument and Form Talysurf Laser 635, and validity of the developed fiber optic sensor is verified. Finally, precision and influence factors of the fiber optic sensor are analyzed.

Optical measuring system with an interrogator and a polymer-based single-mode fibre optic sensor system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2017-01-01

The present invention relates to an optical measuring system comprising a polymer-based single-mode fibre-optic sensor system (102), an optical interrogator (101), and an optical arrangement (103) interconnecting the optical interrogator (101) and the polymer-based single-mode fibre-optic sensor...... system (102). The invention further relates to an optical interrogator adapted to be connected to a polymer-based single-mode fibre-optic sensor system via an optical arrangement. The interrogator comprises a broadband light source arrangement (104) and a spectrum analysing arrangement which receives...

Characterization of Scintillating X-ray Optical Fiber Sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Sporea, Dan; Mihai, Laura; Vâţă, Ion; McCarthy, Denis; O'Keeffe, Sinead; Lewis, Elfed

2014-01-01

The paper presents a set of tests carried out in order to evaluate the design characteristics and the operating performance of a set of six X-ray extrinsic optical fiber sensors. The extrinsic sensor we developed is intended to be used as a low energy X-ray detector for monitoring radiation levels in radiotherapy, industrial applications and for personnel dosimetry. The reproducibility of the manufacturing process and the characteristics of the sensors were assessed. The sensors dynamic range, linearity, sensitivity, and reproducibility are evaluated through radioluminescence measurements, X-ray fluorescence and X-ray imaging investigations. Their response to the operating conditions of the excitation source was estimated. The effect of the sensors design and implementation, on the collecting efficiency of the radioluminescence signal was measured. The study indicated that the sensors are efficient only in the first 5 mm of the tip, and that a reflective coating can improve their response. Additional tests were done to investigate the concentricity of the sensors tip against the core of the optical fiber guiding the optical signal. The influence of the active material concentration on the sensor response to X-ray was studied. The tests were carried out by measuring the radioluminescence signal with an optical fiber spectrometer and with a Multi-Pixel Photon Counter. PMID:24556676

Micro/Nanofibre Optical Sensors: Challenges and Prospects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Limin Tong

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Micro/nanofibres (MNFs are optical fibres with diameters close to or below the vacuum wavelength of visible or near-infrared light. Due to its wavelength- or sub-wavelength scale diameter and relatively large index contrast between the core and cladding, an MNF can offer engineerable waveguiding properties including optical confinement, fractional evanescent fields and surface intensity, which is very attractive to optical sensing on the micro and nanometer scale. In particular, the waveguided low-loss tightly confined large fractional evanescent fields, enabled by atomic level surface roughness and extraordinary geometric and material uniformity in a glass MNF, is one of its most prominent merits in realizing optical sensing with high sensitivity and great versatility. Meanwhile, the mesoporous matrix and small diameter of a polymer MNF, make it an excellent host fibre for functional materials for fast-response optical sensing. In this tutorial, we first introduce the basics of MNF optics and MNF optical sensors, and review the progress and current status of this field. Then, we discuss challenges and prospects of MNF sensors to some extent, with several clues for future studies. Finally, we conclude with a brief outlook for MNF optical sensors.

Investigation of some critical parameters of buffer conditions for the development of quantum dots-based optical sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yuan Jipei; Guo Weiwei; Wang Erkang

2008-01-01

The unique surface-sensitive properties make quantum dots (QDs) great potential in the development of sensors for various analytes. However, quantum dots are not only sensitive to a certain analyte, but also to the surrounding conditions. The controlled response to analyte may be the first step in the designing of functional quantum dots sensors. In this study, taking the quenching effect of benzoquinone (BQ) on CdTe QDs as model, several critical parameters of buffer solution conditions with potential effect on the sensors were investigated. The pH value and the concentration of sodium citrate in the buffer solution critically influenced the quenching effects of BQ. Dozens folds elevation of the quenching extents were observed with the increase of concentrations of H + and sodium citrate, and the quenching mechanisms were also fundamentally different with the changes of the surrounding buffer solutions. The quenching models were proposed and analyzed at different buffer conditions. Taking pH values for example, QDs quenching obeyed the sphere of effective quenching model with the sphere radii of 8.29 nm at pH 8.0, the linear Stern-Volmer equation with Stern-Volmer constant of 2.0 x 10 3 mol -1 L at pH 7.0, and the two binding site static quenching model at basic conditions. The elucidation of parameters for assay performance was important in the development of QDs-based optical sensors

Development of a ratiometric time-resolved luminescence sensor for pH based on lanthanide complexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Mingjing; Ye Zhiqiang; Xin Chenglong; Yuan Jingli

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► A lanthanide complex-based ratiometric luminescent pH sensor was developed. ► The sensor can luminously respond to pH in weakly acidic to neutral media. ► The sensor can be used for monitoring pH with time-resolved luminescence mode. ► The sensor can be also used for monitoring pH with absorbance mode. ► The utility of the sensor for the luminescent cell imaging was demonstrated. - Abstract: Time-resolved luminescence bioassay technique using lanthanide complexes as luminescent probes/sensors has shown great utilities in clinical diagnostics and biotechnology discoveries. In this work, a novel terpyridine polyacid derivative that can form highly stable complexes with lanthanide ions in aqueous media, (4′-hydroxy-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine-6,6′′-diyl) bis(methylenenitrilo) tetrakis(acetic acid) (HTTA), was designed and synthesized for developing time-resolved luminescence pH sensors based on its Eu 3+ and Tb 3+ complexes. The luminescence characterization results reveal that the luminescence intensity of HTTA–Eu 3+ is strongly dependent on the pH values in weakly acidic to neutral media (pK a = 5.8, pH 4.8–7.5), while that of HTTA–Tb 3+ is pH-independent. This unique luminescence response allows the mixture of HTTA–Eu 3+ and HTTA–Tb 3+ (the HTTA–Eu 3+ /Tb 3+ mixture) to be used as a ratiometric luminescence sensor for the time-resolved luminescence detection of pH with the intensity ratio of its Tb 3+ emission at 540 nm to its Eu 3+ emission at 610 nm, I 540nm /I 610nm , as a signal. Moreover, the UV absorption spectrum changes of the HTTA–Eu 3+ /Tb 3+ mixture at different pHs (pH 4.0–7.0) also display a ratiometric response to the pH changes with the ratio of absorbance at 290 nm to that at 325 nm, A 290nm /A 325nm , as a signal. This feature enables the HTTA–Eu 3+ /Tb 3+ mixture to have an additional function for the pH detection with the absorption spectrometry technique. For loading the complexes into the

Evaluation of a Prototype pCO2 Optical Sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Sanborn-Marsh, C.; Sutton, A.; Sabine, C. L.; Lawrence-Salvas, N.; Dietrich, C.

2016-12-01

Anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, driving climate change and altering the ocean carbonate systems. Carbonate chemistry can be characterized by any two of the four parameters: pH, total alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, and partial pressure of dissolved carbon dioxide gas (pCO2). To fully monitor these dynamic systems, researchers must deploy a more temporally and spatially comprehensive sensor network. Logistical challenges, such as the energy consumption, size, lifetime, depth range, and cost of pCO2 sensors have limited the network's reach so far. NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory has conducted assessment tests of a pCO2 optical sensor (optode), recently developed by Atamanchuk et al (2014). We hope to deploy this optode in the summer of 2017 on high-resolution moored profiler, along with temperature, salinity, and oxygen sensors. While most pCO2 optodes have energy consumptions of 3-10 W, this 36mm-diameter by 86mm-long instrument consumes a mere 7-80 mW. Initial testing showed that its accuracy varied within an absolute range of 2-75 μatm, depending on environmental conditions, including temperature, salinity, response time, and initial calibration. Further research independently examining the effects of each variable on the accuracy of the data will also be presented.

Novel fluorescent pH sensor based on coumarin with piperazine and imidazole substituents.

Science.gov (United States)

Saleh, Na'il; Al-Soud, Yaseen A; Nau, Werner M

2008-12-01

A new coumarin derivative containing piperazine and imidazole moieties is reported as a fluorophore for hydrogen ions sensing. The fluorescence enhancement of the studied sensor with an increase in hydrogen ions concentration is based on the hindering of photoinduced electron transfer from the piperazinyl amine and the imidazolyl amine to the coumarin fluorophore by protonation. The presented sensor has a novel design of fluorophore-spacer-receptor(1)-receptor(2) format, which is proposed to sense two ranges of pH (from 2.5 to 5.5) and (from 10 to 12) instead of sensing one pH range. A model compound, in which the piperazinyl ring is absent, was synthesized as well to confirm the novel pH sensing of the proposed sensor.

Evaluations of fiber optic sensors for interior applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sandoval, M.W.; Malone, T.P.

1996-02-01

This report addresses the testing and evaluation of commercial fiber optic intrusion detection systems in interior applications. The applications include laying optical fiber cable above suspended ceilings to detect removal of ceiling tiles, embedding optical fibers inside a tamper or item monitoring blanket that could be placed over an asset, and installing optical fibers on a door to detect movement or penetration. Detection capability of the fiber optic sensors as well as nuisance and false alarm information were focused on during the evaluation. Fiber optic sensor processing, system components, and system setup are described.

Review of high bandwidth fiber optics radiation sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyons, P.B.

1985-01-01

This paper summarizes the use of fiber optics or guided optical systems for radiation sensors. It is limited a passive systems wherein electrical is not required at the sensor location. However, electrically powered light sources, receivers and/or recorders may still be required for detection and data storage in sensor system operation. This paper emphasizes sensor technologies that permit high bandwidth measurements of transient radiation levels, and will also discuss several low bandwidth applications. 60 refs

Fiber-Optic Continuous Liquid Sensor for Cryogenic Propellant Gauging

Science.gov (United States)

Xu. Wei

2010-01-01

An innovative fiber-optic sensor has been developed for low-thrust-level settled mass gauging with measurement uncertainty optical fiber to measure liquid level and liquid distribution of cryogenic propellants. Every point of the sensing fiber is a point sensor that not only distinguishes liquid and vapor, but also measures temperature. This sensor is able to determine the physical location of each point sensor with 1-mm spatial resolution. Acting as a continuous array of numerous liquid/vapor point sensors, the truly distributed optical sensing fiber can be installed in a propellant tank in the same manner as silicon diode point sensor stripes using only a single feedthrough to connect to an optical signal interrogation unit outside the tank. Either water or liquid nitrogen levels can be measured within 1-mm spatial resolution up to a distance of 70 meters from the optical interrogation unit. This liquid-level sensing technique was also compared to the pressure gauge measurement technique in water and liquid nitrogen contained in a vertical copper pipe with a reasonable degree of accuracy. It has been demonstrated that the sensor can measure liquid levels in multiple containers containing water or liquid nitrogen with one signal interrogation unit. The liquid levels measured by the multiple fiber sensors were consistent with those virtually measured by a ruler. The sensing performance of various optical fibers has been measured, and has demonstrated that they can survive after immersion at cryogenic temperatures. The fiber strength in liquid nitrogen has also been measured. Multiple water level tests were also conducted under various actual and theoretical vibration conditions, and demonstrated that the signal-to-noise ratio under these vibration conditions, insofar as it affects measurement accuracy, is manageable and robust enough for a wide variety of spacecraft applications. A simple solution has been developed to absorb optical energy at the termination of

Fiber Optic Displacement Sensor for Measuring Cholesterol Concentration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moh. Budiyanto

2017-11-01

Full Text Available A simple design of a cholesterol concentration detection is proposed and demonstrated using a fiber optic displacement sensor based on an intensity modulation technique. The proposed sensor uses a bundled plastic optical fiber (POF as a probe in conjunction with a flat mirror as a target. It is obtained that the peak voltage reduces with increasing cholesterol concentration. The sensor is capable of measuring the cholesterol concentration ranging from 0 to 300 ppm in a distilled water with a measured sensitivity of 0.01 mV/ppm, a linearity of more than 99.62 % and a resolution of 3.9188 ppm. The proposed sensor also shows a high degree of stability and good repeatability. The simplicity of design, accuracy, flexible dynamic range, and the low cost of fabrication are favorable attributes of the sensor and beneficial for real- field applications. Fiber optic sensors

A „Hybrid“ Thin-Film pH Sensor with Integrated Thick-Film Reference

OpenAIRE

Simonis, Anette; Krings, Thomas; Lüth, Hans; Wang, Joseph; Schöning, Michael J.

2001-01-01

A reference electrode fabricated by means of thick-film technique is deposited onto a silicon substrate and combined with a thin-film pH sensor to a “hybrid†chip system. To evaluate the suitability of this combination, first investigations were carried out. The characteristics of the thin-film pH sensor were studied towards the thick-film Ag/AgCl reference electrode. Measurements were performed in the capacitance/voltage (C/V) and constant capacitance (Concap) mode for different pH ...

Optical fiber sensors technology for supervision, control and protection of high power systems

Science.gov (United States)

Nascimento, Ivo Maciel

The work described in this PhD Thesis focuses on the post-processing of optical fibers and their enhancement as sensing element. Since the majority of sensors presented are based in Fabry-Perot interferometers, an historical overview of this category of optical fiber sensors is firstly presented. This review considers the works published since the early years, in the beginning of the 1980s, until the middle of 2015. The incorporation of microcavities at the tip of a single mode fiber was extensively studied, particularly for the measurement of nitrogen and methane gas pressure. These cavities were fabricated using hollow core silica tubes and a hollow core photonic crystal fiber. Following a different approach, the microcavities were incorporated between two sections of single mode fiber. In this case, the low sensitivity to temperature makes these microcavities highly desirable for the measurement of strain at high temperatures. Competences in post-processing techniques such as the chemical etching and the writing of periodical structures in the fiber core by means of an excimer or a femtosecond laser were also acquired in the course of the PhD programme. One of the works consisted in the design and manufacturing of a double clad optical fiber. The refractive index of the inner cladding was higher than the one of the outer cladding and the core. Thus, light was guided in the inner cladding instead of propagating in the core. This situation was overcome by applying chemical etching, thus removing the inner cladding. The core, surrounded by air, was then able to guide light. Two different applications were found for this fiber, as a temperature sensor and as an optical refractometer. In the last, the optical phase changes with the liquid refractive index. Two different types of fiber Bragg gratings were characterized in strain and temperature. Sensing structures obtained through the phase mask technique at the tip of an optical fiber were subjected to chemical

Temperature measurement distributed on a building by fiber optic BOTDA sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kwon, Il Bum; Kim, Chi Yeop; Choi, Man Yong; Lee, Seung Seok

2002-01-01

We have focused on the development of a fiber optic BOTDA (Brillouin Optical Time Domain Analysis) sensor system in order to measure temperature distributed on large structures. Also, we present a feasibility study of the fiber optic sensor to monitor the distributed temperature on a building construction. A fiber optic BOTDA sensor system, which has a capability of measuring the temperature distribution, attempted over several kilometers of long fiber paths. This simple fiber optic sensor system employs a laser diode and two electro-optic modulators. The optical fiber of the length of 1400 m was installed on the surfaces of the building. The change of the distributed temperature on the building construction was well measured by this fiber optic sensor. The temperature changed normally up to 4 degrees C through one day.

Fiber optic sensors current status and future possibilities

CERN Document Server

Ikezawa, Satoshi; Corres, Jesus

2017-01-01

This book describes important recent developments in fiber optic sensor technology and examines established and emerging applications in a broad range of fields and markets, including power engineering, chemical engineering, bioengineering, biomedical engineering, and environmental monitoring. Particular attention is devoted to niche applications where fiber optic sensors are or soon will be able to compete with conventional approaches. Beyond novel methods for the sensing of traditional parameters such as strain, temperature, and pressure, a variety of new ideas and concepts are proposed and explored. The significance of the advent of extended infrared sensors is discussed, and individual chapters focus on sensing at THz frequencies and optical sensing based on photonic crystal structures. Another important topic is the resonances generated when using thin films in conjunction with optical fibers, and the enormous potential of sensors based on lossy mode resonances, surface plasmon resonances, and long-range...

Damage and failure detection of composites using optical fiber vibration sensor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Y. C.; Han, K. S.

2001-01-01

An intensity-based optical fiber vibration sensor is applied to detect and evaluate damages and fiber failure of composites. The optical fiber vibration sensor is constructed by placing two cleaved fiber end, one of which is cantilevered in a hollow glass tube. The movement of the cantilevered section lags behind the rest of the sensor in response to an applied vibration and the amount of light coupled between the two fibers is thereby modulated. Vibration characteristics of the optical fiber vibration sensor are investigated. Surface mounted optical fiber vibration sensor is used in tensile and indentation test. Experimental results show that the optical fiber sensor can detect damages and fiber failure of composites correctly

A fibre optic oxygen sensor for monitoring of human breathing

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Rongsheng; Farmery, Andrew D.; Chen, Rui; Hahn, Clive E. W.

2011-11-01

A reliable and cost effective fibre optic oxygen sensor for monitoring of human breathing has been developed using a normal 200μm silica core/silica cladding optical fibre and a polymer sensing matrix. The fibre optic oxygen sensor is based on the fluorescence quenching of a fluorophore by oxygen. The sensing matrix, containing immobilized Pt(II) complexes, was coated at the end of the silica core/silica cladding optical fibre. The sensitivity and time response of the sensor were evaluated using the method of luminescence lifetime measurement. The polymer substrate influence on the time response of the sensor was improved by using a fibre taper design, and the response time of the optimized sensor was less than 200ms. This silica fibre based optic oxygen sensor is suitable for monitoring of patient breathing in intensive care unit in terms of safety and low cost.

Capillarity-based preparation system for optical colorimetric sensor arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Xiao-Gang; Yi, Xin; Bu, Xiang-Nan; Hou, Chang-Jun; Huo, Dan-Qun; Yang, Mei; Fa, Huan-Bao; Lei, Jin-Can

2017-03-01

In recent years, optical colorimetric sensor arrays have demonstrated beneficial features, including rapid response, high selectivity, and high specificity; as a result, it has been extensively applied in food inspection and chemical studies, among other fields. There are instruments in the current market available for the preparation of an optical colorimetric sensor array, but it lacks the corresponding research of the preparation mechanism. Therefore, in connection with the main features of this kind of sensor array such as consistency, based on the preparation method of contact spotting, combined with a capillary fluid model, Washburn equation, Laplace equation, etc., this paper develops a diffusion model of an optical colorimetric sensor array during its preparation and sets up an optical colorimetric sensor array preparation system based on this diffusion model. Finally, this paper compares and evaluates the sensor arrays prepared by the system and prepared manually in three aspects such as the quality of array point, response of array, and response result, and the results show that the performance index of the sensor array prepared by a system under this diffusion model is better than that of the sensor array of manual spotting, which meets the needs of the experiment.

Optimize Etching Based Single Mode Fiber Optic Temperature Sensor

OpenAIRE

Ajay Kumar; Dr. Pramod Kumar

2014-01-01

This paper presents a description of etching process for fabrication single mode optical fiber sensors. The process of fabrication demonstrates an optimized etching based method to fabricate single mode fiber (SMF) optic sensors in specified constant time and temperature. We propose a single mode optical fiber based temperature sensor, where the temperature sensing region is obtained by etching its cladding diameter over small length to a critical value. It is observed that th...

Illumination of the Spatial Order of Intracellular pH by Genetically Encoded pH-Sensitive Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mojca Benčina

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Fluorescent proteins have been extensively used for engineering genetically encoded sensors that can monitor levels of ions, enzyme activities, redox potential, and metabolites. Certain fluorescent proteins possess specific pH-dependent spectroscopic features, and thus can be used as indicators of intracellular pH. Moreover, concatenated pH-sensitive proteins with target proteins pin the pH sensors to a definite location within the cell, compartment, or tissue. This study provides an overview of the continually expanding family of pH-sensitive fluorescent proteins that have become essential tools for studies of pH homeostasis and cell physiology. We describe and discuss the design of intensity-based and ratiometric pH sensors, their spectral properties and pH-dependency, as well as their performance. Finally, we illustrate some examples of the applications of pH sensors targeted at different subcellular compartments.

Electro-optic architecture (EOA) for sensors and actuators in aircraft propulsion systems

Science.gov (United States)

Glomb, W. L., Jr.

1989-01-01

Results of a study to design an optimal architecture for electro-optical sensing and control in advanced aircraft and space systems are described. The propulsion full authority digital Electronic Engine Control (EEC) was the focus for the study. The recommended architecture is an on-engine EEC which contains electro-optic interface circuits for fiber-optic sensors on the engine. Size and weight are reduced by multiplexing arrays of functionally similar sensors on a pair of optical fibers to common electro-optical interfaces. The architecture contains common, multiplex interfaces to seven sensor groups: (1) self luminous sensors; (2) high temperatures; (3) low temperatures; (4) speeds and flows; (5) vibration; (6) pressures; and (7) mechanical positions. Nine distinct fiber-optic sensor types were found to provide these sensing functions: (1) continuous wave (CW) intensity modulators; (2) time division multiplexing (TDM) digital optic codeplates; (3) time division multiplexing (TDM) analog self-referenced sensors; (4) wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) digital optic code plates; (5) wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) analog self-referenced intensity modulators; (6) analog optical spectral shifters; (7) self-luminous bodies; (8) coherent optical interferometers; and (9) remote electrical sensors. The report includes the results of a trade study including engine sensor requirements, environment, the basic sensor types, and relevant evaluation criteria. These figures of merit for the candidate interface types were calculated from the data supplied by leading manufacturers of fiber-optic sensors.

Analytical analysis of sensitivity of optical waveguide sensor

African Journals Online (AJOL)

user

Section 2 provides the principle and basic theory of optical sensors and the modal ... this paper for optical sensor, a chemically selective layer or adlayer is ... Applying boundary condition at n1/n2 and n1/n3 the interface, and using the above.

Fibre optic sensors in pressurized water reactor alternators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Favennec, J.M.; Piguet, M.

1994-01-01

Measurement in the electrical engine environment (alternator, transformer...) is identified as one of the two main applications of fibre optic sensors within EDF; the other application niche is the monitoring of civil works (dams, containment building of nuclear reactors...). At the EDF Research and Development Division, temperature and vibration fibre optic sensors were evaluated by the Metrology Service, since their use is under consideration for alternator monitoring. For alternator stator thermal monitoring, the BERTIN company developed a fibre optic sensor network. The optic coding technique is based on broadband source spectral modulation; the sensors are interrogated sequentially by electronic commutation. For alternator stator vibration monitoring, a fibre optic accelerometer was developed in the frame of a manufacturers and universities consortium supported by the French Research and Technology Ministry. The accelerometer is of cantilever beam type and its networking is possible by chromatic multiplexing. The Metrology Service evaluated these temperature and vibration sensors in order to verify their metrological characteristics (bias error, hysteresis, repeatability, resolution, noise, amplitude linearity, response time, frequency response, etc.) and to test their behaviour in harsh alternator environmental conditions (pressure, vibrations and temperature). Ageing and accidental condition resistance tests were also carried out. Temperature sensor test results were very satisfactory. An eight-sensor BERTIN prototype was installed on the Tricastin 1 alternator during the september 1993 nuclear station periodic stop. On the contrary, the accelerometers presented deficient metrological characteristics (shorter span than foreseen, low repeatability...). They need some improvements and could not be installed on alternators. (authors). 5 refs., 8 figs

Advances in hybrid optics physical sensors for extreme environments

Science.gov (United States)

Riza, Nabeel A.

2010-04-01

Highlighted are novel innovations in hybrid optical design physical sensors for extreme environments. Various hybrid design compositions are proposed that are suited for a particular sensor application. Examples includes combining freespace (wireless) and fiber-optics (wired) for gas turbine sensing and combining single crystal and sintered Silicon Carbide (SiC) materials for robust extreme environment Coefficent of Thermal Expansion (CTE) matched frontend probe design. Sensor signal processing also includes the hybrid theme where for example Black-Body radiation thermometry (pyrometry) is combined with laser interferometry to provide extreme temperature measurements. The hybrid theme also operates on the optical device level where a digital optical device such as a Digital Micromirror Device (DMD) is combined with an analog optical device such as an Electronically Controlled Variable Focal Length Lens (ECVFL) to deliver a smart and compressive Three Dimensional (3-D) imaging sensor for remote scene and object shape capture including both ambient light (passive) mode and active laser targeting and receive processing. Within a device level, the hybrid theme also operates via combined analog and digital control such as within a wavelength-coded variable optical delay line. These powerful hybrid design optical sensors have numerous applications in engineering and science applications from the military to the commercial/industrial sectors.

Dual-modal cancer detection based on optical pH sensing and Raman spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Soogeun; Lee, Seung Ho; Min, Sun Young; Byun, Kyung Min; Lee, Soo Yeol

2017-10-01

A dual-modal approach using Raman spectroscopy and optical pH sensing was investigated to discriminate between normal and cancerous tissues. Raman spectroscopy has demonstrated the potential for in vivo cancer detection. However, Raman spectroscopy has suffered from strong fluorescence background of biological samples and subtle spectral differences between normal and disease tissues. To overcome those issues, pH sensing is adopted to Raman spectroscopy as a dual-modal approach. Based on the fact that the pH level in cancerous tissues is lower than that in normal tissues due to insufficient vasculature formation, the dual-modal approach combining the chemical information of Raman spectrum and the metabolic information of pH level can improve the specificity of cancer diagnosis. From human breast tissue samples, Raman spectra and pH levels are measured using fiber-optic-based Raman and pH probes, respectively. The pH sensing is based on the dependence of pH level on optical transmission spectrum. Multivariate statistical analysis is performed to evaluate the classification capability of the dual-modal method. The analytical results show that the dual-modal method based on Raman spectroscopy and optical pH sensing can improve the performance of cancer classification. (2017) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

Manufacture and application of RuO2 solid-state metal-oxide pH sensor to common beverages.

Science.gov (United States)

Lonsdale, W; Wajrak, M; Alameh, K

2018-04-01

A new reproducible solid-state metal-oxide pH sensor for beverage quality monitoring is developed and characterised. The working electrode of the developed pH sensor is based on the use of laser-etched sputter-deposited RuO 2 on Al 2 O 3 substrate, modified with thin layers of sputter-deposited Ta 2 O 5 and drop-cast Nafion for minimisation of redox interference. The reference electrode is manufactured by further modifying a working electrode with a porous polyvinyl butyral layer loaded with fumed SiO 2 . The developed pH sensor shows excellent performance when applied to a selection of beverage samples, with a measured accuracy within 0.08 pH of a commercial glass pH sensor. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Integrated-optic current sensors with a multimode interference waveguide device.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Sung-Moon; Chu, Woo-Sung; Kim, Sang-Guk; Oh, Min-Cheol

2016-04-04

Optical current sensors based on polarization-rotated reflection interferometry are demonstrated using polymeric integrated optics and various functional optical waveguide devices. Interferometric sensors normally require bias feedback control for maintaining the operating point, which increases the cost. In order to resolve this constraint of feedback control, a multimode interference (MMI) waveguide device is integrated onto the current-sensor optical chip in this work. From the multiple outputs of the MMI, a 90° phase-shifted transfer function is obtained. Using passive quadrature demodulation, we demonstrate that the sensor could maintain the output signal regardless of the drift in the operating bias-point.

Fiber Optic Strain Sensor for Planetary Gear Diagnostics

Science.gov (United States)

Kiddy, Jason S.; Lewicki, David G.; LaBerge, Kelsen E.; Ehinger, Ryan T.; Fetty, Jason

2011-01-01

This paper presents a new sensing approach for helicopter damage detection in the planetary stage of a helicopter transmission based on a fiber optic strain sensor array. Complete helicopter transmission damage detection has proven itself a difficult task due to the complex geometry of the planetary reduction stage. The crowded and complex nature of the gearbox interior does not allow for attachment of sensors within the rotating frame. Hence, traditional vibration-based diagnostics are instead based on measurements from externally mounted sensors, typically accelerometers, fixed to the gearbox exterior. However, this type of sensor is susceptible to a number of external disturbances that can corrupt the data, leading to false positives or missed detection of potentially catastrophic faults. Fiber optic strain sensors represent an appealing alternative to the accelerometer. Their small size and multiplexibility allows for potentially greater sensing resolution and accuracy, as well as redundancy, when employed as an array of sensors. The work presented in this paper is focused on the detection of gear damage in the planetary stage of a helicopter transmission using a fiber optic strain sensor band. The sensor band includes an array of 13 strain sensors, and is mounted on the ring gear of a Bell Helicopter OH-58C transmission. Data collected from the sensor array is compared to accelerometer data, and the damage detection results are presented

An ultrasensitive method of real time pH monitoring with complementary metal oxide semiconductor image sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Devadhasan, Jasmine Pramila; Kim, Sanghyo

2015-02-09

CMOS sensors are becoming a powerful tool in the biological and chemical field. In this work, we introduce a new approach on quantifying various pH solutions with a CMOS image sensor. The CMOS image sensor based pH measurement produces high-accuracy analysis, making it a truly portable and user friendly system. pH indicator blended hydrogel matrix was fabricated as a thin film to the accurate color development. A distinct color change of red, green and blue (RGB) develops in the hydrogel film by applying various pH solutions (pH 1-14). The semi-quantitative pH evolution was acquired by visual read out. Further, CMOS image sensor absorbs the RGB color intensity of the film and hue value converted into digital numbers with the aid of an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) to determine the pH ranges of solutions. Chromaticity diagram and Euclidean distance represent the RGB color space and differentiation of pH ranges, respectively. This technique is applicable to sense the various toxic chemicals and chemical vapors by situ sensing. Ultimately, the entire approach can be integrated into smartphone and operable with the user friendly manner. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Metrological characterization methods for confocal chromatic line sensors and optical topography sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Seppä, Jeremias; Niemelä, Karri; Lassila, Antti

2018-05-01

The increasing use of chromatic confocal technology for, e.g. fast, in-line optical topography, and measuring thickness, roughness and profiles implies a need for the characterization of various aspects of the sensors. Single-point, line and matrix versions of chromatic confocal technology, encoding depth information into wavelength, have been developed. Of these, line sensors are particularly suitable for in-line process measurement. Metrological characterization and development of practical methods for calibration and checking is needed for new optical methods and devices. Compared to, e.g. tactile methods, optical topography measurement techniques have limitations related to light wavelength and coherence, optical properties of the sample including reflectivity, specularity, roughness and colour, and definition of optical versus mechanical surfaces. In this work, metrological characterization methods for optical line sensors were developed for scale magnification and linearity, sensitivity to sample properties, and dynamic characteristics. An accurate depth scale calibration method using a single prototype groove depth sample was developed for a line sensor and validated with laser-interferometric sample tracking, attaining (sub)micrometre level or better than 0.1% scale accuracy. Furthermore, the effect of different surfaces and materials on the measurement and depth scale was studied, in particular slope angle, specularity and colour. In addition, dynamic performance, noise, lateral scale and resolution were measured using the developed methods. In the case of the LCI1200 sensor used in this study, which has a 11.3 mm  ×  2.8 mm measurement range, the instrument depth scale was found to depend only minimally on sample colour, whereas measuring steeply sloped specular surfaces in the peripheral measurement area, in the worst case, caused a somewhat larger relative sample-dependent change (1%) in scale.

Fiber-optic couplers as displacement sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Baruch, Martin C.; Gerdt, David W.; Adkins, Charles M.

2003-04-01

We introduce the novel concept of using a fiber-optic coupler as a versatile displacement sensor. Comparatively long fiber-optic couplers, with a coupling region of approximately 10 mm, are manufactured using standard communication SM fiber and placed in a looped-back configuration. The result is a displacement sensor, which is robust and highly sensitive over a wide dynamic range. This displacement sensor resolves 1-2 μm over distances of 1-1.5 mm and is characterized by the essential absence of a 'spring constant' plaguing other strain gauge-type sensors. Consequently, it is possible to couple to extremely weak vibrations, such as the skin displacement affected by arterial heart beat pulsations. Used as a wrist-worn heartbeat monitor, the fidelity of the arterial pulse signal has been shown to be so high that it is possible to not only determine heartbeat and breathing rates, but to implement a new single-point blood pressure measurement scheme which does not squeeze the arm. In an application as a floor vibration sensor for the non-intrusive monitoring of independently living elderly, the sensor has been shown to resolve the distinct vibration spectra of different persons and different events.

Optical Sensors for Detection of Amino Acids.

Science.gov (United States)

Pettiwala, Aafrin M; Singh, Prabhat K

2017-11-06

Amino acids are crucially involved in a myriad of biological processes. Any aberrant changes in physiological level of amino acids often manifest in common metabolic disorders, serious neurological conditions and cardiovascular diseases. Thus, devising methods for detection of trace amounts of amino acids becomes highly elemental to their efficient clinical diagnosis. Recently, the domain of developing optical sensors for detection of amino acids has witnessed significant activity which is the focus of the current review article. We undertook a detailed search of the peer-reviewed literature that primarily deals with optical sensors for amino acids and focuses on the use of different type of materials as a sensing platform. Ninety-five papers have been included in the review, majority of which deals with optical sensors. We attempt to systematically classify these contributions based on applications of various chemical and biological scaffolds such as polymers, supramolecular assemblies, nanoparticles, DNA, heparin etc. for the sensing of amino acids. This review identifies that supramolecular assemblies and nanomaterial continue to be commonly used materials to devise sensors for amino acids followed by surfactant assemblies. The broad implications of amino acids in human health and diagnosis have stirred a lot of interest to develop optimized optical detection systems for amino acids in recent years, using different materials based on chemical and biological scaffolds. We have also attempted to highlight the merits and demerits of some of the noteworthy sensor systems to instigate further efforts for constructing amino acids sensor based on unconventional concepts. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Direct-Dispense Polymeric Waveguides Platform for Optical Chemical Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamad Hajj-Hassan

2008-12-01

Full Text Available We describe an automated robotic technique called direct-dispense to fabricate a polymeric platform that supports optical sensor arrays. Direct-dispense, which is a type of the emerging direct-write microfabrication techniques, uses fugitive organic inks in combination with cross-linkable polymers to create microfluidic channels and other microstructures. Specifically, we describe an application of direct-dispensing to develop optical biochemical sensors by fabricating planar ridge waveguides that support sol-gelderived xerogel-based thin films. The xerogel-based sensor materials act as host media to house luminophore biochemical recognition elements. As a prototype implementation, we demonstrate gaseous oxygen (O2 responsive optical sensors that operate on the basis of monitoring luminescence intensity signals. The optical sensor employs a Light Emitting Diode (LED excitation source and a standard silicon photodiode as the detector. The sensor operates over the full scale (0%-100% of O2 concentrations with a response time of less than 1 second. This work has implications for the development of miniaturized multisensor platforms that can be cost-effectively and reliably mass-produced.

A sprayable luminescent pH sensor and its use for wound imaging in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Schreml, Stephan; Meier, Robert J; Weiß, Katharina T; Cattani, Julia; Flittner, Dagmar; Gehmert, Sebastian; Wolfbeis, Otto S; Landthaler, Michael; Babilas, Philipp

2012-12-01

Non-invasive luminescence imaging is of great interest for studying biological parameters in wound healing, tumors and other biomedical fields. Recently, we developed the first method for 2D luminescence imaging of pH in vivo on humans, and a novel method for one-stop-shop visualization of oxygen and pH using the RGB read-out of digital cameras. Both methods make use of semitransparent sensor foils. Here, we describe a sprayable ratiometric luminescent pH sensor, which combines properties of both these methods. Additionally, a major advantage is that the sensor spray is applicable to very uneven tissue surfaces due to its consistency. A digital RGB image of the spray on tissue is taken. The signal of the pH indicator (fluorescein isothiocyanate) is stored in the green channel (G), while that of the reference dye [ruthenium(II)-tris-(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline)] is stored in the red channel (R). Images are processed by rationing luminescence intensities (G/R) to result in pseudocolor pH maps of tissues, e.g. wounds. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Optical beam deflection sensor: design and experiments.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakamoto, João M S; Marques, Renan B; Kitano, Cláudio; Rodrigues, Nicolau A S; Riva, Rudimar

2017-10-01

In this work, we present a double-pass optical beam deflection sensor and its optical design method. To accomplish that, a mathematical model was proposed and computational simulations were performed, in order to obtain the sensor's characteristic curves and to analyze its behavior as function of design parameters. The mathematical model was validated by comparison with the characteristic curves acquired experimentally. The sensor was employed to detect acoustic pulses generated by a pulsed laser in a sample surface, in order to show its potential for monitoring applications handling high energy input as laser welding or laser ablation.

Photonic porous silicon as a pH sensor.

Science.gov (United States)

Pace, Stephanie; Vasani, Roshan B; Zhao, Wei; Perrier, Sébastien; Voelcker, Nicolas H

2014-01-01

Chronic wounds do not heal within 3 months, and during the lengthy healing process, the wound is invariably exposed to bacteria, which can colonize the wound bed and form biofilms. This alters the wound metabolism and brings about a change of pH. In this work, porous silicon photonic films were coated with the pH-responsive polymer poly(2-diethylaminoethyl acrylate). We demonstrated that the pH-responsive polymer deposited on the surface of the photonic film acts as a barrier to prevent water from penetrating inside the porous matrix at neutral pH. Moreover, the device demonstrated optical pH sensing capability visible by the unaided eye.

Deposition of sol-gel sensor spots by nanoimprint lithography and hemi-wicking

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mikkelsen, Morten Bo Lindholm; Marie, Rodolphe; Hansen, Jan H.

2011-01-01

We present a method for homogeneous deposition of sol-gel sensor materials, which enable fabrication of sensor spots for optical pH and oxygen measurements inside plastic containers. A periodic pattern of posts is imprinted into a polycarbonate substrate and, using the principle of hemi-wicking, ......We present a method for homogeneous deposition of sol-gel sensor materials, which enable fabrication of sensor spots for optical pH and oxygen measurements inside plastic containers. A periodic pattern of posts is imprinted into a polycarbonate substrate and, using the principle of hemi...

Feasibility Study on Fiber-optic Radiation Sensor for Remote Gamma-ray Spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeon, Hyesu; Jang, Kyoung Won; Shin, Sang Hun and others

2014-01-01

In this study, we fabricated a fiber-optic radiation sensor using an optical fiber and various scintillators. To select an adequate inorganic scintillator for the sensing probe of fiber-optic radiation sensor, 5 types of scintillators were evaluated. The spectra of gamma-rays emitted from a Na-22 radiation source were measured by using the manufactured sensors. As a result, the BGO was suitable for the sensing probe of fiber-optic radiation sensor due to its high scintillation output and exact photoelectric peak for the gamma-ray energy. The basic principle of radiation detection is to detect the signals caused by interactions between radiations and materials. There are various types of radiation detectors depending on types of radiation to be detected and physical quantities to be measured. As one of the radiation detectors, a fiber-optic radiation sensor using a scintillator and an optical fiber has two advantages such as no space restraint and remote sensing. Moreover, in nuclear environments, this kind of sensor has immunities for electromagnetic field, temperature, and pressure. Thus, the fiber-optic radiation sensor can be used in various fields including nondestructive inspection, radioactive waste management, nuclear safety, radiodiagnosis and radiation therapy. As a fundamental study of the fiber-optic radiation sensor for remote gamma-ray spectroscopy, in this study, we fabricated a fiber-optic radiation sensor using an optical fiber and various scintillators. To select an adequate inorganic scintillator for the sensing probe of fiber-optic radiation sensor, 5 types of scintillators were evaluated. The spectra of gamma-rays emitted from a Na-22 radiation source were measured by using the manufactured sensors

Engineering surface plasmon based fiber-optic sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dhawan, Anuj; Muth, John F.

2008-01-01

Ordered arrays of nanoholes with subwavelength diameters, and submicron array periodicity were fabricated on the tips of gold-coated optical fibers using focused ion beam (FIB) milling. This provided a convenient platform for evaluating extraordinary transmission of light through subwavelength apertures and allowed the implementation of nanostructures for surface plasmon engineered sensors. The fabrication procedure was straightforward and implemented on single mode and multimode optical fibers as well as etched and tapered fiber tips. Control of the periodicity and spacing of the nanoholes allowed the wavelength of operation to be tailored. Large changes in optical transmission were observed at the designed wavelengths, depending on the surrounding refractive index, allowing the devices to be used as fiber-optic sensors

Engineering surface plasmon based fiber-optic sensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dhawan, Anuj [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27606 (United States); Muth, John F. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, NC State University, Raleigh, NC 27606 (United States)], E-mail: muth@unity.ncsu.edu

2008-04-15

Ordered arrays of nanoholes with subwavelength diameters, and submicron array periodicity were fabricated on the tips of gold-coated optical fibers using focused ion beam (FIB) milling. This provided a convenient platform for evaluating extraordinary transmission of light through subwavelength apertures and allowed the implementation of nanostructures for surface plasmon engineered sensors. The fabrication procedure was straightforward and implemented on single mode and multimode optical fibers as well as etched and tapered fiber tips. Control of the periodicity and spacing of the nanoholes allowed the wavelength of operation to be tailored. Large changes in optical transmission were observed at the designed wavelengths, depending on the surrounding refractive index, allowing the devices to be used as fiber-optic sensors.

Tracking bacterial infection into macrophages by a novel red-emission pH sensor

OpenAIRE

Jin, Yuguang; Tian, Yanqing; Zhang, Weiwen; Jang, Sei-Hum; Jen, Alex K.-Y.; Meldrum, Deirdre R.

2010-01-01

The relationship between bacteria and host phagocytic cells is a key to the induction of immunity. To visualize and monitor bacterial infection, we developed a novel bacterial membrane permeable pH sensor for noninvasive monitoring of bacterial entry into murine macrophages. The pH sensor was constructed using 2-dicyanomethylene-3-cyano-4,5,5-trimethyl-2,5-dihydrofuran (TCF) as an electron-withdrawing group and aniline as an electron donating group. A piperazine moiety was u...

Cost-Effective Brillouin Optical Time-Domain Analysis Sensor Using a Single Optical Source and Passive Optical Filtering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Iribas

2016-01-01

Full Text Available We present a simplified configuration for distributed Brillouin optical time-domain analysis sensors that aims to reduce the cost of the sensor by reducing the number of components required for the generation of the two optical waves involved in the sensing process. The technique is based on obtaining the pump and probe waves by passive optical filtering of the spectral components generated in a single optical source that is driven by a pulsed RF signal. The optical source is a compact laser with integrated electroabsorption modulator and the optical filters are based on fiber Bragg gratings. Proof-of-concept experiments demonstrate 1 m spatial resolution over a 20 km sensing fiber with a 0.9 MHz precision in the measurement of the Brillouin frequency shift, a performance similar to that of much more complex setups. Furthermore, we discuss the factors limiting the sensor performance, which are basically related to residual spectral components in the filtering process.

pHlash: a new genetically encoded and ratiometric luminescence sensor of intracellular pH.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yunfei; Xie, Qiguang; Robertson, J Brian; Johnson, Carl Hirschie

2012-01-01

We report the development of a genetically encodable and ratiometic pH probe named "pHlash" that utilizes Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET) rather than fluorescence excitation. The pHlash sensor-composed of a donor luciferase that is genetically fused to a Venus fluorophore-exhibits pH dependence of its spectral emission in vitro. When expressed in either yeast or mammalian cells, pHlash reports basal pH and cytosolic acidification in vivo. Its spectral ratio response is H(+) specific; neither Ca(++), Mg(++), Na(+), nor K(+) changes the spectral form of its luminescence emission. Moreover, it can be used to image pH in single cells. This is the first BRET-based sensor of H(+) ions, and it should allow the approximation of pH in cytosolic and organellar compartments in applications where current pH probes are inadequate.

pHlash: a new genetically encoded and ratiometric luminescence sensor of intracellular pH.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yunfei Zhang

Full Text Available We report the development of a genetically encodable and ratiometic pH probe named "pHlash" that utilizes Bioluminescence Resonance Energy Transfer (BRET rather than fluorescence excitation. The pHlash sensor-composed of a donor luciferase that is genetically fused to a Venus fluorophore-exhibits pH dependence of its spectral emission in vitro. When expressed in either yeast or mammalian cells, pHlash reports basal pH and cytosolic acidification in vivo. Its spectral ratio response is H(+ specific; neither Ca(++, Mg(++, Na(+, nor K(+ changes the spectral form of its luminescence emission. Moreover, it can be used to image pH in single cells. This is the first BRET-based sensor of H(+ ions, and it should allow the approximation of pH in cytosolic and organellar compartments in applications where current pH probes are inadequate.

Design of a novel optical sensor for determination of trace gadolinium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zare-Dorabei, R.; Norouzi, P.; Ganjali, M.R.

2009-01-01

In this work, a highly selective and sensitive gadolinium (Gd) optical sensor based on immobilization of bis(thiophenal) pyridine-2,6-diamine (BPD), on a triacetylcellulose membrane has been reported. This optode exhibits a linear range of the Gd(III) ion concentration of 2.5 x 10 -6 M with a detection limit of 0.93 x 10 -8 M. Response time of the newly designed optode was within 1-2 min, depending on the Gd(III) ion concentration. Response of the sensor is independent of solution pH in the range of 2.0-9.0. It manifests advantages of: low detection limit, fast response time, and most significantly, very good selectivity with respect to a number of lanthanide ions (La, Ce, Sm, Tm, Ho, and Eu ions). The sensor was successfully regenerated with thiourea solutions and its response was reversible and reproducible (R.S.D. less than 1.4%). This optode was applied to determine Gd(III) in synthetic and water samples, and validated with certified reference materials (CRMs).

Ocean Health X-Prize testing of a Simplified Spectrophotometric pH Sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Darlington, R. C.; DeGrandpre, M. D.; Spaulding, R. S.; Beck, J. C.

2016-02-01

Since the Industrial Revolution, the world's oceans have absorbed increasing amounts of CO2, resulting in a >0.1 reduction in the pH of surface waters. This acidification of the oceans has many far reaching impacts on marine life. There is, therefore, great need of quality instrumentation to assess and follow the changing carbonate system. To address this need, we have developed a simplified spectrophotometric pH sensor with accuracy and precision suitable for sea surface measurements with special emphasis on reduced size and cost. The reduced size will allow deployment of sensors on a much wider variety of platforms than are currently possible, and the reduced cost will make the instruments available to a broader research community. This prototype pH instrument was entered into the Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health X-Prize, an incentivized global competition to spur innovation in sensors to monitor ocean acidification's impact on marine ecosystems. Results from the three phases of competition which explored accuracy, precision, and stability culminating in a one month field trial are detailed. The prototype proved to be highly accurate (+/-0.009), with good precision (+/-0.004) and stability showing drift indistinguishable from that of the validation measurements. The innovations that enabled this sensor to succeed in the competition could allow for deployment of spectrophotometric sensors on new platforms such as NOAAs Global Drifter Program, a network of non-recovered surface drifting buoys, which would greatly extend the spatial and temporal resolution of ocean acidification measurements.

Optical stimulator for vision-based sensors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rössler, Dirk; Pedersen, David Arge Klevang; Benn, Mathias

2014-01-01

We have developed an optical stimulator system for vision-based sensors. The stimulator is an efficient tool for stimulating a camera during on-ground testing with scenes representative of spacecraft flights. Such scenes include starry sky, planetary objects, and other spacecraft. The optical...

Cryogenic fiber optic temperature sensor and method of manufacturing the same

Science.gov (United States)

Kochergin, Vladimir (Inventor)

2012-01-01

This invention teaches the fiber optic sensors temperature sensors for cryogenic temperature range with improved sensitivity and resolution, and method of making said sensors. In more detail, the present invention is related to enhancement of temperature sensitivity of fiber optic temperature sensors at cryogenic temperatures by utilizing nanomaterials with a thermal expansion coefficient that is smaller than the thermal expansion coefficient of the optical fiber but larger in absolute value than the thermal expansion coefficient of the optical fiber at least over a range of temperatures.

Fiber-Optic Pressure Sensor With Dynamic Demodulation Developed

Science.gov (United States)

Lekki, John D.

2002-01-01

Researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center developed in-house a method to detect pressure fluctuations using a fiber-optic sensor and dynamic signal processing. This work was in support of the Intelligent Systems Controls and Operations project under NASA's Information Technology Base Research Program. We constructed an optical pressure sensor by attaching a fiber-optic Bragg grating to a flexible membrane and then adhering the membrane to one end of a small cylinder. The other end of the cylinder was left open and exposed to pressure variations from a pulsed air jet. These pressure variations flexed the membrane, inducing a strain in the fiber-optic grating. This strain was read out optically with a dynamic spectrometer to record changes in the wavelength of light reflected from the grating. The dynamic spectrometer was built in-house to detect very small wavelength shifts induced by the pressure fluctuations. The spectrometer is an unbalanced interferometer specifically designed for maximum sensitivity to wavelength shifts. An optimum pathlength difference, which was determined empirically, resulted in a 14-percent sensitivity improvement over theoretically predicted path-length differences. This difference is suspected to be from uncertainty about the spectral power difference of the signal reflected from the Bragg grating. The figure shows the output of the dynamic spectrometer as the sensor was exposed to a nominally 2-kPa peak-to-peak square-wave pressure fluctuation. Good tracking, sensitivity, and signal-to-noise ratios are evident even though the sensor was constructed as a proof-of-concept and was not optimized in any way. Therefore the fiber-optic Bragg grating, which is normally considered a good candidate as a strain or temperature sensor, also has been shown to be a good candidate for a dynamic pressure sensor.

Theoretical Analysis of the Optical Propagation Characteristics in a Fiber-Optic Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaolin Zheng

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Surface plasmon resonance (SPR sensor is widely used for its high precision and real-time analysis. Fiber-optic SPR sensor is easy for miniaturization, so it is commonly used in the development of portable detection equipment. It can also be used for remote, real-time, and online detection. In this study, a wavelength modulation fiber-optic SPR sensor is designed, and theoretical analysis of optical propagation in the optical fiber is also done. Compared with existing methods, both the transmission of a skew ray and the influence of the chromatic dispersion are discussed. The resonance wavelength is calculated at two different cases, in which the chromatic dispersion in the fiber core is considered. According to the simulation results, a novel multi-channel fiber-optic SPR sensor is likewise designed to avoid defaults aroused by the complicated computation of the skew ray as well as the chromatic dispersion. Avoiding the impact of skew ray can do much to improve the precision of this kind of sensor.

Fiber Optic Pressure Sensor Array, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — VIP Sensors proposes to develop a Fiber Optic Pressure Sensor Array System for measuring air flow pressure at multiple points on the skin of aircrafts for Flight...

Design and development of an optical fiber sensor for hydrogen detection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perrotton, Cedric

2012-01-01

Hydrogen detection is an environmental priority. Numerous hydrogen sensors have been developed, but none of them meet the industry requirements. Optical fiber sensors, electrically isolated, are excellent candidates for operating in explosive environments. Our goal is to develop an intrinsic optical fiber sensor based on Surface Plasmon Resonance. In this thesis, we study two optical fiber hydrogen sensors. The first sensor, based on amplitude modulation, consists of a thin Pd layer deposited on the multimode fiber core, after removing the optical cladding. The second design, based on wavelength modulation, consists of replacing the single Pd layer by a Au/SiO 2 /Pd multilayer stack. We demonstrate in this thesis that plasmonic sensors may be a solution to develop fast and reliable fiber hydrogen sensors. Finally, we study Mg alloys as hydrogen sensitive material in order to improve the detection range of hydrogen sensors. (author)

Control systems using modal domain optical fiber sensors for smart structure applications

Science.gov (United States)

Lindner, Douglas K.; Reichard, Karl M.

1991-01-01

Recently, a new class of sensors has emerged for structural control which respond to environmental changes over a significant gauge length; these sensors are called distributed-effect sensors. These sensors can be fabricated with spatially varying sensitivity to the distributed measurand, and can be configured to measure a variety of structural parameters which can not be measured directly using point sensors. Examples of distributed-effect sensors include piezoelectric film, holographic sensors, and modal domain optical fiber sensors. Optical fiber sensors are particularly attractive for smart structure applications because they are flexible, have low mass, and can easily be embedded directly into materials. In this paper we describe the implementation of weighted modal domain optical fiber sensors. The mathematical model of the modal domain optical fiber sensor model is described and used to derive an expression for the sensor sensitivity. The effects of parameter variations on the sensor sensitivity are demonstrated to illustrate methods of spatially varying the sensor sensitivity.

Optical fiber sensors for medical applications: practical engineering considerations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heijmans, J.A.C.; Cheng, L.K.; Wieringa, F.P.

2008-01-01

The advantages of optical fibers as medical sensors are recognized world wide nowadays. Insensitivity to electromagnetic disturbances and relative small dimensions are the most well known properties. The advantages of fiber optic sensors are especially valuable within environments with high

Multi-dimensional fiber-optic radiation sensor for ocular proton therapy dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jang, K.W.; Yoo, W.J.; Moon, J.; Han, K.T.; Park, B.G.; Shin, D.; Park, S-Y.; Lee, B.

2012-01-01

In this study, we fabricated a multi-dimensional fiber-optic radiation sensor, which consists of organic scintillators, plastic optical fibers and a water phantom with a polymethyl methacrylate structure for the ocular proton therapy dosimetry. For the purpose of sensor characterization, we measured the spread out Bragg-peak of 120 MeV proton beam using a one-dimensional sensor array, which has 30 fiber-optic radiation sensors with a 1.5 mm interval. A uniform region of spread out Bragg-peak using the one-dimensional fiber-optic radiation sensor was obtained from 20 to 25 mm depth of a phantom. In addition, the Bragg-peak of 109 MeV proton beam was measured at the depth of 11.5 mm of a phantom using a two-dimensional sensor array, which has 10×3 sensor array with a 0.5 mm interval.

Investigating the sensitivity of PMMA optical fibres for use as an evanescent field absorption sensor in aqueous solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lye, P G; Boerkamp, M; Ernest, A; Lamb, D W

2005-01-01

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) optical fibres are low-cost polymer fibres that are generally more physically robust than silica fibres, are more flexible, yet like silica fibres have the potential to be used for practical evanescent field absorption sensors in aqueous solutions. However, evanescent field absorption in aqueous solutions is influenced by more than just the specific absorptivity of the solution in question. The physical configuration of the optical fibre itself, as well as surface charge interactions between the fibre and the chromophore in the solution also significantly affects the sensitivity of the fibre to evanescent field absorption. This paper reports on an investigation of numerous physical phenomena that influence evanescent field absorption for PMMA fibres using an aqueous solution of the dye Amidoblack. Parameters investigated included fibre coiling configuration and bend radius, fibre interaction length, and effect of solution pH. Coiled fibres were found to be more sensitive to evanescent field absorption than straight (uncoiled) lengths, and sensitivity was found to increase with a further reduction in bend radius. At high solution pH, the absorption versus solution concentration proved to be linear whereas at low pH the absorption versus concentration relationship exhibited a clear deviation from linearity. The observed nonlinearity at low pH points to the importance of accounting for electrostatic interactions between chromophore and fibre surface when designing a PMMA sensor for evanescent field absorption measurements in aqueous solutions

Triaxial fiber optic magnetic field sensor for MRI applications

Science.gov (United States)

Filograno, Massimo L.; Pisco, Marco; Catalano, Angelo; Forte, Ernesto; Aiello, Marco; Soricelli, Andrea; Davino, Daniele; Visone, Ciro; Cutolo, Antonello; Cusano, Andrea

2016-05-01

In this paper, we report a fiber-optic triaxial magnetic field sensor, based on Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) integrated with giant magnetostrictive material, the Terfenol-D. The realized sensor has been designed and engineered for Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) applications. A full magneto-optical characterization of the triaxial sensing probe has been carried out, providing the complex relationship among the FBGs wavelength shift and the applied magnetostatic field vector. Finally, the developed fiber optic sensors have been arranged in a sensor network composed of 20 triaxial sensors for mapping the magnetic field distribution in a MRI-room at a diagnostic center in Naples (SDN), equipped with Positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance (PET/MR) instrumentation. Experimental results reveal that the proposed sensor network can be efficiently used in MRI centers for performing quality assurance tests, paving the way for novel integrated tools to measure the magnetic dose accumulated day by day by MRI operators.

Design of Oil Viscosity Sensor Based on Plastic Optical Fiber

Science.gov (United States)

Yunus, Muhammad; Arifin, A.

2018-03-01

A research of plastic optical fiber based sensors have been studied for measurement of oil viscosity. This sensor was made with straight configuration, U configuration, and gamma configuration have two types, there are optical fiber sensor with cladding and without cladding. Viscosity sensor was made, dipped into an oil sample with a concentration of viscosity percentage about 270 mPa.s - 350 mPa.s. The light from the LED propagated into the optical fiber, then it was received by the photodetector converted to output power. When plastic optical fiber dipped into an oil sample, viscosity of oil affect increase of refractive index on optical fiber resulting in a bigger loss of power so the light intensity will be smaller, consequences the measured output power will be smaller. Sensitivity and resolution viscosity sensor without cladding peel showed the best result rather than viscosity sensor with cladding peel. The best result in the measurement showed in gamma configuration with 3 cm length of cladding peel and the diameter of bending 0,25 cm is the range 103,090 nWatt, sensitivity 1,289 nWatt/mPa.s, and resolution 0,776 mPa.s. This method is effectively and efficiently used as an oil viscosity sensor with high sensitivity and resolution.

Dual-modal cancer detection based on optical pH sensing and Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Soogeun; Lee, Seung Ho; Min, Sun Young; Byun, Kyung Min; Lee, Soo Yeol

2017-10-01

A dual-modal approach using Raman spectroscopy and optical pH sensing was investigated to discriminate between normal and cancerous tissues. Raman spectroscopy has demonstrated the potential for in vivo cancer detection. However, Raman spectroscopy has suffered from strong fluorescence background of biological samples and subtle spectral differences between normal and disease tissues. To overcome those issues, pH sensing is adopted to Raman spectroscopy as a dual-modal approach. Based on the fact that the pH level in cancerous tissues is lower than that in normal tissues due to insufficient vasculature formation, the dual-modal approach combining the chemical information of Raman spectrum and the metabolic information of pH level can improve the specificity of cancer diagnosis. From human breast tissue samples, Raman spectra and pH levels are measured using fiber-optic-based Raman and pH probes, respectively. The pH sensing is based on the dependence of pH level on optical transmission spectrum. Multivariate statistical analysis is performed to evaluate the classification capability of the dual-modal method. The analytical results show that the dual-modal method based on Raman spectroscopy and optical pH sensing can improve the performance of cancer classification.

A synthetic multifunctional mammalian pH sensor and CO2 transgene-control device.

Science.gov (United States)

Ausländer, David; Ausländer, Simon; Charpin-El Hamri, Ghislaine; Sedlmayer, Ferdinand; Müller, Marius; Frey, Olivier; Hierlemann, Andreas; Stelling, Jörg; Fussenegger, Martin

2014-08-07

All metabolic activities operate within a narrow pH range that is controlled by the CO2-bicarbonate buffering system. We hypothesized that pH could serve as surrogate signal to monitor and respond to the physiological state. By functionally rewiring the human proton-activated cell-surface receptor TDAG8 to chimeric promoters, we created a synthetic signaling cascade that precisely monitors extracellular pH within the physiological range. The synthetic pH sensor could be adjusted by organic acids as well as gaseous CO2 that shifts the CO2-bicarbonate balance toward hydrogen ions. This enabled the design of gas-programmable logic gates, provided remote control of cellular behavior inside microfluidic devices, and allowed for CO2-triggered production of biopharmaceuticals in standard bioreactors. When implanting cells containing the synthetic pH sensor linked to production of insulin into type 1 diabetic mice developing diabetic ketoacidosis, the prosthetic network automatically scored acidic pH and coordinated an insulin expression response that corrected ketoacidosis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Architecture for fiber-optic sensors and actuators in aircraft propulsion systems

Science.gov (United States)

Glomb, W. L., Jr.

1990-01-01

This paper describes a design for fiber-optic sensing and control in advanced aircraft Electronic Engine Control (EEC). The recommended architecture is an on-engine EEC which contains electro-optic interface circuits for fiber-optic sensors. Size and weight are reduced by multiplexing arrays of functionally similar sensors on a pairs of optical fibers to common electro-optical interfaces. The architecture contains interfaces to seven sensor groups. Nine distinct fiber-optic sensor types were found to provide the sensing functions. Analysis revealed no strong discriminator (except reliability of laser diodes and remote electronics) on which to base a selection of preferred common interface type. A hardware test program is recommended to assess the relative maturity of the technologies and to determine real performance in the engine environment.

Multi-sensor control for precise assembly of optical components

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ma Li

2014-06-01

Full Text Available In order to perform an optical assembly accurately, a multi-sensor control strategy is developed which includes an attitude measurement system, a vision system, a loss measurement system and a force sensor. A 3-DOF attitude measuring method using linear variable differential transformers (LVDT is designed to adjust the relation of position and attitude between the spherical mirror and the resonator. A micro vision feedback system is set up to extract the light beam and the diaphragm, which can achieve the coarse positioning of the spherical mirror in the optical assembly process. A rapid self-correlation method is presented to analyze the spectrum signal for the fine positioning. In order to prevent the damage of the optical components and realize sealing of the resonator, a hybrid force-position control is constructed to control the contact force of the optical components. The experimental results show that the proposed multi-sensor control strategy succeeds in accomplishing the precise assembly of the optical components, which consists of parallel adjustment, macro coarse adjustment, macro approach, micro fine adjustment, micro approach and optical contact. Therefore, the results validate the multi-sensor control strategy.

Optically Defined Modal Sensors Incorporating Spiropyran-Doped Liquid Crystals with Piezoelectric Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hui-Lung Kuo

2011-01-01

Full Text Available We integrated a piezoelectric sensing layer lamina containing liquid crystals (LC and spiropyran (SP in a LC/SP mixture to create an optically reconfigurable modal sensor for a cantilever beam. The impedance of this LC/SP lamina was decreased by UV irradiation which constituted the underlying mechanism to modulate the voltage externally applied to the piezoelectric actuating layer. Illuminating a specific pattern onto the LC/SP lamina provided us with a way to spatially modulate the piezoelectric vibration signal. We showed that if an UV illuminated pattern matches the strain distribution of a specific mode, a piezoelectric modal sensor can be created. Since UV illumination can be changed in situ in real-time, our results confirm for the first time since the inception of smart sensors, that an optically tailored modal sensor can be created. Some potential applications of this type of sensor include energy harvesting devices, bio-chips, vibration sensing and actuating devices.

A review of fiber-optic corrosion sensor in civil engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Dong; Li, Junnan; Li, Yuanyuan

2018-05-01

Fiber-optical corrosion sensor (FOCS) is the research hotspot of corrosion monitoring sensor in recent years. It has the advantages of lightness, simplicity, anti-electromagnetic interference and distributed measurement, so it has an attractive application prospect. In this paper, the mechanism of metal corrosion is introduced. Several common methods for detecting optical fiber corrosion sensors are presented, and the latest progress of optical fiber corrosion sensors in recent years is described. We need to design a set of sensor devices that can directly monitor the corrosion of reinforcing steel bars directly, and propose a method of time dependent reliability assessment based on monitoring data, so as to form a complete research path.

Optical Fiber Sensors Based on Fiber Ring Laser Demodulation Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Wen-Ge; Zhang, Ya-Nan; Wang, Peng-Zhao; Wang, Jian-Zhang

2018-02-08

A review for optical fiber sensors based on fiber ring laser (FRL) demodulation technology is presented. The review focuses on the principles, main structures, and the sensing performances of different kinds of optical fiber sensors based on FRLs. First of all, the theory background of the sensors has been discussed. Secondly, four different types of sensors are described and compared, which includes Mach-Zehnder interferometer (MZI) typed sensors, Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) typed sensors, Sagnac typed sensors, and fiber Bragg grating (FBG) typed sensors. Typical studies and main properties of each type of sensors are presented. Thirdly, a comparison of different types of sensors are made. Finally, the existing problems and future research directions are pointed out and analyzed.

Optical Sensor based Chemical Modification as a Porous Cellulose Acetate Film and Its Application for Ethanol Sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Mulijani, S.; Iswantini, D.; Wicaksono, R.; Notriawan, D.

2018-03-01

A new approach to design and construction of an optical ethanol sensor has been developed by immobilizing a direct dye at a porous cellulosic polymer fllm. This sensor was fabricated by binding Nile Red to a cellulose acetate membrane that had previously been subjected to an exhaustive base hydrolysis. The prepared optical ethanol sensor was enhanced by adding pluronic as a porogen in the membrane. The addition of pluronic surfactant into cellulose acetate membrane increased the hydrophilic and porous properties of membrane. Advantageous features of the design include simple and easy of fabrication. Variable affecting sensor performance of dye concentration have been fully evaluated and optimized. The rapid response results from the porous structure of the polymeric support, which minimizes barriers to mass transport. Signal of optical sensor based on reaction of dye nile red over the membrane with ethanol and will produce the purple colored product. Result was obtained that maximum intensity of dye nile red reacted with alcohol is at 630-640 nm. Linear regression equation (r2), limit of detection, and limit of quantitation of membrane with 2% dye was 0.9625, 0.29%, and 0.97%. Performance of optical sensor was also evaluated through methanol, ethanol and propanol. This study was purposed to measure the polarity and selectivity of optic sensor toward the alcohol derivatives. Fluorescence intensity of optic sensor membrane for methanol 5%, ethanol 5% and propanol 5% was 15113.56, 16573.75 and 18495.97 respectively.

A cell-surface-anchored ratiometric i-motif sensor for extracellular pH detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Ying, Le; Xie, Nuli; Yang, Yanjing; Yang, Xiaohai; Zhou, Qifeng; Yin, Bincheng; Huang, Jin; Wang, Kemin

2016-06-14

A FRET-based sensor is anchored on the cell surface through streptavidin-biotin interactions. Due to the excellent properties of the pH-sensitive i-motif structure, the sensor can detect extracellular pH with high sensitivity and excellent reversibility.

Design and Fabrication of Low Cost Thick Film pH Sensor using Silver Chlorinated Reference Electrodes with Integrated Temperature Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wiranto Goib

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the design and fabrication of thick film pH sensor, in which the reference electrode has been formed by chlorination of Ag using FeCl3. The process was aimed to replace Ag/AgCl paste commonly used as reference electrodes. Fabricated using thick film screen printing technology on Al2O3 substrate, the pH sensor showed a measured sensitivity of -52.97, -53.17 and -53.68 mV/pH at 25°C, 45°C, and 65°C, respectively. The measured values were close to the theoretical Nernstian slope of -59 mV/pH 25°C.The sensor was also designed with an integrated Ruthenium based temperature sensor for future temperature compensation. The measured resistance temperature characteristics showed a linear reasponse over the range of 25 – 80°C. This miniaturised planar sensor should find wide application, especially in field water quality monitoring, replacing their glass type counterparts.

Passive (self-powered) fiber-optic sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McElhaney, S.A.; Falter, D.D.; Todd, R.A.; Simpson, M.L.; Mihalczo, J.T.

1992-01-01

ORNL is developing new group of fiber-optic sensors for characterizing physical aspects such as ambient temperature. These sensors exploit the inherent property of thermographic materials that the lifetime and/or intensity of the emitted fluorescence decreases with increasing temperature. Unlike current fluorescent temperature sensors that use a light source for excitation, these sensors are totally passive (self-powered) and use either an embedded or external radiation source. A proof-of-principle temperature sensor was developed, based on this concept, using a well-known thermographic material, magnesium fluorogermanate. Experimental results showed that the radiation-induced fluorescence resulted in an intensity change but no significant decay rate change with increasing temperature

Optical Fiber Sensors Based on Nanoparticle-Embedded Coatings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aitor Urrutia

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The use of nanoparticles (NPs in scientific applications has attracted the attention of many researchers in the last few years. The use of NPs can help researchers to tune the physical characteristics of the sensing coating (thickness, roughness, specific area, refractive index, etc. leading to enhanced sensors with response time or sensitivity better than traditional sensing coatings. Additionally, NPs also offer other special properties that depend on their nanometric size, and this is also a source of new sensing applications. This review focuses on the current status of research in the use of NPs within coatings in optical fiber sensing. Most used sensing principles in fiber optics are briefly described and classified into several groups: absorbance-based sensors, interferometric sensors, fluorescence-based sensors, fiber grating sensors, and resonance-based sensors, among others. For each sensor group, specific examples of the utilization of NP-embedded coatings in their sensing structure are reported.

Nonlinear fiber-optic strain sensor based on four-wave mixing in microstructured optical fiber

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gu, Bobo; Yuan, Scott Wu; Frosz, Michael H.

2012-01-01

We demonstrate a nonlinear fiber-optic strain sensor, which uses the shifts of four-wave mixing Stokes and anti-Stokes peaks caused by the strain-induced changes in the structure and refractive index of a microstructured optical fiber. The sensor thus uses the inherent nonlinearity of the fiber a...

Solid State pH Sensor Based on Light Emitting Diodes (LED As Detector Platform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dermot Diamond

2006-08-01

Full Text Available A low-power, high sensitivity, very low-cost light emitting diode (LED-baseddevice developed for low-cost sensor networks was modified with bromocresol greenmembrane to work as a solid-state pH sensor. In this approach, a reverse-biased LEDfunctioning as a photodiode is coupled with a second LED configured in conventionalemission mode. A simple timer circuit measures how long (in microsecond it takes for thephotocurrent generated on the detector LED to discharge its capacitance from logic 1 ( 5 Vto logic 0 ( 1.7 V. The entire instrument provides an inherently digital output of lightintensity measurements for a few cents. A light dependent resistor (LDR modified withsimilar sensor membrane was also used as a comparison method. Both the LED sensor andthe LDR sensor responded to various pH buffer solutions in a similar way to obtainsigmoidal curves expected of the dye. The pKa value obtained for the sensors was found toagree with the literature value.

Solid State pH Sensor Based on Light Emitting Diodes (LED) As Detector Platform

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, King Tong; Shepherd, R.; Diamond, Danny; Diamond, Dermot

2006-01-01

A low-power, high sensitivity, very low-cost light emitting diode (LED)-based device developed for low-cost sensor networks was modified with bromocresol green membrane to work as a solid-state pH sensor. In this approach, a reverse-biased LED functioning as a photodiode is coupled with a second LED configured in conventional emission mode. A simple timer circuit measures how long (in microsecond) it takes for the photocurrent generated on the detector LED to discharge its capacitance from logic 1 (+5 V) to logic 0 (+1.7 V). The entire instrument provides an inherently digital output of light intensity measurements for a few cents. A light dependent resistor (LDR) modified with similar sensor membrane was also used as a comparison method. Both the LED sensor and the LDR sensor responded to various pH buffer solutions in a similar way to obtain sigmoidal curves expected of the dye. The pKa value obtained for the sensors was found to agree with the literature value.

Validation and qualification of surface-applied fibre optic strain sensors using application-independent optical techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schukar, Vivien G; Kadoke, Daniel; Kusche, Nadine; Münzenberger, Sven; Gründer, Klaus-Peter; Habel, Wolfgang R

2012-01-01

Surface-applied fibre optic strain sensors were investigated using a unique validation facility equipped with application-independent optical reference systems. First, different adhesives for the sensor's application were analysed regarding their material properties. Measurements resulting from conventional measurement techniques, such as thermo-mechanical analysis and dynamic mechanical analysis, were compared with measurements resulting from digital image correlation, which has the advantage of being a non-contact technique. Second, fibre optic strain sensors were applied to test specimens with the selected adhesives. Their strain-transfer mechanism was analysed in comparison with conventional strain gauges. Relative movements between the applied sensor and the test specimen were visualized easily using optical reference methods, digital image correlation and electronic speckle pattern interferometry. Conventional strain gauges showed limited opportunities for an objective strain-transfer analysis because they are also affected by application conditions. (paper)

Low-Cost Fiber Optic Pressure Sensor

Science.gov (United States)

Sheem, Sang K.

2003-07-22

The size and cost of fabricating fiber optic pressure sensors is reduced by fabricating the membrane of the sensor in a non-planar shape. The design of the sensors may be made in such a way that the non-planar membrane becomes a part of an air-tight cavity, so as to make the membrane resilient due to the air-cushion effect of the air-tight cavity. Such non-planar membranes are easier to make and attach.

Advancement of Miniature Optic Gas Sensor (MOGS) Probe Technology

Science.gov (United States)

Chullen, Cinda

2015-01-01

Advancement of Miniature Optic Gas Sensor (MOGS) Probe Technology" project will investigate newly developed optic gas sensors delivered from a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II effort. A ventilation test rig will be designed and fabricated to test the sensors while integrated with a Suited Manikin Test Apparatus (SMTA). Once the sensors are integrated, a series of test points will be completed to verify that the sensors can withstand Advanced Suit Portable Life Support System (PLSS) environments and associated human metabolic profiles for changes in pressure and levels of Oxygen (ppO2), carbon dioxide (ppCO2), and humidity (ppH2O).

Lightweight Fiber Optic Gas Sensor for Monitoring Regenerative Food Production

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidlin, Edward; Goswami, Kisholoy

1995-01-01

In this final report, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) describes its development of sensors for oxygen, carbon dioxide, and relative humidity. POC has constructed a phase fluorometer that can detect oxygen over the full concentration range from 0 percent to 100 percent. Phase-based measurements offer distinct advantages, such as immunity to source fluctuation, photobleaching, and leaching. All optics, optoelectronics, power supply, and the printed circuit board are included in a single box; the only external connections to the fluorometer are the optical fiber sensor and a power cord. The indicator-based carbon dioxide sensor is also suitable for short-term and discrete measurements over the concentration range from 0 percent to 100 percent. The optical fiber-based humidity sensor contains a porous core for direct interaction of the light beam with water vapor within fiber pores; the detection range for the humidity sensor is 10 percent to 100 percent, and response time is under five minutes. POC is currently pursuing the commercialization of these oxygen and carbon dioxide sensors for environmental applications.

The research of optical windows used in aircraft sensor systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Feng; Li Yan; Tang Tian-Jin

2012-01-01

The optical windows used in aircrafts protect their imaging sensors from environmental effects. Considering the imaging performance, flat surfaces are traditionally used in the design of optical windows. For aircrafts operating at high speeds, the optical windows should be relatively aerodynamic, but a flat optical window may introduce unacceptably high drag to the airframes. The linear scanning infrared sensors used in aircrafts with, respectively, a flat window, a spherical window and a toric window in front of the aircraft sensors are designed and compared. Simulation results show that the optical design using a toric surface has the integrated advantages of field of regard, aerodynamic drag, narcissus effect, and imaging performance, so the optical window with a toric surface is demonstrated to be suited for this application. (electromagnetism, optics, acoustics, heat transfer, classical mechanics, and fluid dynamics)

Development of oxygen and pH sensors for aqueous systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stvartak, C.; Alcock, C.B.; Li, B.; Wang, L.; Fergus, J.W.; Bakshi, N.

1994-04-01

Corrosion science has long recognized that two of the most important parameters in characterizing the corrosivity of an aqueous environment are oxygen chemical potential and pH. These parameters not only determine the thermodynamic driving forces for various corrosion reactions, but also characterize the rates of these reactions and hence the lifetime of a particular component. The primary goal of this project is to develop an electrochemical oxygen and pH sensor for continuous use in the cycle chemistry control of power plants. In the past year, electrochemical sensors with a metal/metal oxide or metal/metal hydride internal reference electrode and a fluoride-based electrolyte tube have been developed and tested in this laboratory. The corrosion tests showed that the LaF 3 -based solid electrolyte was very stable both chemically and physically in water. Furthermore, its electrical conductivity is 4 to 5 orders of magnitude higher than that of stabilized zirconia below 573 K (300 degree C), which is the main advantage of a fluoride-based electrolyte at low temperatures. With this electrolyte and the selected internal oxygen reference electrode (Ag/Ag 2 O), the electrochemical probe demonstrated Nernstian responses to the oxygen chemical potential and pH of the aqueous solution with good reproducibility. A similar cell with Zr/ZrH 1+x as the internal hydrogen reference electrode showed promising pH sensing characteristics. It is proposed that these two cells be combined to form a double-headed electrochemical probe to determine oxygen chemical potential and pH in the solution simultaneously

Energy Harvesting Hybrid Acoustic-Optical Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Localization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nasir Saeed

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Underwater wireless technologies demand to transmit at higher data rate for ocean exploration. Currently, large coverage is achieved by acoustic sensor networks with low data rate, high cost, high latency, high power consumption, and negative impact on marine mammals. Meanwhile, optical communication for underwater networks has the advantage of the higher data rate albeit for limited communication distances. Moreover, energy consumption is another major problem for underwater sensor networks, due to limited battery power and difficulty in replacing or recharging the battery of a sensor node. The ultimate solution to this problem is to add energy harvesting capability to the acoustic-optical sensor nodes. Localization of underwater sensor networks is of utmost importance because the data collected from underwater sensor nodes is useful only if the location of the nodes is known. Therefore, a novel localization technique for energy harvesting hybrid acoustic-optical underwater wireless sensor networks (AO-UWSNs is proposed. AO-UWSN employs optical communication for higher data rate at a short transmission distance and employs acoustic communication for low data rate and long transmission distance. A hybrid received signal strength (RSS based localization technique is proposed to localize the nodes in AO-UWSNs. The proposed technique combines the noisy RSS based measurements from acoustic communication and optical communication and estimates the final locations of acoustic-optical sensor nodes. A weighted multiple observations paradigm is proposed for hybrid estimated distances to suppress the noisy observations and give more importance to the accurate observations. Furthermore, the closed form solution for Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB is derived for localization accuracy of the proposed technique.

Energy Harvesting Hybrid Acoustic-Optical Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Localization.

Science.gov (United States)

Saeed, Nasir; Celik, Abdulkadir; Al-Naffouri, Tareq Y; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2017-12-26

Underwater wireless technologies demand to transmit at higher data rate for ocean exploration. Currently, large coverage is achieved by acoustic sensor networks with low data rate, high cost, high latency, high power consumption, and negative impact on marine mammals. Meanwhile, optical communication for underwater networks has the advantage of the higher data rate albeit for limited communication distances. Moreover, energy consumption is another major problem for underwater sensor networks, due to limited battery power and difficulty in replacing or recharging the battery of a sensor node. The ultimate solution to this problem is to add energy harvesting capability to the acoustic-optical sensor nodes. Localization of underwater sensor networks is of utmost importance because the data collected from underwater sensor nodes is useful only if the location of the nodes is known. Therefore, a novel localization technique for energy harvesting hybrid acoustic-optical underwater wireless sensor networks (AO-UWSNs) is proposed. AO-UWSN employs optical communication for higher data rate at a short transmission distance and employs acoustic communication for low data rate and long transmission distance. A hybrid received signal strength (RSS) based localization technique is proposed to localize the nodes in AO-UWSNs. The proposed technique combines the noisy RSS based measurements from acoustic communication and optical communication and estimates the final locations of acoustic-optical sensor nodes. A weighted multiple observations paradigm is proposed for hybrid estimated distances to suppress the noisy observations and give more importance to the accurate observations. Furthermore, the closed form solution for Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) is derived for localization accuracy of the proposed technique.

Energy Harvesting Hybrid Acoustic-Optical Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Localization

KAUST Repository

Saeed, Nasir; Celik, Abdulkadir; Al-Naffouri, Tareq Y.; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2017-01-01

Underwater wireless technologies demand to transmit at higher data rate for ocean exploration. Currently, large coverage is achieved by acoustic sensor networks with low data rate, high cost, high latency, high power consumption, and negative impact on marine mammals. Meanwhile, optical communication for underwater networks has the advantage of the higher data rate albeit for limited communication distances. Moreover, energy consumption is another major problem for underwater sensor networks, due to limited battery power and difficulty in replacing or recharging the battery of a sensor node. The ultimate solution to this problem is to add energy harvesting capability to the acoustic-optical sensor nodes. Localization of underwater sensor networks is of utmost importance because the data collected from underwater sensor nodes is useful only if the location of the nodes is known. Therefore, a novel localization technique for energy harvesting hybrid acoustic-optical underwater wireless sensor networks (AO-UWSNs) is proposed. AO-UWSN employs optical communication for higher data rate at a short transmission distance and employs acoustic communication for low data rate and long transmission distance. A hybrid received signal strength (RSS) based localization technique is proposed to localize the nodes in AO-UWSNs. The proposed technique combines the noisy RSS based measurements from acoustic communication and optical communication and estimates the final locations of acoustic-optical sensor nodes. A weighted multiple observations paradigm is proposed for hybrid estimated distances to suppress the noisy observations and give more importance to the accurate observations. Furthermore, the closed form solution for Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) is derived for localization accuracy of the proposed technique.

Energy Harvesting Hybrid Acoustic-Optical Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks Localization

KAUST Repository

Saeed, Nasir

2017-12-26

Underwater wireless technologies demand to transmit at higher data rate for ocean exploration. Currently, large coverage is achieved by acoustic sensor networks with low data rate, high cost, high latency, high power consumption, and negative impact on marine mammals. Meanwhile, optical communication for underwater networks has the advantage of the higher data rate albeit for limited communication distances. Moreover, energy consumption is another major problem for underwater sensor networks, due to limited battery power and difficulty in replacing or recharging the battery of a sensor node. The ultimate solution to this problem is to add energy harvesting capability to the acoustic-optical sensor nodes. Localization of underwater sensor networks is of utmost importance because the data collected from underwater sensor nodes is useful only if the location of the nodes is known. Therefore, a novel localization technique for energy harvesting hybrid acoustic-optical underwater wireless sensor networks (AO-UWSNs) is proposed. AO-UWSN employs optical communication for higher data rate at a short transmission distance and employs acoustic communication for low data rate and long transmission distance. A hybrid received signal strength (RSS) based localization technique is proposed to localize the nodes in AO-UWSNs. The proposed technique combines the noisy RSS based measurements from acoustic communication and optical communication and estimates the final locations of acoustic-optical sensor nodes. A weighted multiple observations paradigm is proposed for hybrid estimated distances to suppress the noisy observations and give more importance to the accurate observations. Furthermore, the closed form solution for Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) is derived for localization accuracy of the proposed technique.