Fiber Optic Sensors find cancer biomarker

Fiber Optic Sensors detect cancer biomarkerA team of researchers from the Netherlands has developed chip-based fiber optic sensors with integrated laser systems to allow finding low levels of a cancer protein biomarker in a urine sample. Such fiber sensing technology is considered to offer more sensitivity than previous techniques, resulting in noninvasive, inexpensive fiber sensing ways to identify molecules that are responsible for the presence or progression of a disease.

To be more precise, such a fiber optic sensor enables researchers to make label-free detection of S100A4 that is regarded as a protein connected with human tumor development at clinically relevant levels. According to the team, fiber sensing technology promotes faster and more sensitive findings of tumor biomarkers, which favor faster treatment and better results.

The principle of fiber sensor operation is based on “the detection of specific molecules by illuminating the sample with an on-chip microdisk laser system, made with aluminum oxide”. Thus, it is possible to use aluminum oxide doped with ytterbium ions to manufacture a fiber laser that emits in a wavelength outside the laser beam light absorption band of water, while still allowing the accurate finding of biomarkers. Herewith, the frequency or color of the laser beam changes in a detectable way when there is its interaction with the biomarker under consideration.

The laser pump light equipped with the fiber optic sensor performs lasing in a micron into the resonator. Herein, fiber probes are held on the resonator surface capturing the required analytes. Then the laser beam in the ring goes through the fluid, and the attachment of required analytes shows the frequency shifting of laser system emission. Finally, it is possible to accurately measure this shift allowing the detection of minute amounts of analytes flowing over the fiber sensor in a “specific” way.

Despite the fact that fiber optic sensors that monitor laser frequency shifts are not novel, they are often regarded as not easily installed on small, disposable photonic chips, while aluminum oxide can be easily manufactured monolithically on-chip, herewith, it is compatible with conventional electronic manufacture procedures. Such fiber lasers enlarge their opportunities due to unprecedented sensitivity because of much narrower laser beam linewidth than the resonances of passive ring resonators. When other noise sources are overcome, this fiber sensing will enable the finding of minute frequency shifts from biomarkers at very low concentrations.

The developed fiber optic sensor has been already tested in complex liquids such as urine resulting in the detection of S100A4 at concentrations as low as 300 picomolar. Nowadays it is planned to integrate all the relevant optical sources and signal generation components onto the chip to make the fiber sensor even simpler to operate.

Optromix is a manufacturer of innovative fiber optic products for the global market. The company provides the most technologically advanced fiber optic solutions for clients. Optromix produces a wide range of fiber optic devices, including cutting-edge customized fiber optic Bragg grating product line and fiber Bragg grating sensor systems. Moreover, Optromix is a top choice among the manufacturers of fiber Bragg grating monitoring systems. If you have any questions, please contact us at info@optromix.com

Fiber Optic Sensors favors better in photoacoustic microscopy

Fiber Optic Sensors in photoacoustic microscopyA Chinese team of researchers has created a new twist on fiber optic sensors. It promotes the development of a smart flexible photoacoustic imaging technique, which is regarded as a way to enlarge new applications in portable devices, instrumentation, and medical diagnostics.

The operation of the new ultrasound sensor is based on fiber lasers that rely on fiber optic technology to manufacture fiber sensors for photoacoustic imaging. To be more precise, these fiber laser systems apply fiber optic ultrasound determination, utilizing the acoustic effects on laser beam pulses via the thermoelastic effect (temperature changes).

The thing is that traditional fiber optic sensors trace very weak signals due to their high sensitivity via phase measurement. Herewith, this type of fiber sensor can be employed for military purposes to find low-frequency (kilohertz) acoustic waves. Nevertheless, they provide weak operation for “ultrasound waves at the megahertz frequencies used for medical applications because ultrasound waves usually propagate as spherical waves and have a very limited interaction length with optical fibers”.

It should be noted that the main application of the novel fiber sensors is medical imaging, herein, they offer better sensitivity than the piezoelectric transducers in use today. Components of a special ultrasound fiber optic sensor include a portable fiber laser set in the 8-micron-diameter core of a single-mode optical fiber. The standard length of the fiber optic system is only 8 millimeters.

The team uses two highly reflective fiber Bragg grating mirrors written into the fiber core to achieve optical feedback to manufacture the fiber laser. Then they dope the optical fiber with ytterbium and erbium to result in efficient optical gain at 1,530 nanometers. Additionally, a 980-nanometer semiconductor laser operates as the pump laser.

The applications of such fiber laser systems with a kilohertz-order linewidth (the width of the optical spectrum) can include their use as fiber sensors, so they provide a high signal-to-noise ratio. Also, ultrasound detection takes advantage of the combined methods because side-incident ultrasound waves spoil the optical fiber, modulating the laser beam frequency.

The fiber optic sensors based on fiber lasers are highly promising for application in photoacoustic microscopy. The team applies a 532-nm nanosecond pulsed laser to illuminate a sample and excite ultrasound signals leading to a photoacoustic image of the vessels and capillaries. Moreover, it is possible to use the fiber optic system for structural imaging of other tissues and functional imaging of oxygen distribution by employing other excitation wavelengths.

Optromix is a manufacturer of innovative fiber optic products for the global market. The company provides the most technologically advanced fiber optic solutions for clients. Optromix produces a wide range of fiber optic devices, including cutting-edge customized fiber optic Bragg grating product line and fiber Bragg grating sensor systems. Moreover, Optromix is a top choice among the manufacturers of fiber Bragg grating monitoring systems. If you have any questions, please contact us at info@optromix.com

Fiber optic sensors detect sleep apnea syndrome

FBG sensors for sleep apnea detectionSleep apnea syndrome is regarded as a risk factor for traffic accidents because it leads to excessive daytime sleepiness. A fiber optic sensor based on optical fibers for sleep apnea syndrome has been tested in a clinical application varying in age from 13 to 78 years. Such a fiber sensor is perfect for preliminary sleep apnea syndrome screening because its respiratory disturbance index corresponds well with the apnea-hypopnea index.

The promising application of such fiber optic sensors includes a screening of patients suffered from the SAS during standard sleep at home. Moreover, the process of downsizing the optical fiber sensors results in the connection between PSG and pulse oximetry. The fiber sensor can be used to examine sleep apnea syndrome in children (2 – 12 years) providing improved pediatric analysis.

It should be noted that the novel fiber optic technology provides more accurate SAS results compared to the traditional sensing system. Additionally, the developed optical fiber sensor is considered to be non-invasive and non-restrictive, also it is quiet and compact, therefore, it is highly useful for the process of SAS screening during conventional sleep at home.

Fiber optic sensors provide a promising application for screening latent patients who suffered from sleep apnea syndrome during normal sleep. Optical fibers in such sensing systems are narrower and wider within several centimeters. Researchers use commercially affordable optical fibers for SAS screening. The operating principle of fiber sensors is based on the measurement of the deviation of output optical power from an optical fiber sheet by micro-bending loss and/or bending loss.

Significant benefits of fiber optic sensing systems include no need for a patient to use any specific clothing or devices because the measurement results are transmitted to a remote place for further analysis and diagnosis. “The deviation in the output optical fiber power from the POF sheet due to micro-bending loss and/or bending loss caused by the lateral pressure change created by the motion of the person’s chest during respiration is measured.”

Also, the researchers have designed a multi-channel fiber optic sensor and applied it in a hotel, full medical check-up, and clinical test in pediatrics. The fiber optic sensing system demonstrated 38/42 42 examinees had  Pro-AHI > 5 and were suspected of sleep apnea syndrome. The fiber sensor has a compact size by it having only 15.3% of the volume of a standard sensing system that allows detecting sleep apnea syndrome. The obtained results show that the fiber optic system is perfect for preliminary SAS screening and monitoring of the respiration and heartbeat of neonates. 

Optromix is a manufacturer of innovative fiber optic products for the global market. The company provides the most technologically advanced fiber optic solutions for clients. Optromix produces a wide range of fiber optic devices, including cutting-edge customized fiber optic Bragg grating product line and fiber Bragg grating sensor systems. Moreover, Optromix is a top choice among the manufacturers of fiber Bragg grating monitoring systems. If you have any questions, please contact us at info@optromix.com

Devices based on fiber optic technology

Optical fibers are flexible waveguides of the optical range. Usually made of some kind of glass, they can potentially be very long (achieving hundreds of kilometers). Quartz glass is most often used for the manufacture of optical fibers because of its unique properties, in particular:

  • extremely low energy losses of radiation propagating in it (realized only in ultra-pure material);
  • surprisingly high mechanical tensile and bending strength.

Most optical fibers used in laser optics have a core with a refractive index slightly higher than that of the outer layer (the so-called shell).  Light introduced into the optical fiber is distributed mainly in the region of its core, although some of the radiation can also penetrate into the shell. Light is retained in the fiber due to the effect of full internal reflection at the border of regions with different refractive index, or due to the gradient of the refractive index in the core of the optical fiber. 

They less commonly use fibers that implement a different principle of light retention in them. Such optical fibers are based on the fiber Bragg grating structures and photonic crystals to form a photonic stop-band. This technique is fundamentally different from the method of retaining light in conventional fibers.

To be more precise, a fiber Bragg grating is a periodic or aperiodic perturbation of the effective refractive index in the fiber core. As a rule, the Bragg grating has a length of about a few millimeters or centimeters. The width of the reflection band of the fiber Bragg grating, which is usually much less than 1 nm, depends on both the length of the Bragg grating and the depth of the refractive index modulation. Narrow-band gratings required, for example, for the manufacture of single-frequency fiber lasers or for certain optical filters can be obtained using long gratings with weak modulation. Wide reflection bands can be obtained on short Bragg gratings with deep modulation, but also on gratings with aperiodic modulation.

Since the maximum reflection wavelength depends not only on the Bragg grating period but also on temperature and mechanical stresses, fiber Bragg gratings can be used in temperature and stress sensors. Transverse stresses compress the optical fibers of gratings between two flat plates, inducing birefringence and thus causing the Bragg wavelength to depend on polarization.

Additionally, fiber Bragg gratings are often used for the development of fiber optic sensors. Fiber optic sensors are fiber optic systems for detecting certain factors, usually temperature or mechanical stress, but sometimes also displacement, vibration, pressure, acceleration, rotation, and chemical concentrations. 

Optromix is a fast-growing vendor of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) product line such as fiber Bragg grating sensors, FBG interrogators and multiplexers, Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) systems, Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) systems. The company creates and supplies a broad variety of fiber optic solutions for monitoring worldwide. If you are interested in structural health monitoring systems and want to learn more, please contact us at info@optromix.com

CIM Convention & EXPO Conference Montreal, Canada

Founded in 1898, the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum (CIM) is the leading technical society of professionals in the Canadian Minerals, Metals, Materials and Energy Industries.

CIM has always maintained three main objectives:

  • to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and technology;
  • to foster networking, professional development, and fraternity;
  • to recognize excellence and outstanding achievements in the minerals industry.

The CIM EXPO is Canada’s largest mining exhibition, covering all areas of mining from exploration to enrichment of minerals mined. The exhibition was attended by 450 companies, primarily Canadian, as well as from the US and Europe. CIM Convention & EXPO Conference took place from April 30 to May 3, 2017, in Montreal, Canada. Over 6,000 mining industry professionals took part in the events at the Palais Des Congrès De Montréal.

Optromix Company was represented by Sergey Ivanov and Gleb Phillin. Our company was attracted by the opportunity to talk with Canadian gold mining companies. The important participants for our company was Agnico Eagle, Richmont, and Teck.

The main goal of the Optromix company was to attract customers, enhance and maintain a positive corporate image. The Canadian Mining Expo is the great opportunity for mining companies who provide important services such as drilling equipment, trucks, health and safety equipment and procedures, mining exploration technology, and more.

TMS 2016 Exhibition, Nashville,Tennessee 15-16 February

The TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition brings together more than 4,000 business leaders, engineers, scientists, and other professionals and students from around the world. The exhibition is focused on the latest advancements in research of minerals, metals and material fields. The main goal is to promote networking and exchange of technical knowledge that should lead to creating new collaborations, innovations and different solutions in the workplace and in the society. The TMS annual meeting participants discussed various aspects of the metals industry, including materials testing and characterization as well as current and emerging materials. The exhibition held at the Music City Center in downtown Nashville, Tennessee.

CIM Convention & EXPO Conference Montreal, Canada

Founded in 1898, the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum (CIM) is the leading technical society of professionals in the Canadian Minerals, Metals, Materials and Energy Industries.

CIM has always maintained three main objectives:

  • to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and technology;
  • to foster networking, professional development, and fraternity;
  • to recognize excellence and outstanding achievements in the minerals industry.

The CIM EXPO is Canada’s largest mining exhibition, covering all areas of mining from exploration to enrichment of minerals mined. The exhibition was attended by 450 companies, primarily Canadian, as well as from the US and Europe. CIM Convention & EXPO Conference took place from April 30 to May 3, 2017, in Montreal, Canada. Over 6,000 mining industry professionals took part in the events at the Palais Des Congrès De Montréal.

Optromix Company was represented by Sergey Ivanov and Gleb Phillin. Our company was attracted by the opportunity to talk with Canadian gold mining companies. The important participants for our company was Agnico Eagle, Richmont, and Teck.

The main goal of the Optromix company was to attract customers, enhance and maintain a positive corporate image. The Canadian Mining Expo is the great opportunity for mining companies who provide important services such as drilling equipment, trucks, health and safety equipment and procedures, mining exploration technology, and more.