Techniques and apparatus are provided for downhole sensing using optical couplers in a downhole splitter assembly to split interrogating light signals into multiple optical sensing branches. Each optical branch may then be coupled to an optical sensor (e.g., a pass-through or an optical single-ended transducer (OSET)) or to another optical coupler for additional branching. The sensors may be pressure/temperature (P/T) type transducers. Some systems may exclusively use OSETs as the optical sensors. In this manner, if one of the OSETs is damaged, it does not affect light traveling to any of the other sensors, and sensing information from remaining sensors is still returned.

The present invention relates to microfluidic or millifluidic chips (1) comprising at least one pressure sensing unit (4) able to measure a fluid flow pressure. The present invention also relates to a method for a direct and contact-free measuring of a local pressure of a fluid circulating in a microfluidic circuit, using a microfluidic or millifluidic chips (1) according to the invention.

Systems and methods of sensing intraocular pressure are described. An example miniaturized intraocular pressure (IOP) monitoring system is provided using a nanophotonics-based implantable IOP sensor with remote optical readout that can be adapted for both patient and research use. A handheld detector optically excites the pressure-sensitive nanophotonic structure of the IOP-sensing implant placed in the anterior chamber and detects the reflected light, whose optical signature changes as a function of IOP. Optical detection eliminates the need for large, complex LC structures and simplifies sensor design. The use of nanophotonic components improves the sensor's resolution and sensitivity, increases optical readout distance, and reduces its size by a factor of 10-30 over previous implants. Its small size and convenient optical readout allows frequent and accurate self-tracking of IOP by patients in home settings.

A method and system provide a surgical system including a cassette, a console and an interferometric pressure sensing system coupled with the console. The cassette is for exchanging material with a patient and includes a wall and a reflector. The wall undergoes a deflection in response to a nonambient internal cassette pressure. The console is coupled with the cassette. The interferometric pressure sensing system is coupled with the console. The interferometric pressure sensing system includes a light source and a detector. The light source provides a first portion of light that is reflected off of the reflector and a second portion of light that bypasses the reflector. The first portion and the second portion of light are recombined to form an interference pattern. The deflection corresponds to a shift in the interference pattern detectable by the detector.

An integrated optical transducer for measuring displacement of a diaphragm comprises the diaphragm, a lens element and a substrate body having a waveguide structure and a coupling element. The diaphragm is arranged distant from the substrate body and substantially parallel to a main extension plane of the substrate body. The waveguide structure is configured to guide light from a light source to the coupling element and from the coupling element to a photodetector. The coupling element is configured to couple at least part of the light in the waveguide structure onto a light path between the coupling element and the diaphragm and to couple light reflected by a surface of the diaphragm from the light path into the waveguide structure. The lens element is arranged on the light path such that light on the light path passes through the lens element.

The opto-electronic module (1) comprises a first substrate member (P); a third substrate member (B); a second substrate member (O) arranged between said first and third substrate members and comprising one or more transparent portions (ta, tb) through which light can pass, said at least one transparent portion comprising at least a first optical structure (5a;5a;5b;5b); a first spacer member (S1) comprised in said first substrate member (P) or comprised in said second substrate member (O) or distinct from and located between these, which comprises at least one opening (4a;4b); a second spacer member (S2) comprised in said second substrate member (O) or comprised in said third substrate member (B) or distinct from and located between these, which comprises at least one opening (3); a light detecting element (D) arranged on and electrically connected to said first substrate member (P); a light emission element (E) arranged on and electrically connected to said first substrate member (P); and a sensing element (8) comprised in or arranged at said third substrate member (B). Such modules (1) are particularly suitable as sensor modules for sensing a magnitude such as a pressure.

There is provided a sensor device to detect a force sense with a smaller and simpler mechanism. The sensor device includes: a force acting portion exposed from an opening provided on an exterior portion and attached to an inside of the exterior portion via a flexible body; a reflection space of which at least two surfaces are surrounded by a first mirror provided on an inner bottom surface of the exterior portion and a second mirror provided on a surface of the force acting portion or flexible body, the surface facing the first mirror; and a light source unit configured to emit light to the reflection space; and an imaging unit provided on the inner bottom surface of the exterior portion and configured to capture an image including a force sense detection region in which reflection light of the light emitted from the light source unit is seen.

A miniature diaphragm-based fiber-optic tip FP pressure sensor, and fabrication method and application thereof. A miniature diaphragm-based fiber-optic tip FP pressure sensor includes an optical fiber, a hollow-core optical fiber, and a pressure sensing diaphragm, wherein the optical fiber and the hollow-core optical fiber have the same diameter, the two are spliced by arc welding; and the pressure sensing diaphragm is bonded to the endface of the hollow-core optical fiber by hydroxide catalysis bonding. The FP pressure sensor can not only realize the all-silica structure of a sensor, but also make the joint of each component free of organic polymer, and has extremely high long-term stability and thermal stability. Meanwhile, by a fabrication method of the miniature diaphragm-based fiber-optic tip FP pressure sensor, the application range and service life of the sensor are increased, and fabrication costs are reduced.

In one embodiment, there is provided an optical fiber sound pickup device including: a housing having a substantially cylindrical structure; a vibration diaphragm mounted to an end face of a first side end of the housing; a ferrule including a main body of a substantially cylindrical shape, at least a part of the main body being mounted in the housing by cooperating with an inner wall of the housing, a head end of the main body that is close to the vibration diaphragm being separated from the vibration diaphragm by a distance; and an optical fiber fixedly extending through into the ferrule, a head face of the optical fiber being flush with an end face of the head end. A method and an equipment for manufacturing an optical fiber sound pickup device are also provided.

The optical sensor generally has a frame having a deformable member mounted to the frame, and a sensing optical fiber being fixedly attached to a portion of the deformable member, the sensing optical fiber having at least one -phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating inscribed thereon, the at least one -phase-shifted fiber Bragg grating of the sensing optical fiber deforming together with the deformable member when the frame is subjected to a force.