Method and apparatus for detecting and compensating for a kink in an optic fiber
US5565976A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jan 18, 1995 |
| Grant date | Oct 15, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 18, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2021/772
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A method and apparatus are provided for detecting and compensating for a kink in an optical fiber. A distal sensor (11) monitors a level of a parameter in an environment in which the distal sensor is immersed. The distal sensor is disposed at a tip of the optical fiber (17) and the optical fiber conveys green light signals and near infrared (NIR) light signals to and from the distal sensor. A photodetector (59') records the signal and reference values for the green light signals and the NIR light signals conveyed by the optical fiber at consecutive data points. A microcontroller (42) is electronically coupled to the photodetector and receives the signal and reference values for the green light signals and the NIR light signals. A kink in the optical fiber is detected when a change between NIR signal values recorded at a pair of consecutive data points recorded by the photodetector is greater than a predetermined threshold. After the kink is detected, a true level of the parameter in the environment is calculated that compensates for the kink. More specifically, a true green signal value is determined based on a linear relationship between green and NIR signal values recorded at the…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.