Polarimetric optical fiber-based stress and pressure sensors have proven to be a robust tool for measuring and detecting changes in the Young’s modulus (E) of materials in response to external stimuli, including the real-time monitoring of the structural integrity of bridges and buildings. These sensors typically work by using a pair of polarizers before and after the sensing region of the fiber, and often require precise alignment to achieve high sensitivity. The ability to perform similar measurements in natural and in engineered biomaterials could provide significant insights and enable research advancement and preventative healthcare. However, in order for this approach to be successful, it is necessary to reduce the complexity of the system by removing free-space components and the need for alignment. As the first step in this path, we have developed a new route for performing these measurements. By generalizing and expanding established theoretical analyses for these types of sensors, we have developed a predictive theoretical model. Additionally, by replacing the conventional free space components and polarization filters with a polarimeter, we have constructed a sensor system with higher sensitivity and which is semi-portable. In initial experiments, a series of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) samples with several base:curing agent ratios ranging from 5:1 up to 30:1 were prepared to simulate tissues with different stiffnesses. By simultaneously producing stress-strain curves using a load frame and monitoring the polarization change of light traveling through the samples, we verified the accuracy of our theoretical model.

Date Published: 5 March 2015
PDF: 5 pages
Proc. SPIE 9317, Optical Fibers and Sensors for Medical Diagnostics and Treatment Applications XV, 93170K (5 March 2015); doi: 10.1117/12.2079693

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9317:
Optical Fibers and Sensors for Medical Diagnostics and Treatment Applications XV
Israel Gannot, Editor(s)