DEVELOPMENT OF A SMALL, THREE-PARAMETER FIBEROPTIC SENSOR

THE GOAL OF THIS PHASE I PROJECT IS TO PROVE THE FEASIBILITYOF FABRICATING A SMALL FIBEROPTIC SENSOR THAT INCLUDES SENSING ELEMENTS FOR SIMULTANEOUS MEASUREMENT OF UP TO THREE DIFFERENT PHYSICAL PARAMETERS USING A SINGLE STRAND OF OPTICAL FIBER, AND THAT CAN ULTIMATELY BE PRODUCED AT REASONABLE COST. THE SENSOR WOULD BE USED TO MEASURE (1) BLOOD OR TISSUE TEMPERATURE; (2) BLOOD PRESSURE; AND (3) LOCAL HEAT FLOW, AIR FLOW, OR BLOOD FLOW FOR VARIOUS CLINICAL APPLICATIONS. IN THIS PROJECT, HOWEVER, THE TARGETAPPLICATION IS ANGIOPLASTY. BECAUSE THE TEMPERATURE- AND FLOW-SENSING COMBINATION HAS ALREADY BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN EARLIER STUDIES, THIS PHASE I RESEARCH WILL CONCENTRATE ON THE COMBINATION OF TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE SENSING. IN PHASE II, THE PROVEN BLOOD-FLOW MEASUREMENT CAPABILITY WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO THE SYSTEM, FORMING A FINAL SENSOR THAT IS CAPABLE OF MEASURING ALL THREE PARAMETERS SIMULTANEOUSLY. A SUCCESSFUL PHASE I PROGRAM WILL PRODUCE PROTOTYPES MADE WITH A SINGLE OPTICAL FIBER CARRYING BOTH THE TEMPERATURE- AND PRESSURE-SENSING ELEMENTS. THE RESULTING PROBE WILL HAVE A MAXIMUM DIAMETER OF 1 MM, WITH POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER SIZE REDUCTION TO 0.5 MM. THE PROTOTYPES WILL BE TESTED TO DETERMINE PERFORMANCE CAPABILITIES RELATIVE TO ANGIOPLASTY.