Flexible Minimally Invasive CARS Measurement Method with Tapered Optical Fiber Probe for Single-Cell Application

We proposed and demonstrated a flexible, endoscopic, and minimally invasive coherent anti-Raman Stokes scattering (CARS) measurement method for single-cell application, employing a tapered optical fiber probe. A few-mode fiber (FMF), whose generated four-wave mixing band is out of CARS signals, was selected to fabricate tapered optical fiber probes, deliver CARS excitation pulses, and collect CARS signals. The adiabatic tapered fiber probe with a diameter of 11.61 µm can focus CARS excitation lights without mismatch at the focal point. The measurements for proof-of-concept were made with methanol, ethanol, cyclohexane, and acetone injected into simulated cells. The experimental results show that the tapered optical fiber probe can detect carbon-hydrogen (C–H) bond-rich substances and their concentration. To our best knowledge, this optical fiber probe provides the minimum size among probes for detecting CARS signals. These results pave the way for minimally invasive live-cell detection in the future.

High-Temperature Measurement of a Fiber Probe Sensor Based on the Michelson Interferometer

In this paper, a fiber probe high-temperature sensor based on the Michelson Interferometer (MI) is proposed and experimentally verified. We used a fiber splicing machine to fabricate a taper of the single-mode fiber (SMF) end. The high order modes were excited at the taper, so that different modes were transmitted forward in the fiber and reflected by the end face of the fiber and then recoupled back to the fiber core to form MI. For comparison, we also coated a thin gold film on the fiber end to improve the reflectivity, and the reflection intensity was improved by 16 dB. The experimental results showed that the temperature sensitivity at 1506 nm was 80 pm/°C (100 °C~450 °C) and 109 pm/°C (450 °C~900 °C). The repeated heating and cooling processes showed that the MI structure had good stability at a temperature up to 900 °C. This fiber probe sensor has the advantages of a small size, simple structure, easy manufacturing, good stability, and broad application prospects in industrial and other environments.

Data Analysis of Two-Phase Flow Simulation Experiment of Array Optical Fiber and Array Resistance Probe

To solve the problem that traditional single-probe instruments cannot accurately measure the gas and water holdup, the domestic design of the array holdup measuring instrument Array of Optical and Resistance Tool (AORT), composed of five sets of optical fiber probes and five sets of resistance probes, is carried out in both gas–water and oil–water. Simulated measurement experiments were conducted under different water cut in phase flow. Through the analysis of the experimental data, the response relationship between the optical fiber probe and the resistance probe of the AORT instrument in different fluids was obtained. Then, the data under different conditions of fluid, flowrate and water cut in the experiment were compared by drawing. Interpolation algorithm was used to perform two-maintenance holdup imaging, and finally the holdup image was compared with the pictures of the flow in the pipe recorded during the experiment. The results show that the resistance probe has a better response under low water cut conditions, and the optical fiber probe has a better response under high gas cut conditions, which is consistent with the theoretical analysis. The imaging diagram and the flow pattern in the pipe during the experiment are in good agreement. It can be seen that the accuracy of the holdup measured by the AORT instrument under the test conditions is verified, and can provide technical support for further carrying out the measurement and interpretation of the holdup in future, as well as the improvement of the instrument and on-site testing.

Influence of Bubble Deformation on the Signal Characteristics Generated Using an Optical Fiber Gas–Liquid Two-Phase Flow Sensor

The use of optical fiber probe in two-phase flow measurements is very frequently encountered, especially in the applications of chemical engineering and petroleum industries. In this work, the influence of bubble piercing signals caused by bubble deformation is studied experimentally using a laboratory-prepared wedge-shaped fiber probe in a lab-scale gas–liquid flow generator. A three-dimensional simulation model is established to study the influence of bubble deformation on the piercing signals. A theoretical analysis of the characteristics of the pre-signal influenced by the bubble deformations is undertaken for a wide range of different modeled bubble shapes. Combining the experimental and simulation results, a promising analytical method to estimate the bubble shapes by analyzing the characteristics of pre-signals is proposed. The results of this investigation demonstrate that it is possible to estimate the bubble shapes before the fiber probe contacts the bubble surface. The method developed in this investigation is therefore highly promising for reducing errors caused by deformation during the probe piercing process.