Chemical sensing method and apparatus employing liquid-core optical fibers

摘要

A permeable optical fiber waveguide 10 with a liquid core 12 is employed as a probe for the detection or measurement of a chemical specie of interest by filling the waveguide core region with a light transmitting reagent liquid 12' which undergoes a change in an optical characteristic thereof when exposed to the chemical specie and then inserting the filled waveguide 10 into an environment in which the chemical specie may be present. The chemical specie, if present, will permeate through the waveguide wall and react with or be absorbed in the core liquid.