REDUCING THE EFFECTS OF WATER VAPOR AND LIQUID WATER ON OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE SENSORS (OWS) AND OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE CHEMICAL SENSORS (OWCS)

摘要

The effects of water are eliminated from an optical waveguide chemical sensor by applying a hydrophilic coating which creates a pseudo water jacket. The hydrophilic coating absorbs water so that the waveguide sees a constant refractive index. The hydrophilic coating can reach equilibrium conditions in a high relative humidity environment or can be pretreated by exposure to water in a low relative humidity environment. A variety of hydrophilic polymers can be used.