SENSING PATCHES UTILISING INCORPORATED WAVEGUIDE SENSOR

摘要

A sensing patch is disclosed which has a body (12) formed from a suitable host material and which is shaped to form a patch which can be adhered or otherwise attached to a structure. A waveguide which may be in the form of an optical fibre (14) or an optical fibre in combination with a sensor element (17) is embedded in the host material forming the body (12). When a change in a parameter of the structure takes place a property or characteristic of electromagnetic radiation propagating in the waveguide sensor is altered by the change in that parameter to thereby provide an indication of the change in the parameter. Thus, the sensing patch monitors the change in parameter in a manner which does not destroy the patch.