Fiber-Optic Transducers for Distributed Sensing of Volatiles: An Optical Nose

The term "optical nose" refers to a fiber-optic chemical sensor of a type that has been proposed to enable distributed measurement of the concentrations of volatile compounds. Optical noses should not be confused with electronic noses, which are single-point sensors based on chemical-induced variations of the electrical resistances of carbon-black/polymer composite films. Optical noses could enable rapid measurement of gas mixtures (e.g., volatile compounds in air) at multiple sensing locations along their lengths, which could be of the order of kilometers. Optical noses could function well in locations where audio- and radio-frequency electromagnetic interference renders electronic noses ineffective. Moreover, it may be easier to fabricate optical noses than to fabricate electronic noses because it would not be necessary to handle carbon black.