Nederlandse Organisatie Voor Toegepast-natuurwetenschappelijk Onderzoek Tno

Javier Nunez Villanueva

Arjen Boersma

Evert Jonathan Van Den Ham

A sensor system, the manufacturing of such system, and the use of such system for optical detection of a target analyte in a gaseous medium are described. The sensor system includes a hollow waveguide that is provided with a reflective mirror layer along its inner wall and a concentrating coating of an inorganic sorption material. The mirror layer defines a light path for guiding light between a light inlet and a light outlet that are provided on opposing terminal ends of the hollow waveguide. The concentrating coating increases an effective concentration of target analytes, if present, and allows optical, preferably spectroscopic, analysis of the medium by recording transmission of light, preferably infrared light, guided through the hollow waveguide.

Hollow waveguide for gas detection

A method is described of manufacturing an optical sensing element for detecting a presence and/or determining a concentration of an analyte in a fluid medium, in particular in an aqueous medium. The optical sensing element includes an optical waveguide (e.g. an optical fiber) comprising an optically transparent material for guiding light through the sensing element along a flightpath. The optical sensing element further includes an inorganic coating for adsorbing the analyte from the fluid medium and an adhesion promotion layer formed between the optical waveguide and the inorganic coating. The adhesion promotion layer includes an adhesion promotion material for promoting adhesion of the inorganic material.

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Javier Nunez Villanueva