Luna Innovations Inc.

Intuitive Surgical Operations, Inc.

Tennessee Technological University

Matthew Anthony Davis

Evan M Lally

Osgar John Ohanian, Iii

Janet Renee Pedrazzani

Matthew T Reaves

Alaina McGregor

Daniel R Vandenberge

Jason L Chevalier

Eugene Malinowski

An apparatus comprises a flexible filament structure, and a fiber optic sensor with a buffer material that locally bonds the fiber optic sensor to the flexible filament structure to create a bond between the fiber optic sensor and the flexible filament structure to transfer strain from the flexible filament structure to the fiber optic sensor to allow the fiber optic sensor to detect strain on the flexible filament structure while maintaining flexibility in the flexible filament structure. A fiber optic interrogator may be optically coupled to the fiber optic sensor and configured to measure strain. A method comprises embedding a fiber optic sensor with a buffer material in or on a flexible filament structure. Thereafter, the buffer material is activated via heating or curing to locally adhere the fiber optic sensor to the flexible filament structure to create a local bond. The local bond transfers strain from the flexible filament structure to the fiber optic sensor.

One or more fiber optic sensors locally bonded with a flexible filament structure

A system for performing distributed measurements of in-situ stress includes an expandable element with at least one fiber optic sensor. The expandable element can be positioned at various depths in a hole in a substrate. A pressurizing device expands (and contracts) the expandable element when the expandable element is inserted in the hole in the substrate to exert pressure on the hole wall. A pressure sensor provides a sensor output indicative of a pressure applied to the hole wall by the expandable element. The fiber optic sensor and an optical interrogator measure strain along a length of the sensor in a continuous, high spatial resolution manner Based on the measured strain and pressure sensor output, the system determines various properties of the substrate such as, minimum principal stress, maximum principal stress, and/or principal stress direction associated with one or more fractures in the substrate, as well as substrate modulus.

Distributed measurement of minimum and maximum in-situ stress in substrates

A high-speed interrogation system is provided for interferometric sensors, one example of which is an EFPI sensor, that operates based on spectral interference. The system uses a two mode operation that includes a lower speed, accurate absolute measurement mode and a higher speed, relative measurement mode. The system achieves greater overall measurement accuracy and speed than known sensor interrogation approaches.

Methods and apparatus for interferometric interrogation of an optical sensor

A measurement apparatus includes a body suit for a body that includes an appendage having a pivotable joint, the body suit comprising a sleeve to cover the appendage, wherein a first portion of the sleeve is configured to cover the pivotable joint. One or more multi-core optical fiber sensors is/are within or on the sleeve in a routing pattern that is substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the sleeve except within the first portion and that is at least partially transverse to the longitudinal axis within the first portion. An optical shape sensing system coupled to the one or more multi-core optical fiber sensors sends light into the one or more multi-core optical fiber sensors and determines a position of each of the multiple appendages based on reflected optical signal measurements detected from one or more multi-core optical fiber sensors.

Body shape, position, and posture recognition suit with multi-core optical shape sensing fiber

Growing community of inventors

Christiansburg, VA, United States of America

Matthew Anthony Davis