The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 16, 2006
Filed:
Sep. 19, 2003
Lorna Anne Everall, Birmingham, GB;
Glynn David Lloyd, Birmingham, GB;
Lorna Anne Everall, Birmingham, GB;
Glynn David Lloyd, Birmingham, GB;
Aston Photonic Technologies Limited, Southampton, GB;
Abstract
An optical interrogation systemincludes optical amplifying and gating apparatus, in the form of a semiconductor optical amplifier (SOA)and an optical sourceDrive apparatus(an electrical pulse generator driven by a variable frequency oscillator) is provided to generate electrical drive pulses (see inset (a)) which are applied to the SOA, to cause the SOAto switch on and off. The optical source comprises a super-luminescent diode (SLD), the CW output from which is gated into optical pulses by the SOA. The SOAis optically coupled to the waveguidecontaining an array of reflective optical elements (gratings G) to be interrogated. The interrogation system further includes an optical detector, optically coupled to the SOA, operable to evaluate the wavelength of a returned optical pulse transmitted by the SOA