Balloon-Shaped SMF Blood Glucose Concentration and Temperature Sensor Based on Core-Offset Structure.

Area of Science:

• Optoelectronics
• Biomedical Sensing
• Fiber Optics

Background:

• Accurate blood glucose monitoring is crucial for diabetes management.
• Existing methods for glucose sensing can be invasive or lack real-time capabilities.
• Simultaneous temperature measurement is often needed for accurate glucose readings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and demonstrate a novel fiber optic sensor for simultaneous blood glucose concentration and temperature measurement.
• To utilize a core-offset structure in a single-mode fiber to create a Mach-Zehnder interferometer.
• To investigate the sensor's performance characteristics, including sensitivity and stability.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of a balloon-shaped single-mode fiber (SMF) using offset-fusing techniques.
• Excitation of higher-order cladding modes via the core-offset structure.
• Experimental characterization of the sensor's response to varying blood glucose concentrations and temperatures.
• Application of a dual-parameter matrix for simultaneous measurement.

Main Results:

• The sensor demonstrated a maximum sensitivity of 0.331 nm/(mmol/l) for blood glucose concentration.
• The sensor achieved a maximum sensitivity of 0.216 nm/°C for temperature.
• Dual-parameter measurement of glucose and temperature was successfully realized.
• The sensor exhibited a simple structure, low cost, good stability, and resistance to electromagnetic interference.

Conclusions:

• The proposed balloon-shaped SMF sensor based on a core-offset structure is effective for simultaneous glucose and temperature sensing.
• The sensor's high sensitivity, stability, and cost-effectiveness make it a promising tool for diagnosing hyperglycemia.
• This technology holds potential for non-invasive or minimally invasive glucose monitoring applications.