Fiber optic system for remote fluorescent sensing using excitation and return fibers

摘要

A fiber optic probe system includes a fiber optic probe and a carrier cable coupled to the probe. The carrier cable includes an excitation fiber for receiving excitation light and supplying a portion of the excitation light to the fiber optic probe, a return fiber for receiving detected light from the probe, and a directional coupler coupling the excitation fiber with the return fiber. The directional coupler is situated near an end of the carrier cable which is closest to the probe. A plurality of these fiber optic probes can be multiplexed using a plurality of carrier cables, each cable having a respective excitation fiber for receiving excitation light and supplying the excitation light to a respective one of the plurality of fiber optic probes.