Patent ID: 6593588
Filing Date: 2003-07-15
Classification: G01D,G01K,G01L,G01M

Abstract:
A sensor for detecting physical or chemical conditions, of the type comprising:a volume of light-translucent material having light-scattering centers generally evenly dispersed therein; a light emitter in operative communication with said material for emitting light into the interior of said material and thereby forming an integrating optical cavity within the interior of said material, said cavity defined by a region within which light from said source is generally fully scattered within one characteristic scattering length from said emitter; a first light detector in operative communication with said material for detecting the intensity of scattered light within said optical cavity; signal processing means in operative communication with said light detector, for converting said light intensity level into a corresponding electronic signal; characterized by: either of said light-translucent material or said scattering centers dispersed therein being responsive to changes in physical, chemical or biological conditions within the medium surrounding said material whereby the effective concentration of said scattering centers within said material changes in response to changes in said condition.