Patent ID: 7291830

Claim:
A light pipe for measuring light attenuation, the light pipe comprising: an optical fiber having a length defined between a first end and a second end wherein light is transmittable through the optical fiber between the first end and the second end wherein the light is projected into the optical fiber; a layer having a passage and a length defined between a first end and a second end wherein the passage extends from the first end through the layer to the second end of the layer wherein the optical fiber is inserted into the passage of the layer wherein the first end of the optical fiber is adjacent to the first end of the layer wherein a portion of the optical fiber extends outwardly from the second end of the layer wherein the portion of the optical fiber attenuates a first amount of the light projected into the optical fiber; a light detector connected to the first end of the layer wherein the optical fiber projects a second amount of light into the passage of the layer wherein the light detector is adjacent to the passage of the layer wherein the light detector determines the second amount of light within the passage wherein the second amount of light corresponds to the first amount of light attenuated from the portion of the optical fiber; and a microprocessor connected to the light detector wherein the microprocessor determines a distance between the optical fiber and the light detector wherein the distance between the optical fiber and the light detector corresponds to the second amount of light determined by the light detector.