Patent ID: 7403673

Claim:
An optical waveguide analyzing system, said system comprising: a light source system for providing a polarized source light; a birefringent optical waveguide optically coupled to said light source system such that said light is to be propagated in said optical waveguide, said optical waveguide having: a propagation volume extending along said optical waveguide, with at least a portion of said light to be confined thereto, a cladding volume extending along said optical waveguide and surrounding said propagation volume, a first and a second polarization axes, and a longitudinal channel defined by a channel surface in said cladding volume and adapted to receive a fluid such that said fluid travels along said longitudinal channel, said longitudinal channel being positioned with respect to said propagation volume in such a manner that said fluid traveling in said longitudinal channel is to cause a local variation of the orientation of said polarization axes; and an analyzing module optically coupled to said optical waveguide for polarizing an outgoing light and for providing a measurement of an effect of said local variation of orientation on the polarized outgoing.light so as to analyze at least one characteristic of said fluid.