Patent ID: 6944360

Claim:
A remote non-contact sensing system to monitor the properties of a structure, the system comprising: a first metal embedded fiber optic sensor embedded in the structure, wherein the first metal embedded fiber optic sensor comprises: a fiber optic sensor element; a first metallic layer deposited circumferentially on the fiber optic sensor element; a second metallic layer deposited circumferentially on the first metallic layer; and an embedding metallic layer in contact with and circumferentially surrounding the second metallic layer; a light source coupling to the first metal embedded fiber optic sensor; a photo-detector coupling to the first metal embedded fiber optic sensor; and a first optical fiber lead optically coupled to the first metal embedded fiber optic sensor and optically coupled to the light source: wherein the first optical fiber lead comprises a first end connected to the first metal embedded fiber optic sensor and a second end adjacent to an external surface of the structure.