Advanced Fiber-Optic Monitoring System for Space-flight Applications

Abstract

Researchers at Luna Innovations Inc. and the National Aeronautic and Space Administration's Marshall Space Flight Center (NASA MSFC) have developed an integrated fiber-optic sensor system for real-time monitoring of chemical contaminants and whole-cell bacterial pathogens in water. The system integrates interferometric and evanescent-wave optical fiber-based sensing methodologies with atomic force microscopy (AFM) and long-period grating (LPG) technology to provide versatile measurement capability for both microand nano-scale analytes. Sensors can be multiplexed in an array format and embedded in a totally self-contained laboratory card for use with an automated microfluidics p lalfo rm .