Development of a medical fiber-optic pH sensor based on optical absorption

A new fiber-optic pH sensor system has been developed. The sensor uses an absorptive indicator compound with a long wavelength absorption peak near 625 nm; change in absorption over the pH range 6.8 to 7.8 is reasonably linear. The sensor is interrogated by a pulsed, red LED. The return light signal is split into short- and long-wavelength components with a dichroic mirror; the respective signals are detected by photodiodes, and their photocurrents are used to form a radiometric output signal. In laboratory tests, the sensor system provided resolution of 0.01 pH, accuracy of +or-0.01 pH, and response time of 30-40 s. Following gamma sterilization, laboratory sensor testing with heparinized human blood yielded excellent agreement with a clinical blood gas analyzer. Excellent sensor performance and low cost, solid-state instrumentation are hallmarks of this sensor-system design.