This PDF file contains the front matter associated with SPIE Proceedings Volume 8218, including the Title Page, Copyright information, Table of Contents, and the Conference Committee listing.

The present study focuses on the theoretical and practical infrared radiation propagation properties of tapered silver / silver iodide coated Hollow Glass Waveguides (HGWs). Tapered HGWs with inner diameters ranging from 300 μm to 650 μm with a linear taper increasing at an approximate rate of 1.5 μm/cm were fabricated and optimized for low-loss transmission of CO₂ laser radiation at of 10.6 μm. The theoretical losses in these tapered silver / silver iodide coated HGWs are calculated for light transmitted from the big to the small and vice versa. Theoretical calculations used in this study are based on ray-optics. Experimental loss measurements are likewise presented, along with the calculated and measured output beam divergence. The experimental bending losses of the tapered HGWs are studied and compared with those measured and for those for non-tapered, straight bore sizes from 300 to 700 μm. Experimental losses for tapered Ag/AgI HGWs ranged from 0.732 - 1.340 dB/m depending on configuration and bending radius.

Ophthalmic surgery may benefit from the use of more precise fiber delivery systems for laser surgery. In this study, chains of sapphire microspheres integrated into the distal tip of a hollow waveguide are used for preliminary mid-infrared, Erbium:YAG laser ablation studies in contact mode with ophthalmic tissues, ex vivo. The combination of the Er:YAG laser's short optical penetration depth and small spot diameters achieved with this novel fiber probe may provide more precise tissue removal. One, three, and five microsphere chain structures were assembled and compared, resulting in spot diameters of 67, 32, and 30 μm, respectively. Single laser pulses of 0.1 mJ energy and 75 μs duration produced craters with average widths of 44, 30, and 17 μm and depths of 26, 10, and 8 μm, for one, three, and five sphere structures, respectively. Chains of microspheres produced spatial filtering of the multimode Er:YAG laser beam and fiber, thus providing spot diameters not otherwise available for precise tissue ablation using conventional fiber delivery systems. With further probe development, this novel approach to mid-IR laser ablation may provide an alternative to mechanical tools for ultra-precise surgical dissection and removal of ophthalmic tissues.

Flexible 100-μm-bore hollow fibers were developed for Er:YAG laser delivery. The hollow fiber was inner coated with silver and dielectric layer to enhance the reflection rate at an objective wavelength band. A dielectric layer is formed by using the liquid-phase coating technique. Micro tube pump with an inner diameter of 300-μm is newly used to flow polymer solution through the ultra-thin silver hollow fiber with a constant speed. Fabrication process and transmission properties of the ultra thin polymer-coated silver hollow fiber were discussed. The loss for the 100-μm-bore size, 10-cm-length polymer-coated silver hollow fiber was 1.7 dB at the wavelength of 2.94 μm.

In this work we present the fabrication of silica hollow core photonic crystal fibres (HC-PCF) with guidance at 2.94μm. As light is confined inside the hollow core with a very small overlap of the guided E-M wave with the fibre material, the high intrinsic loss of silica at these mid-infrared wavelengths can be overcome. The band gap effect is achieved by a periodic structure made out of air and fused silica. As silica is bio-inert, chemically stable and mechanically robust, these fibres have potential advantages over other multi-component, non-silica optical fibres designed to guide in this wavelength regime. These fibres have a relatively small diameter, low bend sensitivity and single-mode like guidance which are ideal conditions for delivering laser light down a highly flexible fibre. Consequently they provide a potential alternative to existing surgical laser delivery methods such as articulated arms and lend themselves to endoscopy and other minimally invasive surgical procedures. In particular, we present the characterisation and performance of these fibres at 2.94 μm, the wavelength of an Er:YAG laser. This laser is widely used in surgery since the wavelength overlaps with an absorption band of water which results in clean, non-cauterised cuts. However, the practical implementation of these types of fibres for surgical applications is a significant challenge. Therefore we also report on progress made in developing hermetically sealed end tips for these hollow core fibres to avoid contamination. This work ultimately prepares the route towards a robust, practical delivery system for this wavelength.

We report an ultracompact Mach-Zehnder index sensor with a device length of 438.6 μm using two micro-abrupt-tapers in a cladding-reduced strongly-guiding fiber based on a focused CO₂ laser beam. The cladding of strongly-guiding fiber is chemically etched before irradiated by a focused CO₂ laser beam. The index sensitivity is 600 nm/refractive index unit respectively at around 1.37 μm wavelength with a volume of 31.2 picoliter optical liquid trapping at one micro-abrupt-taper. A 72 picoliter glucose liquid with concentration of 200 mg/dL can lead to a red-shift of 0.8 nm at 1.3 μm.

Flexible fiber bundles for image transmission are fabricated by use of hollow optical fiber. The fiber bundle was fabricated by the well-known stack-and-draw technique, and coated silver film as reflection layer on the inner surface. In this report, we describe the result of Raman spectral imaging using fabricated bundle.

This study involves the optimization of thin silver coated Hollow Glass Waveguides (HGWs) for low-loss delivery of laser radiation at visible wavelengths and discusses preliminary work in the development of polystyrene dielectric thin films in silver coated HGWs for low-loss radiation delivery at near and far infrared wavelengths. The optimization of the silver thin film deposition procedure in HGWs for reduced transmission losses at λ = 500 - 1050 nm is presented along with experimental results. Such low-loss hollow waveguides are capable of delivering high power / high energy laser light with no functional damage. The benefits and use of novel polystyrene thin films in HGWs is likewise presented and preliminary experimental results are discussed along with potential applications of said polystyrene coated waveguides. Polystyrene is an attractive material for use as a dielectric thin film in HGWs due to its relatively low refractive index nearing the optimal refractive index of n = 1.414 for use as a single dielectric thin film in HGWs. Furthermore, its nontoxicity, low cost, and chemical inertness add to its beneficial use as a transparent thin film at visible and infrared wavelengths ranging from λ = 500 - 3,000 nm and λ > 50 μm. Its broadband transparency additionally allows for its simultaneous use as a dielectric film in HGWs at infrared and visible wavelengths. Preliminary results in the development of polystyrene coated HGWs optimized for transmission at short and long wavelengths are presented, primarily through FTIR spectroscopic methods. The design for the optimization of deposited polystyrene thin films in HGWs based on desired transmission wavelength range is discussed.

Near-UV laser light is used for soft tissue treatment for several years now. In first applications the light was delivered directly from the laser, but for in vivo treatment more flexibility was needed. Multi-mode fibers can be used to achieve a high output power coupled from multi-mode lasers. If fiber bundles are used the power can be increased additionally. But the power density on the treated tissue does not rise proportionally, because of the larger spot. A better ablation can be achieved with a Gaussian beam profile coming from a single-mode fiber. Higher beam quality and higher intensity from a small single-mode core produce power densities in the order of kW/cm² in a focus spot smaller than 100 μm. If the laser therapy is used with the scanning fiber endoscope, treatment in between imaging spirals can be employed and only a single fiber is required. 405 nm laser-induced fluorescence may be able to produce both wide-field fluorescence imaging and laser therapy in a single laser. However additional wavelengths combiners and dual-clad couplers are necessary for multi-wavelength reflectance imaging requiring increased input power to compensate for the losses of these devices. This leads to very high intensities at the fiber coupler and damage will occur at this interface. Differences in damage rate due to differently treated fiber end-faces will be discussed. We suggest a new loss mechanism which is basal for the end-face damage and show miscellaneous methods to reduce the occurring damage and enhance the system lifetime.

Bile duct cancers are increasing in frequency while being difficult to diagnose. Currently available endoscopic imaging devices used in the biliary tree are low resolution with poor image quality, leading to inadequate evaluation of indeterminate biliary strictures. However, a new ultrathin and flexible cholangioscope system has been successfully demonstrated in a human subject. This mini-cholangioscope system uses a scanning fiber endoscope (SFE) as a forward-imaging guidewire, dimensions of 1.2-mm diameter and 3-m length. Full color video (500-line resolution at 30Hz) is the standard SFE imaging mode using spiral scanning of red, green, and blue laser light at low power. Image-guided operation of the biopsy forceps was demonstrated in healthy human bile ducts with and without saline flushing. The laser-based video imaging can be switched to various modes to enhance tissue markers of disease, such as widefield fluorescence and enhanced spectral imaging. In parallel work, biochemical discrimination of tissue health in pig bile duct has been accomplished using fiberoptic delivery of pulsed UV illumination and time-resolved autofluorescence spectroscopic measurements. Implementation of time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy for biochemical assessment of the bile duct wall is being done through a secondary endoscopic channel. Preliminary results indicate that adequate SNR levels (> 30 dB) can be achieved through a 50 micron fiber, which could serve as an optical biopsy probe. The SFE is an ideal mini-cholangioscope for integration of both tissue and molecular specific image contrast in the future. This will provide the physician with unprecedented abilities to target biopsy locations and perform endoscopically-guided therapies.

A spectral imaging system based on a bundle of hollow optical fibers transmitting infrared radiation image is constructed. The system consists of an FT-IR spectrometer and a high-speed infrared camera and infrared transmission spectra are obtained by carefully processing multiple interferograms. It is shown that infrared spectral images of a variety of samples are measured by the system. By mapping transmission of the specific wavelengths in the spectrum, existence maps of oil and fat of biological samples are obtained.

The objective of this study is to validate a method for the measurement of tissue oxygen saturation level via a thermal imaging bundle in-vitro and in-vivo. The method consists of a thermal imaging system and an algorithm which estimates the compound concentration according to the temperature rise of the tissue. A temperature rise is obtained by illuminating the tissue in the NIR range and is measured using a thermal camera and a coherent thermal imaging bundle for non-invasive transendoscopic use. The system was validated using agar phantoms of varying concentrations of Methylene Blue and ICG as well as blood samples. The algorithm estimated the Methylene Blue relative amount and the results were compared to the real relative amount. The calculated RMS of the error was 5.12%, a satisfying value for this stage. In the blood samples, for oxygenation levels higher than 50% the RMS of the error was 5.79%. Once the system was verified a portable system was built for clinical use, this system was also evaluated on agar phantoms and the RMS of the error was 10.64%. As a result of the encouraging experiments in-vivo, animal trials were performed. The oxygenation levels of mice were decreased and were estimated respectively using our system. The system determined a small decrease in the tissue oxygen saturation of the mice. These results verify the algorithm's and bundle's suitability for the use in a non-invasive system. They provide motivation for performing more complex in-vitro experiments and moving on to clinical trials.

We have fabricated hollow waveguides based on a silver-clad stainless steel tube for delivery of infrared (IR) laser light such as Er-YAG and CO₂ laser light. The silver-clad layer's inner wall was polished to a mirror-smooth state. A thin silver iodide (AgI) layer was formed by iodination of the layer's inner surface to enhance reflection of the propagating IR light at the inner wall of the hollow waveguide. The waveguide's inner and outer diameters are 0.4 and 0.6 mm, respectively. Since this type of metallic hollow waveguide has high mechanical strength and heat resistance, it seldom fractures or melts. Moreover, it has such a small diameter that it can be bent flexibly. We have experimentally fabricated a 1-m-long hollow waveguide with a 0.24 μm thick inner AgI layer, which is optimum thickness for Er-YAG laser light transmission. The transmissions of Er-YAG laser light were 64% and 60% under a straight condition and a 90° bend with a 7.5-cm radius condition, respectively. By optimizing the thickness of the inner AgI layer according to the propagating light's wavelength, CO₂ laser light can also be transmitted effectively though the hollow waveguide.

Large core silica optical fibers are often used for delivering high power laser for medical applications. It has been observed that optical fibers that are transmitting high power laser light may fracture when bent and that the polymer cladding or coating of the fiber plays a significant part in determining the fiber strength. In this work, we examine the fiber performance in bending under high laser power after the fiber is treated at high humidity and high temperature, a condition encountered commonly in medical applications, such as in an autoclave.

In this study, a metal assisted guide mode resonance device for bioanalytical applications is proposed. The particular spectrum inversion property and its resonance mechanism are discussed. The metal assisted guided mode resonance eliminates evanescent wave distributed in substrate and provides a strongly asymmetric modal profile; the evanescent wave is one fold enhanced in top medium. The intrinsic bulk sensitivity achieves 337.5 in a fundamental TM mode resonating at 800nm with 1st diffraction angle.

Hollow Glass Waveguides (HGWs) incorporating single dielectric thin film designs deposited on silver coated silica hollow waveguides have been used for low-loss transmission of infrared radiation in the 2 - 14 micrometer region. Silver iodide has traditionally been the material of choice as a dielectric thin film in HGWs, with other dielectric thin film materials such as cadmium sulfide and lead sulfide being used as well. The incorporation of multilayer stacks of alternating low and high refractive index dielectric thin films in HGWs has been theoretically shown to further reduce the optical attenuation. Theoretically, lower losses are achieved when the refractive index contrast of the two thin film materials used is high and the number of films incorporated in the HGW film structure increases. Theoretically, such multilayer dielectric stack designs can give rise to the appearance of 1-D photonic bandgap structures with omnidirectional reflection properties as long as critical design parameters are met and scattering contributions due to surface roughness and similar defects are sufficiently low. This study involves the practical design of multilayer dielectric stacks in HGWs, with lead sulfide as a high refractive index material and cadmium sulfide as low refractive index material. The design, optimization, and processing methodology for achieving low-loss multilayer dielectric stacks in HGWs at desired infrared wavelengths is discussed. Characterization of multilayer dielectric coated HGWs includes FTIR spectroscopy for determining the optical response and infrared laser measurements for determining the optical attenuation properties of said multilayer dielectric stack coated HGWs. The experimental loss dependency of dielectric coated HGWs incorporating such metal chalcogenide materials on the particular thin film materials used and number of dielectric layers incorporated is presented and challenges in the current fabrication methodology are discussed.

The flexible fiber optic probe for laser trapping Raman spectroscopy is developed to analyze single bio-particles in vivo. The probe consists of the hollow optical fiber and TiO₂ micro-lens. Red blood cell and yeast are stably trapped by the fabricated probe. The Raman measurement of PMMA particle having 10 μm diameters is also demonstrated.

Transmission characteristics at terahertz (THz) frequencies are numerically analyzed for elliptical dielectric-coated metallic hollow fibers. Effective refractive indices of the two polarizations of the HE11 mode, the modal power fraction in the air core and the birefringence of the fiber are presented. The impact of the metallic layer on the field confinement is investigated by comparing the modal profiles of the dielectric-coated metallic hollow fiber (DMHF) to that of the polymer tube (PT). Effects of dielectric absorption on the transmission properties are demonstrated. Total transmission loss of about 2 dB/m and birefringence in the order of 10^-2 are predicted. Owing to the high reflectivity of the inner coatings, more than 99% of the fundamental mode power is confined in the air core.

A new concept for exciting whispering gallery modes (WGMs) using small core microstructured optical fibers (MOFs) is presented. Here a 10 μm spherical dye doped micro resonator was positioned onto the tip of the MOF, and the application of this device for refractive index sensing applications is presented. With this configuration, both the excitation and collection efficiency of the WGM modulated fluorescence spectra of the dye are found to be greatly improved compared to the more traditional excitation scheme in which the resonator is attached to a glass slide and excited using a confocal microscope. This novel MOF-tip configuration provides a more compact and robust architecture for in vivo/vitro biosensing applications. It is also shown that the same architecture can be used to operate the dye doped resonator beyond its lasing threshold, resulting in improved performances.

The realization of a DNA biosensor based on Double Tilted Fiber Bragg Grating (DTFBG) for label-free detection has been demonstrated. To our knowledge this is the first time that a biosensor has been realized with such kind of device. The surface of the optical fiber has been functionalized with peptide nucleic acid (PNA) in order to capture DNA strands. The changes of the interference fringes visibility of the grating, due to the PNA-DNA binding, proved the occurred fiber hybridization. The re-use of the fiber for multiple measurements and the selectivity of the sensor have been also investigated.

Vitreoretinal surgery requires delicate manipulation of retinal tissue. However, tool-to-tissue interaction forces in the order of sub-millinewton are usually below the human sensory threshold. A surgical force sensor (FS) compatible with conventional surgical tools may significantly improve the surgery outcome by preventing tissue damage. We have designed and built a miniature FS for vitreoretinal surgery using a fiber-optic common-path phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography (OCT) system where the distal end of the fiber probe forms a low-finesse Fabry-Pérot (FP) cavity between the cleaved tip of the lead-in single mode fiber and the polished back surface of a stainless steel surgical tool tip. To accurately measure the change of the FP cavity length, the cavity is interrogated by the fiber-optic common-path phase-sensitive OCT. The FP cavity was illuminated with a broadband light source, and the interferometric signal was detected using a broadband spectrometer. The phase of the interferometric signal, which is proportional to the cavity length change as well as the exerted force, was extracted. We have conducted calibration experiments to characterize our one dimensional FS. Our result shows that the FS responses linearly to force in axial direction with force sensitivity better than 0.25 millinewton.

Dispersive Fourier Transform (DFT) is a powerful technique for real-time and high-speed spectroscopy. In DFT, the spectral information of an optical pulse is mapped into time using group velocity dispersion (GVD) in the dispersive fibers with an ultrafast real-time spectral acquisition rate (>10 MHz). Typically, multi-mode fiber (MMF) is not recommended for performing DFT because the modal dispersion, which occurs simultaneously with GVD, introduces the ambiguity in the wavelength-to-time mapping during DFT. Nevertheless, we here demonstrate that a clear wavelength-to-time mapping in DFT can be achieved by using the few-mode fibers (FMFs) which, instead of having hundreds of propagation modes, support only a few modes. FMF-based DFT becomes appealing when it operates at the shorter wavelengths e.g. 1-μm range, a favorable spectral window for biomedical diagnostics, where low-cost single mode fibers (SMFs) and high-performance dispersion-engineered fibers are not readily available for DFT. By employing the telecommunication SMFs (e.g. SMF28), which are in effect FMFs in the 1-μm range as their cut-off wavelength is ~1260 nm, we observe that a 3nm wide spectrum can be clearly mapped into time with a GVD as high as -72ps/nm and a loss of 5 dB/km at a spectral acquisition rate of 20 MHz. Moreover, its larger core size than the high-cost 1-μm SMFs renders FMFs to exhibit less nonlinearity, especially high-power amplification is implemented during DFT to enhance the detection sensitivity without compromising the speed. Hence, FMF-based DFT represents a cost-effective approach to realize high-speed DFT-based spectroscopy particularly in the biomedical diagnostics spectral window.

We report the optimal design for hollow fiber inner-coated with metallic and multi-dielectric layers by using ray-optics theory. Transmission characteristics of the multilayer hollow fiber are more dependent on the film surface roughness in infrared region. Comparisons of fibers with smooth and rough films are made and discussed in detail. The optimal design for film thickness, inner radius, the number of layers and refractive indices is presented. The calculation results are important for structure design, material selection and further fabrication of metallic multilayer hollow fiber when considering imperfections in film coating techniques.

The mid-infrared radiation generated by bulk Dy:PbGa₂S₄ laser working at room temperature was characterized and for its delivery the special type of COP/Ag hollow waveguide was used. The optical pumping of Dy:PbGa₂S₄ laser was performed by flashlamp pumped Er:YLF laser at 1.73 μm wavelength. The compact 60 mm long Dy:PbGa₂S₄ laser oscillator worked in free-running mode with the repetition rate 1.5 Hz. The output energy was 5.1 mJ in 80 μs long pulse at 4.3 μm wavelength. The spatial beam structure was close to the Gaussian shape. The goal of the presented study was the preliminary investigation of the mid-infrared Dy:PbGa₂S₄ radiation delivery possibility by the cyclic olefin polymer and silver coated hollow glass waveguide. The length of the waveguide was 103 cm and the inner diameter was 700 μm. The thickness of the polymer inner layer was calculated for the optimal 4 μm radiation transmission. Mid-infrared laser radiation was coupled into the waveguide by the CaF₂ lens with the focal length 55 mm. The characterization of delivered 4.3 μm radiation was provided. It was observed that the spatial structure is changing essentially, which follows from the transmission principle of the hollow waveguide. As conclude the delivery system for 4.3 μm mid-infrared Dy:PbGa₂S₄ laser radiation was investigated for the first time.

A spectral Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR-) sensor with variable path lengths is proposed. Based on a new polymer cladding material, the numerical aperture and the related maximum propagation angle in Polymer Clad Silica Fiber (PCSF) have been increased significantly. The penetration depth of the evanescent field into the cladding of step-index fibers depends strongly on the propagation angle. We found that when removing its cladding, the effective path length in the interaction section can be adjusted, using meridional rays/modes of different propagation angles. Because the fiber length is short, the mode conversion in the light-transporting section of the PCSF is negligible. After measuring the optical properties of the PCSF, the ATR with selected liquids surrounding the light-guiding core is determined in dependence of wavelength and excitation-angle. Especially, the possibilities to change from low to high propagation angles including the excitation and detection system will be discussed.

Polymer claddings with low refractive indices for silica core fibers were developed. Applications include fiber lasers and transmission of high power lasers in surgery. For many applications, operating fibers under high temperatures is desirable. In a previous publication, the results of testing polymer cladded silica core fiber at 150°C for 6400 hours were given, along with 5000 hours of testing polymer films. The results at 150°C were encouraging, with little additional loss measured. Here we test polymers under more severe conditions, at 270°C, for periods up to 10 hours. The polymers' cured indices range from 1.374 to 1.397 (at 852 nm). Changes in Young's modulus, refractive index, yellowing, weight, hardness, strength, and elongation were observed. While these polymers cannot function at 270°C for extended periods, it is possible to expose them for shorter durations without significant damage. Some polymer properties actually improved after 4 hours of heating. Fibers clad with such polymers have been successfully jacketed with extruded materials, and have endured high temperatures for a few minutes. It is possible that a sensor, fiber laser or other fiber device could function in these temperatures for short periods without the coating properties changing beyond values required for operation.

Macro-bending fiber optic based heart-rate and pulse pressure shape monitors have been fabricated and tested for non-invasive measurement. Study of fiber bending loss and its stability and variations are very important especially for sensor designs based on optical fiber bending. Wavelengths from 1300 nm to 1550 nm have been used with fabrication based on multimode fiber, single mode fiber, and photonic crystal fiber. The smallest studied curvature would demand the use of single mode standard fibers. The collected data series show high quality suitable for random series analysis. Fractal property of optically measured pulse pressure data has been observed to correlate with physical activity. Correlation to EKG signal suggests that the fabricated monitors are capable of measuring the differential time delays at wrist and leg locations. The difference in time delay could be used to formulate a velocity parameter for diagnostics. The pulse shape information collected by the fiber sensor provides additional parameters for the analysis of the fractal nature of the heart. The application to real time measurement of blood vessel stiffness with this optical non-invasive fiber sensor is discussed.

Vitreoretinal surgery is a technically demanding ophthalmologic discipline. One of the main technical challenges in vitreoretinal surgery is the lack of force sensing since the surgical maneuvers fall below the human sensory threshold. Previously, a 2-degree-of-freedom (DOF) force sensing instrument with a surgical pick was developed and tested. However, a more commonly used instrument for vitreoretinal surgery is the forceps, with which a surgeon can easily grasp and delaminate the scar tissue. We have designed, fabricated and calibrated a novel 20-gauge (Ga) microsurgical instrument with a 2-DOF force sensing forceps. Three fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors are integrated into the customized Alcon^TM forceps tip. The redundant sensor configuration provides good compensation for temperature-related drift. The calibration data show that the tool can provide a force resolution of 0.25 mN. In order to test the functionality and performance, the forceps was evaluated in inner shell membrane peeling experiments with chicken embryos as well as in in-vivo rabbit experiments. The instrument has demonstrated the capability of being applied in the clinical environment, with consistent force measurements. The force exerted in inner shell membrane peeling is from 6.07 to 34.65 mN. The development of the 2-DOF force sensing micro-forceps has shown that the fabrication process is feasible and reliable, and it can be used to develop a future 3-DOF force sensing tool.

In this paper, we propose and demonstrate a highly sensitive Microbend Fiber Sensor (MFS) for Ballistocardiogram (BCG) recording. The MFS based BCG sensor is built into a cushion. It is a portable, small, light and low cost device. High quality and repeatable BCG signals can be obtained by using this device which allows patients at home to monitor their cardiovascular health. The measured BCG waveforms closely resemble those in the existing literatures. The BCG heart beat detection agrees well with one from photo-plethysmography (PPG) signal.

Chalcogenide glass fiberoptics could underpin new mid-infrared medical endoscopic systems for real-time molecular sensing, imaging and analysis of tissue and for fiber laser surgery at new mid-infrared wavelengths. Moreover, chalcogenide glass fiberoptic and waveguide devices and systems could provide the key to new mid-infrared communications for molecular sensing to inform decision-taking in other sectors as diverse as manufacturing, energy, the environment and security. The development and deployment of chalcogenide glasses for mid-infrared photonics over the next decade or so could mirror the complexity and versatility of silica fiber optics developed in the 20th Century for near-infrared photonics. These ideas are developed in this paper and the current status of chalcogenide glass photonics is briefly surveyed.

Minimally-invasive blood glucose monitoring is a very efficient and important way to control blood glucose level of diabetes. An implantable fiber-optic surface plasmon resonance sensor for minimally-invasive blood glucose monitoring is presented. As the fiber-optic SPR sensor is sensitive to temperature and moreover the human body temperature drift plays a great effect on measurement results when the sensor is implanted in human body, long period fiber grating (LPFG) is utilized for temperature compensation to improve measurement accuracy. The fiber-optic surface plasmon resonance sensor is theoretically analyzed and the parameters such as the length of sensor, diameter of fiber, thickness of Chrome and gold are calculated and simulated. The parameters of LPFG is analyzed and simulated, such as length, period and modulation depth. The structural parameters of the sensor are optimized through the calculation and simulation.