FIBER - OPTIC TEMPERATURE AND FLOW SENSOR SYSTEM AND METHODS

A fiber optic sensor, a process for utilizing a fiber optic sensor, and a process for fabricating a fiber optic sensor are described, where a double-side-polished silicon pillar is attached to an optical fiber tip and forms a Fabry-Perot cavity. In an implementation, a fiber optic sensor in accordance with an exemplary embodiment includes an optical fiber configured to be coupled to a light source and a spectrometer; and a single silicon layer or multiple silicon layers disposed on an end face of the optical fiber, where each of the silicon layer(s) defines a Fabry-Perot interferometer, and where the sensor head reflects light from the light source to the spectrometer. In some implementations, the fiber optic sensor may include the light source coupled to the optical fiber, a spectrometer coupled to the optical fiber, and a controller coupled to the high speed spectrometer

Inhibition of SARS Pseudovirus Cell Entry by Lactoferrin Binding to Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycans

It has been reported that lactoferrin (LF) participates in the host immune response against Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV) invasion by enhancing NK cell activity and stimulating neutrophil aggregation and adhesion. We further investigated the role of LF in the entry of SARS pseudovirus into HEK293E/ACE2-Myc cells. Our results reveal that LF inhibits SARS pseudovirus infection in a dose-dependent manner. Further analysis suggested that LF was able to block the binding of spike protein to host cells at 4°C, indicating that LF exerted its inhibitory function at the viral attachment stage. However, LF did not disrupt the interaction of spike protein with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the functional receptor of SARS-CoV. Previous studies have shown that LF colocalizes with the widely distributed cell-surface heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs). Our experiments have also confirmed this conclusion. Treatment of the cells with heparinase or exogenous heparin prevented binding of spike protein to host cells and inhibited SARS pseudovirus infection, demonstrating that HSPGs provide the binding sites for SARS-CoV invasion at the early attachment phase. Taken together, our results suggest that, in addition to ACE2, HSPGs are essential cell-surface molecules involved in SARS-CoV cell entry. LF may play a protective role in host defense against SARS-CoV infection through binding to HSPGs and blocking the preliminary interaction between SARS-CoV and host cells. Our findings may provide further understanding of SARS-CoV pathogenesis and aid in treatment of this deadly disease

Supplemental Video S1.avi

Perturbation of ray trajectories by changing bending direction

Supplemental Video S2.avi

Perturbation of ray trajectories by varying bending locations

Fiber-optic Temperature and flow sensory system and methods

A fiber optic sensor, a process for utilizing a fiber optic sensor, and a process for fabricating a fiber optic sensor are described, where a double-side-polished silicon pillar is attacked to an optical fiber tip and forms, a Fabry-Perot cavity. In an implementation, a fiber optic sensor in accordance with an examplary embodiment includes an optical fiber configured to be coupled to a light source and a spectrometer; and a single silicon layer or multiple silicon layers disposed on an end face of the optical fiber, where each of the silicon layer(s) defines a Fabry-Perot interferometer, and where the sensor head reflects light from the light sources to the spectrometer. In some implementations, the fiber optic sensor head reflects light from the light source to the spectrometer. In some implementations, the fiber optic sensor may include the light source coupled to the optical sensor may include the light source coupled to the optical fiber, a spectrometer coupled to the optical fiber, and a controller coupled to the high-speed spectrometer

Long-GRIN-Lens Microendoscopy Enabled by Wavefront Shaping for a Biomedical Microdevice: An Analytical Investigation

We analytically investigate the feasibility of long graded-index (GRIN)-lens-based microendoscopes through wavefront shaping. Following the very well-defined ray trajectories in a GRIN lens, mode-dependent phase delay is first determined. Then, the phase compensation needed for obtaining diffraction limited resolution is derived. Finally, the diffraction pattern of the lens output is computed using the Rayleigh–Sommerfeld diffraction theory. We show that diffraction-limited resolution is obtained for a 0.5 mm diameter lens with a length over 1 m. It is also demonstrated that different imaging working distances (WDs) can be realized by modifying the phase compensation. When a short design WD is used, a large imaging numerical aperture (NA) higher than 0.4 is achievable even when a low NA lens (NA = 0.1) is used. The long- and thin-GRIN-lens-based microendoscope investigated here, which is attractive for biomedical applications, is being prioritized for use in a clinical stage microdevice that measures three-dimensional drug responses inside the body. The advance described in this work may enable superior imaging capabilities in clinical applications in which long and flexible imaging probes are favored

Fiber-optic Temperature and flow sensory system and methods

A fiber optic sensor, a process for utilizing a fiber optic sensor, and a process for fabricating a fiber optic sensor are described, where a double-side-polished silicon pillar is attacked to an optical fiber tip and forms, a Fabry-Perot cavity. In an implementation, a fiber optic sensor in accordance with an examplary embodiment includes an optical fiber configured to be coupled to a light source and a spectrometer; and a single silicon layer or multiple silicon layers disposed on an end face of the optical fiber, where each of the silicon layer(s) defines a Fabry-Perot interferometer, and where the sensor head reflects light from the light sources to the spectrometer. In some implementations, the fiber optic sensor head reflects light from the light source to the spectrometer. In some implementations, the fiber optic sensor may include the light source coupled to the optical sensor may include the light source coupled to the optical fiber, a spectrometer coupled to the optical fiber, and a controller coupled to the high-speed spectrometer