Photonic Integrated Interrogator for Monitoring the Patient Condition during MRI Diagnosis

In this work, we discuss the idea and practical implementation of an integrated photonic circuit-based interrogator of fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors dedicated to monitoring the condition of the patients exposed to Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) diagnosis. The presented solution is based on an Arrayed Waveguide Grating (AWG) demultiplexer fabricated in generic indium phosphide technology. We demonstrate the consecutive steps of development of the device from design to demonstrator version of the system with confirmed functionality of monitoring the respiratory rate of the patient. The results, compared to those obtained using commercially available bulk interrogator, confirmed both the general concept and proper operation of the device.