Structural design and performance testing of respiratory sensor based on optical fiber end-face coupling

An optical fiber sensor based on the principle of intensity modulation is proposed, which is composed of plastic optical fibers and silicone tubes. The displacement measurement is achieved by stretching the optical fibers to cause changes in the angle between the end faces, resulting in changes in the coupling efficiency between the end faces. To address the challenges in the performance calibration of fiber optic respiratory sensors, it is proposed to convert the dynamic characteristics measurement of the respiratory sensor into the static performance analysis of the displacement sensor, so as to obtain the characteristics such as sensitivity, linearity, and repeatability, etc. It is further proposed to use a stepper motor to simulate the periodic stretching process of the optical fibers caused by the respiratory process, enabling the analysis of frequency measurement accuracy under different respiratory strengths. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that the proposed sensor has high linearity, good repeatability, high sensitivity, and a wide measurement range. It can accurately measure respiratory frequency and display amplitude information, providing comprehensive information for respiratory monitoring.