OPTICAL GAS SENSOR WITH ENRICHING POLYMER

A gas sensor (103,104) using optical fibre technology to measure gas concentration in a test medium incorporates a gas enriching polymer (211) which absorbs and concentrates a selected gas, e.g. carbon dioxide (CO2), from the test volume surrounding the sensor (104). The polymer (211) is wrapped around the core (210) of an optical fiber which guides radiation with first selected wavelengths to the polymer (211). The radiation propagates into the polymer (211) and reacts with the carbon dioxide in the polymer (211). Determination of CO2 concentration in the test volume is made by measuring the amount of attenuation of the radiation after reacting with the carbon dioxide in the polymer (211). In another embodiment, the polymer (211) is capable of absorbing oxygen from the test volume and oxygen concentration is measured using fluorescence quenching. Being added to the polymer (211), a special dye reacts to radiation having selected wavelengths and produces a second radiation with wavelengths which are different from the selected wavelengths and which are absorbed by oxygen. Determination of oxygen concentration in the test volume is made by measuring the degree of attenuation of the second radiation after reacting with the oxygen in the polymer (211).