System, device, and method for detecting perturbations via a fiber optic sensor

1. A system, comprising:

a spatially distributed multimode optical fiber;

a photodetector configured to detect optical signals provided from said fiber;

a wireless digital module coupled to said photodetector and adapted to wirelessly transmit a wireless signal encoding a plurality of detected variables of the optical signals;

a wireless receiver adapted to receive the wireless signal; and

a signal processing module coupled to said wireless receiver and adapted to decode and interpret the plurality of detected variables of the optical signals.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a coherent optical source optically couplable to said optical fiber.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a laser diode optically couplable to said optical fiber.

4. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a laser light pointer optically couplable to said fiber.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an electronic driver adapted to control light provided to said fiber.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein said fiber is integrating.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein said fiber is spatially distributed with respect to a patient bed for optimized detection of patient movement.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein said fiber is spatially distributed with respect to a patient bed for optimized detection of patient respiration.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein said fiber is spatially distributed with respect to a patient bed for optimized detection of patient heart rate.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein said fiber is spatially distributed with respect to a patient bed for optimized detection of any combination of patient movement, respiration rate, and heart rate.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein said fiber converts higher order modes to lower order modes.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein said fiber converts lower order modes to higher order modes.

13. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical signals comprise a speckle pattern.

14. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical signals comprise a plurality of high order excitation modes.

15. The system of claim 1 , wherein the optical signals comprise a plurality of high order excitation modes that are proportional to a perturbation along said fiber.

16. The system of claim 1 , wherein said photodetector is optically couplable to said optical fiber.

17. The system of claim 1 , wherein said photodetector provides an output proportional an integrated perturbation along said fiber.

18. The system of claim 1 , wherein said photodetector comprises a photodetector array.

19. The system of claim 1 , wherein said photodetector comprises a digital photodetector.

20. The system of claim 1 , wherein said photodetector comprises a digital photodetector array.

21. The system of claim 1 , wherein said photodetector comprises a CCD camera.

22. The system of claim 1 , wherein said photodetector comprises a CMOS camera.

23. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wireless signal encodes a plurality of digitized images of the optical signals.

24. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a high order mode transmission element optically couplable to said optical fiber.

25. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a filter configured to pass only lower order modes converted from higher order modes.

26. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a filter configured to pass only higher order modes converted from lower order modes.

27. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a matched spatial filter.

28. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a matched spatial filter adapted to spatially filter light provided to said fiber.

29. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a matched spatial filter adapted to filter the optical signals.

30. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a matched spatial filter adapted to spatially filter the plurality of detected variables of the optical signals.

31. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a matched spatial filter adapted to filter a plurality of digitized images provided by said photodetector.

32. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to decode a plurality of digitized images and to interpret one or more variables of the plurality of digitized images.

33. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module provides an output proportional to an absolute value of ΔP/Δt, where P is an integrated perturbation along said fiber and t is time.

34. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to provide matched spatial filtering of a plurality of digitized images to optimize a signal-to-noise ratio.

35. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to process a predetermined portion of the optical signals.

36. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to process a portion of the optical signals, the portion associated with a human vital sign.

37. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to interpret a frequency of a perturbation of the fiber.

38. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to interpret a frequency of a perturbation of the plurality of detected variables.

39. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to interpret fluctuations in a speckle pattern of the optical signals.

40. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to interpret a conversion of excitation modes of the optical signals in a spatially filtered region.

41. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to interpret an incidence of lower order excitation modes of the optical signals in a predetermined spatial region.

42. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to interpret an incidence of high order excitation modes of the optical signals in a predetermined spatial region.

43. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to interpret a frequency of a perturbation of the plurality of detected variables, the frequency corresponding to a patient vital sign.

44. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to interpret a frequency of a perturbation of the plurality of detected variables, the frequency corresponding to a patient movement.

45. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to interpret a change in an optical power of the plurality of detected variables.

46. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to interpret a change in angle of an excitation mode of the optical signals.

47. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to interpret a change in excitation modes of the optical signals.

48. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to monitor the plurality of detected variables of the for a change in a patient's vital sign.

49. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to monitor the plurality of detected variables for a change in a patient's movement.

50. The system of claim 1 , wherein said signal processing module is adapted to automatically monitor the plurality of detected variables for a change in patient movement, respiration rate, or pulse rate.

51. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a human support structure supporting said fiber.

52. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a human support structure adjacent said fiber.

53. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a mattress adjacent said fiber.

54. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a pad adjacent said fiber.

55. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a carpet adjacent said fiber.

56. The system of claim 1 , wherein said system comprises an STM sensor.

57. The system of claim 1 , wherein said system comprises a HOME sensor.

58. A method, comprising:

transmitting from a wireless digital photodetector coupled to an fiber optic sensor a signal encoding a plurality of detected variables of optical signals emerging from the fiber optic sensor;

receiving the signal at a wireless receiver;

decoding the signal at a signal processing module coupled to a wireless receiver; and

interpreting the plurality of detected variables of the decoded signal.

59. A method, comprising:

spatially distributing a multimode optical fiber in a predetermined pattern for facilitating sensing of a predetermined type of perturbation;

transmitting optical signals from the spatially distributed integrating multimode optical fiber;

detecting the optical signals at a photodetector; and

wirelessly transmitting a wireless signal encoding a plurality of detected variables of the optical signals.

60. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

receiving the wireless signal at a wireless receiver.

61. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

decoding the wireless signal.

62. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

decoding the wireless signal at a signal processing module coupled to a wireless receiver.

63. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

decrypting the wireless signal.

64. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

frequency despreading the wireless signal.

65. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

demodulating the wireless signal.

66. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

sampling the wireless signal.

67. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

digitizing the wireless signal.

68. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

detecting the wireless signal.

69. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

demultiplexing the wireless signal.

70. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

spatially filtering the optical signals.

71. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

spatially filtering the wireless signal.

72. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

spatially filtering the detected variables.

73. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

Fourier transforming the wireless signal.

74. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

interpreting the wireless signal.

75. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

interpreting the plurality of detected variables.

76. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

monitoring the wireless signal.

77. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

monitoring the plurality of detected variables.

78. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

providing notification of a predetermined change in the wireless signal.

79. The method of claim 59 , further comprising:

providing notification of a predetermined change in the plurality of detected variables.

80. A machine-readable medium comprising instructions for activities comprising:

decoding a wireless signal obtained from a wireless digital photodetector coupled to an optical fiber spatial distributed in a predetermined pattern for facilitating sensing of a predetermined type of perturbation, the wireless signal encoding a plurality of detected variables of optical signals emerging from the spatially distributed fiber optic sensor; and

interpreting the plurality of detected variables of the decoded signal.