Integrated optical sensor system for beverage analysis

Integrated optical transducers for the detection of chemical and biochemical species and for optical measurements on bulk media are the subject of intense research effort. While many such sensors have been demonstrated in research laboratories worldwide, commercial exploitation of integrated optical sensors has proceeded slowly. Progress towards incorporating multiple-output sensors, based around the use of integrated optical Mach-Zehnder interferomenters (MZI's), into a robust and inexpensive instrument is described in this paper. A 1D CCD array is used to acquire the multiple outputs, resulting in ready alignment and a flexible approach to device reconfiguration and offering particular promise for application to multianalyte transducers where several signals must be interrogated simultaneously. The sensitivity and low noise demonstrated by the detection system is expected to allow the use of cheap, stable, LED light sources in practical systems.