Photonic Crystal Fiber Sensor Based on Sensing
Ring for Different Blood Components: Design and
Analysis
Surinder Singh
Dept. of Electronic & Communication
Sant Longowal Institution of Engineering and Technology
Longowal -148106 (Punjab), India
surinder_sodhi@rediffmail.com
Abstract— This article proposed solid core PCF with sensing
ring for different blood component detection. Analytical
validation of proposed sensor has been done by using FEM
numerical technique in term of relative sensitivity and
confinement loss. In this PCF design, sensing liquid filled into
uniform circular ring and evanescent field interact with sensing
liquid for better light matter interaction. This proposed PCF
sensor design overcome some experimental challenge such as
leakage of light and sensing analyte loss during the displacement
of sensing probe. This proposed inner circular channel overcome
the drawback of external channel PCF probe. This uniform
circular sensing ring around the core overcome the losses and
support better evanescent field matter interaction for sensing
application.
Keywords— Evanescent field, FEM, RBCs, WBCs, Blood,
components.
I. INTRODUCTION
Photonic crystal fiber offer outstanding potential in optical
sensor technology and research interest increased remarkably
in last decade due to increase the research publication,
conference proceeding and patents. These micro structure
holey fiber support unique band gap and modified total
internal reflection propagation phenomenon that is not
possible in conventional fiber system. Some prime factor
which support unique sensing property are:(i) Photonic crystal
fiber made from single silica material.(ii) various array design
of air hole.(iii) infiltration of sensing liquid inside the air hole
add extra degree of freedom for sensing application[1].
Several research group around the globe trying to fabricate the
new design of PCF with unique sensing property. For
commercialization of sensor, PCF sensor accepted by various
fields such as food safety, liquid and gas detection, medical
detection, biosensing, bioimaging and drug detection
application [2]. This photonic sensing technology support new
R&D opportunities for young scientist and scholar and open
new gate way for strong business partnership in optical fiber
sensor technology. The market share will reach US$4.33bn in
2018. PCF sensor has high sensitivity, high performance, low
cost and flexible design. Knight et al.[3] fabricate first
978-1-5090-4749-9/17/$31.00 ©2017 IEEE 399
Veerpal kaur
Dept. of Electronic & Communication
Sant Longowal Institution of Engineering and Technology
Longowal-148106 (Punjab), India
kaur.veerpal617@gmail.com
hexagonal PCF design [1996] and advance technology support
different geometrical structure like octagonal (Ademgil et al.
[4]), decagonal (Razzak et al.[5]), elliptical (Hao et al. [6]),
honey comb cladding (Hou et al. [7]), hybrid core cladding
(Ahmed et al. [8]) design. Hollow core PCF has high
sensitivity, narrow transmission spectra and needed precise
arrangement of air holes [9]. Further, solid core PCF becomes
premium candidate to overcome the above limitation with low
sensitivity [10]. Many researchers have reported to enhance
the sensitivity of index guided PCF by different designs. Park
et al. [11] reported high index GeO2 doped silica ring
surrounding the central hollow core for more sensitivity and
lower confinement loss. Olyaee et al. [12] reported a modified
structure of GeO2 doped ring core PCF with hexagonal
arrangement of air holes. Sensor performance improved with
increase of inner holes diameter, core diameter, pitch and No
of holes in layers. This sensor design has relative sensitivity
13.23 % and minimum confinement losses 3.77×10-6 dB/m.
Morshed et al. [13] extended same work with four non-circle
rings around the GeO2 doped core and achieved sensitivity
16.88% and minimum confinement loss 1.765×10-8 dB/m.
Morshed et al. [14] proposed same structure with optimized
parameter for detection of CH4 , HF and various toxic gases in
environment. This sensor achieved relative sensitivity more
than 42.47% and confinement loss 4.783×10-6 dB/m. Morshed
et al. [15] proposed the use of P2O5 in outer ring and
compared the confinement loss with GeO2 doped core. Kawsar
et al. [16] proposed a hybrid design with core cladding is
micro structure for benzene, ethanol and water detection. This
proposed hybrid design has maximum sensitivity 49.29% and
confinement loss 3.13×10−10 for benzene chemical. Dinish et
al.[17] experimentally describe the use of hollow core PCF for
cancer cell detection. This proposed sensing technique has
minimum detection limit of protein 100 pg with sample
volume around 10 nL. Chorpa et al [18] proposed a diamond
ring resonator photonic crystal waveguide for disease
detection. This proposed sensor simulatively detect cancer
tissue, diabetes and blood component. All these reported PCF
sensor analysed analytically and numerically. Finite element
method (FEM) used to numerically investigate the sensor
ICUFN 2017
performance. Moreover, relative sensitivity and confinement For analytical analyses, the fundamental mode appears at core
loss are analytically approach to measure the sensor region and leaky mode in cladding region after mode analysis.
performance.. These two modes are shown in Fig.2.
In this article, we proposed a solid core PCF with sensing
ring for blood component detection. This proposed design III. NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
support strong light matter and support higher sensitivity due For evaluation of proposed photonic sensor performance
to evanescent field interact the blood sample in small ring effective refractive index, relative sensitivity and confinement
region. We analytically analysed PCF sensor for various blood loss has been analyzed.
component like water, plasma, RBCs ,WBCs and hemoglobin
by filling these blood sample in sensing ring of this proposed
sensor.
II. GEOMETRY OF PROPOSED C-PCF
Fig.1 shows cross sectional view of proposed circular
photonic crystal fiber with filling different blood component
into sensing layer around solid core. In cladding region, four
layer of air hole arranged into circular manner with first and
fourth layer have diameter 1.75 µm and 2nd and 3rd layer air
hole has diameter 0.8 µm. Sellmeier formula used for defining
the refractive indexes of background silica material and
sellimeier coefficient are listed Table 1:

A1  2 A2  2 A3  2 (1) Fig.2 (a): Fundamental mode

n ( ) 1  
 2  C1  2  C 2  2  C 3

TABLE I. SELLMEIER COEFFICIENT

Sellmeier coefficient Value

A1 0.696166300

A2 0.407942600

A3 0.897479400

C1 0.00467914826

C2 0.0135120631 Fig. 2(b): Leaky mode

C3 97.9340025 Firstly, effective refractive index observed by mode analysis at

simulator platform. Secondly, relative sensitivity defined how
much light intensity interactive with sensing species. The
evanescent field absorbed by sensing species and light
intensity attenuated based on the Beer Lambert law as in
equation (2).
I0
A log r  LC (2)
I
Here I 0 and I are intensity of incident and transmitted
wave, L is path length,  is molar absorptivity and C is
concentration of absorbing material. Relative sensitivity
coefficient r at particular wavelength is defined as
n
r  r f
(3)
ne

 (E H
x y  H x E y ) x  y ( s a m p le ) (4)
 f  100
Fig.1: C-PCF with sensing ring
around the solid core  (E Hx y  H x E y ) x  y (to ta l )

400
 Here nr stands for index of sensing analyte, ne is effective
index of guided mode and f is fraction of power located in
holes. E x , E y , H x , and H y are transverse electric and
magnetic field. Lastly, confinement loss occur when light
propagate inside core region and some part of light leakages
through air hole in cladding region. Confinement loss
controlled by proper selection of air filling ratio, no of air hole
rings, pitch, diameter of air hole and operating wavelength.
This loss referred as confinement loss and calculated by
following formula
L C ( d B / k m ) 8 .6 8 6 k 0 Im ( n e ff )  1 0 6 (5)
Here Im(neff ) signify imaginary part of effective refractive
index and k0 is free space number.
IV. RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Observed fundamental mode for different blood component are
specific to wavelength. Fundamental mode distributed all
through the sensing ring around the solid core which support
strong light matter interaction. Fig.3 shows fundamental mode
observed at ring region for different blood component such as
water and hemoglobin. By solving eigenvalue equation
effective refractive index of fundamental mode observed for all
blood components as shown in fig.4.
(water 1.330) has lowest sensitivity and higher index liquid
(RBCs 1.40) has highest relative sensitivity. Equation (3)
shows that relative sensitivity directly related to refractive
index of sensing liquid. In addition to this, confinement loss is
another performance parameter which increase with increase
in operating wavelength. Confinement loss depends on size of
air hole in cladding region and operating wavelength.
Confinement losses increase due light intensity penetrate into
cladding region at higher wavelength. For minimum losses,
diameter of 1st and 4th layer of air hole increase as compared
to 2nd and 3rd layer of air hole because large size air hole near
the sensing region support large confinement of light in core
region. Fig.6 shows confinement loss increase with increase in
wavelength and have minimum loss at specific wavelength
due to fundamental mode present in sensing ring and no light
leak out in cladding part. This proposed sensor design support
minimum confinement loss for water, WBCs and hemoglobin
are 8.1343×10-9(dB/m), 1.8134×10-8(dB/m), 1.1928×10-
8
(dB/m) at 0.8 µm and 4.8787×10-7(dB/m), 4.075×10-7(dB/m),
for plasma and RBCs at 0.9 µm.
TABLE II
PCF SENSOR PERFORMANCE FOR DIFFERENT BLOOD COMPONENTS
Blood Relative Confinement
Refractive
component index sensitivity Loss(dB/m)
Water 1.330 55.09021 8.1343×10
Plasma 1.350 54.04791 4.8787×10

WBCs 1.360 53.72134 1.8134×10

Hemoglobin 1.380 66.46978 1.1928×10

RBCs 1.40 56.05429 4.075×10

TABLE III
PERFORMANCE COMPARISON BETWEEN PROPOSED AND PRIOR PCF
Fig. 3.(a) :Water Parameter Ahmed Ahmed Proposed
[2015] [2016] [2016]

RI 1.350 1.360 1.380

Relative 54.04791 53.72134 66.46978

Sensitivity
[%]

Confinement 4.8787×10-7 1.8134×10-8 1.1928×10-8

Loss
(dB/m)
Fig. 3.(b): Hemoglobin Core design Circular Elliptical air Circular with
with hole circular
This novel biosensor design support strong light matter octagonal symmetry
interacts by filling blood sample in sensing ring near solid symmetry
core and support large relative sensitivity as compared to Cladding Circular hole Circular hole Circular hole
previously reported PCF design. Relative sensitivity increase design with circular with with circular
with increase in wavelength due large intensity distribution in symmetry octagonal symmetry
symmetry
sensing ring for respective blood component. Fig.5 show
relative sensitivity versus wavelength for different blood
component. We observed from graph that lower index liquid

401
 1.41
and table III compare the performance of different PCF
Water(1.330)
1.4
Plasma(1.350)
structure as reported in literature. This proposed sensor has
Effective Refractive Index
1.39 WBCs(1.360) highest performance as compared to previous design.
Hemoglobin(1.380) Furthermore, simulatively investigate the effect of ring width
1.38 RBCs(1.40) on confinement loss and relative sensitivity. Figure 7 (a) and
1.37 (b) show the relative sensitivity and confinement loss with
ring width 0.6 µm and 0.8 µm. Result shows that with
1.36
increase in ring width evanescent field distribute into large
1.35 region of ring and light matter interaction takes in less dense
1.34 manner and support lower sensitivity. Similarly, confinement
loss decrease at large width because light wave is more
1.33
confined in sensing region and leak of light into cladding
1.32 region decreases.
1.31
0.7 0.8 0.9 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 60
Wavelength[µm]
55
Fig. 4 Effective refractive index versus wavelength with sensing ring
width 0.6µm. 50

70 45

Relative sensitivity[%]
65 40

35
60
30
55
Relative Sensitivity[% ]

25
50 Ring width(0.6µm)
20 Ring width(0.8µm)
45
15

40 10
Water(1.330) 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4
35 Wavelength[µm]
Plasma(1.350)
RBCs(1.40)
30
HB (1.380) Fig. 7 (a) Relative sensitivity versus wavelength with varies sensing
25 WBCs(1.360) ring width

0
20 10
0.7 0.8 0.9 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4
Wavelength[µm]

Fig. 5 Relative Sensitivity versus wavelength with sensing ring width -2

10
0.6µm.
Confinement Loss[dB/km]

0
10
-4
10

-2
10
Confinement Loss [dB/km]

-6
10
-4
10
Ring width(0.6µm)
Ring width(0.8µm)
-8
-6
10
10 0.7 0.8 0.9 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4
Wavelength[µm]
Water(1.330) Fig. 7(b) Confinement loss versus wavelength with sensing ring
-8
10
Plasma(1.350) width 0.6µm
WBCs(1.360)
Hemoglobin(1.380)
-10
RBCs(1.40)
10
0.7 0.8 0.9 1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 V. CONCLUSION
Wavelength[µm]
In this article, a solid core with circular sensing ring PCF
Fig. 6 Confinement loss versus wavelength with sensing ring width
0.6µm
sensor proposed for blood component detection. This
proposed sensor design exhibit high relative sensitivity and
Table II represent maximum relative sensitivity and minimum confinement loss for different blood component
minimum confinement loss for different blood component like water, plasma, hemoglobin, red and white blood cells.

402
 The whole numerical analysis done by using finite element [17] Dinish, U. S., Chit Yaw Fu, Kiat Seng Soh, Bhuvaneswari
Ramaswamy, Anil Kumar, and Malini Olivo. “Highly sensitive SERS
method and performance analysed by varying structural detection of cancer proteins in low sample volume using hollow core
parameter of sensing ring. The proposed PCF sensor photonic crystal fiber,” Biosensors and Bioelectronics, Vol.33,
design has sensitivity 55.09% and confinement loss pp.293-298, March.2012.
[18] Chopra, Harshita, Rajinder S. Kaler, and Balveer Painam.“Photonic
8.1343×10-9(dB/m) for water, sensitivity 54.04791% and
crystal waveguide-based biosensor for detection of diseases,” Journal
confinement loss 4.8787×10-7(dB/m) for plasma, sensitivity of Nanophotonics Vol.10, pp.036011-036011, July 2016
53.72134% and confinement loss 1.8134×10-8 (dB/m) for
WBCs, sensitivity 66.4978% and confinement loss
1.1928×10-8(dB/m) for hemoglobin, sensitivity 56.05429%
and confinement loss 4.075×10-7 (dB/m) for RBCs. The
main focus of this proposed work to detect many human
diseases and play significant role in medical science.

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