Sudirman A, Björk G, Margulis W
Department of Fiber Photonics, Acreo AB, Electrum 236, 16440 Stockholm, Sweden.
Opt Express. 2010 Jan 4;18(1):134-40. doi: 10.1364/OE.18.000134.
A technique combining low-coherence reflectometry, laser ablation and microfluidics in a single microstructured fiber is developed. Experimental results demonstrate the possibility to ablate thin aluminum foil samples with fiber-guided Nd:YAG laser light, to collect liquid in the holes of the fiber and to simultaneously monitor the positioning of fiber for ablation and the fluid collection process with low-coherence reflectometry. Potential applications of the technique include minimally invasive retrieval of liquid samples with low contamination risk.
