Design of hybrid EPON network with fiber-optic breath sensors

Optical fiber sensors are nowadays rapidly growing in the field of biomedical applications. It is possible to measure various variables, such as vital function, perform analysis of an analyte or observe bioluminescence. Specialized measurement using fiber optic sensors is the breath monitoring. For example, this system can be embedded into a bed for, or it can be a mobile device. Due to the passivity at the place of measurement and the use of non-magnetic materials in probe design, this solution is particularly interesting in applications where the environment is disturbed by the strong magnetic field such as in magnetic resonance imaging. The passivity of the sensor and operation over to long distance led to the idea of integration of sensors directly into the passive optical network. The design of coexistence of optic-fiber biosensors and PON is the primary aim of this publication. The proposed simulations and laboratory measurements point to problems that cause sensor integration into the network. As a result, methods for integrating sensors without compromising the communication part of the network are presented.