Novel design of a 3-axis optical fiber force sensor for applications in magnetic resonance environments

This paper describes a novel design of a 3-axis force sensor which can be applied in magnetic resonance (MR) workspaces such as that of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. The sensor operates based on an optical sensing principle to measure forces deforming a 3 degree-of-freedom (DOF) flexible structure. By detecting minute deflection of such a structure using an optical sensing scheme, the magnitude and direction of an applied force can be determined. The sensor prototype described in this document demonstrates its capability of performing force measurement in both axial and radial directions with the calibrated working ranges of +/-3 N. Because all the sensor´s components are entirely fabricated from non-metallic and dielectric materials, the sensor is considered suitable for applications in MR environments.