Colorimetric oxygen imaging and quantification with easily accessible optical devices

Optical oxygen imaging is essential in monitoring two-dimensional analysis of oxygen distribution. Two easily accessible optical devices were used for oxygen analysis to demonstrate the feasibility of an innovatively simple method. A light panel screen with light-emitting diode (LED) backlight was used as a light source to excite a luminophore film responsive to oxygen. Meso-scale fluidic sensor platform was prepared using porphyrin complex (PtOEP) as the luminophore embedded within ethyl cellulose (EC) polymer matrix. Green LED light uniformly displayed from the light panel excited the luminophore film to exhibit two-dimensional luminescence distribution corresponding to wet gaseous oxygen. A color camera was used as a photodetector for registering oxygen images and analyzing the oxygen contents quantitatively. This simple oxygen imaging enables the analysis of meso-scale spatial distribution with ubiquitous optical devices.