Highly Sensitive Compact Force Sensor Based on Microfiber Bragg Grating

We present and demonstrate a miniature contact force sensor based on a 30-μm diameter microfiber Bragg grating. The microfiber Bragg grating packaged in a conforming elastomer material features an extremely high sensitivity of 1.37 mN and excellent linearity up to a contact force of 0.65 N. The performances were experimentally characterized and meet all the essential specifications as minimally invasive surgery devices for catheters' applications. The novel force sensor is easy to fabricate and thus potentially low cost.