Real-Time Group Refractive Index Measurement of Fluids Using Interferometry Application Note

Maintaining proper chemical composition of medical grade fluids is an important control parameter for medical device manufacturers who need a system that has repeatable measurements, high accuracy, ease of use, and could be used either online or offline. Refractive index of the solution offers one such indicator, which is directly correlated with the chemical composition of a solution mix.

Group refractive index (GRI) can easily be measured using a time-domain low-coherence interferometer with a measurement system like the OptiGauge II, to address the measurement needs associated with these fluids. When combined with opto-mechanical or software development, it offers powerful custom metrology solution to multiple online manufacturing and quality control applications. The demonstrated approach can be adapted for online applications to provide:

• Real-time temperature monitoring
• Non-invasive, non-contact measurement
• NIST traceable data for regulatory compliance