CO2 sensor for mainstream capnography based on TDLAS

The setup and signal processing for a mainstream capnography sensor is presented in this paper. The probe exhibits an optical path length of 2.5 cm and is equipped with a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser at 2 μm. The sensor does not need any calibration, since the CO₂ absorption line as well as the laser background is measured using direct tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy. Unavoidable optical fringes are reduced with a self-developed fringe rejection method. The sensor achieves a concentration resolution <300 ppmv at 4 vol% and a measurement rate >30 Hz.