VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Currently, breathing detection devices in Indonesia are considered very limited in quantity. Even if there is, there is an analog system only. The electrode material used as a sensor is also poor in irradiated fields such as MRI. The size of the tool is also still large. Seeing this, lecturer of Sepuluh November Institute of Technology (ITS) in Surabaya, East Java, Agus Muhamad Hatta ST, PhD invents innovative sensor to detect various breathing with fiber optics as the main material. The tool is called ‘Senapas’ (Optical Fiber for Breath). In his invention, Agus Muhamad Hatta ST  PhD discovered the tool at the Photonic Engineering Laboratory of ITS Engineering, Department of Physics. The man who is familiarly called Hatta explained that the optical fiber is a transmission line; it’s a kind of cable made of glass or plastic. This tool is very smooth. Its diameter is approximately 120 micrometers. The size is thinner than a hair. The thin cable can be used to deliver light signals from one place to another. Light sources used are usually laser or Light-Emitting Diode (LED). The light inside the optical fiber will also not come out because the refractive index of glass is bigger than the refractive index of air. So, the fiber optic transmission speed is very high. Agus Muhamad Hatta ST, PhD as Chairman of the Department of  Physics Engineering  explains, optical fiber is chosen as a sensor because it is lightweight, small, and practical. Its small shape makes it possible to use Senapas anytime and anywhere. In addition, the optical fiber properties are also immune to electromagnetic fields, so it is safe to use in the environment of Magnetic Imaging Resonance (MRI). The optical fiber is placed in an oxygen mask connected to the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD). Because optical fibers are used as sensors, the Breath can measure the breathing quality directly from the oxygen mask worn to the display monitor. Hatta also views that breathing detection device -Breath is very useful. It can be used not only for medical analysis, but also psychological analysis, or the resilience of workers in the industrial world. Take for example in the mining industry. Mining conditions underground may be observed with this respiratory detection device directly and it can also detect the athlete's fitness condition or other cases. Hatta hopes, this tool can be commercialized freely although the selling value of this tool is quite expensive. Data viewer system is quite expensive, but the oxygen mask is quite cheap, because once it is used, it can be thrown away.