US Patent 9110249 In-line fiber optic monitors responsive to optical intensity

Apparatus and methods to monitor optical intensity within optical fibers in a substantially non-invasive fashion are disclosed. Optical monitors are comprised of thin, conductive coatings applied to transparent substrates and patterned to form pairs of resistive elements, one of which intersects an optical beam propagating through optical fiber cables. Systems of distributed optical monitors interconnecting optical fiber links enable automated monitoring of the optical status across a communications networks.