SBIR-STTR Award

Military, government and civilian personnel need timely and cost- effective warning of chemical and biological hazards in many arenas. Timely warning allows for effective personnel protection. Manning Applied Technology proposes to construct a novel Fourier transform- infrared spectrometer which is modular, compact, costs less than $5000 in quantity, and is optically tilt-compensated. The proposed design has excellent immunity to both linear and torsional vibrations as well as variable resolution. The electronics incorporate a novel architecture based on a digital signal processor. The power consumption is lower than any Fourier transform spectrometer built to date. The part-per-million internal calibration standard is an inexpensive, highly efficient semiconductor. Dr. Manning is an internationally-recognized FT-IR spectrometer design expert. He holds two recent patents on novel interferometer designs; 3 more are pending. Dr. Griffiths authored the textbook on Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and has 30 years experience in the field. Commercial applications include a wide range of process and quality control, spectral imaging, environmental monitoring, laboratory research, field measurements and remote sensing applications. Conservative estimates indicate a $10 million per year market for the technology. The low cost insures that it will capture a significant market share. The novel interferometer design is expected to have numerous applications in process and control including combustion, commercial remote sensing, spectral imaging.

A novel Fourier transform-infrared spectrometer will be developed. The instrument is modular, rugged, compact, and optically stable. Large volume pricing will be less than $4000 per unit. Two months of Phase I effort have demonstrated conclusively the feasibility of three critical technical objectives, generating strong commercial interest. Confidence is high that the remaining objectives will be achieved during the final four months of Phase I. The optical scanning is generated by rotation of a refractive element, giving excellent immunity to vibration. The electronics incorporate a novel architecture based on a digital signal processor, facilitating powerful data processing and sensor network applications. The reference laser is an inexpensive, highly efficient semiconductor, stabilized for part-per-million wavenumber calibration by an inexpensive quartz etalon. This instrument is particularly suitable for field applications, including standoff and point detection of chemical and biological contamination, as well as remote sensing from aircraft. Special versions will be capable of 1000 scans per second with resolution-limited throughput. Commercial applications include a wide range of process and quality control, laboratory research, field measurements and remote sensing. The modularity makes it readily configurable for a variety of applications. The high performance characteristics and inherent low cost ensure a significant market share.

Keywords:
Infrared, Permanently-Aligned, Interferometer, Ft-Ir, Compact, High-Throughput, Lightweight, Refractively-Scanned