Aquatic environments are poorly understood and this lack of understanding needs to change as population pressures affect all aqueous biomes, particularly those of the oceans. A major difficulty in gathering data from the oceans is the lack of appropriate instrumentation. The principals of Research International have been developing sensors for physical, chemical and biological analysis for some 20 years with a prime focus on ‘smaller, faster, and cheaper’. This program will develop a state-of-the-art optical oxygen sensing system that combines a novel oxygen sensitive polymer with a compact, low-power optoelectronic interrogation package. The micron-thick oxygen sensing film undergoes a reversible color change upon exposure to UV light, and returns to its initial colorless state at an oxygen-dependent rate. This program will create a high-resolution measurement system that is at the same time, significantly less expensive and smaller than present instruments.
Potential Commercial Applications: Oceanographic monitoring, environmental monitoring, intracranial oxygen measurements, fermentation monitoring
