Feasibility testing of a novel high-throughput, tilt-compensated interferometer design is proposed. The Phase I effort will demonstrate a prototype and two manufacturing techniques for lowering costs. The novel optical design offers excellent interferometric stability, inexpensive manufacture and permanent alignment. The design is attractive for remote sensing from both aircraft and spacecraft, as well as commercial application. There is at least one mission in the hardware testing phase, which this combination of optical stability and stiffness would have greatly benefited. The design has high throughput appropriate for remote sensing, but would also have many industrial and medical applications, particularly non-invasive measurement of blood glucose levels and other human metabolites. Manning Applied Technology has the expertise to enhance the performance of the interferometer with powerful DSP hardware and software, making it more attractive for commercial application. POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS This highly-stable interferometer for use in Fourier transform spectrometry has widespread industrial, medical and military applications. By far the most important application is measurement of blood glucose and other human metabolites. The market impact for medical applications is measured in billions of dollars. Other applications include a range of process control, spectral imaging, environmental and occupational health monitoring, laboratoyr research, field measurements and remote sensing. Conservative estimates indicate a $10 million per year market for the technology. Cost-effectiveness insures capture of a significant market share.
