In ongoing and recent prior work for the Army, this firm has developed a unique, patented technology for voltammetric electrochemical detection of toxic gases, chemical warfare agents, proteins such as Thrombin and Fibrinogen and other analytes. Features include: (1) Voltammetric detection yielding analyte "fingerprints" much like an IR spectrum for high discrimination. (2) 3-module construction (disposable sensing element; tiny Microcontroller; Android cellphone control interface). (3) Small (1cmX1cmX1mm), inexpensive ($250), portable, thin, flexible, lightweight (2g), body-wearable, environmentally durable construction. (4) Operating temperature -40 to +80 C. (5) Detection times <5s. (6) Power 10 micro-W/cm^2. (7) Self-calibrating. The proposed work will further develop these for sensing contaminants of interest. It will further develop, optimize sensor, Microcontroller, Android interface, data-analysis algorithms, and sensor Form Factor, all specifically for the NASA application. It will include environmental durability, shelf-life and other tests. Final design and methods of manufacture will be arrived at and commercialization initiated. Anticipated
Benefits: Successful completion will lead to an entirely new, field-portable, body-wearable, handheld, voltammetric electrochemical sensor technology with "fingerprint" discrimination of analytes, for NASA application not only in contamination of spacecraft, but also, e.g., for fuel leaks. Apart from the NASA application, commercial applications are in toxic gas and pesticide and detection in the agriculture, mining and industrial markets, where extant technologies are bulky and expensive, and/or suffer from poor selectivity, lack of body-wearability, poor interferents discrimination, false positives, slow detection. Based on recent surveys, the commercial/-industrial market is estimated at up to $2B/year in the US alone. Successful completion will lead to an entirely new, field-portable, body-wearable, handheld, voltammetric electrochemical sensor technology with "fingerprint" discrimination of analytes, for NASA application not only in contamination of spacecraft, but also, e.g., for fuel leaks. Apart from the NASA application, commercial applications are in toxic gas and pesticide and detection in the agriculture, mining and industrial markets, where extant technologies are bulky and expensive, and/or suffer from poor selectivity, lack of body-wearability, poor interferents discrimination, false positives, slow detection. Based on recent surveys, the commercial/-industrial market is estimated at up to $2B/year in the US alone.
