SBIR Phase I: Miniature NOx Sensor for Small Airborne Platforms

这项小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目旨在开发一种用于无人机（uav）和其他小型空中平台的新型氮氧化物传感器。这些飞行器中的许多都非常小，因此对仪器有效载荷的空间和重量允许非常有限-事实上，用于实时测量感兴趣的微量气体的大多数传统仪器都太大，消耗太多的功率，无法用于无人机。本项目旨在开发一种新的测量一氧化氮（NO）和二氧化氮（NO2）的仪器，该仪器基于一种适合小型化的新技术。该仪器将非常小和轻，允许它用于非常小的无人机以及探空气球。第一阶段的研究将演示概念验证仪器的操作。预计将有多种医疗应用，特别是在哮喘诊断和治疗方面。该仪器还将广泛用于卫星校准和验证。最终，氮氧化物检测仪将带来两个公共利益：改善空气质量（以及由此带来的健康效益），改进哮喘的治疗方法和诊断措施。一个重要的直接医疗应用将是对哮喘患者的诊断和治疗。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is intended to develop a new type of NOx sensor for use on Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and other small aerial platforms. Many of these vehicles are quite small, and therefore have very limited space and weight allowances for instrument payloads - in fact, most traditional instruments used for real-time measurement of trace gas species of interest are simply too large and consume too much power to be used on UAVs. This project is to develop a new instrument for the measurement of nitric oxide (NO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) based on a novel technique that lends itself to miniaturization. The instrument will be very small and light to allow it to be used in very small UAVs as well as on sounding balloons. Phase I research will demonstrate operation of a proof-of-concept instrument.A variety of medical applications are foreseen, particularly in relation to asthma diagnosis and treatment. The instrument will also find extensive use in satellite calibration and validation. Ultimately, the NOx instrument will lead to two public benefits: improved air quality (and resulting health benefits), and improved treatment methods and diagnostic measures for asthma. An important direct medical application will be in the diagnosis and treatment of people suffering from asthma.