STTR Phase II: Zero-Power Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Sensing Tags

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏与再投资法案》(Public Law 111-5)资助的。这个小型企业技术转让(STTR)第二阶段研究项目专注于开发集成零功率射频识别传感标签(RFID-ST)的智能传感器网络，该网络结合了数字微电子机械系统(MEMS)开关和射频(RF)天线的技术，可用于各种分布式传感器应用。虽然微型传感器技术看起来非常有前途，但大多数现有的传感器都需要大量能源，而且电池寿命非常短。然而，RFID-ST不需要专用电源；相反，在对感兴趣的特殊代理进行选择性检测后，这种微小、低成本的传感器会在射频读取器/换能器询问信号时反馈信号。在该项目中，将开发一种带有温度传感器的零功率RFID传感器标签，用于血液供应应用。由此产生的标签将通过识别每种血液产品来提高输血安全性，实际上消除了混淆的可能性。标签还将配备温度传感器，以实现对冷却链的持续监控。这项研究的更广泛影响将使所产生的无线传感器几乎可以战略性地部署在几乎任何地方：血液供应、冷却链产品、国土安全、边境和运输安全工作、各种有毒气体、生物威胁剂、爆炸物和环境病原体。环境和监管用途存在于检测化学品泄漏、污染物和危险材料的非法储存；而RFID-ST技术将使工业用户能够监测化学品储存和处理系统。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II research project focuses on developing a smart sensor network integrated with Zero-Power Radio Frequency Identification - Sensing Tags (RFID-ST) that combines the technology of a digital Microelectronic Mechanical System (MEMS) switch and a Radio Frequency (RF) antenna for a wide variety of distributed sensor applications. While micro sensor technologies appear very promising, most existing sensors are energy hungry and have a very short battery life. The RFID-ST, however, requires no dedicated power source; rather, after selective detection of special agents of interest, this tiny, low cost sensor reports back the signal when it is interrogated by an RF reader/transducer. During this project, a zero-power RFID sensor tag will be developed with temperature sensors for blood supply applications. The resulting tag will improve transfusion safety by identifying each blood product, virtually eliminating the possibility of mix-up. The tag will also be equipped with a temperature sensor to enable continuous monitoring of the cooling chain. The broader impacts of this research will allow the resulting wireless sensors to be strategically deployed virtually anywhere: blood supply, cooling chain products, homeland security, border and transportation security efforts, various toxic gases, biological threat agents, explosives, and environmental pathogens. Environmental and regulatory uses exist in the detection of chemical leaks, contaminants, and illegal storage of hazardous materials; and RFID-ST technology would allow industrial users to monitor chemical storage and processing systems.