I-Corps: Miniaturized ultra-sensitive ion detectors for radiation sensing and monitoring

I-Corps项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力主要涉及开发更强大的核/辐射安保和安全基础设施，使政府和执法机构能够降低核恐怖主义或辐射暴露的风险。该项目的成功实施将提供嵌入实时辐射监测安全和安保网络的更好的筛查和检测工具。这将提高保护和监测能力，范围从建设规模的独立传感器网络(影响核电站和医院)一直到用于边境保护和智慧城市集成的城市规模传感器网络。I-Corps项目还将探索低成本、高灵敏度、可扩展、可联网和颠覆性的新离子传感技术的商业可行性，用于核安全和辐射安全应用。这项技术利用了先进纳米材料的某些新的物理特性，使它们具有前所未有的灵敏度，甚至可以检测到单离子。这些传感器能够在大范围的剂量范围内工作，在空气或真空下表现同样良好，并能清楚地区分正负离子，这对大多数辐射探测应用是至关重要的。考虑到尺寸、重量、功耗、性能和成本等参数，这项技术有望成为当前许多电离辐射检测方法的极具吸引力的替代方案。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project primarily involves the development of a more robust nuclear/radiation security and safety infrastructure that enables government and law enforcement agencies to lower the risk of nuclear terrorism or radiation exposure. A successful implementation of the project will provide better screening and detection tools embedded into a real-time radiation-monitoring safety and security network. This will improve the protection and monitoring capabilities that range from building-scale stand-alone sensor networks (impacting nuclear power plants and hospitals) all the way to city-scale sensor grids for border protection and Smart City integrations. Commercial potentials are also expected in several other directions such as mass spectrometry, power-grid monitoring, automotive engine tuning and emissions testing, and small payload space applications.This I-Corps project will explore the commercial viability of a low-cost, high-sensitivity, scalable, networkable and disruptive new ion sensing technology for nuclear security and radiation safety applications. The technology exploits certain novel physical properties of advanced nanomaterials which renders them with unprecedented sensitivity down to single-ion detection. The sensors are able to operate over a wide range of doses, perform equally well in air or under vacuum, and can clearly distinguish between positively and negatively charged ions, which are critical for most radiation-detection applications. Considering size, weight, power-consumption, performance and cost parameters, this technology is well-poised to be an extremely attractive alternative to many current ionizing radiation detection approaches.