SBIR Phase I: Accuracy and Performance Testing of Color Changing Chromophore for Sun Protection Indicator Stamp

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是解决防晒霜的有效性。这项拟议的技术将使人们能够及时使用足够的防晒霜，从而帮助最大限度地减少与紫外线有关的皮肤损伤的发生率，包括晒伤、年龄相关的光损伤和皮肤癌。皮肤癌是美国最常见的癌症，每年的治疗费用估计为81亿美元。对于消费者终端用户来说，这项技术将提供一个负担得起的、方便的、准确的防晒效果指标，帮助他们防晒。对于零售商来说，这项技术将提供一种创新的方法来增加销售，并在不蚕食现有防晒产品（零售商非常希望）的情况下，扩大整个防晒产品类别。对于防晒霜制造商/授权商来说，这项技术有可能将防晒霜的消费和销量提高2-4倍，提高品牌认知度，增加单位利润率。这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将验证紫外线/光敏化妆品染料（发色团）的安全性和准确性，该染料旨在实时监测防晒霜的保护情况。防晒霜可以预防皮肤癌、晒伤和光老化；然而，用户长期涂抹防晒霜不足，而且不经常补涂。尽管人们曾多次尝试创建衡量防晒霜功效的指标，但这些指标都不准确、昂贵且不方便，因此行业和消费者对它们的使用和采用都很有限。防晒系数（SPF）评级是唯一的全球防护标准，基于防晒霜保护用户免受晒伤的能力。因此，本项目的第一个目的是通过荧光光谱法确定发色团的光作用光谱，并将其与红斑反应曲线（引起晒伤的紫外线辐射的相对类型和强度）进行比较。第二个目标是验证当SPF值低于SPF 10-15时，在可变宽带（UVA/UVB）保护范围内的发色团是否会准确地改变颜色。最后，由于发色团是通过载体油墨直接涂在皮肤上的，因此将进行行业标准的化妆品安全测试，以确保发色团对皮肤应用是安全的。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to address sunscreen effectiveness. The proposed technology will enable application of sufficient sunscreen in a timely manner, thereby helping to minimize the incidence of ultraviolet-related skin damage including sunburn, age-related photodamage and skin cancer—the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the United States with an annual estimated treatment cost of $8.1 billion. For consumer end-users, this technology will provide an affordable, convenient, and accurate sunscreen effectiveness indicator to help keep them sun-safe. For retailers, this technology will provide an innovative means to increase sales and grow the Suncare category as a whole without any cannibalization of existing sunscreen products (highly desired by retailers). For sunscreen manufacturers/licensees, this technology has the potential to drive sunscreen consumption and sales by as much as 2-4x, grow brand recognition and increase unit profit margins. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will validate the safety and accuracy of an ultraviolet/light-sensitive cosmetic dye (chromophore) intended to monitor sunscreen protection in real-time. Sunscreen can prevent skin cancer, sunburns and photo-aging; however, users chronically underapply sunscreen and do not reapply often enough. Though numerous attempts have been made to create indicators to measure sunscreen effectiveness, they are inaccurate, expensive and inconvenient, which accounts for their limited use and adoption by the industry and consumers. Sunscreen Sun Protection Factor (SPF) ratings are the only global standard of protection and based on a sunscreen’s ability to protect users from sunburn. Therefore, the first aim of this project is to determine the photoaction spectrum of the chromophore by spectrofluorometry and compare it to the Erythemal Response Curve—the relative type and intensities of ultraviolet radiation that cause sunburns. The second aim will be to validate the chromophore will accurately change color when SPF levels drop below SPF 10-15 across a range of sunscreens of variable broadband (UVA/UVB) protection. Finally, since the chromophore is applied directly to skin via a carrier ink, industry standard cosmetic safety tests will be conducted to ensure the chromophore is safe for skin application.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.