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

小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是解决防晒效果问题。拟议的技术将使及时涂抹足够的防晒霜，从而有助于将紫外线相关皮肤损伤的发生率降至最低，包括晒伤、与年龄相关的光损伤和皮肤癌--皮肤癌是美国最常见的诊断癌症，每年估计治疗成本为81亿美元。对于消费者最终用户，这项技术将提供负担得起、方便和准确的防晒效果指标，帮助他们保持防晒安全。对于零售商来说，这项技术将提供一种创新的手段来增加销售额，并在不蚕食现有防晒产品(零售商非常希望的)的情况下整体增长Suncare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售额提高2-4倍，提高品牌认知度，并提高单位利润率。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将验证旨在实时监测防晒保护的紫外线/光敏化妆品染料(发色团)的安全性和准确性。防晒霜可以预防皮肤癌、晒伤和光老化；然而，用户长期使用的防晒霜不足，重复使用的次数也不够多。尽管已经进行了许多尝试来创建衡量防晒霜有效性的指标，但这些指标不准确、昂贵且不方便，这就导致了它们在行业和消费者中的使用和采用有限。防晒霜防晒系数(SPF)评级是唯一的全球防晒标准，基于防晒霜保护用户免受晒伤的能力。因此，该项目的第一个目标是通过荧光分光光度法确定发色团的光作用光谱，并将其与红斑反应曲线进行比较-红斑反应曲线是导致晒伤的紫外线辐射的相对类型和强度。第二个目标是验证当SPF水平降至SPF 10-15以下时，发色团是否会准确地改变颜色，这些防晒霜覆盖了一系列具有可变宽带(UVA/UVB)防护的防晒霜。最后，由于发色团通过载体墨水直接应用于皮肤，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NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势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.