SBIR Phase I: A Portable Oxygen Concentrator with High Flow Rates for In-home Therapy (COVID-19)

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是使患有呼吸系统疾病的患者能够轻松地输送氧气。目前，需要4 L/分钟以上的高氧流量的患者需要大而重的氧气罐，这限制了他们的行动和运输选择。与目前的便携式氧气浓缩器相比，建议的系统以更高的流速和更低的能量产生可呼吸的氧气，使患者能够持续使用。这使得能够以便携式方式持续生产氧气，以管理导致缺氧的医疗条件，包括慢性阻塞性肺疾病和冠状病毒病(新冠肺炎)。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将开发一种便携式系统，该系统利用一种新颖的光催化(光激活)反应将氧气从环境空气中分离出来，这些氧气被困在化学溶液中，然后根据需要通过温度控制反应释放。该项目将使用吸收光谱来监测捕集和释放反应，以确定理想的制氧条件。几种光敏剂化合物(富勒烯C70和C60、Rubrene和含有尿素的亚甲基蓝)将通过在更高的温度和光照下持续循环系统并监测它们对氧气产生的影响来评估系统寿命。然后将开发一个原型，以期望的能源消耗速率生成目标氧气流量，并使用台架测试验证所产生的氧气可安全吸入。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 enable easy oxygen delivery to patients with respiratory conditions. Currently, patients requiring high flow-rates of oxygen above 4 L/min require oxygen tanks that are large, heavy and can be hazardous, limiting mobility and transportation options. The proposed system produces breathable oxygen at higher flow rates and lower energy compared to current portable oxygen concentrators, enabling sustained patient use. This enables sustained oxygen production in a portable manner to manage medical conditions causing oxygen deprivation, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a portable system that utilizes a novel photocatalytic (light activated) reaction to separate oxygen from ambient air, trapped in a chemical solution, then released as needed through a temperature-controlled reaction. This project will monitor the capture and release reactions using absorption spectroscopy to determine the ideal conditions of oxygen production. Several photosensitizer chemical compounds (fullerene C70 and C60, rubrene, and methylene blue with urea) will be evaluated on system longevity by continuously cycling the systems under higher temperatures and light exposure, and monitoring their effects on oxygen production. A prototype will then be developed that generates targeted oxygen flow rates at the desired rate of energy consumption, and the oxygen produced validated as safe for inhalation using bench tests.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.