SBIR Phase I: Optical Ethylene Monitor for Food Crop Quality Assurance

该小型企业创新研究第一阶段研究项目将确定高灵敏度激光光谱仪的性能和操作规范，适用于在作物加工应用中选择性检测痕量乙烯。作物通过释放低水平的乙烯来应对环境压力。如果能够检测到这些水平，就可以在作物生存能力受到损害之前减轻压力，从而显著减少浪费。对于收获后的作物加工，实时检测腐烂或衰老可以防止污染物在储存或运输过程中扩散到整个批次。由于灵敏度、选择性、时间响应或成本，目前的监测器是不够的。新的更快的监测器将使组件能够控制植物生长，早期检测压力，精确应用成熟抑制剂和其他化学试剂，以及成功的长期储存和交付。这种从种子到种子的严格监控的生命周期将为今天的农业提供持续提高产量的工具。这款紧凑、坚固、实时、十亿分之一气体乙烯分析仪将适合在农业行业中广泛应用。它将减少由于未被发现的环境、加工、储存和运输压力而造成的作物损失。基本技术可以扩展到其他痕量气体检测应用，包括生物医学呼吸诊断。其他应用在检测对健康，职业安全和全球变暖重要的痕量环境物种中比比皆是。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I research project will determine the performance and operating specifications for a high-sensitivity laser spectrometer suitable for selective detection of trace ethylene during crop processing applications. Crops react to environmental stressors by releasing ethylene at low levels. If these levels can be detected, stressors may be mitigated before crop viability is compromised, significantly reducing waste. For post-harvest crop processing, real-time detection of rot or senescence can prevent contamination from spreading to entire batches during storage or transport. Present monitors are inadequate due to sensitivity, selectivity, time response or cost. New faster monitors will be enabling components for controlled plant growth, early detection of stress, precise application of ripening inhibitors and other chemical agents, and successful long-term storage and delivery. This tightly monitored life cycle from seed to seed will provide today's agricultural industry the tools to continually increase production yields. This compact, rugged, real-time, parts-per-billion gaseous ethylene analyzer will be suitable for widespread application in the agricultural industry. It will reduce the loss of crops due to undiscovered environmental, processing, storage and transport stress. The basic technology can extend to other trace gas detection applications including biomedical breath diagnosis. Additional applications abound in detection of trace environmental species important to health, occupational safety, and global warming.