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

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/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风险。该项目的成功实施将提供更好的筛查和检测工具，并将其嵌入实时辐射监测安全和安保网络。这将提高保护和监测能力，从建筑规模的独立传感器网络（影响核电站和医院）一直到城市规模的传感器网格，用于边境保护和智能城市集成。预计在其他几个方向也有商业潜力，如质谱分析、电网监测、汽车发动机调整和排放测试以及小型有效载荷空间应用。该I-Corps项目将探索用于核安全和辐射安全应用的低成本、高灵敏度、可扩展、可联网和破坏性新离子传感技术的商业可行性。该技术利用了先进纳米材料的某些新颖物理特性，使它们在单离子检测方面具有前所未有的灵敏度。传感器能够在广泛的剂量范围内工作，在空气或真空中表现同样出色，并且可以清楚地区分带正电和带负电的离子，这对于大多数辐射检测应用至关重要。考虑到尺寸、重量、功耗、性能和成本等参数，该技术有望成为目前许多电离辐射探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.