I-Corps: Chemical sensors for airborne detection

这个i-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是使空气中的化学传感器比现有技术更小、更轻、成本更低。这里开发的设备可以在超轻型无人机、可穿戴技术以及当前技术不适合或昂贵得令人望而却步的小空间中进行低功耗化学传感。全球化学传感器市场，包括国防(化学武器、爆炸物)、国内安全/第一反应(阿片类药物、炸弹探测、呼吸传感器)和工业卫生(有毒工业化学品)部门，年收入超过50亿美元，其中有毒气体传感器占15亿美元。由于尺寸和重量的优势，该项目有望服务于国防、国内安全和第一反应部门的市场。这个i-Corps项目进一步开发了交流阻抗技术，以检测定制设计的传感器材料的介电变化。调整探头频率以针对特定的化学相互作用使我们的传感器具有更高的选择性：例如，可以选择探头频率以避免环境干扰，例如通常只显示低频(100赫兹)阻抗变化的水蒸气。与类似性能的器件相比，该方法允许用更少的探头元件实现更高的选择性，从而允许更简单的器件可以被制造得更小，并且成本更低。该项目将频率选择融入到一种装置中，该装置使用交指电容器和覆盖有比色材料薄膜的装置。微控制器控制输入、反馈和阻抗分析仪，以在目标频率进行连续测量。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 I-Corps project is to enable airborne chemical sensors that are smaller, lighter, and lower cost than existing technology. The devices developed here enable low-power chemical sensing on ultralight drones, in wearable technology, and in small spaces where current technology would not fit or would be prohibitively expensive. The global chemical sensors market, including defense (chemical weapons, explosives), domestic security/first responders (opioids, bomb detection, breath sensors) and industrial hygiene (toxic industrial chemicals) sectors, produces more than $5B in annual revenue, with toxic gas sensors representing $1.5B. This project looks serve markets in the defense, domestic security, and first response sectors due to the size and weight advantages.This I-Corps project further develops an alternating current impedance technology to detect dielectric changes in custom designed sensor materials. Tuning the probe frequency to target specific chemical interactions allows our sensor to be more selective: For instance, probe frequencies can be chosen to avoid environmental interference, such as water vapor which typically manifests only low-frequency (100Hz) impedance changes. The method allows greater selectivity with fewer probe elements, allowing simpler devices that can be made smaller, and at lower cost, compared to devices of similar performance. The project incorporates frequency selection into a device that uses an interdigitated capacitor with overlaid thin film of colorimetric material. A microcontroller controls input, feedback, and an impedance analyzer for continuous measurements at targeted frequencies.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.