SBIR Phase I: Single photon imaging by solid-state photon sensor array spectroscopy

这项小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目的更广泛影响/商业潜力是促进更快速、更准确的诊断。该项目为医疗和生物技术系统开发新的光学技术，具有更高的灵敏度，可以检测更小更少的分子。目标市场是医疗诊断仪器、生物研究仪器、显微镜和高分辨率光学仪器的公司。拟议的设备将包括定制设计的阵列，以取代旧的技术，以及为现有产品提供新功能的全配置光学单元。通过提高光检测设备的速度和创建新一代检测阵列，该技术将使新一代基于光学检测的诊断设备成为可能。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目开发了一种用于光谱仪器应用的新型光探测传感器阵列。该项目将“差分盖革模式”技术直接集成到读出电路中，将光子探测死区时间减少了2个数量级以上。这些专门的集成电路被放置在传感器阵列内部，以实现高速（GHz）信号采集。一种新型的冷却装置将采用车载热电冷却，并将其与专门的外壳集成在一起，以确保高性能传感器运行的最佳环境和使用寿命。该项目将推进新一代传感器阵列，能够在单光子水平上运行，并具有高速信号采集。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值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 facilitate more rapid diagnostics with better accuracy. The project develops new optical technologies for medical and biotechnology systems, with higher sensitivity to detect smaller and fewer molecules. The target markets are companies in medical diagnostic instruments, biological research instruments, microscopy, and high-resolution optical instruments. The proposed device will consist of custom-designed arrays to replace older technologies, as well as fully configured optical units offering new capability to existing products. By increasing the speed of light detection devices and creating a new generation of detection arrays, this technology will enable a new generation of optical detection-based diagnostic devices.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project develops a new light detection sensor array for spectroscopy instrumentation applications. The project incorporates "Differential Geiger Mode" techniques directly into the read-out circuitry, reducing the photon detection dead time by over 2 orders of magnitude. These specialized integrated circuits are placed within the sensor array itself to achieve high speed (GHz) signal collection. A novel cooling arrangement will be implemented by applying on-board thermoelectric cooling and integrating it with a specialized housing to ensure the optimal environment for high performance sensor operation and operational longevity. This project will advance a new generation of sensor arrays capable of functioning at the single photon level with high speed signal collection.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.