Portable High Sensitivity and High Resolution Sensor to Determine Oxygen Purity Levels

The objective of this Phase I STTR project is to develop a highly sensitive oxygen (O2) sensor, with high accuracy and precision, to determine purity levels of high concentration (> 99%) O2 gas streams. This sensor will meet NASA applications for on-orbit O2 purity checks in portable life support systems (PLSS) and during in situ O2 production activities. InnoSense LLC (ISL) will utilize its proprietary Chemical Fingerprint (TM) sensor array fabrication technology in this project coupled with the combinatorial analysis and high throughput sensor evaluation capabilities of the STTR partner. In Phase I, ISL will engineer a working model and demonstrate NASA use potential of the technology. Upon fine-tuning various parameters in Phase II, the system performance will be tested with a prototype hardware. For assuring success of this project, ISL has assembled a technical team with a cumulative 90 person-years of experience in developing commercially viable sensor systems.

The multiplexing capabilities of the device make it very attractive for applications ranging from environmental monitoring to process control. A study by Frost & Sullivan titled " World Gas Sensors, Detectors and Analyzers Market" reveals that these markets earned revenues of over $1 billion in 2005 and estimates this to exceed $1.4 billion in 2012 (Source: Frost and Sullivan Report MC1377591, August 31, 2006). Pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, fermentation monitoring, cell culturing, and tissue culturing represent additional important applications. Upon repackaging, the device will have applications in firefighting, hazardous material response, hazardous material workers, industrial safety workers (e.g., coal miners, steel workers, etc.), and industrial confined space monitoring associated with many occupations (e.g., industrial chemical manufacturing).

NASA vision calls for safe, affordable human missions beyond Earth orbit to Mars, and through the Solar System. Monitoring and controlling of the life-support process needs to be performed by devices having attributes such as: (a) high accuracy and precision, (b) reduced size and weight, (c) long operational life, (d) reliable performance, (e) minimal calibration and maintenance requirements, and (f) portability. Oxygen is the "breath of life" in the environmental life support system (ECLS) for space-craft crew habitat and during extravehicular activities (EVA). In situ O2 production is likely in the future. The proposed sensor technology will provide NASA with a low-cost, robust, highly sensitive and accurate O2 sensor in a portable format.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 5) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

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