Microchip Capillary Electrophoresis for In Situ Water Analysis

In this Small business Innovate Research (SBIR) project, Leiden Measurement Technology, LLC (LMT) will develop a portable microfludic analysis instrument for measurement of inorganic ions present in potable water supplies, thermal control system cooling water, and human waste water. A primary goal of the Phase I effort is to identify and demonstrate the most viable development path to advance current state-of-the-art NASA microfluidic analytical instrument technology into a user-friendly, compact, and automated instrument platform for use on the International Space Station. In this SBIR Phase I effort, LMT will advance current state-of-the-art technologies by performing a proof-of-concept demonstration of Microchip Capillary Electrophoresis (MCE) with Capacitively-Coupled Contactless Detection (C4D) for the rapid separation, detection and quantification of inorganic ions specified in NASA Spacecraft Water Exposure Guidelines (SWEG). The specific objectives of this Phase I R&D effort are: 1) Design and build a prototype C4D for use with MCE. 2)Assemble a MCE breadboard system for proof-of-concept demonstration of separation of inorganic ions using the C4D prototype.3) Demonstrate the separation of inorganic cations listed in the SWEG using the MCE C4D breadboard. 4)Use the data collected with the prototype to define requirements and develop a design for a Phase II instrument.

The proposed SBIR effort directly satisfies important needs described in NASA SBIR 2015 Subtopic H3.01 Environmental Monitoring for Spacecraft Cabins - Measurement of Inorganic Species in Water. The technology developed will provide new water quality analysis capabilities designed for measurement of inorganic species/contaminates on board the International Space Station and other spacecraft. This directly addresses the NASA Human Exploration and Operations Directorate goals by providing technology to enable the safe and extended use of the International Space Station. The proposed technology is also highly relevant the needs of Human-Robotic Space Exploration and Space Life & Physical Science Research Applications. The instrument will prove improved and enhanced technology to overcome analytical constraints that may be encountered in future Science Exploration missions.

Chemical separation and analysis of inorganic ions from aqueous matrices is a fundamental need in many industries including: pharmaceutical, chemical, food and beverage, environmental, and medical, and biotech. Our SBIR developed compact automated instrument system is particularly suited for the measurement of trace levels of inorganic contaminates in drinking water. The innovative power of our system stems from automation and robustness, which greatly improves portability and allows use in remote regions across the globe. As an automated system for medical applications, our instrument will provide point-of-use technology for the identification and quantification of inorganics (and organics) in biological fluids with lab-on-a-chip analysis. The instrument is well suited for numerous potential commercial applications where separation and of inorganic species is required including: soil analysis, materials science, in situ resource recovery, monitoring of contamination from process systems and catalyst beds.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — 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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