Recipient Organization
IONICSCALE LLC
501 BOULEVARD PL NE
ATLANTA,GA 30308
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
With the growing demand for effective, yet socially and environmentally conscious solutions to our fundamental agricultural supply chains, the need for widely deployable sensing instruments to detect and monitor chemical signatures of contamination, infestation, or other potential issues is critically needed. IonicScale LLC is developing low-cost, compact mass spectrometry-based chemical sensors that can be utilized for this purpose, among many others.This Phase I project will enable substantial risk reduction in the development of membrane-based inlet systems allowing the deployment of low-cost sensors in soil or submerged in liquid. This effort will focus on designing the membrane-based sampling system to be compatible with IonicScale's ultra-compact chemical-mass analyzer package. Demonstrating the compatibility will require test builds and careful measurements of vacuum performance (e.g. leak and permeation rates). These measurements will help identify the best geometries and material choices for different desired analytes and sampling rates. In conjunction with demonstrating suitable membrane-based sampling systems, work with industry and Agriculture Research Services partners will be performed to find critical need areas and requirements to address with field testing of prototype sensors in follow on phases of the project.The long-term goal of a chip-scale, low cost, size, weight, and power consumption (C-SWaP) mass spectrometer coupled with appropriately engineered-for-purpose membrane inlets for water, soil, or air sampling will enable a new paradigm in widespread collection of high-quality data to inform water, soil, and air quality management. Imagine the instrument is cost effective enough to simply leave at the relevant monitoring site, collecting data without the need for technical site visits. For example, such a network of sensors would allow early detection of pipeline leaks so they can be corrected before they cause catastrophic impacts to watersheds and ecosystems as well as assist clean-up efforts in contamination accidents.
Animal Health Component
60%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
60%
Developmental
20%
Goals / Objectives
This Phase I project will have two primary goals. First, the primary technical goal of this SBIR will be to investigate various polymers and mechanical designs incorporating them to serve as membrane inlet sampling systems for IonicScale's Gen I (hand-held) and Gen II (chip-scale) mass spectrometry-based chemical sensors. This important subsystem will allow IonicScale's instruments to be utilized as in situ sensors for air, water, and soil environments.The second goal of this project is to identify industry and/or Agricultural Research Service (ARS) partners to collaborate with in order to test a prototype instrument in a relevant operational environment in a Phase II effort.To progress towards these goals, this project has three key objectives:Design, build, and test membrane inlet sampling systemsProve compatibility of the inlet systems with IonicScale's Gen I compact physics package and vacuum pumping systemIdentify and work with stakeholders to define critical performance requirements and specifications for future instruments that target in situ applications
Project Methods
This effort will focus on designing a membrane-based sampling system compatible with IonicScale's ultra-compact chemical-mass analyzer packages. Demonstrating the compatibility will require test builds and careful measurements of vacuum performance (e.g. leak and permeation rates). To accomplish this, a variety of different membrane materials will be identified, and selected from for suitability in effective permeation rate, response time, and sensitivity. These materials will then need to be tested directly on a standard-issue vacuum chamber constructed using commercial off-the-shelf components and laboratory gas analyzers. These measurements will help identify ideal geometries and material choices for different desired sampling rates and instrument configurations. Following those initial tests, we will then measure the response times and flux rates of the inlet for various compounds of interest using commercially available calibrant gases and liquids. This will be important information, as many of these parameters are determined empirically and can vary due do details in the inlet geometry. Finally, we will verify theses inlets are able to reach the operational "sampling" and "background" (e.g. inlet closed) pressures when implemented into a portable vacuum package.In parallel to demonstrating suitable membrane-based sampling systems, the effort will focus on working with industry and the Agriculture Research Service to find critical need areas to address with field testing of prototype sensors in follow on phases of the project. This will be achieved by collaborative discussions with potential partners or future customers and success will be evaluated by being able to reach consensus on sensor design requirements to address active field detection needs.