The National Institute of Health has awarded an SBIR Phase I grant to Synkera Technologies to develop ozone sensors that allow sufferers of respiratory diseases to measure in-field exposure.
The project aims to develop and validate a personal monitor that can detect low levels of ozone (<12 ppb) in real-time.
This will aid research on respiratory diseases, leading to a better understanding of how people are affected by environmental exposures.
Exposure to elevated levels of ground-level ozone can cause illness in susceptible individuals, particularly children.
Susceptible individuals can experience respiratory system irritation, reduced lung function, inflammation and damage to cells that line the lungs, aggravation of chronic lung diseases and permanent lung damage.
Synkera plans to build on recent advances in electrochemical sensing technology to create a product that is smaller, faster, more sensitive, stable and cheaper than available electrochemical sensors.
The detector will integrate a solid polymer electrolyte (SPE) for leak-free and stable operation; it will use ultra-small electrodes (nano-dots) featuring nanometer length scales for increased sensitivity; and will use a nanoscale anodic aluminum oxide substrate for reproducible mass production.
It will also address potential cross-interference through sensor operation.
