Chemical sensing patch with woven conductive fibers

In this Phase I SBIR, Seacoast Science proposes to develop a chemical sensor array based on conductive fibers and chemically sensitive materials that are compatible with being woven into a patch. The use of flexible circuitry and conductive fibers to interconnect the sensing sites to the readout circuit allows for a thin, lightweight system, and the use of polymer-composite materials as sensors means that the sensor will be small and require very little power to measure. Conductive fabrics and fibers can be woven to provide the necessary conductive pathways for power and data. Therefore patch will be small and lightweight and provide warfighters with a disposable detector system that does not increase their burden significantly. The modular design and ability to tune the sensors to specific target chemical classes means the device can easily be adapted to civilian or industrial detection applications, such as an industrial chemical monitor, similar to the radiation dosimeter worn by nuclear workers.