Fluctuation-Enhanced Chemical & Biological Sensor Systems

This proposed project is aimed at the design and development of a portable chemical-based sensing system that will possess a significantly enhanced ability to detect and selectively analyze chemical (and potentially biological) agents, at parts per million (ppm) concentrations and below, using stochastic fingerprinting techniques. This new technological approach is based on the principle of Fluctuation-Enhanced Sensing (FES) that utilizes the micro-fluctuations already present in the sensor and that are influenced by very low concentrations of chemical (and also potentially by biological) agents in a statistically meaningful way. Following our Phase-I feasibility studies of utilizing Fluctuation-Enhanced Sensing (FES) techniques for the detection and analysis of chemical agents at very low concentrations, and several scenarios for potential extensions of the technique for biological agent sensing, this Phase-II effort will be focused on the design and demonstration of an FES-based sensory platform which will be constructed using commerical off the self (COTS) sensor technology. This sensor prototype willl be compact and will exhibit significantly enhanced performance in terms of chemical (and possibly biological) agent detection and selective analysis capability.