Automated Individual Real-Time Toxic Exposure Monitoring (AIRTEM) System

Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and Central Asia have placed deployed military personnel in increased danger of being exposed to non-traditional munitions such as chemical warfare agents (CWA). Exposure to CWA is characterized by short term effects including reduced performance, resource loss, and mission failure, as well as long term effects such as medical complications (Gulf War Syndrome). In this Phase II SBIR program, Foster-Miller proposes to aid in the defense of American military personnel from CWA through development of a novel diagnostic device. The proposed effort will build upon the successes of the Phase I program, which resulted in the identification of biomarkers indicating the exposure of human cells to two chemical warfare agents. As a result of the Phase II program, a prototypical device of Foster-Miller's Automated Individual Real-time Toxic Exposure Monitor (AIRTEM) will be fabricated and its ability to detect the presence of biological analytes indicating the exposure of human cells to target CWA will be demonstrated. (P-040172)