SBIR Phase I: Non-Invasive Lobster Vitality Sensor

This small business innovation research (SBIR) Phase I project will investigate the feasibility of a new optical sensing paradigm complete with field-deployable, non-invasive, automated, sensors for routine assessment of lobster vitality. The instrument incorporates a fiber optic probe that is interfaced with the lobster ventral sinus membrane and interrogates lobster health through absorbance and fluorescent spectroscopy of the lobster hemolymph. The specific research objectives: (i) analyze lobster hemolymph in vivo using non-invasive, optical sensor. (ii) compare these measurements to those obtained with extracted hemolymph from the same lobsters (iii) determine the feasibility of the proposed method and the design specifications for a portable, non-invasive, lobster vitality sensor. The broader impacts of this research are that the development of this sensor will enable the transition of sensor research current research at Mainely Sensors and The Lobster Institute, at the University of Maine, to a fully commercialized product in the lobster markets while promoting teaching and learning for University undergraduate and graduate students. Currently funded, NSF educational grants, GK-12, Research Experience for Undergraduates, Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship, and Research Experience for Teachers sensor programs, integrate sensor science and technology into the University and secondary school curricula, and offer research, educational, and job opportunities for the participants. It will benefit the national and international American lobster industry, including lobstermen, lobster dealers, holding facilities, and shippers, and research community. It is also anticipated that the proposed sensor will be applicable to other lobster and crustacean species.