SBIR Phase I: Inexpensive High-Performance Carbon Dioxide Environmental Monitor

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I research project will determine the performance and operating specifications for an inexpensive laser spectrometer suitable for high-precision detection of carbon dioxide in the environment. Carbon dioxide is the major contributor to greenhouse gas build-up in the atmosphere and is effecting global climate change. It is important to measure small changes on the large atmospheric background concentration. The new sensor will be about the size of a can of soda and provide parts-per-billion (ppb) CO2 sensitivity in a few seconds. The fully developed rugged prototypes will be suitable for long-term detection of carbon dioxide in environmental field applications. The significantly improved price point will enable widespread distribution of these sensors for atmospheric measurement applications without sacrificing performance for price. This will enable more widely distributed measurements of anthropogenic greenhouse gases that are leading to global climate change. The basic technology shall extend to other trace gas detection applications including biomedical breath diagnosis. Additional applications abound in detection of other environmental species important to health, occupational safety, and global warming. This research project will result in sensors that are smaller, less expensive, and more rugged than competing technologies.