SBIR Phase I: Nanoelectronic Capnography Sensors

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop and commercialize a new generation of low-cost, disposable carbon dioxide gas sensors based on carbon nanotube sensor elements. The sensors will combine cutting-edge nanoelectronics with recognition chemistry coatings to make nanosensors that can measure carbon dioxide in breath (capnography). The sensors will be small enough to fit into the respiratory tube or nasal cannulae of patients requiring respiratory monitoring. This innovation will lower the cost of many surgical procedures and facilitate capnography monitoring in mobile and temporary settings by decoupling capnography from expensive, fixed monitoring equipment. The net benefits will include improved patient care and lower costs for healthcare providers. The project will take advantage of recent developments in fabricating hybrid nanotube-silicon transducers. This project will help move nanotechnology out of research laboratories into the commercial realm, thereby encouraging additional investment and overall R&D spending. Perhaps most important of all, the technology has the potential to make a small but important move toward lowered healthcare costs with improved patient care.