Affordable Bistatic Spectroscopic Platform for Toxin Identification

The problem addressed by this project is the rapid identification of high consequence toxins with a device costing under 1000 dollars. The aim of this project's research is to furnish a device and suite of algorithms to solve the problem for 6 toxin surrogates. The device is to be a stripped-down, cost-constrained version of our more-comprehensive, patented new instrument under development. The instrument is able to determine micron-order thicknesses of liquid chemical layers on surfaces, making it ideal for quantitative as well as qualitative toxin identification. Its orientable transmitter and receiver modules are easily configurable to form a line-of-sight path through any local gas cloud, and it can therefore detect the vapors of volatile chemicals as well. The instrument makes its identifications in the field, by means of infra-red spectroscopy, so there is no need for sample preparation. Ambiguity due to substance-on-surface effects is eliminated by means of the instrument’s patented structure and patented and proprietary algorithms. Identification time is on the order of seconds, which is well within the one-hour limit for producing results. Per-test cost, not counting labor or maintenance, would consist only of the energy to run the battery-powered instrument, and will be less than 20 dollars. Given the 5-month duration of Phase I, the device used will be a hybrid brassboard prototype put together from existing components, other off-the-shelf components, and benchtop lab instruments. The instrument will collect data by interrogating toxin surrogates, and algorithms written in MATLAB will perform discrimination operations on the collected data.