There is a need in the Homeland Security Enterprise for small, lightweight, and low-cost chemical sensors for many real-world applications. One important aspect is ensuring food protection against both accidental and intentional chemical contamination. Factors such as production batch size, shelf life, and quality control procedures already in place could affect the number of people impacted. Emerging sensing technologies and data analytic tools from the fields of nanomaterials and machine learning provide an opportunity for low-cost microsensors that could be widely distributed to provide onsite and real-time awareness of contamination events. To survey the challenges around this objective, a functionalized carbon nanotube-based set of sensors were evaluated for the ability to identify chemical vapors and detect contamination in complex mixtures in common food matrices such as apple juice. It was found that the detector could identify pure chemicals in dry lab air as well as contamination that was present in the headspace over food samples. Technical challenges were identified, with the most significant being variable signature responses between the three different identically configured detectors. Strategies for mitigation of sensor variability were evaluated, including machine learning techniques as well as sensor calibration procedures.
Photodetectors in the ultraviolet spectral range are of great interest for applications such as fluorescence-free Raman spectroscopy and non-line-of-sight optical communications. These applications require single-photon sensitivity, resulting in the use of intensified CCDs or photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) that are bulky, fragile, operate at high voltages, and/or require active cooling. Silicon carbide avalanche photodiodes (SiC APD) show promise as a compact, rugged replacement, as they exhibit low noise, durability and high gain. In this paper we report on detailed studies of p+-p-i-n SiC APDs operating in both Geiger and linear mode. The single photon detection efficiency (SPDE) of these devices was measured as a function of excess bias using a pulsed 280 nm light emitting diode source focused through a 20 µm pinhole to a spot size <12 µm, with photons per pulse characterized at < 0.5 using a UV enhanced PMT. Devices with 100 µm diameter achieved SPDE > 20% with dark count rate (DCR) of < 700 Hz in both gated and continuous operation. Comparison with linear mode operation shows that avalanche multiplication gain in these devices exceeds 5x106 under these conditions. Examination of linear mode gain vs. applied bias dependence suggests that a sluggish dependence corresponds to a poorer SPDE, which is likely associated with parasitic resistance in these devices. This resistance is consistent with the observed inverse dependence of calculated linear mode gain with increasing optical flux. A peak SPDE of 37% was measured at an excess bias of 3.9 V with a DCR of 7.3 kHz.
Ultra Violet (UV) induced fluorescence remains a core technique for the real time detection of biological aerosols. With this approach, the detection of an aerosolized biological event is based on the fluorescent and scattering signals observed from biological particles when exposed to one or more UV sources. In 2004, the Edgewood Chemical Biological Center (ECBC) initiated an effort to develop a low cost, small, lightweight, low power biological agent detector, identified as the TAC-BIO, based on this principle. Unlike previous laser based detectors, this program has capitalized on Semiconductor UV Optical Sources (SUVOS) being developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Compared to the existing UV lasers, these SUVOS devices and their commercial counter-parts offered a means of achieving small, low cost, low power UV excitation sources. A general design philosophy of incorporating these devices with other low cost components has allowed ECBC to develop a detector that provides a credible degree of performance while maintaining the target size weight and power attributes. This paper presents an overview of the TAC-BIO and some of the findings to date.
Ultra-violet fluorescence remains a cornerstone technique for the detection of biological agent aerosols. Historically, these UV based detectors have employed relatively costly and power demanding lasers that have influenced the exploitation of the technology to wider use. Recent advancements from the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency's (DARPA) Solid-state Ultra Violet Optical Sources (SUVOS) program have changed this. The UV light emitting diode (LED) devices based on Gallium Nitride offer a unique opportunity to produce small, low power, and inexpensive detectors. It may, in fact, be possible to extend the SUVOS technology into detectors that are potentially disposable. This report will present ongoing efforts to explore this possibility. It will present the Tactical Biological (TAC-BIO) detector as such a solution for low cost, low power, lightweight device for biological agent detection.
A number of strategies to meet the need for a small and inexpensive biosensor that mitigates military and civilian vulnerabilities to biological weapons are currently being pursued. Among them is UV induced biological fluorescence. UV induced biofluorescence is a potentially successful strategy because it involves no chemical consumables and it is an "on-line" detection method where particles can be interrogated without impaction onto a substrate or into a liquid. Indeed, there are already existing fluorescence based sensors already in place, yet these are limited by the cost and power consumption of the laser based UV excitation sources. Fortunately, inexpensive and low power solid state UV sources arising from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Semiconductor UV Optical Sources (SUVOS) project have become commercially available in wavelengths capable of exciting aromatic amino acids (e.g. tryptophan) and metabolic products (e.g. NADH). The TAC-Bio Sensor is capable of exploiting either source wavelength and will ultimately include both source wavelengths within a single sensor.
Initial work with the deep UV sources involves the correct optical filtering for the devices. The primary emission from both the 280 nm and 340 nm devices occurs at the design wavelength and is about 20 nm FWHM, however, there is a tail extending to the longer wavelengths that interferes with the fluorescence signal. A system of optical filters that sufficiently removes the long wavelength component from the UV source is designed and tested for the deep UV sources. Ongoing work with the sensor has confirmed that sensitivity to small biological particles is enhanced with the deeper wavelengths. When the 340 nm sources are placed in the TAC-Bio, it is capable of detecting 4 micron diameter Bacillus globigii (BG, Dugway, washed 4X) spore agglomerates. The deep UV sources show an improvement in signal to noise of 2, permitting the detection of 3 micron diameter BG agglomerates.
In light of the current state of detection technologies designed to meet the current threat from biological agents, the need for a low-cost and lightweight sensor is clear. Such a sensor based on optical detection, with real time responses and no consumables, is possible. Devices arising from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) Semiconductor UV Optical Sources (SUVOS) are the enabling technology. These sources are capable of emitting UV wavelengths known to excite fluorescence from biological agent particles while costing a few dollars apiece and consuming low power. These devices are exploited in the TAC-Bio Sensor. A unique optical design is used to collect the usable portion of the LED emission and focus it into the probing region of the sensor. To compensate for the low UV power density relative to UV lasers, the TAC-Bio utilizes a unique opposed flow configuration to increase the interaction between particles and the UV beam. The current TAC-Bio sensor testbed is capable of detecting fluorescence Bacillus globigii (BG, an anthrax simulant) spore agglomerates down to 5 microns in diameter. Ongoing work is focusing on increasing signal to noise so that smaller particles, possibly single spores, can be detected, as well as on including additional data channels, such as light scattering, to increase selectivity of the sensor.
A lightweight, tactical biological agent detection network offers the potential for a detect-to-warn capability against biological aerosol attacks. Ideally, this capability can be achieved by deploying the sensors upwind from the protected assets. The further the distance upwind, the greater the warning time. The technological challenge to this concept is the biological detection technology. Here, cost, size and power are major factors in selecting acceptable technologies. This is in part due to the increased field densities needed to cover the upwind area and the fact that the sensors, when deployed forward, must operate autonomously for long periods of time with little or no long-term logistical support. The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s (DARPA) Solid-state Ultraviolet Optical Source (SUVOS) program offers an enabling technology to achieving a detector compatible with this mission. As an optical source, these devices emit excitation wavelengths known to be useful in the detection of biological aerosols. The wavelength band is absorbed by the biological aerosol and results in visible fluorescence. Detection of a biological aerosol is based on the observed intensity of this fluorescence signal compared to a background reference. Historically this has been accomplished with emission sources that are outside the boundaries for low cost, low power sensors. The SUVOS technology, on the other hand, provides the same basic wavelengths needed for the detection process in a small, low power package. ECBC has initiated an effort to develop a network array based on micro UV detectors that utilize the SUVOS technology. This paper presents an overview of the micro UV detector and some of the findings to date. This includes the overall design philosophy, fluid flow calculations to maximize presentation of aerosol particles to the sources, and the fluorescence measurements.
A lightweight, tactical biological agent detection network offers the potential for a detect-to-warn capability against biological aerosol attacks. Ideally, this capability can be achieved by deploying the sensors upwind from the protected assets. The further the distance upwind, the greater the warning time. The technological challenge to this concept is the biological detection technology. Here, cost, size and power are major factors in selecting acceptable technologies. This is in part due to the increased field densities needed to cover the upwind area and the fact that the sensors, when deployed forward, must operate autonomously for long periods of time with little or no long-term logistical support. The Defense Advanced Research Project Agency’s (DARPA) Solid-state Ultraviolet Optical Source (SUVOS) program offers an enabling technology to achieving a detector compatible with this mission. As an optical source, these devices emit excitation wavelengths known to be useful in the detection of biological aerosols. The wavelength band is absorbed by the biological aerosol and results in visible fluorescence. Detection of a biological aerosol is based on the observed intensity of this fluorescence signal compared to a background reference. Historically this has been accomplished with emission sources that are outside the boundaries for low cost, low power sensors. The SUVOS technology, on the other hand, provides the same basic wavelengths needed for the detection process in a small, low power package. ECBC has initiated an effort to develop a network array based on micro UV detectors that utilize the SUVOS technology. This paper presents an overview of the micro UV detector and some of the findings to date. This includes the overall design philosophy, fluid flow calculations to maximize presentation of aerosol particles to the sources, and the fluorescence measurements.
Access to the requested content is limited to institutions that have purchased or subscribe to SPIE eBooks.
You are receiving this notice because your organization may not have SPIE eBooks access.*
*Shibboleth/Open Athens users─please
sign in
to access your institution's subscriptions.
To obtain this item, you may purchase the complete book in print or electronic format on
SPIE.org.
INSTITUTIONAL Select your institution to access the SPIE Digital Library.
PERSONAL Sign in with your SPIE account to access your personal subscriptions or to use specific features such as save to my library, sign up for alerts, save searches, etc.