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Improved Sensing Using Simultaneous Orthogonal Spectroscopic Detection

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Army
Contract: W911SR-11-C-0009
Agency Tracking Number: A2-4132
Amount: $729,062.00
Phase: Phase II
Program: STTR
Solicitation Topic Code: A09A-T019
Solicitation Number: 2009.A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2009
Award Year: 2011
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2010-11-17
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
12150 Monument Drive Suite 502
Fairfax, VA 22033-
United States
DUNS: 010111149
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Jeffrey Spaulding
 Chief Scientist
 (703) 273-3773
 jspaulding@asrinc.us
Business Contact
 Kelly Coutras
Title: Business Manager
Phone: (703) 273-3773
Email: kcoutras@asrinc.us
Research Institution
 WV High Tech Con Fnd
 Brian Lemoff
 
1000 Technology Drive
Fairmont, WV 26554-
United States

 (304) 333-6442
 Domestic Nonprofit Research Organization
Abstract

US forces are increasingly involved in asymmetric warfare, peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance missions. These scenarios can place soldiers in direct contact with harmful biological and chemical warfare organisms and agents, toxic industrial chemicals, and explosives. Current portable sensor technology solutions rely on visible and near-IR Raman or fluorescence spectroscopy. A portable sensor system that combines both Raman and fluorescence measurements using Deep UV (DUV) Excitation should improve detection and classification of trace amounts of substances at stand-off distances. Phase I characterized sample analytes of chemical and biological agent simulants, explosives, toxic chemical and interferent substances to obtain their Raman and fluorescence spectra, and developed preliminary classification algorithms to identify substances and mixtures based on the combined modalities. Though Raman spectra are significantly more specific than LIF spectra, Phase I provided evidence of value in combining two modalities. Phase II will characterize significantly more substances, develop classification algorithms, investigate minimum design parameters required for unambiguous detection, and test them via a laboratory test bed. These activities should demonstrate the feasibility of developing a Phase III non-contact prototype system with greater sensitivity, improved detection, and cost and size reduction in fieldable instruments through the use of smaller, less expensive, lower-resolution spectrometers.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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