Sporian wins Army contract to develop optical nanotech-based biological/chemical sensor

May 14, 2009
The US Army has awarded a contract to Sporian Microsystems (Lafayette, CO) to develop a small, modular, field-deployable chemical/biological sensor for use in remote monitoring applications. The new sensor will be based on a combination of novel optoelectronics, optical spectroscopy, and nanotechnology.

The US Army has awarded a contract to Sporian Microsystems (Lafayette, CO) to develop a small, modular, field-deployable chemical/biological sensor for use in remote monitoring applications. The new sensor will be based on a combination of novel optoelectronics, optical spectroscopy, and nanotechnology.

"The system should be easily adapted to sense a wide variety of chemical or biological targets, but the first targets for the Army are airborne biological threat agents such as Bacillus Anthracis (anthrax)," said Sporian principal investigator Dr. KaTrina Daniels. "We expect to develop a reusable system, designed to be highly modular to promote integration with a range of existing, and future, data collection and wireless sensor network systems,"

The US Army Engineer Research and Development Center in Alexandria, VA will monitor the results of Sporian's development efforts. Sporian is also working with OEMs to determine functional requirements for the sensor.

Beyond application to U.S. Department of Defense initiatives, Sporian says the sensor has opportunities for environmental monitoring, water quality, health care, and security applications.

The effort, according to Sporian, leverages the company's expertise in areas including analytical chemistry, molecular biology, optics, low power design, wireless communications and electro-mechanical packaging. Sporian is known for developing, marketing, manufacturing and selling portable, low-cost wired and wireless sensors, sensor-suites, sensor-subsystems, and sensor data-loggers with high commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) content for a variety of applications--including other biological and chemical sensors for environmental contaminant and serum pathogen detection.

For more information about Sporian visit the company's website or call 303-516-9075 X 19.

About the Author

Barbara Gefvert | Editor-in-Chief, BioOptics World (2008-2020)

Barbara G. Gefvert has been a science and technology editor and writer since 1987, and served as editor in chief on multiple publications, including Sensors magazine for nearly a decade.

Sponsored Recommendations

Advancing Neuroscience Using High-Precision 3D Printing

March 7, 2025
Learn how Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Used High-Precision 3D Printing to Advance Neuroscience Research using 3D Printed Optical Drives.

From Prototyping to Production: How High-Precision 3D Printing is Reinventing Electronics Manufacturing

March 7, 2025
Learn how micro 3D printing is enabling miniaturization. As products get smaller the challenge to manufacture small parts increases.

Sputtered Thin-film Coatings

Feb. 27, 2025
Optical thin-film coatings can be deposited by a variety of methods. Learn about 2 traditional methods and a deposition process called sputtering.

What are Notch Filters?

Feb. 27, 2025
Notch filters are ideal for applications that require nearly complete rejection of a laser line while passing as much non-laser light as possible.

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Laser Focus World, create an account today!