Field-deployable chemical and biological sensors: Technology transfer for commercialization

The U.S. military is constantly adapting to new threats of chemical and biological warfare, while civilians navigate changes caused by global pandemics or climate change. It means there is a critical urgency to detect hazardous chemicals and particles via measurement sensors.

Measurement sensors have greatly evolved to increase detection accuracy and efficiency while minimizing risk in a portable and cost-effective manner. The Naval Surface Warfare Center in Corona, California (NSWC Corona) is designing and patenting chemical and biological detectors with in situ data collection and analysis for real-time monitoring to expedite countermeasures to combat hazards.

NSWC Corona recently released three patents in continuation with their three previous chemical and biological detection patents (U.S. 10,036,703 B1; U.S. 10,132,752 B2; and U.S. 10,209,188 B2; see Figs. 1 and 2).¹ The three patents expand on the multispectrometric detection design in environmental monitoring and are awaiting development in areas such as licensing and prototyping.

This story began with a pivotal patent issued on June 1, 2021,² designed for the possible incorporation of six spectroscopic techniques in a portable layout for sensing chemical and biological particles within the air. The wide range of spectrometry techniques in the invention allows for a full analysis of the environment because the limitations of one technique are compensated by other techniques and analyses. Multiple techniques enable the multiplication of measurement accuracy and reliability. To account for environmental changes and/or chemical substance detection, a modular design permits accessible technique customization for work in contaminated zones for real-time monitoring and identification of hazardous agents.

A subsequent patent on August 17, 2021,³ unveils strategic configurations for a laser diode turret to provide a multiple-line radiation source for a large selection of wavelengths. The use of many wavelengths enables chemical and biological detection customization. For example, deep ultraviolet (DUV) light is ideal for biomolecule detection, while infrared (IR) light is better for pollutant-chemical detection. The multiple-line radiation source design provides faster detection and measurements—along with greater accuracy and confidence in results. The model is designed to fit several tens of laser diodes only limited by the available sockets. This configuration could ideally work to detect an area with many different types of chemical and biological hazards.

Finally, issued on June 14, 2022, the third patent⁴ builds upon the precedent set by the June 2021 patent but uses variable laser energy to run four laser spectrometric techniques in chemical and biological detection. The ability to vary the laser energy allows for sensing a wide range of unknown samples. The DUV wavelengths covered by this patent are most helpful for detecting explosives, aromatic organics, biomolecules, and metallic elements.

Patent licensing

These innovative designs from NSWC Corona show potential for broad application and are listed online, along with other publicly available Navy patents (see https://techlinkcenter.org and www.linkedin.com/in/subrata-sanyal-rdte). Programs are currently set up for patent licensing to stimulate technology transfer for commercialization. Commercial manufacturing of these and previous patents is a widely beneficial endeavor for the Navy, production companies, and the general public. Businesses can develop and mass-produce these detection technologies to be sold to the Navy or the Department of Defense (DoD)—which allows the military to buy their needed products in a cost-effective manner, while providing business to the production companies. In turn, the companies can modify the products for civilian application and sell to the general public, which further supports these businesses and provides innovative products for needs such as infectious disease detection and use with first responders.

In the June 2021 patent, for example, a possible setup of all six spectrometric methods, along with exemplary drawings of each modular unit, are depicted in the publicly available patent online.² The Navy will outsource the licensing, prototyping, and production of this invention to a commercial company, which can mass produce this product for a cheaper per-unit cost and sell the finished invention to the Navy to use in situations such as chemical warfare detection of tear gas and nerve agents. And because the modular design allows for the customization of spectrometric techniques, the manufacturing business can market and sell to civilian markets, such as firefighters for hazardous gas detection (see Fig. 3). In this scenario, the Navy receives its own needed products at a cheaper cost, firefighters can buy this invention to minimize risk, and the commercial company can profit from business from both the military and civilian spheres, which makes this a win-win scenario for all parties involved.

One example of such development business is the diagnostic company AxoTech LLC. Its overarching mission centers on “improving diagnostic outcomes and taking care of our communities.” AxoTech is in the process of licensing two patents prototyping portable spectrometers for chemical sensing. Through the design of these patents, combined with the use of their artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm, AxoTech has started developing a robust, instant screening device that will detect illicit drugs such as fentanyl within a mix of other chemical components. The handheld model is ideal for portable analysis in a variety of environments and situations, and the patent licensing from NSWC Corona allows AxoTech to prototype the model and modify the design for a civilian audience—and it benefits the Navy, AxoTech, and their customers.

The overarching significance of these developments cannot be overstated, especially within the context of the continuous emergence of novel chemical and biological agents. Recent patents from NSWC Corona opened the door for optimized measurement sensors with technique customization within a modular design. The most recent addition for portable spectrometers is one capable of detecting nanoscale biological particles, which is described in the patent application.⁵

Commercialization of military dual-use technology is beneficial to production businesses along with military, homeland security, and civilian consumers. With the exchange between these parties, chemical and biological detection needs are met, and sensor innovation is stimulated to tackle the next significant danger. The benefits of these field-deployable sensors are expected to increase exponentially with the increased use of AI-enabled intelligent robotic and autonomous systems (RAS) where these inventions can serve as RAS payload sensors.

REFERENCES

1. G. Overton, “U.S. Navy awarded three spectrophotometry patents for threat detection,” Laser Focus World (Sep. 24, 2019); https://www.laserfocusworld.com/14040532.

2. K. C. Ng and S. Sanyal, “Portable multi-spectrometry system for chemical and biological sensing in atmospheric air,” U.S. Patent US 11,022,489 B2 (Jun. 1, 2021).

3. K. C. Ng and S. Sanyal, “Laser diode turret radiation source for optical spectrometry,” U.S. Patent US 11,092,545 B2 (Aug. 17, 2021).

4. K. C. Ng and S. Sanyal, “Variable laser energy multi-spectrometer for gas and particulate chemicals in air,” U.S. Patent US 11,359,963 B2 (Jun. 14, 2022).

5. K. C. Ng and S. Sanyal, “Portable biosensor for air sample,” U.S. Patent Application Publication US 2023/0296526 A1 (Sep. 21, 2023).