TF HEALTH CORPORATION — Department of Health and Human Services SBIR Phase I: 113

Description

Abstract Chemical exposure poses a threat to the safety and health of each of usespecially those who work in certain industriessuch as petroleum extraction and refinery facilitiesmining industryand fertilizer factoriesVarious sensing technologies have been developed over the past decades to address the needbut a low cost and accurate personal exposure device that can track multiple chemical pollutants in real time is not yet commercially availableThis fast track project will developtestand validate a badge like chemical exposure monitor using a Flow Colorimetric SensingFCStechnology to detect multiple chemicals continuously and simultaneouslyPhaseof the project will focus on developing the FCS platform that combines the strengths of colorimetry and microfluidicsand validate its performance for monitoring three key chemicalsNOOand HCHOPhasewill expand the chemicals to six most common chemical pollutants in the workplacesNOOHCHOCOSOand NHdevelop a badge like personal exposure deviceand validate it for occupational safety and for environmental exposure related disease studiesThe FCS platform is expandable and configurablewhich can thus include additional chemicalsor be configured to cover chemicals selected for a particular needThe proposed badge like device has following key featurescalibration free and multiplexed detection of multiple chemicalsunobtrusive user experienceexpandable and flexible to cover different chemicals based on the needandlow cost$for deviceTF Health Cohas a track record in developing and commercializing chemical sensors for environmental and health applicationsand its collaborator in the Biodesign Center for Bioelectronics and Biosensors at ASU has all the necessary expertise and facilities to developcharacterizeand test chemical sensorsThe team has worked together to successfully carry out several projectsand is ready to overcome technical challenges and develop the first wearable multi analyte device in this fast track projectThe proposed deviceif successfully developed and validatedwill have a great potential to contribute to occupational safety and environmental health research Narrative statement This project will develop and validate a personal chemical exposure device using an innovative FlowColorimetric Sensing technology for occupational safety and environmental health research