SBIR-STTR Award

NanoBioFab will develop a most forward-looking technology “Inkjet Assisted Nano printing” (IA-Nano) for nano-material discovery and sensor fabrication. It employs custom inkjet printing synthesis and screening platforms. What makes IA-Nano synthesis system unique is that its nano-inks consist of 1) ~34 parent elements/metals 2) a larger number of “partner” compounds (oxides, sulfides, etc.) and 3) carbon-based materials (Graphene, CNT, etc.). Combinatorial mixing generates untold combinations of inks with different chemistries, with further combinations automatically produced by cross printing using a customized inkjet printer and software system that reproducibly generates nanomaterials at a rate of 10,000-100,000 different formulations/day. Composition and nanostructure of the “broad matrix” material libraries are exquisitely controlled, permitting transitioning to bulk synthesis. The IA-Nano screening system employs high-throughput resistance measurement for simultaneous rapid testing (minutes) pressure and detecting gas. The IA-nano platform can be executed on flexible substrates, that conform to skin or organoids or rigid materials per DOD and civilian needs. The approach has succeeded in generating a MEMs gas detecting nanosensor, which we engineered into a fully functional prototype as a wearable “wrist-watch” detector for extremely minute gases emanating from the skin. Phase I feasibility studies will empower high-throughput screening by scaling our single detector units to multiples of 20 units per chamber, for use of multiple chambers per screening, with multiple screenings per day. Phase I-II transition will permit a small test screening with unknowns prior to full scaleup. Phase II will allow for the execution of high-throughput screening and the rapid discovery of nano-sensors. Fabricated sensors will enable “murmuration behavior” for recording medical properly/improperly performed current and emergent procedures. IA-Nano sensors are applicable for use on mannequins and individuals including forwarding operational environments for DOD and civilian purposes alike.

Triton Systems Inc, in collaboration with the research group of Professor Zhenan Bao at Stanford University, will further develop its nanomaterial discovery and synthesis platform for the fabrication of synthetic tissue/organ/nerve/skin (STONeS) sensors in medical training simulators and manikins. Our novel platform technology will offer the high-throughput means to fabricate, discover, and optimize the synthesis of application-specific nanomaterials. At the end of Phase II, we will (1) produce the hardware and software for a fully functional benchtop prototype; (2) develop, test, and validate the prototype for high-throughput nanomaterial synthesis; (3) provide a detailed plan for the discovery of synthetic nanomaterials that leverages our active, extensive programs with the DoD on training and simulation; and (4) demonstrate the practical implementation of our nanomaterial discovery platform for developing nanomaterials for STONeS sensors.