SBIR-STTR Award

ChemBadge - ER: a Person Worn Chemical Aerosol Detector
Award last edited on: 7/16/2022

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
DHS
Total Award Amount
$1,149,895
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
DHS221-010
Principal Investigator
Brian Thomson

Company Information

N5 Sensors Inc

9610 Medical Center Drive Suite 200
Rockville, MD 20850
   (301) 337-8314
   info@n5sensors.com
   www.n5sensors.com
Location: Multiple
Congr. District: 08
County: Montgomery

Phase I

Contract Number: 70RWMD22C00000004
Start Date: 5/11/2022    Completed: 10/10/2022
Phase I year
2022
Phase I Amount
$149,978
Chemical agents, including conventional warfare agents (CWAs) and evolving Non-Traditional Agents (NTAs), continue to pose a security threat. Pharmaceutical Based Agents (PBAs) are of growing concern - these chemicals can be procured or produced by non-State actors. This class includes fentanyls and analogues, as they are highly lethal through inhalation or contact with mucous membranes. These low-volatility threats can be readily disseminated by unskilled individuals as liquid or dry aerosols and are not detectable with currently fielded chemical detectors. N5 proposes to develop ChemBadgER, a person-worn sensing device capable of multi-threat detection of liquid and dry aerosols. Phase I will establish the applicability of N5’s Semiconductor Photocatalytic Hybrid (SPH) sensors for detecting NTAs and PBAs; will assess the state of the art in micro-scale aerosol sampling; and will develop an initial projection of key performance parameters. The patented SPH sensor array technology has been shown to detect environmental gases, toxic chemicals, and CWAs, so precedent exists for the detection of multiple chemical classes. The development and integration of a micro-scale aerosol sampler will enable the efficient collection of these low-volatility chemicals. This approach combines innovations in sensor technology, aerosol science, advanced integrated circuit design, and algorithms to deliver a solution responsive to the solicitation requirements. ChemBadgER will be low-cost, based on semiconductor manufacturing methods, and therefore widely distributed for use by emergency responders, homeland defense, and law enforcement personnel. The size, weight, and power will enable deployment on unattended aerial and ground vehicles for surveillance and reconnaissance.

Phase II

Contract Number: 70RWMD23C00000013
Start Date: 4/21/2023    Completed: 4/20/2025
Phase II year
2023
Phase II Amount
$999,917
The threat posed by chemical agents extends beyond Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TICs) and Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs) and has evolved to include lower volatility materials referred to as Non-Traditional Agents (NTAs). Similarly, illegally distributed and manufactured opioids, known collectively as pharmaceutical-based agents (PBAs), pose significant risk to emergency response teams and law enforcement. Yet, current handheld instruments cannot detect these lower-volatility chemicals especially if disseminated in aerosol form. Thus, there is a need for technological innovations that enable these detection capabilities, supported by advanced data processing methods. N5 Sensors, Inc. (N5) proposes a Phase II effort to continue development of the ChemBadge “ Emergency Response (ChemBadgER), as a person-worn chemical aerosol detector capable of real-time detection of multiple classes of threat. The ChemBadgER is based on N5's proprietary Semiconductor Photocatalytic Hybrid (SPH) sensing technology that enables continuous monitoring and semi-quantification of environmental and hazardous vapors.The ChemBadgER expands this capability to detect both chemical threats in the vaporphase, and also those presented as liquid or solid aerosols. In Phase I, N5 studied the feasibility of the approach, developed supporting data for proof of concept, and demonstrated the ChemBadgER at the breadboard level. In Phase II, N5 will design, develop an integrated micro-scale aerosol collector (IMAC), and will integrate this with the SPH sensor array. The ChemBadgER development will follow a clear and logical progression from testing at the component level, subsystem level, and finally full prototypes, with testing on simulants prior to challenging with threat analytes.