The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to enable easy oxygen delivery to patients with respiratory conditions. Currently, patients requiring high flow-rates of oxygen above 4 L/min require oxygen tanks that are large, heavy and can be hazardous, limiting mobility and transportation options. The proposed system produces breathable oxygen at higher flow rates and lower energy compared to current portable oxygen concentrators, enabling sustained patient use. This enables sustained oxygen production in a portable manner to manage medical conditions causing oxygen deprivation, including Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19). This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a portable system that utilizes a novel photocatalytic (light activated) reaction to separate oxygen from ambient air, trapped in a chemical solution, then released as needed through a temperature-controlled reaction. This project will monitor the capture and release reactions using absorption spectroscopy to determine the ideal conditions of oxygen production. Several photosensitizer chemical compounds (fullerene C70 and C60, rubrene, and methylene blue with urea) will be evaluated on system longevity by continuously cycling the systems under higher temperatures and light exposure, and monitoring their effects on oxygen production. A prototype will then be developed that generates targeted oxygen flow rates at the desired rate of energy consumption, and the oxygen produced validated as safe for inhalation using bench tests.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
