Water Quality Testing in the Palm of Your Hand

Background:Using this technology you can create an array of flexible devices for monitoring all the parameters of water quality including chlorine content temperature or microbe levels via Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD). Previously BOD measurements required five days to determine microbe levels by observing the depletion of dissolved oxygen. Now due to its rapid feedback and portability this device can be deployed on site for real-time water quality detection. Integrated with the device are an inexpensive durable chemically inert substrate and a temperature sensor which takes into account all thermal effects on the chlorine concentration.Technology Description:This technology uses inert polymers for the consistent packaging of an electrode layer microbial layer and microfluidic inlet and outlet ports. One embodiment is a disposable microsensor for continuous monitoring of free chlorine in water while another is a disposable microbial sensor for rapid BOD measurement. For the chlorine sensor gold gold and silver/silver chloride comprise working counter and reference electrodes respectively. A transparent Cyclic Olefin Copolymer (COC) substrate is used for sensor fabrication by standard lithographic procedures. For the microbial sensor a microbial strain is immobilized over one pair of sensor electrodes while the other is retained as a reference where the BOD values of the sample can be measured in terms of the difference between the output signals. The sensor layer is attached to an injection molded passive microfluidic channel on top used for a microfluidic package. This sensing circuitry is further connected to the display monitor showing the output data.Applications:1) Home water testing kits2) Water treatment facilities3) Environmental agenciesPatent Status:US7569127 B1 US7666285 B1 US8057724 B2

Benefits

1) Rapidly senses water impurities2) Inexpensive portable hand-held device3) Real-time on-site water testing4) Minimal water sample required

Date of release
Patent registration information

US7569127B1 US7666285B1 US8057724B2 (http://pimg-fpiw.uspto.gov/fdd/27/691/075/0.pdf)