Fabric Spectrometer for Chemical Sensing

Spectrometers are fundamental tools used in various fields, including chemistry and materials science, for analysis and identification of substances on the basis of their spectral properties. Despite the importance of spectrometers, conventional spectrometers are often large, bulky, expensive, not easily portable, and inconvenient to use, thereby limiting their usage and efficiency in certain situations. Moreover, the effort involved in preparing substrates and executing measurements is often time-consuming and complex, deterring extensive use of spectrometers in dynamic application scenarios.

Technology Description

This technology involves a chemical sensor design based on a distinctive fabric-based spectrometer. The portable spectrometer device features a primary and a secondary fabric layer, combined to form a pouch. In the structure of this device, the secondary fabric layer encompasses a fiber material that comprises one or more electronic devices, acting as a fiber fabric spectrometer substrate. This component is intended to accept and measure the reflectance of a colorimetric substrate placed within the pouch. The uniqueness of this technology stems from its novel approach of integratinguse of a spectrometer that's based on a fiber fabric substrate within a pouch formed by two fabric layers. This approach significantly diverges from traditional spectrometer setups, making this device lightweight, portable, and convenient to use. The design also facilitates the easy insertion and measurement of colorimetric substrates, setting it apart from other existing spectrometer technologies.