Combined LIBS/Raman Underwater Contaminants Assessment System Navy SBIR FY2009.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2009.1 Topic No.: N091-084 Topic Title: Combined LIBS/Raman Underwater Contaminants Assessment System Proposal No.: N091-084-0237 Firm: Physical Optics Corporation Photonic Systems Division 20600 Gramercy Place, Bldg. 100 Torrance, California 90501 Contact: Gary Mikaelian Phone: (310) 320-3088 Web Site: www.poc.com Abstract: To address the Navy need for a portable underwater-deployed device capable of real-time monitoring of potentially dangerous substances present in the diver-surrounding water and sediment, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new underwater contaminants assessment system combining laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS), surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), and a Geiger counter - (LIBRA). This innovation in combining the three well-established detection methods into a single portable unit will enable LIBRA to perform comprehensive assessment of the water safety by detecting all possible types of contaminants (chemical, biological, and radiological) and recommend the required protective equipment for the diver. As a result, LIBRA offers low cost, high sensitivity, hardware and software flexibility, autonomous operation, and real-time contaminant assessment capabilities, which directly address the ONR Undersea Medicine Program requirements for a portable handheld unit for assessment of potential dangers to swimmers, divers, and submariners. In Phase I, POC will demonstrate the feasibility of LIBRA by identifying known contaminants and developing a benchtop operational prototype for their detection. In Phase II, POC plans to develop a prototype system for testing in operational environments. Benefits: Military applications of the LIBRA system will include: development of a portable, low-cost device for monitoring levels of various hazardous contaminants present in water. The LIBRA system can be incorporated by the U.S. Navy into the swimmer, diver, and submarine teams, which will benefit from the proposed LIBRA technology. LIBRA will also have civil commercial applications. We estimate the cost of the final product to be in the range of $3000-$4000. This will make the LIBRA sensor affordable for use in a variety of commercial applications. The LIBRA sensor can be used for testing the water quality of natural water sources and assessment of ground water pollution. The fast response time of the LIBRA system will be attractive for monitoring water quality in swimming pools. Return