Imagine a high-tech 'digital nose' that can smell tiny amounts of specific gases or chemicals in the air and water. Instead of using bulky lab equipment, this project shrinks the technology onto a small chip. It uses special lasers to identify the unique 'fingerprint' of a molecule, making detection fast and maintenance-free.
Current mid-IR sensing is often bulky, expensive, and requires frequent maintenance or consumables. This limits its use in portable devices, real-time environmental monitoring, and point-of-care medical diagnostics.
A modular mid-IR sensing platform integrating Quantum Cascade Lasers on a Ge-on-SOI chip. It includes a detector-free self-mixing detection scheme and integrated data processing units.
If you are a drone manufacturer dealing with the need to track ship emissions in real-time — this project developed a drone-mounted sensor that monitors greenhouse gases. This allows for high-performance detection with a smaller footprint and lower energy consumption.
If you are a water utility dealing with chemical runoff and pollution — this project developed a sensing platform that detects phosphates and nitrates in water. It provides a reliable, consumables-free way to monitor water quality without frequent manual sampling.
If you are a medical device developer dealing with the need for non-invasive patient screening — this project developed a breath analysis system for health and well-being. It uses mid-IR spectroscopy to detect trace analytes in breath for faster diagnostics.
The platform implements detector-free sensing via a self-mixing detection scheme and co-integrates lasers and components to reduce the overall footprint and energy consumption. Based on available project data, this leads to a reduction in cost and maintenance-free operation.
The project aims to move the technology from TRL2 to TRL5. Based on available project data, it is currently in the demonstration phase for specific use cases like drone-mounted sensors and breath analysis.
Based on available project data, IP opportunities lie in the Ge-on-SOI PIC platform and the integration of Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs) for miniaturized sensing. Specific licensing terms are not provided in the project summary.
The M3NIR platform co-integrates advanced electronics and data processing units directly into the sensing systems. This ensures the hardware and data analysis are bundled for easier deployment.
The project period runs from 2023-01-01 to 2026-10-31. Based on available project data, the technology is targeting TRL5 by the end of this period.
The consortium is heavily industry-driven, with 9 industrial partners (including 7 SMEs) representing 69% of the 13 total partners. This high industry ratio, combined with the involvement of a major research hub like IMEC, suggests a strong focus on commercial viability and the transition from lab prototypes to industrial applications across 9 different countries.
Contact INTERUNIVERSITAIR MICRO-ELECTRONICA CENTRUM (IMEC) in Belgium
Contact us to connect with the M3NIR consortium for licensing or pilot partnerships.
