Patent — available for licensing
Multi-Parameter Aerosol Scattering Sensor
A NASA invention available to explore as a licensing opportunity.
About this technology
Overview
Innovators at NASA's Glenn Research Center have developed the Multi-Parameter Aerosol Scattering Sensor (MPASS), an aerosol-detection system that characterizes atmospheric particles, enabling real-time environmental monitoring often critical for public safety. This optical sensor is superior to the present state-of-the-art in its ability to characterize virtually any particle, as small as nanometer-scale, without the need for calibration against a known aerosol. The universal sensor has the unique ability to measure total particle surface area and mass as well as particle count within the same system. Not only can the MPASS function as an independent portable sensor to quantify inaccessible conditions such as volcanic activity and wildfires through remote monitoring, it can also function as part of a sensor network within a factory or other facility for air quality and fire detection. Lightweight and compact, the unit is ideal for surveillance missions when integrated onto a drone or other unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), or as a personal health monitoring device for first responders and public safety professionals.