This paper describes the proof-of-concept performance of a low-cost phase fluorometer designed to capture the fluorescence lifetime of chlorophyll in various stages of healthy marine life. The proof-of-concept experimental demonstration is completed using fluoroscein as a close simulant of chlorophyll. Results are extrapolated analytically using simulation to project performance limits (detection and lifetime) in chlorophyll rich environments. The designed system is able to compete with the fundamental performance limits of existing fluorometers designed for chlorophyll analysis while reducing power consumption by a factor of 20, power supply by an order of magnitude or more (to 12 V), and cost by a factor of ten (to a target low-volume system cost of $1000).
Index Terms-Biologicalsensor, chemical sensor, fluorescence, intelligent sensors, phase fluorometry. Jeffrey Kissinger received the M.S. degree in electrical engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle, in 2009. He is currently an Electrical Engineer with BE Meyers, Redmond, WA, and has past experience working with National Semiconductor, Tucson, AZ. His research and technical interests focus on analog circuit design. Denise Wilson (M'96) received the B.S. degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, Stanford, CA, in 1988, and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, in 1989 and 1995, respectively. She is currently an Associate Professor with the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle. Her research interests focus on the development of signal processing architectures, array platforms, and other infrastructures for visual, auditory, and chemical-sensing platforms.