This tech is a Tm3+-doped avalanching nanoparticle force sensor that remotely detects forces from piconewton to micronewton using near-infrared light.
Mechanical forces are fundamental to physical and biological systems, but current sensors lack the precision and resolution to measure them across multiple scales. Sensors must operate over a wide dynamic range while being non-invasive and photostable for continuous monitoring. Existing technologies fail to detect forces below surfaces or at nanoscale interfaces without interference.
This technology uses chemically modified Tm3+-doped avalanching nanoparticles to remotely measure forces with high sensitivity and spatial resolution across a wide dynamic range, from piconewton to micronewton levels. Tuning Tm3+ concentrations and energy transfer within the nanosensors enables multiple optical force-sensing modalities, including mechanobrightening and mechanochromism. These nanoscale sensors operate at deeply penetrating near-infrared wavelengths and exhibit no photobleaching, ensuring stability. This technology enables precise force sensing in dynamic and complex environments, from biological organisms to nanoelectromechanical systems.
Patent Pending
IR CU24181
Licensing Contact: Greg Maskel
