Portable Low-Cost System for Field Chemical Analysis

This invention describes a portable, low cost, system incorporating a compact potentiostat for electrochemical analytical chemistry measurements. The system can run on five-volt batteries and stores data that can be readily exported.

Background:
Measurement science has continually evolved since the introduction of the operational amplifier, the charges curled device, and the microcontroller. Arduino (computer hardware, software, and microcontroller based kits) provides a cheap means of computing to perform calculations in the field. These have now been brought together in a revolutionary new platform for performing laboratory grade measurements on field samples.

Applications:

• Can be integrated with sensors for biomedical measurements for portable office or patient use
• Environmental sample chemical measurements
• Field experimentation and research tool
• Educational tool for students (i.e. study of electrochemistry)

Advantages:

• Inexpensive and easy to produce
• Allows for highly relevant tests to be run in the field 
• Arduino is an open source platform, allowing additions to the main unit to be made easily

Status: issued U.S. patent #11,536,691