Open-source sensor for measuring oxygen partial pressures below 100 microbars

PLoS One. 2018 Nov 14;13(11):e0206678. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0206678. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

The ability to measure partial pressures of oxygen below 100 microbars and nanomolar dissolved oxygen concentrations in in situ laboratory systems benefits many fields including microbiology, geobiology, oceanography, chemistry, and materials science. Here, we present an easily constructible open-source design for a networked luminescence lifetime measurement system for in situ measurements in arbitrary laboratory containers. The system is well suited for measuring oxygen partial pressures in the 0-100 μbar range, with the maximum potentially usable upper range limit at around 10 mbar, depending on experimental conditions. The sensor has a limited drift and its detectability limit for oxygen is at 0.02 μbar for short timescale measurements. Each sensor can connect to a Wi-Fi network and send the logged data either over the Internet or to a local server, enabling a large number of parallel unattended experiments. Designs are also provided for attaching the sensor to various commercially available containers used in laboratories. The design files are released under an open source license, which enables other laboratories to build, customize, and use these sensors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Access to Information
  • Calibration
  • Electrical Equipment and Supplies*
  • Equipment Design
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry
  • Glass
  • Internet
  • Optical Imaging / instrumentation
  • Oxygen / analysis*
  • Partial Pressure
  • Printing, Three-Dimensional
  • Software
  • Time Factors
  • Wireless Technology / instrumentation*

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Oxygen

Grants and funding

Funded by "FESD Type I: The Dynamics of Earth System Oxygenation” National Science Foundation (https://www.nsf.gov) project #1338810, for SO, TB, and MP. “The Alien Earths Initiative: Pursuing Humanity's Quest to Understand Inhabited Planets Orbiting Other Stars” project from John Templeton foundation (https://www.templeton.org), for SS and MP. Simons Foundation Collaboration on the Origins of Life, https://www.simonsfoundation.org/life-sciences/origins-of-life/, (#327126) for TB. "Mapping Biochemical Space to Search for Life Beyond Earth and for Fundamental Terrestrial Applications” The Professor Amar G. Bose Research Grant Program, MIT (http://bosefellows.mit.edu/), for SS and MP. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.