Nanotechnology Now - Press Release: Picarro Isotopic CO2 Analyzer Wins Prestigious R&D 100 Award

Home > Press > Picarro Isotopic CO2 Analyzer Wins Prestigious R&D 100 Award

Abstract:
Picarro Inc. has won the covetedR&D 100 award for 2008 with their G1101-i Isotopic CO2 Analyzer. Dubbed the "Oscars of Invention" by the Chicago Tribune, the R&D Awards are presented
annually by the editors of R&D, a unique, broad-spectrum publication covering technical innovations in industry, universities and government/national labs. Specifically, the awards recognize the "100 most technologically significant new products and processes of the year" in applications as diverse as environmental, life sciences, pharma, metrology, semiconductor and nanotechnology.

Picarro Isotopic CO2 Analyzer Wins Prestigious R&D 100 Award

SUNNYVALE, CA | Posted on July 7th, 2008

Based on Picarro's novel WS-CRDS (wavelength-scanned cavity ring down
spectroscopy) technology, the G1101-i is the first simple instrument to
deliver highly accurate delta 13C measurements, i.e. the ratio of carbon-13 to
carbon-12. Applications include greenhouse gas monitoring (from sources to
sinks), environmental analysis (waste water and solids), and energy
exploration (e.g. total organic carbon analysis from mud gas cores). Most
importantly, this portable and rugged instrument enables measurement not just
in the laboratory, but also at remote locations, such as sequestration sites.
For greenhouse gas and other environmental applications, delta 13C ratios
provide powerful source information since every different type of carbon
dioxide source (e.g., burning fossil fuels, plant photosynthesis) has a
well-known and unique value of delta 13C.

As way of background, before the advent of WS-CRDS, the only proven
analytical method of deriving delta 13C was to use an instrument called an
IR-MS (isotope ratio mass spectrometer). This is a non-portable instrument,
intended solely for laboratory use. It is over ten times larger and heavier
than the G1101-i, typically costs five to ten times as much, and requires the
presence of a trained operator.

"Tracking isotope ratios has long been recognized as a powerful tool in a
wide range of scientific disciplines, but the practical limitations and high
cost of obtaining this data has previously limited its use to just a few
applications. This new instrument now makes this data incredibly accessible,"
notes Eric Crosson, Picarro CTO. "For example, we are particularly excited
about the ability to simultaneously quantify CO2 levels in situ, and to
identify their sources, since we believe this will be a critical aspect of
managing greenhouse gas levels, all the way from sources to sinks." The
G1101-i is already being deployed in applications as diverse as sequestration
site evaluation, mud-gas analysis, life science research, plant canopy
monitoring, and emissions verification for carbon-credit purposes.

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About Picarro Inc.
Picarro, Inc. is a privately held company dedicated to developing
instrumentation for the highest sensitivity, precision and accuracy
measurements of specific molecules of interest in environmental analyses,
process monitoring, and emissions control. The company is a leader in
wavelength scanned cavity ring down spectroscopy (WS-CRDS) technology with
eight exclusive licenses from Stanford University patents and nine of its own
on WS-CRDS extensions.

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Contacts:
Iain Green
Director of Marketing

(408) 962-3942

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