Hand-Held Sensor for Carbon Dioxide
Bridger Photonics
2310 University Way, Building 4-4
Bozeman, MT 59715
(406) 585-2774
http://www.bridgerphotonics.com
Environmental Problem
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
regulates carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions under
the federal Clean Air Act. A proposed rule by the
EPA would limit CO2 emissions from new fossil
fuel-fired power plants. CO2 is one of the green-
house gases that contributes to climate change.
Studies have shown that CO2 concentrations are at
unprecedented levels as a result of human activity
and that it is very likely that those elevated levels
are responsible for an increase in average tempera-
tures and other climate changes. The potential
effects of rising atmospheric concentrations of
greenhouse gases include increased drought, more
heavy downpours and flooding, more frequent and
intense heatwaves and wildfires, a steeper rise in
sea levels, and harm to water resources,
agriculture, wildlife and ecosystems.
Fossil fuel combustion is the primary source of CO2
pollution, with electricity generation and vehicle
exhaust accounting for the majority of these
emissions. EPA regulations could impact CO2
emissions from industrial smokestacks, carbon
sequestration sites and other sources. Existing
technologies require sampling emitted gases with
point-source gas-intake measurement devices,
which is a time-intensive and tedious process.
This makes it difficult for regulators to identify or
quantify critical CO2 pollution sources. Current
laser-remote sensors and other standoff measure-
ment instruments do not provide spatial
identification of the pollution source and cannot
SBIR Success Stories
measure and pinpoint the location of elevated CO2
concentrations, such as plumes from a smokestack
or vent.
SBIR Technology Solution
With support from EPA's Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR) Program, Bridger Photonics
developed a mid-infrared laser for use in a remote
CO2 sensor with high-range resolution for onsite
CO2 monitoring and spatial mapping from a
distance. The company has commercialized the
unique laser source first as a stand-alone product
as it has broad ranging applications in other fields,
with a full CO2 gas sensor in development. The
sensor will be used to spatially scan CO2
sequestration or industrial sites for leaks and to
provide precise, 3-dimensional (3-D) coordinate
mappings of emissions sources. The CO2
concentration of a smokestack plume will be deter-
mined by directing a laser beam at the distant
plume. Based on light detection and ranging
(LIDAR) technology, the device will probe CO2
plumes and measure the emitted CO2
concentration, the distance to the source and the
spatial extent of the plume. CO2 absorbs light in
the infrared part of the spectrum, acting as a
greenhouse gas by trapping the sun's energy and
heating up the atmosphere. Bridger Photonics'
laser sends out a pulse of light at the wavelength
absorbed by CO2, and some of that light is
absorbed by the CO2. A small amount of that light
comes scattering back to a receiver. By measuring
the amount of returning light and determining the
amount of light absorbed, the concentration of
CO2 that would absorb that amount of light can
be calculated.
Producing a single optical output wavelength from
the laser is critical in mid-infrared remote sensing.
The laser system uses a novel technique to
measure absorption through atmosphere,
overcoming the pulse-to-pulse energy fluctuations
that challenge sequential differential detection, to
provide precise, 3-D coordinate mapping of the
emission source. Bridger Photonics' tunable pulsed
lasers are capable of spatial mapping of
atmospheric molecular concentration with better
than 1 meter range resolution from greater than
100 meters away, and detection of molecular
concentrations of less than 100 parts per million.
A considerable advantage of Bridger Photonics'
mid-infrared laser is that, for the powerful pulses
it produces, it is extremely compact, with a form
factor of 8" x 7" x 4". Another benefit is that the
laser can enable remote gas concentration
measurements from more than 100 yards away
from the source. In addition, the laser system is air
cooled, its output energy is adjustable (internal
variable attenuator), it is less expensive than any
optical parametric oscillator on the market, and it
is robust for field applications.
Bridger Photonics' mid-infrared laser system enables
high-resolution measurements of CO2 emissions from
industrial smokestacks and carbon sequestration sites
from a distance of 100 meters.

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Commercialization Success
The EPA's SBIR funding has helped Bridger
Photonics commercialize its laser, with the full
gas sensor to follow. The company has
developed and delivered two laser prototypes
and received orders for 12 production lasers
for tissue ablation applications. For this
application, Bridger Photonics has a product
supply agreement with Protea Biosciences to
support an advanced form of in vivo mass
spectrometry. The same laser, with some
altered components, will serve as the basis for
Bridger Photonics' CO2 sensor and its other
laser-based sensor, which can be used to
uncover illicit methamphetamine laboratories
and was developed with support from the
National Science Foundation and the Montana
Board of Research and Commercialization
Technology. Bridger Photonics has rapidly
grown to become a world leader in three
closely related areas of advanced laser-based
technologies: precision distance measurement,
remote gas sensing and 3-D imaging.
Commercialization of its laser-based sensors
has boosted the company's annual revenues
from $110K to $2 million in 4.5 years.
Company History
Bridger Photonics was founded in 2006 by
three physicists to develop lasers and laser-
based measurement systems that identify
sources of pollution, improve manufacturing
quality and efficiency, and help in the fight
against illicit drug use. Located in Bozeman,
Montana, the company had 18 employees by
the end of 2011, and experienced a revenue
growth rate of nearly 1,800 percent from 2007
to 2010. The September 2011 issue of Inc.
magazine named Bridger Photonics among the
Inc. 500 list of fastest growing private companies in
the United States and ranked it #1 in the engi-
neering sector. Bridger Photonics also recently was
awarded the 2012 Tibbetts Award, which is
presented to those small businesses and individuals
judged to exemplify the best in the SBIR program.
Bridger Photonics has developed the highest
resolution distance measurement systems available,
and the only affordable, compact, mid-infrared,
high-energy pulsed laser for gas detection.
SBIR Impact
With the regulation of CO2 emissions as a significant contributor to
climate change, public and private interests will increasingly require the
ability to monitor and track a wide variety of CO2 sources.
With SBIR funding, Bridger Photonics has developed a powerful infrared
pulsed laser that will be the basis for a hand-held sensor with high-range
resolution to scan CO2 sequestration for leaks and provide onsite, spatial
mapping of emissions sources from a distance.
Advantages of the laser system include its compact form factor, air
cooling, adjustable energy output, remote detection of CO2 concentrations
from more than 100 yards from the emissions source and lower cost.
Commercialization of its laser-based sensors has helped boost
Bridger Photonics' annual revenues from $110K
to $2 million in 4.5 years and resulted in Inc.
magazine's having ranked the company as
America's fastest growing engineering
company in 2011.
SBIR Success Stories

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