The second-generation BROMEDIR FTIR spectrometer marks a major technological breakthrough in portable mid-infrared sensing, demonstrating for the first time that high-end FTIR performance can be achieved in a truly miniaturized, field-deployable platform.
Developed within the EU-funded BROMEDIR project (Broadband MEMS-based InfraRed spectrometers: the core of a multipurpose spectral sensing photonic platform), the device represents a decisive step beyond conventional bulky and laboratory-bound spectroscopic systems.
The innovation lies in the tight integration of advanced photonic and optoelectronic building blocks: multiband LED sources developed by NANOPLUS, wideband mid-IR photodetectors from VIGO Photonics, and an optimised photonic integrated circuit (PIC) FTIR extending up to 10 µm, designed by Si-Ware Systems and fabricated by the University of Gustave Eiffel, to enable broadband, high-resolution spectral acquisition.
Compared to the first prototype, this second version delivers a significant reduction in size combined with a sensitivity improvement of up to an order of magnitude. This unprecedented combination of miniaturization, sensitivity, and spectral coverage positions the BROMEDIR device among the most advanced portable mid-IR spectrometers, opening new possibilities for on-site chemical analysis previously accessible only with expensive benchtop instruments.
The transformative potential of the technology was validated through real-world agricultural deployment at the Centre Wallon de Recherches Agronomiques (CRA-W). The spectrometer operated in a portable laboratory directly at a cow farm, enabling rapid, in situ milk analysis without the need for sample transport to the centralized laboratory infrastructure. Measurement data were seamlessly transmitted to a cloud-based analytics platform, demonstrating the full sensing-to-decision workflow envisioned by the project.
Crucially, the device achieves a level of performance that should allow analytical models originally developed for high-end laboratory FTIR systems to run reliably on a portable platform. This capability represents a paradigm shift for agricultural monitoring: it will enable immediate detection of milk quality deviations, early indicators of animal health issues, and potential contamination events, directly at the point of production. As a result, farm operators can take faster, better-informed decisions, reducing economic losses, enhancing food safety, and improving overall livestock management.
Funded under the Horizon Europe programme (Grant Agreement No. 101092697), the BROMEDIR project brings together nine partners from Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, France, Germany, and Poland. The project’s vision is to establish a new generation of miniaturized, high-performance spectroscopic platforms, tightly integrated with cloud-based intelligence, and validated in real operational environments across agriculture, energy, and industrial monitoring. The successful demonstration of the second-generation BROMEDIR FTIR device confirms the feasibility and impact of this vision and highlights Europe’s leadership in integrated photonic sensing technologies.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/bromedir
