[cite_start]Document ID: AG-2026-CP-001 [cite: 12]
[cite_start]Date: January 2026 [cite: 11]
[cite_start]Author: Aaron Garcia [cite: 9]
[cite_start]Microplastics have infiltrated the human body. They have been detected in blood, lungs, liver, placenta, and arterial plaques[cite: 14]. [cite_start]Yet, we currently have no way to detect or quantify this contamination in a living person without invasive tissue destruction[cite: 15].
[cite_start]This project proposes a physics-compliant, multi-modal detection architecture to render invisible plastic pollution visible in the living human body[cite: 6]. [cite_start]This repository serves as a home for the concept, technical roadmap, and an invitation for cross-disciplinary collaboration[cite: 76].
[cite_start]We propose a tiered system comprising three complementary sensing arms, each operating within specific physical constraints to ensure validity[cite: 31, 67]:
- [cite_start]Target: Deep tissue (1–4cm penetration)[cite: 39].
- [cite_start]Mechanism: Pulsed laser excitation in the Shortwave Infrared (SWIR) window (1000–1700nm) targets C-H vibrational overtones in polymers[cite: 36, 37].
- [cite_start]Signal: Photoacoustic ultrasound generation[cite: 38].
- [cite_start]Target: Stratum corneum (skin surface) and corneal surface[cite: 48].
- [cite_start]Mechanism: Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) source with Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR)[cite: 44, 51].
- [cite_start]Why: Circumvents water absorption limits by targeting low-hydration surface layers (15–30% water content)[cite: 50].
- [cite_start]Target: Ocular surface / Tear film[cite: 57].
- [cite_start]Mechanism: Reflective THz imaging detecting dielectric anomalies[cite: 57].
- [cite_start]Contrast: "Dry spot" detection of hydrophobic plastics against wet tissue background[cite: 56, 57].
[cite_start]This concept has undergone two rounds of Red Team review, reducing the project's calculated "Fragility Score" from 74% to 52%[cite: 63, 72].
Key Validations:
- [cite_start]Physics Compliant: Corrected previous errors regarding diffraction limits; minimum detectable size is now set at ≥1μm for in vivo applications[cite: 65].
- [cite_start]Graceful Degradation: The system is designed so that if one modality fails, others continue to provide data (e.g., surface screening remains valid even if deep tissue SNR is low)[cite: 69].
[cite_start]This project is an "invitation to build one together"[cite: 18]. [cite_start]No single institution possesses the full range of required expertise[cite: 76]. We are actively seeking collaborators in the following domains:
| Domain | Specific Need | [cite_start]Contribution [cite: 80] |
|---|---|---|
| Biomedical Optics | SWIR/NIR-II tissue optics, OPO lasers | Lead deep-tissue photoacoustic arm |
| Photoacoustics | Transducer arrays, image reconstruction | Translate SWIR contrast to clinical images |
| QCL Spectroscopy | Mid-IR laser engineering | Develop surface screening module |
| Terahertz Systems | THz instrumentation | Build ocular validation arm |
| AI / ML | Spectral unmixing, Sim-to-Real | Create training pipelines from phantoms |
| Regulatory | FDA De Novo pathway | Guide medical device classification |
While the full system is a long-term goal, we have identified three immediate, lower-risk entry points:
- [cite_start]Surgical Circuit Monitoring (TRL 7-9): Creating inline sensors to detect microplastics released by cardiopulmonary bypass circuits[cite: 86].
- [cite_start]Dermal Surface Screening (TRL 6-7): Validating QCL-ATR spectroscopy on occupational health populations[cite: 91].
- [cite_start]Phantom Standard Development (TRL 5-6): Creating open-source protocols for PVCP phantoms with NIST-traceable particles[cite: 97].
/concept-paper: Full text of "The Silent Burden" (v3.0)./physics-validation: Calculations regarding optical windows and absorption coefficients./phantoms(Planned): Recipes for tissue-mimicking phantoms./simulation(Planned): Synthetic data generation for spectral unmixing.
[cite_start]This project operates on a non-profit operational model[cite: 111].
- [cite_start]Goal: A "non-profit machine to help people"[cite: 112].
- [cite_start]Strategy: Open-source publication of methods and standards[cite: 113].
- [cite_start]Conflict of Interest: The author has no financial conflicts of interest[cite: 196].
Aaron Garcia Independent Researcher
To discuss collaboration, please open an Issue in this repository or contact via [Insert Email/Method]
Note: This README is based on Concept Paper ID: AG-2026-CP-001. [cite_start]All technical claims are derived from the v3.0 technical roadmap. [cite: 200]