The need for small portable, low-cost instruments for field environmental measurements is well documented. Nomadics is developing powerful handheld instruments based on the portable computers and PCMCIA cards. We intent to marry existing proven (but not yet deployed) sensor technologies with… More

The fabrication of highly efficient Faraday-active optical waveguide structures is proposed. Faraday-active waveguides are presently of great interest as their development is the critical enabling technology associated with the demonstration of an all-fiber optical circulator. Such devices, which… More

The E-SMART network provides a standard means for interconnecting sensors and actuators for a variety of uses, but was specifically developed for environmental applications. Nomadics proposes to develop a generic hardware and software interface to allow existing sensor technologies to be rapidly… More

65276 he threat that aggressive forces will use biological agents against U.S. military or civilian populations is now upon us. One of the greatest threats is that those agents will be added to water supplies or treatment systems. Species of Brucella and Escherichia coli are two likely… More

Nomadics proposes to build on the success of the amplifying polymer detection systems and Phase I results to develop prototype devices for the detection of select chemical warfare agents. The devices will include a passive badge-type personal exposuremonitor and a battery-powered portable field… More

The need for effective communications is critical to accomplishing the Navy's mission. However, numerous obstacles, such as waterproof chambers, conductive walls, and high-energy equipment, make the installation and maintenance of an effectivecommunications system difficult. Recent advances in… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will build upon the exciting results of Phase I, which demonstrated that whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonances of a microsphere can be tuned over a significant range by sweeping the microsphere's temperature. It is intended to employ… More

Nomadics has been working with landmine detection technologies since 1998. During that time we have established the extreme sensitivity of an amplifying fluorescent polymer (AFP) that has been employed in the direct detection of ultratrace quantities ofchemical signature compounds of explosives and… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will build upon the exciting results of Phase I, which demonstrated that whispering gallery mode (WGM) resonances of a microsphere can be tuned over a significant range by sweeping the microsphere's temperature. It is intended to employ… More

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I project focuses on the development of nanocomposite materials that are capable of producing photostimulated luminescence (PSL) and the demonstration of their ability to do so at room temperature for durations that would support practical… More

Nomadics proposes to design and evaluate a fast, in-situ apparatus to sample nitroaromatic explosives in marine waters. The sampler will extract explosive compounds from plumes around seamines and unexploded ordnance (UXO). By following a plume to itssource, an autonomous underwater vehicle,… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose a substantial health risk. The available methods to detect resistant strains are expensive, time-consuming, and complicated. Nomadics will functionalize a highly sensitive amplifying fluorescent… More

Nomadics has demonstrated the tremendous amplification powers of a revolutionary polymer material developed at MIT. We have demonstrated the ability of a detection system based on the polymer to detect buried landmines with a sensitivity that is 1000times greater or more than that of currently… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to demonstrate how a radically new technology can be applied to real-time detection of food-borne pathogens. Current ready-to-eat food inspection test methods require 3-6 days due to the need to enrich the pathogenic population to… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to design a nanoparticle-monoclonal antibody conjugate that is capable of detecting select biological warfare agents including Brucella and Francisella. This novel approach to detection is effective, sensitive, selective,… More

This Phase II SBIR project is a continuation of the research in which we proved the feasibility of an approach to the wide area standoff detection of explosives. The approach consists of two main components: a fluorescing sensor mechanism and aphoto-interrogation subsystem. Two types of sensor… More

70656 Trace gas measurement systems, needed for atmospheric sampling, are too bulky and delicate to take to the field, where measurements of trace gases would prove to be of great value. This project will fabricate a novel sampling cell arrangement that incorporates a robust optical… More

Nomadics will conduct a study to determine the feasibility and best approach of implementing a system of shipboard data networking that would be built on the HYDRA system and support audio and video transmission. Nomadics is well positioned to completethe study and to implement systems that support… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will demonstrate the use of a highly sensitive technology to measure the amount of trace metal ions presented in water or other liquid samples and the eventual development of portable instrumentation. This novel approach to detection is… More

In this Phase I STTR, Nomadics has teamed with the Keck Graduate Institute to develop a new form of highly sensitive biological filter intended for the protection of water supplies. In light of the growing concern about bioterrorism, an early warningsystem for the presence of biological agents in… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Realizing important advances in the screening, diagnosis and treatment of cancer depends in large part on the sensitivity, simplicity and cost of detecting specific nucleic acid sequences. Nomadics proposes to adapt amplifying fluorescent polymer (AFP) technology… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to develop an efficient and reliable enhanced Raman spectroscopy probe by integrating a microspherical resonator with nanoparticles providing Surface Enhanced Raman scattering. This spectral information provides a chemical… More

Nomadics has teamed with the University of Rhode Island to propose a sensor payload to be carried by a REMUS unmanned underwater vehicle in order to patrol coastal regions and the areas around deployed ships for protection against attack. The system willbe able to patrol large areas autonomously… More

Nomadics proposes to improve the luminescence efficiency, sensitivity, and resolution of X-ray storage imaging plates of BaFBr:Eu2+ systems via quantum size confinement and nano-fabrication. The working principle of X-ray storage imaging is photostimulated luminescence (PSL). In this process,… More

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II project will demonstrate the ability to generate photostimulated luminescence (PSL) in nanoparticles. The potential applications in digital imaging and storage offered by PSL phosphors, including X-ray imaging could be significant. PSL… More

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II project will demonstrate the ability to generate photostimulated luminescence (PSL) in nanoparticles. The potential applications in digital imaging and storage offered by PSL phosphors, including X-ray imaging could be significant. PSL… More

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will exploit the unique fluorescence and signal amplification qualities of poly(phenylene ethynylene)s in a nanoparticle format. This combines the intense solid-state fluorescence and sensing capabilities of poly(phenylene ethynylene)s (PPEs)… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Nomadics will adapt amplifying fluorescent polymer (AFP) technology to nucleic acid detection. AFPs are a class of polymers that amplify optical signatures resulting from FRET or fluorescence quenching events. Combining this inherent signal amplification with the… More

"To be effective, communications used by warfighters must be able to reach its destination without detection or interception by hostile forces. The system must provide multiple modes of operations that can be easily changed to support different operationalarenas and to adapt their communications… More

Nomadics, teamed with the University of Rhode Island, proposes to develop sensors for the detection of weapons of mass destruction underwater for protection of the nation's coastlines and the protection of deployed forces. The Phase I effort successfullydemonstrated that payloads using these types… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop a new generation of fluorescence amplifying reagents based on poly (phenylene ethynylene (PPE)) nanoparticles. Because of the role of the amplifying polymer in the enhanced sensitivity of these compounds, these compounds… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop a new generation of fluorescence amplifying reagents based on poly (phenylene ethynylene (PPE)) nanoparticles. Because of the role of the amplifying polymer in the enhanced sensitivity of these compounds, these compounds… More

Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a powerful technique for detecting and identifying target analytes, such as CBW agents, even at very small concentrations. However, traditional SERS techniques often suffer from poor reliability andreproducibility. Nanoparticle-based SERS has a… More

Military aircraft are largely constructed from special aluminum alloys, which typically have secondary precipitate phases that substantially improve mechanical strength. However, these regions also promote corrosion in such common environmental conditionsas acid rain, saltwater, and thermal cycling.… More

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: Current state-of-the-art inspection procedures for ready-to-eat food is time-intensive, requiring processors to delay distribution and maintain extra storage facilities or to distribute the food and face the risk of an expensive recall and associated damage to the company's… More

The utilization of composite materials is vital in achieving the objectives of our nation's missile defense programs. However, composite materials can develop micro-cracking and other flaws that are difficult to detect. The need fornon-destructive-testing (NDT) and evaluation (NDE) of composite… More

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to develop a novel material to enable improved performance of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Availability of this material could result in the manufacture of pollution monitoring, industrial process monitoring, and… More

Nomadics is proposing the development of a means of incorporating a node into a simulation network that not only provides Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) to High Level Architecture (HLA) protocol translation, but also allows operators to makeeffective use of HLA's delivery management… More

In this Phase II proposal, Nomadics in a collaborative effort with the Keck Graduate Institute proposes to develop assays and devices based on amplifying fluorescent polymer (AFP) technology for the rapid identification of biological warfare agents inwater. The rapid, sensitive detection and… More

Nomadics will undertake the development of a reduced footprint life support monitor for use in far-forward battle environments. Existing systems are bulky and weight constrained causing their ineffectiveness in scenarios where the warfighter is woundedand requires acute medical attention in a… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of the proposed research is to develop a highly sensitive and specific multi-locus array diagnostic for rapid identification of Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague. This infectious bacterial agent is on the NIAID category A priority list as a… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Nomadics, Inc. proposes to use amplifying fluorescent polymer (AFP) nanoparticles to improve the sensitivity of nucleic acid hybridization assays by up to 5 orders of magnitude. This will directly impact gene expression studies by improving sensitivity and… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Antibacterial resistant Staphylococcus aureus, in particular methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), infections constitute a serious worldwide health problem. MRSA infections are usually hospital-acquired, although the incidence of community-acquired infections… More

Nomadics is currently working with a novel chemical weapon indicating chromophore (CWIC) that can make CW agent contamination literally glow in the dark. Developed by Professor Tim Swager at MIT, CWICs will allow equipment to be quickly and easily examined to show any areas of contamination, making… More

75948-It is important to determine the fate and transport of contaminants generated from past weapons production and from current energy production activities. In support of this goal, this project will develop technology for the highly sensitive real-time detection of radionuclides in the… More

None of the current chemical warfare (CW) agent sensors or field test kits has sufficient sensitivity to detect nerve and blister agents at allowable exposure level (AEL) concentrations. Thanks to a remarkable chromophore developed by Professor Timothy Swager at MIT, Nomadics believes that we can… More

Nomadics proposes development of a system consisting of an Entrant Safety Unit (ESU), carried by the worker, and an Attendant Interface Unit (AIU) stationed at the entrance to a confined space. The units are in constant communication through a wireless link. The ESU periodically determines if the… More

In this Phase I SBIR, Nomadics will build on our past experience with micro-structure resonators and quartz-based sensors to develop a pressure sensor suitable for high pressure applications such as oil and gas industry applications. In the Phase I work, the outstanding measurement resolution of our… More

Modern flight line engineers are faced with a large variety of sensor configurations. Different types of vehicles, and sometimes even different individual vehicles of the same type, have widely varying sensor loadouts. With current Instrumentation Support Systems (ISSs), each sensor configuration… More

Short range line-of-site communication is an integral part of the SOF mission. In nearly all regions where SOF operations take place, there is little if any short-range line-of-site communications infrastructure that can support these missions. The objective of this project is to design and… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Nomadics proposes the development of scintillation nanocomposite materials that are capable of producing scintillation luminescence (SL) and the demonstration of their applicability for in vivo dosimetry and radiation dose imaging. Successful production of SL… More

76010-For general illumination applications, the prospects for energy efficient solutions based on existing III-Nitride semiconductors appears to be constrained to less than 90 lumens. Further development of III-Nitride light-emitting diodes, both in device efficiency and in cost, are limited by… More

Nomadics proposes the development of an x-ray system for use underwater. The proposed sensor is similar to a raster or "flying spot" backscatter imager. These systems operate by scanning an x-ray beam across a surface and monitoring the backscattered energy. There are two significant challenges… More

Antibody-based receptor scaffolds used in chemical and biological sensors suffer from certain inherent shortfalls. We propose an approach based on the use of computationally designed proteins as receptor scaffolds. Such receptor scaffolds overcome many of the problems encountered with antibodies.… More

Under funding from DARPA, Nomadics has demonstrated the potential for deploying multi-gun fixtures as a means of defeating rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). These early tests have created a database that will be invaluable in advancing the work toward optimization of the initial concept through… More

By mechanically attacking the nose/warhead of a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG), one can render the RPG into a purely kinetic projectile rather than an explosive one. This can be achieved by shearing the nose fuze, collapsing the ogive, or disrupting the explosive itself. While a 2.5 kg projectile… More

The goal of the proposed research is to develop a cell culture model for elk chronic wasting disease (CWD) prion propagation that can be used as a bioassay for detecting CWD. Our goal will be accomplished by bioengineering a bovine B-lymphocyte cell (B-cell) line to surface express elk PrPc fused to… More

Nomadics proposes to implement its proven Fido explosives detection system to produce a system specifically designed to identify the trace chemical signature of explosives on personnel who may be involved in the fabrication or transport of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), including suicide… More

High chemical activity of chlorine and severe health effects after even short-term exposure to it make facilities that use chlorine are subject for potential terrorist attacks. The magnitude of such attacks on U.S. chemical facilities could easily exceed the loss of life suffered on September 11th.… More

All explosive devices, including IEDs, have chemical signatures that to date have been underexploited as a means of detction. Nomadics is proposing to employ chemical sensing methods to determine if suspected items contain explosive elements or not. Using the Fido ultra-trace detector as the core… More

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop and introduce new low-dielectric constant polymers as a new dielectric material for the fabrication of interconnect systems in integrated circuits. The continuing drive for denser integrated circuits and faster… More

Attacks using chemical warfare (CW) agents are a principal threat to the US homeland and deployed assets. This proposal focuses on demonstrating key capabilities required to develop a micro-gas analysis (MGA) system that provides orders of magnitude improvement in sensitivity and a very high degree… More

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to develop a novel material to enable improved performance of surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). Availability of this material could result in the manufacture of pollution monitoring, industrial process monitoring, and… More

In Phase I, Nomadics demonstrated that a novel chemical weapon indicating chromophore (CWIC) developed by Professor Tim Swager at MIT will allow equipment to be quickly and easily examined to show any areas of contamination, making targeted decontamination manageable. When exposed to CW agent… More

Modern flight line engineers are faced with a large variety of sensor configurations. Different types of vehicles, and sometimes even different individual vehicles of the same type, have widely varying sensor loadouts. With current Instrumentation Support Systems (ISSs), each sensor configuration… More

Current antibody-or enzyme-based chemical and biological sensors generally suffer from several disadvantages including involved development cycles, short shelf life, implementation difficulties, and no clear path for new receptor development. We propose an approach based on the use of… More

The US military has a developed and is testing several technologies that promise to reduce fratricide incidents on the battlefield. These Radio-Based Combat Identification Systems consist of specially modified, currently inventoried, military radio systems. These systems do not allow… More

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop and introduce new low-dielectric constant polymers as a new dielectric material for the fabrication of interconnect systems in integrated circuits. The continuing drive for denser integrated circuits and faster… More

Nomadics is a research and development company that has been quite successful in developing products for the biomedical market. The majority of our research involves the development of advanced materials that are being exploited for commercial applications. In this effort, we propose a novel… More

The aim of this study is to develop a multiplexed virus detection platform capable of detecting within three hours the presence of any known virus, genetically modified virus or unidentified virus, in clinical samples like serum. A PCR based technique will be employed to identify the presence of… More

The goal of the proposed research is to develop a highly sensitive, portable, vertebrate cell-based sensor for rapid detection of toxic chemicals in water that can be used as a standalone device or can be integrated into the ESB system. The key technological innovation that will be employed is a… More

Optical circuits provide many benefits for large time-bandwidth signal processing in microwave photonic applications. SeTapped delay lines using surface acoustic waves (SAWs) are in use today for carrier frequencies in the MHz to 100 MHz range, and thus their general theory and efficacy are well… More

Our goal is to detect and eliminate BW agents rapidly. In this project, we will develop functionalized nanoparticle photodynamic agents that can be bioconjugated with monoclonal antibodies to rapidly detect and kill viral infections. During Phase I, we will concentrate on the design and… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In an on-going collaboration with Drs. Angelo Russo and James B. Mitchell at the National Institute of Health, Nomadics has demonstrated the use of nanoparticles as fluorescence and spin contrast agents for optical and magnetic imaging simultaneously. In this… More

Munitions and detonable residues of energetic materials in used munitions containers represent a significant safety hazard to operations personnel and equipment. Besides the possibility of containing unexploded munitions, munitions containers are contaminated with explosives residues ranging in… More

Vesicants have been used as chemical warfare agents since World War I and are still considered a major class of chemical threat agents both for the military and for homeland security. There are four different vesicating agents: impure sulfur mustard, distilled sulfur mustard, phosgene oxime, and… More

Painting metal provides excellent corrosion protection, as long as the paint remains intact. However, if the paint peels or becomes chipped after an impact, corrosion can occur in the revealed metallic area and even spread underneath the paint. Therefore, regular inspection and maintenance are… More

Surface cleaning is extremely important in that it removes common surface contaminants such as loose metal oxides, oils, dirt, etc. that have deleterious effects on the wetting and adhesion of subsequently applied coatings. However, during the cleaning process, matrix dealloying and redeposition of… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes development of a distributed optical fiber sensor using computationally designed fluorescent proteins. Surface plasmon coupled emission (SPCE) has been shown to be an excellent means to enhance fluorescence sensing technology. … More

The goal of the proposed research is to develop a highly sensitive, high-throughput, and miniaturized assay system for rapid detection of brain injury-specific biomarkers in serum. The assay will be integrated into a portable detector so results can be immediately communicated to the health-care… More

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The primary goal of this research is to develop nanometer-sized, stable, highly fluorescent, nontoxic, and biocompatible conjugated polymer bioconjugates (CPB) for live cell imaging. The most commonly used fluorophores in cell imaging, cell tracking, and in vivo… More

The goal of this work is the development of technology for detecting trace levels of explosives as an aid to force protection and for acquisition of forensic evidence. In Phase I of this effort we demonstrated that personnel involved in the manufacture, storage, deployment, and triggering of… More

The goal of the project was to find a more efficient treatment for cancer while reducing the risk of radiation damage. To reach this goal, we propose a novel method for ovarian cancer treatment that combines radiotherapy and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Under this concept, luminescent nanoparticles… More

In this Phase II project Nomadics will novate our research to a spin-out company Nico Technologies. Nomadics will remain a subcontractor during this transition. The team proposes a new treatment for injuries from mustard gas based on biodegradable inverted colloidal crystal scaffolds impregnated… More