Award Data

Biological agents pose high threats, because they are invisible and odorless and a relatively small amount can infect a large population when released in a densely populated area. For the same reasons, assuring safety after cleaning decontaminated sites can be challenging. Currently available technologies require considerable labor, and results typically cannot be obtained before 24 V 48 hours up ...

Leveraging on Agiltron industry leading development of optical systems and the PI experience with FTIR spectrometer design, we propose to develop a new class of compact monolithic Fourier-transform spectrometers for the long-wave (7.5-13 m) infrared optical range. The proposed solution is based on creating a spatial interferogram with a pair of a calomel Wollaston prisms and digitizing it with an ...

Longwave infrared (LWIR, 8-12µm) focal plane arrays (FPAs) play an important role in hyperspectral chemical and biological (CB) sensing and spectral imaging. Existing thermal detectors are unable to meet the high sensitivity and fast response requirements of many hyperspectral chemical and biological sensing applications. FPAs based on photon excited electron generation process can fulfill the sp ...

Leveraging on Agiltron industry leading development of optical MEMS devices and the PI experience with FTIR spectrometer design, we propose to develop a new class of high performance compact and rugged FTIR spectrometers for the LWIR optical range. The design is based on the MEMS lamellar mirror technique. Although this approach is not new, it has not yet been efficiently applied to LWIR, and per ...

Recent developments in the world political arena have led to The need for miniaturized instrumentation for rapid characterization of micro-organisms and toxins to protect military and civilian personnel against biological weapons and to allow timely administration of prophylactics. Considerable effort is currently underway to develop polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays with automated samp ...

The ability to detect minute quantities of toxic biological substance s will provide the ability to quickly assess a situation so that an a ppropriate response to exposure can be orchestrated. Not only will t he development of this technology be important in toxic agent warfare detection, the biological sensors would be pertinent in commercial ap plications such as process control and point-of-ca ...

Current CBW protective flight handwear consists of three pairs of glo ves: an inner cotton liner glove for comfort and perspiration absorpt ion, a 7mil butyl rubber glove for agent protection and a nomex fligh t glove for fire protection. These three pairs of gloves when worn t ogether are very bulky and cumbersome making it very difficult to per form aircrew tasks that require high tactility, su ...

There is an increasing threat of chemical and biological (CB) agents being used by hostile forces when USN aircrew could be exposed. Aircrews must wear special eye and respiratory protective equipment both before. During, and after flight operations, and transition between these states without compromising CB Protectionintegrity. Man-mounted CBW filter/blower units have previously been produced an ...

Current CB protective ensembles impose a thermal burden on aircrew which not only limits mission time. but poses a physiological danger to aircrew operating in even moderate temperature environments~ A small man-mounted cooling system employing active liquid based technology would enhance mission effectiveness and prevent a hazardous rise in core body temperature. However, these state-of-the-art s ...

We propose a rapid and easily scaleable system for the production of target quantities of monoclonal antibodies in the milk of cattle. O ur approach utilizes a modification of gene therapy techniques to di rectly insert genes for the monoclonals of interest into the mammary epithelium of cattle. In Phase I, we will develop appropriate vector constructs and demonstrate their fidelity in vitro ...