Oxygen Production on Demand for Military Medical Needs

Topic 17B-005 calls for a new process for supplying medical grade O2 without the use of O2 bottles or pressure (or vacuum) swing absorption (PSA) technology. This is significant to the military for several reasons, because these two sources currently interfere with logistical supply of O2 to where it is required, namely field hospital units. PSA units reportedly have limited shelf life and supply O2 at less than the desired 99% (typically, 93% maximum). These limitations in turn drives up costs as well as threaten the survival of wounded warfighters. Solution: We are solving this problem by developing readily deployable O2 generating devices that utilize nano-membrane electrochemical pump technology. This advanced method for extracting O2 from a flow stream of ambient air meets and exceeds military requirements for medical O2. In order to bring this technology fully into practice, the manufacturing methods for applying nano-membrane to porous alumina tubes must be developed and optimized to repeatedly produce >99% O2 at the targeted supply rate.