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Chemical Warfare Agent (CWA) Lightweight Field-Portable (Hand-Held) Medical Diagnostic Tool

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Office for Chemical and Biological Defense
Contract: W91XWJ-06-C-0375
Agency Tracking Number: C061-104-0027
Amount: $69,994.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: CBD06-104
Solicitation Number: 2006.1
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2006
Award Year: 2006
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2006-05-18
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2006-11-17
Small Business Information
675 U.S. Highway One
North Brunswick, NJ 08902
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Green Bernard S
 (732) 745-7070
 green@semorex.com
Business Contact
 Maghsoud Dariani
Phone: (908) 322-7675
Email: mdariani@comcast.net
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

Chemical weapon nerve agents (CWNAs) are extremely deadly substances, and as a key element in the arsenals of rogue nations and terrorists who are willing to use them, they represent a constant threat to our military and civilian personnel. Current methods for detecting CWNA exposure in individuals have many deficiencies, including excessive false-positives (triggered by pesticides) and false-negatives (from environmental interferences), the required use of labile enzymes, the inability to specifically identify the nerve agent, and the need for consumables. Those methods also rely on equipment that is cumbersome in the field. Semorex and its expert collaborators propose to prove the feasibility of developing an inexpensive, reliable, hand-held diagnostic device to aid first-responders and other medical personnel in rapidly detecting/identifying CWNAs. The device will be based on our novel, proprietary recognition technology—molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs), developed with previous DOD SBIR support. During Phase I we will use DFP (diisopropylfluorophosphate, a commercially available toxic OP agent) to establish proof-of-concept for the basic reactions using commercial serum samples to show that the required sensitivity, reactivity, specificity and stability can be obtained. The anticipated Phase I results will set the stage for a larger Phase II prototyping/demonstration project.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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