2008 ta report innovation

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The Spirit

of Innovation

2008 Missile Defense Agency Technology Applications Report

Guided by intellectual freedom and

entrepreneurial bravery, Americas innovators

are developing tomorrows technology today.


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To be free in America today meansenjoying the freedom to succeed or to fail.

To be brave in America today means

standing up for new, often untested, ideas.

Innovators know what it means

to be free and to be brave in America today.


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The Spirit of Innovation

2008 Missile Deense Agency Technology Applications Report


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We the People o the United States, in Order to orm

a more perect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic

Tranquility, provide or the common deence, promote

the general Welare, and secure the Blessings o Liberty to

ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this

Constitution or the United States o America.


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ter more than a century and a hal

o being ruled by an autocratic monarch, the Found-

ing Fathers o the United States ought with both pen

and sword to establish a government dedicated to

protecting lie and liberty in ways that enable all o us

to pursue happiness to the best o our abilities. They

set orth their vision in the Constitution, a living docu-

ment that reects our national ideals and values. It is

the soul o this Nation, and it is a document that ex-

tends beyond the era in which it was written.

The words in the Constitution that introduce this en-

during national vision appear in the Preamble where we nd the Founders reasonsor creating a new government, eloquently described as a more perect Union.

One key reasona needespoused in the Preamble is to provide or the com-

mon deense, and in this area the Missile Deense Agency (MDA) plays a vital role by

developing and elding increasingly robust ballistic missile deenses. But there are

other needs laid out in the Preamble, and MDA, through its Technology Applications

(TA) program, helps ulll these as well by pushing technology beyond deense and

into everyday lie.

This year s Technology Applications Report is ull o examples showcasing ways in

which MDA-unded technology contributes to the core needs mentioned in the

Preamble: to ensure domestic tranquility, to promote the general welare, and to

secure the blessings o liberty. MDA-unded technology is also helping other orga-nizations provide or the common deense.

The TA program is dedicated to helping move technology into the commercial

marketplace. Since the earliest days o the Strategic Deense Initiative Organization,

the TA program has been providing services to missile deense researchers, help-

ing them mature their technologies into dual-use products or a variety o markets.

Already, missile deense research has led to innovations in areas as diverse as medi-

cine, energy, transportation, and inormation technology. And, these innovations

have boosted the American economy and improved countless lives. We can expect

more success in the uture.

The technologies and applications highlighted in the ollowing pages demon-

strate the remarkable ingenuity o MDA-unded researchers, and underscore theexcitement that surrounds cutting-edge missile deense research. I hope this re-

port will give readers a new appreciation or MDAs broader role in creating a more

prosperous society, as envisioned by the ramers o the Constitution.

Robert S. Barnes,

Deputy, Advanced Technology,

Missile Deense Agency

Foreword

A


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Using technologies developed or missile deense,

we can make the United States a peaceul place to live.

We can, in eect, help ensure domestic tranquility by

helping shore-up this Nations inrastructure, by deterring

crime, tackling pollution and high energy consumption,

and developing more durable, eco-riendly materials.


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The Spirit of Innovation2008 Missile Deense Agency Technology Applications Report

he Missile Deense Agency (MDA) mission is to develop and eld an

integrated Ballistic Missile Deense System capable o providing a layered deense

or the homeland, deployed orces, riends, and allies against ballistic missiles o

all ranges, in all phases o ight. MDAs predecessor agenciesthe Ballistic Mis-

sile Deense Organization and the Strategic Deense Initiative Organizationalso

pursued similar missions.

The Ballistic Missile Deense System will use assets such as complementary in-

terceptors; land-, sea-, air-, and space-based sensors; and battle-management

command-and-control systems. The system being developed is primarily based

on hit-to-kill technology. The challenge has been described as hitting a bullet with

a bulleta capability that has been successully demonstrated in test ater test.

Building the tools required to accomplish the mission has presented a host o

complex technical challenges. To help address those challenges, MDA and its pre-

decessors have unded businesses, as well as universities and national laboratories,

to develop technologies that can play a role in missile deense. The innovations

that emerge rom these unding partnerships range rom computer systems to

sensors to advanced materials.

Today, MDA continues to und scores o research-and-development projects an-

nually to help promising missile deense technologies thrive. But, MDA-unded

researchers also must seek commercial opportunities that will allow their innova-

tions to mature. By nding commercial partners and new markets, researchers can

pull in additional capital and resources to improve their technologies, meaning

that promising technologies arent limited to use by MDA only; the innovationscan nd application beyond missile deense. The benets o a new material, or

example, can be enjoyed by commercial markets, not just military uses.

Ultimately, MDA can benet rom commercial enhancements to the technologies.

For example, commercial customers o MDA-unded innovations such as sotware

or imaging technology might suggest improvements or eatures that MDA also

could nd helpul.

MDAs investment in new technology or its missile deense mission already is pay-

ing o in many commercial sectors as commercial successes have arisen amid an

ever-changing landscape sculpted by world events, policy decisions, and continu-

ing development o the Ballistic Missile Deense System.

Missile Defense Agency Mission

T


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By developing innovative, resourceul, and successul technologies,

MDA-unded rsearchers are helping We the People take ull advantage

o living in the America envisioned by the Founding Fathers.


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he MDA Technology Applications (TA) program helps MDA-unded re-

searchers commercialize and scale up their technologies. Commercialization and

technology transer eorts by the program ensure that MDA-unded technologies

survive and mature, allowing them eventually to be rolled into the Ballistic Missile

Deense System.

The program helps MDA-unded researchers by guiding business strategies and

increasing public and industry awareness o their MDA-unded technologies. In

seeking to ulll this mission, the TA program oers ree workshops and commer-

cialization reviews that help these researchers and companies ocus on their busi-

ness strengths and problems. The program also disseminates inormation about

MDA-unded technologies through special reports, a searchable Web-based data-

base, and the quarterly MDA TechUpdate newsletter, which is distributed to a broadrange o readers in business, government, and media.

MDA supports commercialization because it reduces costs and improves the reli-

ability o the Ballistic Missile Deense System. Commercialization also benets the

economy o the United States and helps improve the lives o its citizens.

The success o the TA program and its ocus on commercialization, thereore,

contributes to the development o superior technology or deending the United

States and its allies; promotes the economic growth o the Nation; and helps en-

hance the quality o lie in the United States.

The TA program is supported by the National Technology Transer Center-Wash-

ington Operations (NTTC-WO), located in Alexandria, VA. NTTC-WO is a not-or-prot, ull-service technology transer organization that helps publicly unded agencies

and programs identiy their most-promising technologies, and it provides resources or

guiding those innovations toward commercial use.

Technology Applications Program

T


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8

Advancing Missile Deense ..................................................................................................................10

The Spirit o Innovation ..........................................................................................................................12

Table of Contents

Section One Ensure Domestic Tranquility

Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................14

Sensing Roadway Integrity

Blue Road Research ...................................................................................................................................16

Lighting the Olympic Spirit

Cree, Inc. ...........................................................................................................................................................18

Enabling Emergency Communications

GATR Technologies ....................................................................................................................................20

Powering In-ight Entertainment

Innovative Power Solutions, LLC .......................................................................................................22

Erasing the Work o Vandals

Integument Technologies, Inc. ...........................................................................................................24

Keeping Trains on Tracks

Mid Technology Corporation ...........................................................................................................26

Detecting Toxic Leakage

Odyssian Technology, LLC .....................................................................................................................28

Section Two Provide for the Common Defense

Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................30

Replicating Large Parts Fast

2Phase Technologies, Inc. ......................................................................................................................32

Enabling High-speed Signal Processing

S2 Corporation .............................................................................................................................................34

Improving Warghter Response Time

Schaer Corporation ..................................................................................................................................36

Destroying Roadside Bombs

SiMMtec, Inc...................................................................................................................................................38

Planning the Next Battle

TechFinity, Inc................................................................................................................................................40


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Section Three Promote the General Welfare

Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................42

Accelerating Cancer Therapy

AccSys Technologies, Inc. ......................................................................................................................44

Stimulating Aural Functionality

Aculight Corporation ............................................................................................................................... 46

Casting Bone Replacements

Advanced Ceramics Research, Inc. ..................................................................................................48

Simulating and Simpliying SurgeryEnergid Technologies Corporation ..................................................................................................50

Beaming Medical Diagnoses

Maxion Technologies, Inc. .....................................................................................................................52

Blending a Better Drug

Resodyn Corporation ...............................................................................................................................54

Section Four Secure the Blessings of Liberty

Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................56

Stabilizing Flight-deck Electronics

Lawrie technology, Inc. ...........................................................................................................................58

Improving Aircrat Aerodynamics

NanoSonic, Inc. ............................................................................................................................................60

Enhancing Image Quality

Novalux, Inc. ...................................................................................................................................................62

Revealing Countereit Documents

Optodot Corporation ...............................................................................................................................64

Fueling Next-generation Vehicles

ZTEK Corporation .......................................................................................................................................66

Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................................68

Contacts ...........................................................................................................................................................70


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10

And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air,

Gave proo through the night that our fag was still there.

hen Francis Scott Key penned these words during the War o 1812,

Americas history orever became linked to the deense o reedom through the

use o rockets and missiles. For almost two centuries, these words have given

Americans the resolve to deend this great Nation and the ag that characterizes

our ounding values. Today, the deense o America continues to mean deending

the land o the ree and the home o the brave.

To be ree in America today means enjoying the reedom to succeed or to ail.To be brave in America today means standing up or new, oten untested, ideas.

Innovators know what it means to be ree and to be brave in America today.

They continue to exercise intellectual reedom and entrepreneurial bravery to de-

velop modern technologies or deense and to leverage those tools into commer-

cial products.

It is an ongoing tale o challenges, breakthroughs, and benets or all Americans.

For Defense and Beyond DefenseAmbitious, mission-driven technology development resulted in creation o the rst

atomic bombs, which helped bring World War II to an end. The new technology

a proverbial genie released rom the bottlespread quickly into two realms. First,

other nations acquired the tools and knowledge to create their own atomic weap-

ons. Second, nuclear technology did not remain among only military users. Know-

how was transerred to applications beyond deense. Today, nuclear power provides

electricity or heating homes, powering industrial equipment, and lighting ofce

buildings.

To counter military threats posed by the spread o nuclear technology to other na-

tions, United States leaders ultimately decided that a Ballistic Missile Deense Sys-

tem was needed. Today, such a system is operational and continues to undergo

enhancement and expansion. Building the system has relied on ambitious, mission-

driven technology development, and it has heavily involved private and academic

Advancing Missile Defense

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researchers unded by the Federal Government. As the system has emerged, innova-

tions developed or MDA have been leveraged into commercial applications that go

beyond deense.

Pushing Technology Forward

Developing and continually improving a robust missile deense system requires in-

novation, it requires risk, and it requires thinking outside the box. Each year, MDA

unds businesses, universities, and national laboratories to develop technologies that

can play a role in its ever-expanding planned arsenal o missile deense systems.

To develop, eld, and advance the integrated ballistic missile deense system, it

is essential that these technologies, and the companies and researchers who de-

velop them, continue to thrive. And, MDA actively works through its Technology

Applications (TA) program to help transition them into the commercial sector and

other government uses.

The TA program works side by side with MDA-unded researchers to nd addition-

al markets or their innovations beyond deense, such as health care, homeland

security, environmental sciences, energy, and personal electronics.

To best address the business needs o MDA-unded companies, the program oers

two specialized orums, held regularly across the country: Business Focus Work-shops and Technology Application Reviews. The Business Focus Workshop helps

primarily Small Business Innovation Research Phase I winners ocus on the stra-

tegic goals o building a business, which include developing business plans and

identiying market competition. The second orum, the Technology Applications

Review, is essentially a Board o Directors or a day, which helps companies rene

their business goals, improve corporate business models, and gain valuable indus-

try contacts and investment advice.

The TA program also provides broad exposure or MDA-unded innovations

through publications such as the quarterly MDA TechUpdate newsletter; two Web

sites, www.mdatechnology.net and www.mda.mil; and special industry and ap-plications reports such as this one.

These services are available to MDA-unded companies, ree-o-charge. Inorma-

tion about these workshops and publications and the technologies they serve can

be ound on both Web sites.



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12

he Preamble to the U.S. Constitution sets in motion a series o prin-

ciples that our leaders have been addressing or more than 220 years. It reads:

We the People o the United States, in Order to orm a more perect Union,

establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide or the common deence,

promote the general Welare, and secure the Blessings o Liberty to

ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution

or the United States o America.

This Preamble and the rest o the Constitution allowed or the creation o very

specic laws to protect and ulll this vision. Under the resulting new government,a national deense emerged; roads, post ofces, and currency came into being;

departments and agencies were created to support the laws and specic missions.

Meanwhile, an environment o liberty helped oster a nation o entrepreneurs and

innovatorsthe people who developed the cotton gin, the steam engine, the

light bulb, the airplane, the automotive assembly line, and the technology to send

people into space.

MDA sits at the crossroads o providing common deense and tapping into this vi-

brant environment o private-sector technology development. The Agency and its

predecessors have unded businesses, as well as universities and national labora-

tories, to develop technologies that can play a role in missile deense. The innova-

tions that emerge rom these unding partnerships range rom computer systems

to sensors to advanced materials.But MDA alone cannot und the entire development lie cycle or each technology.

So, MDA-unded researchers also must seek commercial opportunities that will al-

low their innovations to mature.

By nding commercial partners and new market opportunities, researchers can

pull in additional capital and resources to improve their technologies and expand

their application base beyond missile deense. From semiconductors to sotware,

technologies that answer todays deense needs are providing the building blocks

o tomorrows American dreams.

With the help o MDAs Technology Applications program, American businesses

are taking the lead in meeting some o the challenges stated in the Preamble to

the Constitution.

The Spirit of Innovation

T


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n Using technologies developed or missile deense, we can make the

United States a peaceul place to live. We can, in eect, help ensure domes-

tic tranquility by helping shore-up this Nations inrastructure, by deterring

crime, tackling pollution and high energy consumption, and developing

more durable, eco-riendly materials.

n Commercialized MDA-unded technologies allow our Nation to provide

or the common deense by giving the worlds most technically savvy mili-

tary such tools as sotware to improve battleeld response time, lasers to

destroy roadside bombs, techniques or quickly manuacturing military ve-

hicle parts.

n Innovations with roots in MDA research promote general welare withinour country by providing the health industry with a composite material or

prosthetic bones, robotic technology or non-invasive surgery, and a preci-

sion device or targeting deep-seated tumors.

n And American businesses whose technologies have been unded by MDA

are creating commercial products that help us live ree, comortable, and

happy lives and to enjoy the blessings o liberty. These products include an

anti-countereiting technology that helps make identity documents more

secure, uel cells that will enable easy and aordable automobile travel,

and laser technology to enhance the image quality o consumer electronic

products.

By developing innovative, resourceul, and successul technologies, MDA-undedresearchers are helping We the People take ull advantage o living in the America

envisioned by the Founding Fathers.

From a technological perspective, our Nation barely resembles the America o the

18th century. But beneath our shiny 21st century exterior, our modern hopes re-

main the same. We all want to live better lives. To do that, we create, we invent, we

innovate. Thats what the Founders did when they crated the Constitution, and,

thats what visionary MDA-unded researchers are doing today. They are creating,

inventing, and innovating to help all Americans live ree, sae, and better lives.



17/77

We the People o the United States, in Order to orm a more perect Union, establish Justice, insuredomesticTranqu

ility,provideforthecommondefence,p

romotethe

generalWelfare,andsecuretheBlessingsofLibertytoourselvesandourPosterity,doordainandestablishthisConstitutionfortheU

nitedStatesofAmerica.


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Section One

Domestic tranquility amounts to peace within our Nations bordersthe absence o chaos

and major internal conict.

For the Founding Fathers, ensuring domestic tranquility might have meant avoiding conict

among actions in a new nation. But in its capacity as a living document, the Constitution

allows us to acknowledge modern needs within the context o domestic tranquility. Today,

a peaceul Nation relies on adequate resources and ecient use o those resources, sae

inrastructure, capabilities or countering crime, and tools or dealing with the emergencies

that threaten to racture our domestic tranquility.

As researchers and manuacturers commercialize MDA-unded technologies to improve

the lives o Americans, they carry orward the Founders long-standing vision to make this

Nation a peaceul place to live.

The technologies eatured here show promise in

n monitoring the structural integrity o the bridges we drive over every day,n illuminating our homes with energy-ecient lighting,

n providing emergency communications in remote or weather-ravaged areas,

n reducing aircrat payload weights to increase airline and passenger cost savings,

n coating buildings with a special appliqu to simpliy the removal o grati,

n monitoring train brake orce to improve transportation saety, and

n warning utility operators o pending uel and chemical leaks to protect our environment.

Addressing such contemporary challenges will improve the tranquility o American lives

now and in the uture.

Ensure Domestic Tranquility


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16

Blue Roads ber-optic-enabled sensor-and-sotware suite can

monitor and assess the structural integrity o bridges and high-

ways to reduce the chances o catastrophic ailure.

Sensing Roadway Integrity

Blue Road Research Gresham, OR


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Ensures domestic tranquility by

reducing the possibility o catastrophic bridge collapses

by detecting structural deciencies or strain in materials,

including composites. Blue Roads ber-optic-enabled

sensor sotware also can be used to monitor the struc-

tural integrity o aircrat, buildings, roadways, and hydro-

gen uel tanks or uture hybrid vehicles. The companys

technologies oer considerable advantages in sensitivity

and robustness or nondestructive evaluation systems,

and there are signicant time and cost savings, too.

How it works

Blue Roads ber-optic systems are used to detect in-

ternal strain in composite structures. When a part in

which a ber-optic sensor undergoes strain or deor-

mation, the light transmitted through the ber is al-

tered, thereby signaling a potential problem. The sen-

sors can be embedded in a structure or attached to

the surace o a part. Multiple ber-optic sensors can

be distributed throughout a material, and their unc-

tions can be monitored and recorded by simple signal

transducers or computers. The data they provide canbe analyzed to determine the location and severity o

the damage.

Status of the product

Fully equipped ber-optic sensor readout systems are

commercially available and can be congured to be

completely automated or customized. Data acquisition

cards, cables, basic sotware, the accompanying graphi-

cal user interace and data logging sotware, educational

kits and instructional videos, product development kits,

and individual sensors and components come standardwith the system.

For missile defense

Blue Road was unded to improve the integrity o solid

rocket motor casings or missiles. Further enhance-

ments were made through a subsequent Army con-

tracts ocusing on propellant strain monitoring.

n Blue Roads sensor technology can monitor the structural in-

tegrity o railroad bridges, like the one shown above, and warn

management o a pending collapse.


Provide for the Common Defense

Promote the General Welfare

Secure the Blessings of Liberty

We the People


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18

Crees energy-efcient LED lighting is commercially available and

being used across the country and internationally. During the

2008 Olympic Games the technology illuminated the 444,000

color-changing bubbles comprising the aade o the Beijing

National Aquatics Center, known as the Water Cube.

Lighting the Olympic Spirit

Cree, Inc. Durham, NC


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oering long-lasting, energy-efcient lighting solu-

tions to brighten our worldin cars, homes, ofces,

and Olympic venues. Since its original unding back in

the 1980s or semiconductor materials, improvements

to Crees light-emitting diode (LED) technologies have

increased lighting perormance 10 times over ordinary

light bulbs, 4 times that o halogen bulbs, and 1.5 times

that o most uorescent bulbs. Plus, using LEDs reduces

overall lighting costs by nearly eliminating the need or

replacements and by requiring less energy to operate.Cree is well ahead o the game when it comes to lighting,

being on the oreront o the congressional mandate

to phase out the use o incandescent bulbs. And its

LEDs can be used anywhere lighting is needed.

How it works

LEDssolid-state semiconductors that convert elec-

trical energy into lighthave come a long way since

they were rst used as indicator lamps in consumer

electronics and small- display illuminators on mobile

phones and other portable devices. The key to producingwhite light, though, depended on the development

and efcient exploitation o blue LEDs.

Indium-gallium-nitride-based white LEDs were con-

ceptualized by Cree to acilitate its ability to build a

more efcient and longer lasting ashlight bulb. White

light could be generated by combining emissions rom

red, green, and blue LEDs, although this approach is

not avored by those making LED systems or the com-

mercial market today because o the difculty in main-

taining the consistency o three light sources. Rather,most white LED devices are made by covering blue

LEDs with a yellow phosphor, which to the human eye

gives the appearance o white light.

Several companies have explored using sapphire as

a substrate or the blue LEDs, while Cree ocused on

silicon-carbide (SiC) semiconductor materials because

Status of the productCrees LED technologies are commercially available

and are readily in use wherever more efcient light-

ing is desiredas oodlights, emergency lighting,

industrial lighting, street lighting, or even ashlights

and ceiling lights. The technology gained even higher

visibility in 2008, lighting both the Pentagon and the

Aquatics Center at the Beijing Olympic Games. It is ex-

pected Crees market share will drastically increase as

the congressional mandate eliminating incandescent

lighting becomes eective in 2012.

For missile defense

Cree was unded to develop semiconductor materials

or space-based systems required radiation-hardened

electronics. This hardening property allays the ear o

space radiation degrading or disrupting the operation

o electronic devices and components on satellites

used or monitoring, tracking, and missile deense.

n Crees LEDs produce cool-white and warm-white light.

they are better heat conductors. Cree uses SiC as a

growth substrate, with gallium nitride as the active

blue-emitting lighting element on top. Much o the

companys success in developing white LEDs can be

attributed to advances in the perormance o blue-

light emitters.





We the People


23/77

20

GATRs commercially available satellite communications termi-

nal was deployed during Hurricanes Ike and Katrina to provide

Gul Coast victims and emergency response crews access to

the outside world with high-speed Internet capabilities. GATRs

portable communications system provides the benet o a larger

antenna, but requires less power.

Enabling Emergency Communications

GATR Technologies Huntsville, AL


24/77



providing emergency communications access to civil-

ians, military, and rescue workers when no other orms

o transmission are possible. GATRs satellite commu-

nications terminal, which can be used just about any-

where and in any weather condition, resembles an

inatable beach ball with a built-in antenna. It is light-

weight, inexpensive to operate, and has low power

consumption. Potential applications include military

and emergency communications, and remote news

broadcasts. The company has successully used its an-tenna technology to enable communications in the

hurricane-ravaged Gul Coast region.

How it works

Compared to conventional technologies, GATRs an-

tenna design provides an order o magnitude o im-

provement in packaging efciency and mass, and at a

raction o the cost. GATRs 70-pound beach-ball-shaped

antenna anchors to the ground using wires and stakes

and inates with a blower, which is included. Inside, a

parabolic-shaped reector membrane is attached to theball. Pressure is monitored on both sides o the reector

membrane by a sensor and blower. At the top o the ball

a eed assembly allows the mounting o ampliers and

modulators. The 1.8-meter antenna is designed or X, Ku,

and other bands. A lightweight mount holds the anten-

na and provides automated pointing and tracking.

Transmission power output is also important. In general,

the larger the aperture o the antenna, the less transmis-

sion power it requires; thereore, smaller antennas need to

boost transmission power. But this can cause their trans-missions to interere with other satellites. GATRs antenna

provides the transmission power benets o a large aper-

ture antenna, but with the portability o a smaller antenna.

The antennas power needs are low. GATR has successully

operated its antenna or long periods using only a 1,000-

watt o-the-shel power generator.

Status of the productThe antenna has been tested successully in the eld or

emergency communications. Ater Hurricanes Ike and

Katrina swept through the Gul Coast, GATR ofcials de-

ployed their communications system to local elemen-

tary schools to assist residents displaced by ooding.

The equipment was online in about 1 hour, and a satel-

lite communications link to the Internet, equivalent to a

T-1 line, was established. Katrina victims then were able

to access Federal aid Web sites and to send video clips

and e-mails to riends and amily. Reporters and law en-

orcement ofcers also beneted rom GATRs technol-ogy during the week it was in operation.

For missile defense

GATR was unded to develop a deployable satellite

communications terminal capable o providing high

data-rate transmissions in remote areas or Ground-

based Midcourse Deense.

n GATRs inatable antenna can be quickly deployed to provide

emergency communications access.





We the People


25/77

22

Innovative Power Solutions 1-megawatt generator could pro-

vide a lightweight option or airlines wanting to power in-ight

entertainment systems, such as the one shown above. Such

generators could increase ight efciencies, including uel e-

ciency, by reducing the overall weight o generators used in

commercial aircrat.

Powering In-ight Entertainment

Innovative Power Solutions, LLC Eatontown, NJ


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oering airlines a cost-eective way to increase pay-

load weight and aerodynamic efciencies by installing

a single, high-voltage generator to power cabin de-

vices such as in-ight entertainment systems. Beyond

aerospace, the Innovative Power Solutions (IPS) tech-

nology could provide backup power or commercial

buildings and provide power to geographically remote

areas or disaster sites.

How it worksIPS technology uses a patented cooling system that

enables the generation o 1 megawatt o energy by

a device weighing one-tenth less than conventional

generators being used on commercial aircrat today.

This is possible by enabling every wire inside its gen-

erator rotors to come in direct contact with the cooling

media along the entire perimeter o the coil.

An IPS generator cools its rotorsbladelike devices

used in generating powerto prevent overheating.

Round wires, typically used, do not allow every coil tobe directly cooled. IPS uses at wire in an edge-wind-

ing ashion, similar to how a Slinky looks. With edgewinding and at wire, is much easier to eectively cool

the unit.

Once the rotors have been cooled, heat in the stator

the stationary part o the electric generatorbecomes

a actor needing to be addressed. IPS has added radial

ans to the rotor and designed ns into the internal

housing to help remove heat rom the air within the

generator. The housing is then cooled by oil.


IPS markets its generators to prime contractors or vari-

ous commercial and military aerospace platorms to

increase operational efciency o aircrat. The company

plans to partner with companies in the emergency

power and homeland security industries.

For missile defense

IPS was unded to develop innovative onboard power

and cooling solutions or directed energy weapons

as well as sophisticated countermeasure systems, all

o which require substantially more electrical power

than the conventional aircrat power system can cur-

rently supply.

n Gold portions shown in this cross-sectional image indicate the

cooling locations in the IPS 1-megawatt generator. The device

employs a patented cooling technique that lends itsel to a morecompact generator design.





We the People


27/77

24

Integuments anti-corrosive FluoroGrip appliqu can reduce

the eort required o public works employees to remove gra-

ti rom building walls and highway overpasses. The nonstick

ouropolymer appliqu material allows paint to be quickly

washed o.

Erasing the Work of Vandals

Integument Technologies, Inc. Tonawanda, NY


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enabling public-works employees to easily remove ur-

ban artwork that deaces buildings, bridges, and over-

passes. The environmentally riendly, thin-lm plastic

material, a nonstick uoropolymer, can be applied like

wallpaper to grafti-prone inrastructure.

How it works

The appliqu closely resembles wallpaper; it is a thin,

exible material that has an adhesive on one side, which

bonds to the surace being covered. Unlike wallpaper,which just has an aesthetic purpose, Integuments ma-

terial provides corrosion protection and can be engi-

neered to provide other benets as well.

Integument bases its appliqu on a amily o plastics

called uoropolymers, which are highly regarded or

their resistance to a wide variety o chemicals and tem-

peratures up to 475F as well as their being environ-

mentally riendly. The materials nonstick sur aces (e.g.,

Teon) are uropolymers that also prevent lth and

grime rom building up, reducing cleaning and main-tenance. In addition, uoropolymers can be colored or

have patterns created in them.

A patented surace-activation process with cold gas

plasma treatment modies the surace o the uoropo-

lymer and allows bonding with a pressure-sensitive ad-

hesive. This creates the technologys unique peel-and-

stick capability, which can be applied on a wide variety

o materials including other polymers, adhesives, ce-

ramics, coatings, composites, and metals. The appliqu

oers superior mechanical-, thermal-, and chemical/

environmental-resistance properties to those o paints

currently used in industry and the military. Additionally,

its abrication, application, maintenance, removal, and

disposal do not harm the environment.

The appliqu ranges in thickness rom 1 to 30 mil; most

applications require thicknesses o 2 to 5 mil.


Integuments appliqu is being sold commercially.

For missile defense

Integument was unded to develop appliqu materials

with embedded corrosion sensors or in-situ corrosion

detection. Such devices would be ideal or use on MDA

structures located in warm, humid, and salty environ-

ments like the South Pacic.

n Integuments FluoroGrip easily can be applied to products,

such as the outdoor storage tank shown above, to protect

against rust, corrosion, and even grati.





We the People


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26

Mids energy-harvesting sensors can be installed as power

sources or trains, aerospace vehicles, automobiles, and indus-

trial machinery to monitor brake orce and prevent catastrophic

accidents.

Keeping Trains on Tracks

Mid Technology Corporation Medford, MA


30/77



providing the behind-the-scenes power to sensors,

batteries, or supercapacitors or monitoring braking

systems o trains, planes, and cars. Mids energy-

harvesting distributed power systems, including the

MDA-unded Volture product line, can be attached to

any structure that vibrates to convert or scavenge the

otherwise wasted mechanical energy it radiates into

direct current (DC) electrical energy. Volture has been

tested in the laboratory and real-world situations, and

it is commercially available in many congurations aso-the-shel systems.

How it works

Mids energy-harvesting devices, patented as the Vol-

ture product line, can be used to power other devices

such as low-power sensors. An energy harvester can be

attached to any structure that vibratesbe it a bridge,

a moving car, or industrial machineryto convert the

mechanical energy radiated by that structure into usable

DC electricity. The key to Voltures power-conversion abili-

ties is Mids proprietary process o packaging piezoelec-tric actuators in polyimides and epoxies, making them

more robust and less brittle than raw, cantilevered

piezoelectric materials which generate a voltage when

a mechanical orce is applied.

In the brake-orce-measurement application now being

explored by the Department o Transportation, Mids

Volture system provides its own power to charge the

measurement device by harvesting a trains vibrations

during normal operation. When the trains brakes are ap-

plied, the system turns itsel on, records the appropriatedata, and then wirelessly transmits that data to a central

management hub where it can be retrieved wirelessly.

Since railroad-car saety and maintenance costs are

directly related to knowing how much actual braking

orce is provided by a brake shoe, it is crucial that brake

shoes be replaced beore the end o their lietimes.


The Volture line o energy-harvesting products is com-

mercially available. Large-scale use is expected in the

near uture because o its continued development or

transportation systems. Already, major national and

international train operators are expressing interest in

Mids energy-harvesting technology or brake orce

measurement.

For missile defense

Mid was unded to develop distributed power sys-

tems using energy harvesting. Such systems could be

used throughout the Ballistic Missile Deense System

to power remote sensors and other devices, as well as

to charge batteries.

n Mids Volture energy-harvesting technology can power de-

vices such as light-emitting diodes, seen above, without batteries

or an external power source.





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28

Odyssians smart piping system enables quick warning o pend-

ing toxin leakagerom chlorine to natural gas to petroleum

to help prevent explosions or groundwater contamination and

seepage. The companys smart pipes come tted with chemi-

cally-responsive sensors, which alert command centers o po-

tential hazards through embedded wireless communications.

Detecting Toxic Leakage

Odyssian Technology, LLC South Bend, IN


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improving environmental quality through the detec-

tion o oil leaks that cause groundwater contamination

and rerigerant leaks that increase greenhouse gas emis-

sions. The pipings sensor system alerts public-utility

providers and other piping-systems operators o struc-

tural deciencies that are likely to leak, or even cause

explosions. Odyssians smart pipes and smart seals are

made o lightweight composites that have embedded

sensors designed to detect toxic chemical leaks. Once

a possible leak is detected or occurs, the sensors broad-cast via wireless protocol to the piping systems opera-

tions monitoring center or quick response. Odyssians

piping system is particularly well-suited or both origi-

nal use and upgrades to public utility inrastructure,

such as natural gas lines, as well as to automobile uel

and air-conditioning systems, and in aircrat to protect

against corrosive chemicals like chlorine.

How it works

The technologys advanced sensor system uses an ar-

ray o MEMS (microelectromechanical system) andother micro- and mini-sensors located inside the pipes

composite laminar structure and within the specially

developed seals. The sensor system consists o net-

worked sensor nodes that have unique addresses to

correlate sensory data to specic seals, gaskets, and

pipes within the plumbing system.

Odyssians sensor-laden seals and pipes orm the

smart-piping system, which has a redundant contain-

ment structure, sealing suraces, and a sensor place-

ment scheme. Together, these components provideleak-progression detection, allowing an alert to be

sent beore a leak occurs. The smart-pipe system also

allows the operator to monitor the operational status

o the plumbing system by measuring and reporting

on system pressure, temperature, and vibration at each

tting and pipe segment.


Odyssian is working with ofcials in South Bend, IN, to

develop and integrate low-cost composite smart pip-

ing and smart seals with integrated sensors or use inthe citys municipal water system.

For missile defense

Odyssian was unded to develop a smart-piping light-

weight containment system to detect imminent leaks

in high-energy, chemical-oxygen-iodine laser systems

used aboard military aircrat.

n Odyssians smart-pipe and smart-seal technologies use ad-

vanced sensors to detect and warn o chemical or toxin leaks.





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insuredomesticTranquility,provideforthecommondefence,p

romotethe

We the People o the United States, in Order to orm a more perect Union, establish Justice,




34/77

Americas Armed Forces maintain our national integrity by deending against military

aggression.

Whether helping local authorities with search-and-rescue operations, tracking hostile in-

truders by satellite, assisting Federal agencies secure our Nations borders, or engaging

armed insurgents on the ground in the Middle East, the U.S. military deends our interests

with superior technology.

For MDA, the mission tied to providing or the common deense is clear: Deter the threat o nu-clear-weapon-tipped ballistic missiles being launched against the United States or its allies.

But our Nation also can benet greatly rom MDA-unded technology that has moved into

other military unctions beyond missile deense. As MDA-unded researchers have developed

their technologies, many o the innovations also have proved useul or more traditional

rontline needs.

Such products show promise or

n quickly replicating large vehicle parts through a revolutionary tooling system,

n enhancing surveillance by tracking wideband signals with an advanced radar processor,

n improving battleeld response time using new sotware,

n destroying roadside bombs with precision accuracy through the use o a cooled-laser

technology, and

n inorming battleeld commanders o the best places to deploy ballistic missile deense

equipment using probability to kill algorithmic sotware.

By deending against ballistic missiles and by encouraging the transer o its technology to

other U.S. Deense agencies and the Armed Forces, MDA strongly contributes to the com-

mon deense.


Section Two


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32

2Phases Recongurable Tooling System supports our Nations

deense through the quick and inexpensive manuacture o

large composite parts or military vehicles, such as the Black

Hawk helicopter shown above. Through the use o this com-

mercially available technology, damaged combat vehicles can

quickly be retted and returned to operational status.

Replicating Large Parts Fast

2Phase Technologies, Inc. Dayton, NV


36/77


Provides for the common defense by

oering military vehicle repair depots an innovative

way to abricate tooling or large partsup to 65 eet

in lengthin less than 15 minutes and at a raction o

the cost. Products that could be replicated with this

tooling system range rom Black Hawk and Chinook

helicopter doors to rocket motor casings.

How it works

The Recongurable Tooling System (RTS) utilizes a

large, deep, exible tray (tool bed) lled with a slurry ounique engineered quicksanda state-change ma-

terial o ceramic powder mixed with a water-soluble

inorganic binder solutionand covered by a thin, ex-

ible silicone membrane. To replicate a part, the master

is placed on the membrane and covered by a vacuum

cap. Once capped, the air around the master is then

pumped out, so it sinks into the slurry mix, which ex-

actly conorms to the parts shape. Ater the mold is

ormed, the liquid is withdrawn rom the quicksand

and rapidly hardens into a rm, chalk-like shape. The

entire process takes just 15 to 30 minutes, and in manycases the solidied mix can now be used as a tool or

low-temperature composite molding. I a harder, more

durable tool is required, the newly abricated tool can

be heated to temperatures as high as 250F to remove

any remaining liquid and urther solidiy the mix to a

ceramic-like state. The process o ully hardening the

tool takes between six and eight hours.

When abrication o the composite part is complete,

the tool can be used again. I the part is ully hardened,

the tool bed can be recongured to make anothertype o part by reintroducing the water-based binder

mixture, dissolving the inorganic binder, and re-lique-

ying the solidied state-change material. This process

returns the tool bed to its original slurry state, allowing

the shop to begin work on another tooling project.


2Phases technology is commercially available and

marketed as the RTS-4000. The system is being soldprimarily to military and large-scale industrial machining

customers needing large, composite parts in short order.

For missile defense

2Phase was unded to develop a process or the manuac-

ture, modication, and redesign o rocket motor casings

through the use o its recongurable tooling approaches.

n 2Phases recongurable tooling system provides rapid, low-

cost, and very large original or replacement parts to the aero-

space and transportation industries.





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34

S2 Corporations radar-signal processor, i deployed onboard

satellites such as the one above, could enhance our Nations

deense by enabling high-speed targeting and identication o

missiles. The technology is enabled by rare-earth doped optical

crystals to allow real-time processing o complex, high-band-

width radio requencies.

Enabling High-speed Signal Processing

S2 Corporation Bozeman, MT


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enhancing the capabilities o military radar-ranging

systems through the use o rare-earth optical crystals

to process in real time complex, higher-bandwidth

radio-requency waveorms. Besides oering a target

enhancement or missile deense, the Spatial-Spectral

Radar Signal Processor (S2RSP) could be developed

or use in other national security areas such as surveil-

lance, signal intelligence, and port-security container

screening.

How it works

To reduce ambiguities, including pseudo-random

noise sequences known as arbitrary waveorms, the

S2RSP operates as an analog system capable o opti-

cally storing and processing each radar pulse o a spec-

trum through the use o spectral holography. I such

ambiguities are not resolved, the processors useul-

ness in deense-critical applications can be limited.

The S2RSP is activated when a received radar signal

modulates a laser that writes holographic representa-tions in an optical crystal located within the processor.

This scientic process is known as spectral hole-burn-

ing or spectral holography, which is used to aect ionic

change o the materials. The ions change can be short-

term or long-term, depending on the materials used,

and is chosen to match the signal-processing require-

ments o a given application. The approach allows the

spectrum o each radar pulse, in both amplitude and

phase, to be processed and optically stored with high

resolution in the material, or range-Doppler-matched

ltering. As return radar signals arrive, the material isilluminated and the Doppler shit inormation is stored

as a spatial-spectral hologram.

The optical crystal (cryocooled to achieve the required

coherence stability) can record the holograms o ex-

tremely wide-bandwidth signals and can store many

thousands o such holograms or processing.


The S2RSP is currently being tested in high-level gov-

ernment and military demonstrations or uture de-

ployment into radar systems. While ocused primarily

on the militarys needs, the company wants to partner

with other agencies or commercial entities that needhigh-perormance radar signal-processing technology.

For missile defense

S2s optical crystal technology, originating rom Scien-

tic Materials Corporation, was unded to enable real-

time processing o high-bandwidth radio requencies

used in radar transmissions.

n Laser-modulated radar signals are stored in optical crystals, as

seen in the image above.





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36

Schaers uzzy-logic sotware could help warghters make the

most inormed decisions during maneuvers. In testing, this sot-

ware reduced operator reaction time while improving accuracy.

Improving Warghter Response Time

Schafer Corporation Chelmsford, MA


40/77



equipping our warghters in the eld with accurate

data analyses rom which to make inormed decisions

about engagements, based on location and position o

enemy troops, weapons, and known inventories. This

sotware allows variables to be programmed, including

changes in military tactics, to ensure an attack is prop-

erly executed. Tests show the sotware can reduce re-

sponse time by 43 percent and can improve accuracy

by 58 percent in situations requiring human discretion.

How it works

The technology is based on uzzy logica mathematical

way o handling gray areaswhich includes quanti-

able data like the projected amount o ammunition

held by approaching enemy combatants. While com-

mon algorithmic systems can make generalized pro-

jections, they are unable to determine quantiable

metrics, such as levels o weapons held by an enemy.

Schaers uzzy-logic technology can determine such

metrics, enabling eld commanders to better antici-

pate needed levels o deployment to counter enemyorce levels.

Schaers uzzy-logic technology ocuses a users atten-

tion on specic data, which helps them understand and

identiy those situations needing discretion to be ap-

plied. The algorithmic program examines the data be-

ing presented to the command-and-control sotware.

I certain red-ag variables are present, as determined

by the needs o the mission, the program electronically

alerts the operator by highlighting the critical inorma-

tion. Because it is unobtrusive and does not alter theunderlying command and control, Schaers system can

easily be incorporated into other control sotware.


Schaer continues to develop its algorithmic-based

technology with the hope o its adoption by the mili-

tary. The technology also is being considered or use in

other command-and-control environments, including

chemical plants, petroleum reneries, and computervideo-gaming systems.

For missile defense

Schaer was unded to improve the efciencies o com-

mand and control or displays used in the Ground-

based Midcourse Deense system and to help mini-

mize operator atigue.

n Schaers uzzy-logic sotware also can help deense command

centers give orders based on well-inormed enemy troop analyses.





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equipping our Armed Forces with technology that

can destroywith precision accuracyimprovised

explosive devices (IEDs) and other ordnance, which

have caused many casualties during the Iraq conict.

SiMMtecs cooled diode-pump lasers require minimal

cooling, meaning that more vehicles, as well as smaller

vehicles, may be able to carry laser weaponry onto the

battleeld. In addition, the lasers can be powered on and

o at will and diode array units easily can be repaired on

the battleeld without manuacturer assistance.

How it works

SiMMtec uses special metallization processes and mi-

crochannel etching techniques to create its solid-state

diode pumps. The end product is a 10-bar diode array

that can be packaged with other 10-bar arrays to create

powerul lasers capable o delivering many kilowatts

o power. Each diode array is ormed o glass and sili-

con that is etched and metallized with chrome, silver,

nickel, gold, and indium. The metallizing enables the

production o a part which can be soldered to diodebars through which current can pass to produce laser

light. The very uniorm metal thickness can pass 100

amps o current or lighting the diode bars. And, these

metals, bonded with the etched silicon, also serve as

an excellent cooling surace that removes the heat

produced by the diodes. SiMMtecs technology can be

cooled with only 5 gallons o liquid coolant per hour,

compared with an estimated 30 gallons per hour used

by competing solid-state, copper-microchannel-based

laser technologies.


SiMMtecs diode-pumped laser is currently being test-

ed by the military or use in various ordnance-destruc-

tion platorms. The technology could be applied to

medical lasers or tattoo removal, and it shows promise

or use in long-haul telecommunications and varioussemiconductor manuacturing processes.

For missile defense

SiMMtec was unded to develop improved high-power

laser diode arrays or use in high-energy heat capacity

lasers, which could be used to deend against rockets,

mortars, and other short-range arti llery.

n SiMMtec has employed special metallization and etching tech-niques to create solid-state laser diode pumps that operate coolly

and eciently.





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40

TechFinitys Deense Planner sotware uses real-time inorma-

tion to evaluate and inorm command centers o where to best

position assets and resources to avert military threats, including

missile attacks.

Planning the Next Battle

TechFinity, Inc. Sherman Oaks, CA


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enabling military commanders to plan, organize, and

optimize the location o missile-deense assets such

as ships, ground-based shooters, sensors, and related

equipmentgiven the potential o incoming threats.

The sotware can run scenarios based on enemy mis-

sile inventories and possible trajectories and then

generate likely outcomes. These scenarios, displayed

on computer-enhanced map projections, will pro-

vide commanders the data needed to ensure efcient

weapons resource management. Its algorithms cananalyze battlespace to give advance warning and extend

the window o time or engagement, while running on

more than one machine simultaneously to allow or

aster computing.

How it works

Deense Planner relies on numerical methods to produce

accurate results in a matter o minutes. The approach

uses only a handul o sample scenarios, chosen in a

certain way, and then generates a weighted average.

Algorithms that rely on other methods can take hoursto produce a result since they otentimes rely on several

thousand samples o scenarios to generate a solution

or recommend an action.

TechFinitys algorithms perorm an analysis o the entire

battlespace, instead o using a single probability-o-kill

metric, to generate a probability distribution. Such an

approach can extend the window o opportunity or

engaging and destroying threats.

Deense Planner also uses a distributed-computing

approach that allows each process o the application

to run on its own machine, concurrently within a net-

work, to solve a problem ast.


The Deense Planner sotware is a developed product, and

it is being packaged into a larger system by TechFinity. The

company plans to market this sotware to the medical in-dustry or determining preliminary diagnoses.

For missile defense

TechFinity was unded to develop sotware that could

determine the best locations or a company com-

mander to utilize air- and missile-deense weaponry

on a battleeld.

n TechFinitys Deense Planner sotware can evaluate missile

threats and present the inormation on maps like the one shown

above, to help military commanders make educated decisions

about which weaponry to use.





We the People


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We the People o the United States, in Order to orm a more perect Union, establish Justice, insuredomesticTranquility,provideforthecommondefence,p

romotethe




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Section Three

The Founding Fathers wrote in the Constitutions Preamble that it is necessary or the

Government to Promote the General Welare in the United States. For them, the concept

might well have meant economic prosperity. And over the years, Government has acilitated

that prosperityby creating conventions such as uniorm currency and a postal service,

or example. But in a broader context, general welare as we see it today encompasses not

only prosperity, but health and happinessall elements o living well.

At MDA, the general welare o the American people is intertwined with our mission. Our

most visible priority is to deploy technologies that can destroy weapons o mass destructionbeore they reach the ground and kill civilians. We stand ready to deend the lives o Amer-

icansserving as a shield to protect the general welare o our citizenry.

But MDA is about more than advanced weaponry. Companies unded with MDA contracts

are commercializing their technologies to benet the public health sectorthereby con-

tributing to the general welare.

Some o the healthcare solutions arising rom technologies originally developed or missile

deense include

n a proton accelerator that now provides nely tuned cancer treatment to patients,

n a laser-based auditory aid that protects residual hearing,

n a ceramic-based composite material or prosthetic bones that the human body accepts

as its own,n a robotic system that can conduct noninvasive surgery with ultrasound,n a laser-based sensor suite that can help diagnose a drug overdose in unconscious

patients, and

n an ecient, sound-induced industrial mixer that can reduce the time to manuacture

pharmaceuticals.

All o these technologies, spurred by MDA and shared with the commercial world via the

technology transer process, contribute to the goal o promoting the general welare

creating a healthy, sound, and able population.



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44

AccSys proton accelerator enables energy to be directed into

deep cancerous tumors such as in the brain and spinal cord,

while limiting patient discomort and producing little to no radia-

tion sickness. AccSys proton accelerators are commercially avail-

able and are in use at hospitals worldwide.

Accelerating Cancer Therapy

AccSys Technology, Inc. Pleasanton, CA


48/77


Promotes the general welfare by

oering patients peace o mind through the use o

high-speed proton accelerators to destroy deep can-

cerous tumors without causing discomort or the

sometimes debilitating symptoms associated with

chemotherapy or radiation therapy. Proton therapy al-

lows or all the destructive energy to be ocused direct-

ly upon the tumor and administered in high dosages,

without damage to surrounding tissue, eectively de-

stroying the cancer with minimal side eects. AccSys

proton accelerators now are being used in hospitalsworldwide to provide cancer patients another thera-

peutic option.

How it works

AccSys proton acceleratorsknown as Radio Frequen-

cy Quadruple linear accelerators (RFQ linacs)are table-

top-size units that integrate various unctions previously

requiring several apparatuses. The RFQ linac uses elec-

tromagnetic elds to cluster and accelerate an incom-

ing stream o ions to speeds o up to 17,000 mph.

These clustered and accelerated ions are then beamed

into the patient in a very strategic manner, targeting

the tumor with the precision o a cruise missile strik-

ing an enemy compound. AccSys proton therapy has

been most successul in treating deep-seated tumors,

and has been clinically tested to be saer or the patient

than conventional radiation therapy. This is due to the

act that the accelerator deposits most o the proton

energy at the targeted tumor, which results in much

less damage to the surrounding healthy tissue.


AccSys technologies are commercially available. Mar-

keted as LiNSTAR, the companys proton linac sys-tems enable moderate energy applications (2 to 7

mega-electron-volts) used in cancer therapy and basic

physics research. Loma Linda University Medical Cen-

ter in Southern Caliornia uses a LiNSTAR system as

the dedicated injector to the synchrotron o its proton

therapy cancer treatment acility. The acility began

operating in 1990 and recently passed its 10,000 pa-

tient milestone. Other notable LiNSTAR units are op-

erating at the Midwest Proton Radiotherapy Institute

in Bloomington, IN, and at several cancer treatment

centers in Japan.

For missile defense

AccSys was unded to incorporate RFQ linac technolo-

gy into applications involving non-destructive materials

inspection and high-energy physics research. RFQ linac

research was originally unded by MDA-predecessor

SDIO or its potential use as a directed energy weapon.

n AccSys LiNSTAR proton accelerator can ofer cancer patients

new hope through the use o directed energy that destroys can-

cer cells and causes minimal side efects.





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46

Aculights bionic ear laser implant improves aural unctionality

with more precise neural mapping than that o current hearing-

aids (as being tted on the man in the image above), and does

so without generating any electricity, which can damage resid-

ual hearing.

Stimulating Aural Functionality

Aculight Corporation Bothell, WA


50/77



oering the hearing impaired a saer and more eective

way to signicantly improve their auditory unctioning

with implants that use laser stimuli. Aculights Capella

technology can be implanted in an ear without physi-

cally contacting the nerve tissue, producing irritating

electrical artiacts, or causing any residual damage.

How it works

The Capella uses an inrared laser to saely stimulate

hearing nerves; electrical leads used by normal hear-ing aids can damage nerve cells. Because there is no

physical contact between the probe and delicate

nerve tissue, the laser produces no electrical artiacts

and does not damage residual hearing. This approach

also allows or more independent channels to be stim-

ulated resulting in superior delity to existing electrical

methods.

The technology results in better spatial selectivity or

aural nerve mapping. Precise nerve mapping, in turn,

presents a clearer picture o the individual nerves beingstimulated. For designers o biomimetic devices such

as vestibular or cochlear implants, a more precise neural

map oers better unctionality with ewer side eects.

Compared with electric leads, Capella also allows or

ner resolution and truer representation o nerve unc-

tion, paving the way or more sophisticated prosthetic

devices in a wide range o areas.


The Capella technology is commercially available, and

is awaiting FDA approval or use on humans.

For missile defense

Aculight was unded to develop high-energy laser tech-

nologies including eye-sae inrared ranging lasers.

n Aculights Capella system stimulates aural nerves without

causing side efects.





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48

The Plasti-Bone technology developed by Advanced Ceramics

Research may soon provide patients an option in bone replace-

ment surgery. It will reduce bone-riction damage by eliminat-

ing the need or screws and pins, which are commonly used in

reconstructive surgery today.

Casting Bone Replacements

Advanced Ceramics Research, Inc. Tucson, AZ


52/77



providing patients who require bone repairs and trans-

plants a stronger and less painul long-term option by

using composites instead o common prosthetics that

require pins or screws. And, damage to adjacent bones

will be eliminated since the wear and riction caused

by metal bone-bonders is gone. The ceramic composite

used in Advanced Ceramic Researchs (ACRs) Plasti-

Bone technology is strong enough to carry human

body weight and is osteoconductive, meaning that

bone cells can grow on top o the articial bone.

How it works

To manuacture brous-monolithic (FM) ceramic ma-

terials, ACR takes ceramic or metal powders and mixes

them with a thermoplastic polymer binder. The result-

ing ber easily can be manipulated and extruded into

a variety o shapes. Objects made using this process

are sintered, or hot pressed, at temperatures greater

than 2,000C.

Plasti-Bone, designed with the idea o producing articialbone rom high-strength plastic that does not dam-

age adjacent healthy bones through constant riction

caused by todays metal bone replacements, screws,

and pins.

While strong enough to carry bodyweight, Plasti-Bone

is osteoconductive, which means bone cells can grow

right on top o it. And it is degradable over time so

that it will disappearabsorbed by the body when

its job is done. Currently, Plasti-Bone takes nearly 18

months to dissolve, but ACR is working to develop a

polymer-blend material that could be absorbed in just

six months to a year.


ACR is conducting long-term material perormance

tests in large laboratory animals. The company is still

awaiting Food and Drug Administration approval or

its technology.

While Plasti-Bone is not ready or prime use, the ce-ramic basis o ACRs FM technology has been licensed

by U.S. oil-exploration magnate Smith Corporation and

Japanese electronics giant Kyocera Corporation.

For missile defense

ACR was unded to develop high-perormance alterna-

tive materials or parts such as rocket nozzles.

n ACRs material could be used in treating broken bones, serving

as an alternative to metal bone replacements.





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50

Energids surgical simulators, enabled by MDA-unded multiuse

algorithms, could be used to help train surgeons to properly

make incisions by operating on computer-generated models

rather than practicing on cadavers or living patients. The algo-

rithms also are being used to develop a robotic ultrasound or

conducting minimally invasive surgical procedures.

Simulating and Simplifying Surgery

Energid Technologies Corporation Cambridge, MA


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enabling algorithmic sotware to identiy and track ob-

jects used in the medical and aerospace arenas rom

scalpels to aircrat bridges. The sotware can track vir-

tually any object type using computer-aided design

(CAD) data. It also can track any number o objects

simultaneously, and it can use almost any type o sen-

sorsuch as a black-and-white camera, color camera,

ladar (laser radar), and hyperspectral imager. Energids

medical ocus is on machine-vision surgical simulation

and robotic ultrasound or minimally invasive surgery.Using the same MDA-unded algorithms, the company

has successully elded the rst robotic aircrat bridges

at a major U.S. airport, and is now working with the

Navy to develop a robotic satellite-retrieval apparatus.

How it works

Energids algorithms can identiy, in a raction o a sec-

ond, the position and orientation o an object in three

dimensions, even with only a single camera. The sot-

ware digitally separates the reerenced object rom its

natural environment. It then provides multiple possi-bilities or the objects type and orientationdening

what it is and which way it is acing. Possible object

types and orientations are rened using a graphics

processing unit (GPU) on a PC graphics card to make a

photorealistic rendering o the object. Ater the com-

puter-generated model o the object is developed, a

sequence o imagessimilar to a videois created

by the GPU to correlate the accuracy o the model on

a rame-by-rame basis. With video input, this process

tracks the movements and the geometric changes o

objects over time in any environment.


Beyond the applications already mentioned, Energid

has bold plans to enhance its product line to include

robotic and machine-vision technologies that are tai-

lored to industrial inspection, home-health monitor-

ing, and citrus harvesting.

Energids two medical technologies are not yet on the

market. The company is looking or partners to eld its

surgical simulator. It is also looking or additional undsto nish developing its robotic ultrasound system.

For missile defense

Energid was unded to develop sotware or a three-

dimension threat-object identication system to auto-

matically construct identication algorithms or ladar

and intensity sensor data.

n Energids surgical simulator enables surgeons in training to learn

new procedures and operate on 3-D computer-synthesized models.





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52

In the near uture, hospitals using Maxions laser-based inrared

sensor system may be able to noninvasively diagnose impending

organ ailure, drug overdose, or even the onset o a stomach

ulcer. Maxions technology will oer doctors a cost-eective and

more precise diagnostic tool, compared with the output o such

legacy devices as x-rays.

Beaming Medical Diagnoses

Maxion Technologies, Inc. College Park, MD


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using laser-based sensors to diagnose drug overdoses,

pending organ ailures, or the onset o stomach ulcers

quickly, accurately, and noninvasively. The sensors use

interband cascade (IC) and quantum cascade (QC) la-

sers, which are semiconductor lasers that emit in the

mid- to ar-inrared portion o the electromagnetic

spectrum. Maxion developed efcient and cost-eec-

tive lasers that expand the capabilities o inrared-sens-

ing devices or various molecules having strong inra-

red-absorption ngerprints. This expanded capabilityis especially useul in the medical industry to diagnose

a patients illness or even perorm noninvasive, optical

glucose monitoring or diabetics.

How it works

The distributed eedback lasers developed by the com-

pany are mid-inrared lasers based on indium-arsenide,

gallium-antimonide, and aluminum-antimonide ma-

terials. This distributed eedback technique employs

a semiconductor grating structure along the entirelength o the laser. The laser design cascades electrons

to produce multiple photons as the electrons move

between the energy bands, or levels, o the multilay-

ered semiconductor structure used or the laser.

Common mid-inrared diode lasers have power efcien-

cies as small as 3 percent, with 97 percent o their in-

put power wasted as heat, according to the company.

Maxions lasers, however, can operate at 160 milliwatts

in continuous-wave mode at 80 Kelvin) with power ef-

ciencies higher than 17 percent, resulting in much moreefcient operation than comparable lasers. These ef-

ciencies compare with competitive lasers that, on aver-

age, generate less than 1 milliwatt o power.


Maxion is pursuing health monitoring applications, al-

though the technology is not yet commercially avail-

able. And, in an even more-sophisticated uture, the

company oresees its technology being used in emer-

gency-room situations where a physician may be able

to place a portable sensor over an unconscious patientand immediately rule out a narcotics overdose or other

toxic condition.

For missile defense

Maxion was unded to develop IC and QC lasers to

enhance missile sensor technologies in the inrared

spectrum.

n Maxions laser technology might one day be used in devices

or optical glucose monitoring, easing the testing burden on dia-betic patients.





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54

Using sound-induced technology, Resodyns industrial mixers

oer pharmaceutical companies the ability to manuacture

drugs without causing molecular damage oten attributed to

propeller-based mixing equipment. The companys industrial

mixers are currently being used by Dow Corning to blend vis-

cous materials.

Blending a Better Drug

Resodyn Corporation B