Tech Briefs

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) technologies are being used as infection control devices, primarily in healthcare facilities. No standard exists, but the dose of UV and the airflow are critical to ensuring all contaminated air is treated. The UVGI process is mainly influenced by the...

VESGEN is a newly automated, userinteractive program that maps and quantifies the effects of vascular therapeutics and regulators on microvascular form and function. VESGEN analyzes two-dimensional, black and white vascular images by measuring important vessel morphology...

A fully functional, microgravity-compatible microwave sterilization and depyrogenation system (MSDS) prototype was developed that is capable of producing medical-grade water (MGW) without expendable supplies, using NASA potable water that currently is available aboard the International Space Station...

In order to facilitate a more rapid and systematic transfer of new medical knowledge and capabilities into mainstream clinical practice, a new Medical Information Network Decision Support (MINDS) system was developed. This system is intended to be a platform for storing and fusing medical data in...

VESGEN is a newly automated, user- interactive program that maps and quantifies the effects of vascular therapeutics and regulators on microvascular form and function. VESGEN analyzes two- dimensional, black and white vascular images by measuring important vessel morphology...

Individuals with hearing loss need to have ready access to hearing screenings, assessments, treatment, and consultation. This diagnostic technology facilitates early detection and intervention of hearing loss. It allows for improved monitoring and expands service scope, reach, and access. By...

A new type of sensory feedback system for a myoelectrically controlled biomimetic prosthetic hand was developed. One of the characteristic features of the human neuromuscular control system is the increase in the compliance around a joint with decreasing activity of a muscle....

When radiographic images are recorded, they are subject to inhomogeneities due to the construction of the radiation source and to the properties of the detection medium (detector or screen). As a result, erroneous results may appear when the digital images are processed to enhance...

A nanoporous membrane is used for the pervaporation process in which potable water is maintained, at atmospheric pressure, on the feed side of the membrane. The water enters the non- pervaporation (NPV) membrane device where it is separated into two streams — retentate...

A process for isolating tissue-specific progenitor cells exploits solid fat tissue obtained as waste from such elective surgical procedures as abdominoplasties (“tummy tucks”) and breast reductions. Until now, a painful and risky process of aspiration of bone marrow has been used to...

The chemically assisted photocatalytic oxidation system (CAPOS) has been proposed for destroying micro-organisms and organic chemicals that may be suspended in the air or present on surfaces of an air-handling system that ventilates an indoor environment. The CAPOS would comprise an upstream and a...

The ultimate goal of planetary protection research is to develop superior strategies for inactivating resistance-bearing micro-organisms like Rummelibacillus stabekisii. By first identifying the particular physiologic pathway and/or structural component of the cell/spore that...

An open-access magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system is being developed for use in research on orientational/ gravitational effects on lung physiology and function. The open-access geometry enables study of human subjects in diverse orientations. This system operates at a magnetic flux...

A highly efficient means of microfluidic mixing has been created for use with the rHEALTH sensor — an elliptical mixer and passive curvilinear mixing patterns. The rHEALTH sensor provides rapid, handheld, complete blood count, cell differential counts, electrolyte measurements, and...

“Laboratory-on-a-chip” devices that enable the simultaneous culturing and interrogation of many individual living cells have been invented. Each such device includes a silicon nitride-coated silicon chip containing an array of micromachined wells sized so that each well can contain one cell in...