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FLC Awards Archive
— 2003
Awards for Excellence in Technology Transfer
Department of Energy
Argonne
National Laboratory
Globus Toolkit™
The Globus Toolkit™ is a
community-based, open-architecture, open-source
set of software services and libraries that
support computational grids. A grid connects
geographically and organizationally dispersed
resources, including large-scale computers,
archival storage systems, scientific and engineering
instruments, and human collaborators. This technology,
developed by a team at Argonne, has already
transformed collaborative scientific research
across the world and is the basis for new distributed
computing strategies of such companies as IBM,
Microsoft, Platform Computing, Entropia, Sun
Microsystems and Compaq.
The team has been able to transfer
the technology with contributions from IBM and
Microsoft, as well as funding from the National
Science Foundation and the Department of Energy.
The transfer of the Globus Toolkit™ to
the marketplace took a huge turn in 2001 when
11 of the top information technology companies
committed to incorporating the toolkit as a
standard mechanism for their grids.
Once it is widely available, virtually
every computer user will benefit from this technology.
The Globus Toolkit™ will permit individuals
and organizations to make decisions based on
the best available technology to meet their
local needs and policies, instead of basing
decisions more on interoperability and compatibility
rather than functionality.
National
Nuclear Security Administration Kansas City
Plant
High Speed Vaccine Injector
System
Providing fast, large-scale inoculations
without spreading blood-borne pathogens is a
longstanding veterinary and human healthcare
challenge. Needle-free systems offer important
advantages over traditional syringe and needle
systems—reduced pain, improved worker
safety, safer disposal of potentially dangerous
needles and related waste, and lower costs.
The Needle-Free High Speed Vaccine Injector
System, developed by a team at the NNSA Kansas
City Plant, solves this problem. The injector
pushes a very small stream of vaccine under
high pressure through a nozzles covered with
a disposable protective cap and into the patient.
Up to 600 injections per hour are possible with
this technology.
The technology was developed through
a partnership between the operator of the Kansas
City Plant, Honeywell Federal manufacturing
and Technologies; Felton International; and
three Russian companies. Plans for 34 different
injectors are in the process of completion,
upon which time the Russian companies will manufacture
the parts and Felton International will handle
assembly, marketing and distribution.
While the initial application
of Needle-Free High Speed Vaccine Injector System
was for veterinary use, human patients will
be the ultimate beneficiaries. For health care
workers, the technology eliminates the danger
of needle-stick injury and the need of sharps
disposal. Because it has been designed for field
use, the injector system is ideal for use when
mass inoculations are needed—be that a
conventional disease eradication such as measles,
or for emergency response operational in case
of biological attack.
Lawrence
Berkeley National Laboratory
Visualization Tool for
Alignments (VISTA)
In the field of comparative genomics,
scientists can compare the human genome with
the genomes of various other organisms to identify
common regions of DNA; gain insights into how
genes are switched on and off; and further their
understanding of the human genome’s evolution,
structure and function. In some ways, sequencing
the human genome was the easy part; the more
difficult task of understanding and analyzing
the functions of nucleotide pairs in human cells
still lies ahead. Recognizing this need a team
from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
(LBNL) developed a user-friendly computer program,
called Visualization Tool for Alignments (VISTA),
which allows researchers to quickly compare
the genomes of various organisms.
This technology was conceived,
developed, and transferred by a team of biologists,
mathematicians, and computer scientists at LBNL
and the University of California at Berkeley
(UCB). The VISTA team implemented a seamless
technology transfer process to maximize the
program’s accessibility. By making the
program publicly available online via a dedicated
server (http://www-gsd.lbl.gov/vista), the team
made it possible for researchers to register
and submit genome sequences for comparison electronically.
Licenses for VISTA are available free of charge
to academic and non-profit organizations. Commercial
institutions may purchase site licenses on the
Web. Currently VISTA is accessed on the web
an average of almost 1700 times a month.
Since its public introduction
VISTA has become one of the most popular and
widely praised comparative genomics tools available
to biologists, geneticists, and biomedical researchers.
This technology is contributing to important
research on coronary heart disease, leukemia,
cardiac and skeletal muscle development, and
genetic disorders. The information it yields
is accelerating understanding of human diseases
and disorders, which promises a bountiful harvest
of contribution to human health and well-being.
Lawrence
Berkeley Laboratory
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Sandia National Laboratories
Extreme Ultraviolet
Lithography (EUVL) Tool
Years ago it would have taken
a roomful of hardware to match the computing
power of today’s average laptop computer.
A key to this progress has been steady improvement
in ultraviolet lithography, the photographic
process used to print integrated circuits on
computer chips. However, current lithographic
technology will have reached its limit because
its lenses absorb the shortwave extreme ultraviolet
light (EUV) needed to print even small chips.
A team from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and
Sandia National Laboratories—working together
as the Virtual National Laboratory (VNL)—have
developed a next-generation lithography, called
Extreme Ultraviolet Lithography (EUVL). This
technology overcomes the problems of older lithography
by using coated mirrors, instead of lenses,
to bend and focus the light. As a result, microprocessors
can be made that are 10 times faster with active
transistors and memory chips that can store
40 times more information.
The EUVL technology and its associated
knowledge has been transferred under a cooperative
research and development agreement (CRADA) to
the Extreme Ultraviolet Limited Liability Company
(EUV LLC), a consortium whose members include
Advanced Micro Devices, IBM, Infineon, Intel,
Micron Technologies, and Motorola. As a result
of the CRADA, the technology is making the transition
into commercialization.
The EUVL will benefit the general
public by improving quality of life through
more efficient consumer products and smart machinery,
breakthroughs in biotechnology and materials
science, and continuing advances in personal
computers and the Internet.
National
Renewable Energy Laboratory
PVSCAN/PV Reflectometer
The PVSCAN is a photovoltaic scanning
analyzer for use by the semiconductor industry.
It is an optical system that rapidly scans,
maps, and characterizes defects present in PV
wafers and cells, while measuring the photoresponse
of cells. The use of PVSCAN can help increase
the yield of high-quality wafers for processing.
The PV Reflectometer is an instrument that is
used for the in-line monitoring of several solar-cell
fabrication steps for all solar cell technologies,
especially silicon PV technology.
Dr. Bhushan Sopori, the inventor
of both technologies, initiated the technology
transfer process. Through licensing and other
transfer mechanisms Dr. Sopori established a
partnership with GT Equipment Technologies,
Inc. (GTi), a company that provides manufacturing
equipment to the semiconductor and materials
industries. Within the months of the partnership,
the first PVSCANs were shipped to customers,
and there are prospective customers for the
PV Reflectometer.
The primary users of both technologies
will be those in the international PV community.
A secondary market includes the thin-film photovoltaic
community and part of the semiconductor industry,
such as those who make solid-state lasers or
diodes.
National
Renewable Energy Laboratory
Brookhaven National Laboratory
Smart, High-Performance
Polyphenylenesulfide Coating System
The development and transfer of
the Polyphenylenesulfide (PPS) coating system
represents a giant step forward in the technology
of coating steel surfaces for use in hostile
corrosive environments. The PPS coating system
protects surfaces from corrosion, oxidation,
and fouling, and has a high thermal conductivity
that can also repair itself. This technology
can be used in a wide range of applications;
and is more durable, abrasion resistant, and
less costly than competitive coatings.
To transfer this technology, the
team of Dr. Keith Gawlik of the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory, and Dr. Toshifumi Sugami
of Brookhaven National Laboratory used no formally
defined procedures. Rather, they relied on their
knowledge of the technology and of the market,
and on their professional relationships to quickly
move the PPS coating system from the laboratory
to production. Bob Curran & Sons, a Texas-based
company, needed a coating system to replace
the phenolic coating base that they were using.
Drs. Gawlik and Sugama worked with the company
to develop and test a commercial version of
the technology. Within nine months, the company
made the PPS coating system their primary product,
gaining many new customers from the petrochemical
processing industry. In addition, this technology
transfer effort was recognized with a 2002 R&D
100 Award.
The primary beneficiaries of this
technology will be geothermal power plants,
and the chemical/petrochemical processing industry.
The PPS coating system will cut costs, decrease
down time, and increase productivity and output.
Considering the enormous markets represented
by power plants and chemical processing, the
ripple effects of the technology on the economy
could run into billions of dollars per year.
Oak
Ridge National Laboratory
Automated Image Retrieval
for Semiconductor Yield Improvement
A team of researchers at the Oak
Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) developed the
capability for a flexible content-based image
retrieval technology and software system called
Automated Image Retrieval (AIR). This patented
technology is used to facilitate the use, reuse,
and management of the hundreds of thousands
of images maintained in semiconductor wafer
manufacturing environments.
The technology was invented under
an ORNL seed money effort, and was licensed
to Applied Materials, Inc. of Santa Clara, California
for integration in its Defect Source Identifier™—Automated
Image Retrieval software product (DSI™-AIR).
ORNL’s technology received R&D Magazine’s
R&D 100 award in 2002.
Powerful economic and energy gains
can be achieved in the semiconductor industry
by improvements in the device yield brought
about by the use of the DSI™-AIR system.
The semiconductor industry is worth about $350
billion per year to the U.S. economy. Therefore,
a modest yield improvement of 0.1% could be
worth on the order of several hundred million
dollars to the economy. Energy gains can also
be significant because of lower electric power
consumption, a reduction of water usage, and
less hazardous waste production.
Any Source, Any Position Fluid-Handling
Device
The Any Source, Any Position (ASAP™)
fluid-handling system is an enabling technology
for analytical dispensing tools to be used for
biochemical analysis. This technology rapidly
transfers small volumes of chemicals in parallel
from multiple sources to multiple targets—the
type of manipulation necessary when performing
the vast number of chemical assays required
for screening pharmaceuticals or for analyzing
genetic material.
The ASAP™ fluid-handling
system was conceived jointly by Oak Ridge National
Laboratory and Rheodyne, L.P. Patent licenses
for the technology were obtained by Rheodyne,
who created the spin-off company Innovadyne.
The worldwide exclusive license and the ASAP™
trademark are owned by Innovadyne. The ASAP™
received an R&D Magazine’s R&D
100 Award in 2002.
The benefits of this technology
to the consumer include faster discovery, development,
and availability of new drugs; quicker medical
diagnoses; and reduced costs for both.
ORNL Carbon Composite Bipolar
Plate
To meet energy conservation and
pollution reduction goals, the Department of
Energy is encouraging the development of fuel-cell
powered electric vehicles. The proton exchange
membrane (PEM) fuel cell is a likely candidate
to power vehicles because it starts quickly,
operates at low temperatures, and creates no
pollution. However, current PEM fuel cells are
too heavy and too expensive for practical use
in vehicles. Their machined graphite electrodes
account for most of their weight and cost. The
Carbon Composite Bipolar Plate was developed
to meet the need for a lightweight, economical
replacement part for the machined graphite electrodes
used in PEM fuel cells.
Porvair Fuel Cell Technology,
a Hendersonville, North Carolina-based company,
has licensed the patented technology from ORNL.
Porvair is interested in very large-scale production
of the plates, in excess of 1 million plates
per year. The company has acquired clients and
plans to upgrade production.
Anyone who relies on motor vehicles
stands to benefit from this technology. Also,
businesses seeking their own stationary power
generators will benefit when low-cost PEM fuel
cells become available.
Expression Data Clustering Analysis
and Visualization Resource
The Expression Data Clustering
Analysis and Visualization Resource (EXCAVATOR)
is a patentable computer package for gene-expression
data clustering and analysis. It enables researchers
to more efficiently “mine” key information
from massive amounts of gene expression data.
With EXCAVTOR, even researchers with few computer
skills can analyze gene-expression data in seconds.
With this information, genetic diseases can
be diagnosed more quickly.
Once this technology was successfully
developed by the ORNL team, several commercial
companies expressed a strong interest in obtaining
licensing. ApoCom Genomics, a Knoxville, Tennessee-based
company, received licensing rights for EXCAVATOR
in 2002. Presently, ApoCom is marketing the
technology and providing user support.
The capabilities of EXCAVATOR
will help researchers understand related biological
processes in diseases and to develop better
methods for diagnosis and targeted treatment.
For example, leukemia patients can be divided
into several groups according to their genotypes.
Then each group of patients can take a particular
kind of medicine to maximize the effectiveness
of the treatment while minimizing potential
side effects.
Pacific
Northwest National Laboratory
The Acoustic Inspection
Device
Since the terrorist attacks of
September 11, 2001, detecting and preventing
hidden contraband and weapons of mass destruction
from entering through American borders is now
a high priority. A team of scientists and engineers
from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
(PNNL) is helping to solve this problem by developing
the Acoustic Inspection Device (AID), which
provides non-invasive examination of sealed
containers and can help screen bulk solids.
The AID rapidly and reliably discriminates and
identified liquid contents in the sealed containers;
determines if there are concealed compartments
within the containers; and detects hidden compartments
in solid forms that may contain contraband,
or weapons of mass destruction.
The PNNL team transferred the
technology to Mehls, Griffin & Bartek Ltd.
(MGB Ltd.), an Arlington, Virginia-based company
through a licensing agreement. In addition,
the U.S. Customs Service provided funding to
further the development of the technology. At
present, MGB Ltd. is customizing the AID for
the Customs Service, which will be a prime user
of the technology.
In general, all Americans will
benefit from this technology. The AID will help
prevent the smuggling of weapons of mass destruction,
as well as other contraband or illegal items
into the country while reducing the amount of
time trucks and ships must spend at U.S. border
crossings—allowing products to get to
market faster and more securely than under the
current inspection procedures.
EMAdvantage
In an emergency, getting the right
information to the right people in time to make
the right decisions can save lives and property.
A team from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
(PNNL) has developed an emergency management
software system that accomplishes that goal.
Emergency Management Advantage (EMAdvantage)
is a software tool that simultaneously supports
planning, daily operations, incident identification,
emergency declaration, and emergency response
activities for multiple users within an emergency
operations center. Combining real-time modeling,
visualization, and communications capabilities,
EMAdvantage enable emergency managers to identify
hazards, perform threat and risk analysis, declare
emergencies, execute and track responses, register
and reunify evacuees, and implement protective
action decisions.
This technology has been transferred
to Petroleos Mexicanos, which manages the national
petroleum industry in Mexico; Aptec Microsystems,
Inc.; NASA; and the U.S. Army. The transfer
process involved software engineering, collaborative
tools, copyrights, and licensing.
EMAdvantage is the only emergency
management system that supports all phases of
emergency management and makes the information
available via desktop computer, the Internet,
and personal digital assistants. Millions of
people will be helped by this technology, thought
most may never be aware of its existence. Whether
it is a natural disaster, an explosion, or a
terrorist attack, EMAdvantage will provide invaluable
assistance to emergency personnel and its use
will save lives and property.
Engine Exhaust Aftertreatment
System Based on Non-Thermal Plasma-Assisted
Catalysis
A team at Pacific Northwest National
Laboratory (PNNL), with the assistance of industry
partners, developed an exhaust aftertreatment
system for lean-burn diesel and gasoline engines
based on non-thermal plasma (NTP) assisted catalysis.
This system converts harmful nitrous oxides
and particulate matter emitted from vehicle
engines into clean air components. The technology
performs well in the lean-burn conditions of
energy efficient diesel engines, where conventional
3-way catalytic converters are inadequate. The
exhaust aftertreatment system also could be
easily incorporated into existing tailpipe designs
with little modification, as a retrofit option
for older vehicles.
Through cooperative research and
development agreements (CRADAs), the PNNL team
was able to transfer the technology to a number
of companies including Ford Motor Company, General
Motors, DaimlerChrysler, Caterpillar, Inc.,
and Delphi Corp. To date, a full-scale prototype
of the system has been installed on a PSA Peugëot
206 environmental technologies demonstration
vehicle.
There is a renewed interest in
the U.S. reducing its dependence on foreign
oil. To address this concern, the auto industry
is developing more fuel-efficient and environmentally
friendly cars and trucks. The exhaust aftertreatment
system will enable these vehicles of future
to use more efficient diesel engines, and the
fuel efficiency it will help make possible will
directly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide
emitted to the atmosphere.
Sandia National
Laboratories
Gun Shot Residue Kit
A team from Sandia National Laboratories,
in collaboration with Law Enforcement Technologies
(LET), has developed a field test kit that allows
law enforcement officers to quickly test a shooting
suspect for gunpowder residue. The Gun Shot
Residue Kit uses a chemical detection technique
that can identify minute traces of residue left
at a crime scene—and on the shooter’s
hands, arms, and clothing. Each kit includes
a round fiberglass swab that can be rubbed on
the suspected shooter. When the swab is soaked
in a unique liquid chemical, spots where gunpowder
residue are present will turn blue against the
white swab. Producing results in less than five
minutes, the kit can detect residues even if
the suspect washed his hands after firing the
gun.
The technology was conceived jointly
between Sandia and LET, with 100 percent of
the financing coming from LET. In addition,
LET has licensed the kit for commercial production
and distribution. Sandia provided additional
product engineering to meet military and law
enforcement community requirements by customizing
the technology to meet their specific needs.
Since the kit’s commercial introduction,
it has received a very positive acceptance from
the law enforcement community, and inquiries
have been received from several foreign companies
regarding the use of the technology overseas.
Law enforcement and the military
are the primary beneficiaries of the kit, as
they now have a means of determining which people
near the scene of a shooting may have been involved.
Indirectly, the general public will benefit
from a tool that allows a quick, effective method
of identifying criminal elements.
Risk Assessment Methodologies
A team from Sandia National Laboratories
has developed Risk Assessment Methodologies
(RAM) for use in protecting America’s
infrastructure from potential terrorist threats.
The methodologies identify risks and vulnerabilities,
and then aids in design technology solutions
to effectively manage the situation. This includes
characterization of a facility; evaluation of
consequences if the facility is attacked; definition
of potential adversaries, their motives and
resources; quantification of risk; detailed
analysis of a facility’s vulnerabilities;
and cost benefit analysis of possible upgrade
requirements.
Responding to an urgent need to
get this technology out in a timely yet controlled
fashion, the Sandia team developed a unique
licensing strategy. They not only licensed interest
parties directly, but also conducted “train
the trainer” seminars, wherein leading
consulting firms were not only trained and licensed
to use and apply the technology, but were also
given incentive to identify and qualify third-party
sublicenses. To date, Sandia has executed 80
licenses for RAM, and more are in process.
As a result of the Sandia
team’s efforts, many infrastructure facilities
have an increased awareness of potential vulnerabilities
and are now taking steps to manage and mitigate
risks. By taking these steps, the owners and
operators of infrastructure facilities are helping
to ensure America and its citizens continue
to prosper, even in uncertain times.
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