NASA SBIR 2005 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Space Hardware Optimization Technology Inc
7200 Highway 150
Greenville ,IN 47124 - 9515
(812) 923 - 9591

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Tony   Shulthise
tshulthise@SHOT.com
7200 Highway 150
Greenville, IN  47124 -9515
(812) 923 - 9591

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
A robotic sample management device and system for the exposure of biological and material specimens to heavy ion beams of the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) and other irradiation venues is proposed by SHOT, Inc. Full and efficient utilization of NSRL requires the automation of precise sample positioning and sample exchange that is otherwise performed manually at the cost of hours of beam time and risk of personnel. The device and system will consist of a multiplicity of sample holders providing an environmentally controlled enclosure. Samples to be irradiated will be translated into the ion beam, one at a time, within the controlled environment. Samples to be accommodated include, but are not limited to, cell cultures, small animal (flies, worms, fish) cultures, mice, rats and small samples of shielding or electronic materials. Operating software will be compatible with that in use at the irradiation venues, specifically NSRL, and will be used to establish environmental control settings, to record environmental conditions, and to control and record the insertion of samples into the ion beam. Three objectives will be met in Phase I research: (1) user requirements and engineering requirements will be established in detail, (2) a preliminary design including assembly and component 3-D renderings will be completed, and (3) this design will be subjected to design review by internal and external advisers and potential users. An optional objective, if matching funding is available from the State of Indiana, is the production and testing of a Specimen Holder Assembly prototype. Phase II research will consist of (1) finalizing requirements and design documents for official preliminary review, (2) building and testing prototypes of components for final overall design approval, and (3) assembling and testing a first system at SHOT and assembling, installing and testing a final product at NSRL and placing it into use for the benefit of the user community.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential NASA applications are well-defined. Space radiation health research requires the study of model organisms and cells exposed to high-energy, highly charged (HZE) particle irradiation. The model radiation beams are available at a small number of venues internationally and specifically at NSRL at Brookhaven National Laboratory. For the efficient exposure of these specimens, including laboratory rodents, the proposed robotic environmentally controlled sample holders and changers are needed to minimize the exposure of personnel to background radiations in the cave and minimize beam time required per experiment. Improved efficiency and biological statistics will lead to improved reductions of uncertainty in space radiation health.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (LIMIT 150 WORDS)
Potential non-NASA applications are also well-defined. At least a dozen facilities are in use or planned at which space radiation health research and particle radiotherapy research requires the study of model organisms and cells exposed to protons or HZE particle irradiation. As in the case of NASA applications, the proposed robotic environmentally controlled sample holders and changers are needed to minimize the exposure of personnel to background radiations in the cave and minimize beam time required per experiment. SHOT intends to use its sales force to address this need by marketing the proposed innovation in the international particle radiobiology community.

NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING

Biomedical and Life Support