NASA SBIR 2005 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc.
44 Hunt Street
Watertown, MA 02472-4699
(617) 668-6801

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Louis B. Strong
lstrong@rmdinc.com
44 Hunt Street
Watertown, MA  02472-4699
(617) 668-6801

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
We will fabricate and test microfluidic designs for a micro-electromechanical system based complete blood count (CBC) analysis in separate modules and integrate them into a working prototype. A first module constitutes a hydrodynamic focusing injector and cell impedance meter. A second module takes hydrodynamically focused cells and measures light scatter in the forward and orthogonal directions, as well as of fluorescence emission intensities from specific cell types using novel signal collection designs and micrometer scale, and Geiger-mode avalanche photodiodes that produce time-correlated photocount statistics from multiple optical sources. The third module will serve for blood sample dilution, routing, automated lysing and removal of human erythrocytes. This unit will also incorporate a sensor for measuring hemoglobin (Hgb) concentration. The proposed blood analyzer will utilize innovative optical and fluidic designs on a modular platform that enable compactness, high sensitivity, and robust service, while requiring no operator intervention.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The ability to monitor physiological changes of astronauts during space flight requires portable, low power and light-weight instrumentation to be available on space voyages. Inexpensive, point of treatment instruments are needed to monitor astronauts' health and to gauge the effectiveness of experimental countermeasures that are put in effect to oppose deleterious physiological responses due to microgravity, exposure to ionizing radiation, and a reduced exercise regimen. RMD proposes to develop a micro electromechanical system based complete blood count instrument that can be used aboard a spacecraft. We will produce a microfluidic scale combination cell counter-flow cytometer for CBC analysis. Modules that require direct contact with blood will be economical and disposable. Our Phase II plan will deal with integrating the microoptic and microelectronic modules, testing their ability to characterize all classes of blood cells, implementing an automated cell lysing protocol, developing the analytical software for event counting and the statistical analysis of same, and engineering microprocessor based controls for automated pumping, and wireless transfer of data.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
A critical and time sensitive measurement for the assessment of hemostasis is the complete blood count (CBC). In general, CBC measurements are made using laboratory scale, automated combination cell counters and flow cytometers. Requiring multiple milliliter samples of blood, they provide the numbers of red cells, leukocytes, and platelets, as well as total hemoglobin, and quantities related to red and white cell function. These are large, expensive, and unwieldy instruments requiring concentrated user maintenance. Here we propose to develop a microfluidic scale combination cell counter-flow cytometer for CBC analysis. Modules that require direct contact with blood will be economical and disposable. We plan to integrate microoptic and microelectronic modules in a lab-on-a-chip device to characterize all classes of blood cells, implementing an automated cell lysing protocol, developing the analytical software for event counting and the statistical analysis of same, and engineering microprocessor based controls for automated pumping, and wireless transfer of data. The advent of such an instrument will permit CBC analyses to be performed on outpatients, on shutins and the elderly, and in emergency situations and will dramatically reduce the costs associated with obtaining CBC information for patients in hospitals.

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

Biochemical Biomolecular Sensors Data Acquisition and End-to-End-Management Data Input/Output Devices Earth-Supplied Resource Utilization Laser Optical Optical & Photonic Materials Organics/Bio-Materials Photonics Portable Data Acquisition or Analysis Tools Telemetry, Tracking and Control Ultra-High Density/Low Power