Volume 8, Number 3     May/June 2000

Technology Transfer

Cancer Screening Aid Approved 

Studies have determined that cancer cells exude nitric oxide. This causes changes in blood flow in tissue surrounding cancer that can be detected by the sensor. The BioScan System is sensitive to temperature changes of less than 0.027 degree Fahrenheit (0.015 degree Celsius) and has a speed of more than 200 frames per second. It causes no discomfort to the patient and uses no ionizing radiation. 

"Clearance for use of this noninvasive diagnostic tool is an important milestone for us," said OmniCorder president and CEO Mark Fauci. He also noted that the device has also been cleared to be marketed for other applications. 

Dr. Sarath Gunapala, principal engineer of JPL's device research and applications section, invented the sensor, which is called the Quantum Well Infrared Photodetector (QWIP). The digital sensor detects the infrared energy emitted from the body, thus "seeing" the minute differences associated with blood flow changes. Earlier versions of QWIP had such potential applications as locating hot spots during fires and observing volcanoes. 

QWIP is currently being used with Mt. Palomar's 200-inch Hale telescope. It also will fly sometime in the next several months on a small space technology research vehicle mission to detect the severity of radiation in the Van Allen Belt. In addition, QWIP is being considered for use in the Astrobiology Institute's "search for life" mission. 

The BioScan System also uses the Dynamic Area Telethermometer, invented by Dr. Michael Anbar, founding scientist of OmniCorder. The two technologies work together to image the target area and to provide the physician with immediate diagnostic information. 

JPL is a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California. 
 
 
 

NASA Addresses Future Aviation Needs  NASA's FutureFlight Central at Ames Research Center is capable of simulating any airport, airfield and air traffic control tower in the world. (Photo supplied by Boris Ravin, Ames Research Center) NASA's FutureFlight Central, recently opened at Ames Research Center, is a full-scale, research and development airport operations simulator that has the "look and feel" of an actual air traffic control tower cab. The mission of FutureFlight Central is to provide a world-class, research simulation facility to advance the safety, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of current and future airport designs, procedures and technologies. It supports cost-benefit studies, provides a stable platform from which new requirements can be derived, enables information sharing among multiple users and tests software performance, safety and reliability under realistic conditions.  With the introduction of new technologies and operating procedures, there will be increased efficiency, error reduction and overall system safety improvements, as well as an improvement in the flow of traffic on airport movement areas. FutureFlight Central will permit the integration of tomorrow's technologies in a risk-free simulation of any airport, airfield and tower cab environment. The facility provides an opportunity for airlines and airports to mitigate passenger delays by fine-tuning airport hub operations, gate management, ramp movement procedures and various other airport improvements. By providing a nonobtrusive operational test environment, FutureFlight Central will reduce the number of resources currently needed to conduct integrated system validation, and it will enable an efficient, well-planned, prevalidated transition of newly developed systems into the field.  FutureFlight Central provides a bridge among advanced research, functional testing, validation and deployment of new procedures, hardware, software and operational concepts for the air traffic control towers of the future. It enables air traffic controllers to provide input and become familiar with new airport operations and technologies before construction is completed.  NASA's FutureFlight Central is a world-class research facility, dedicated to addressing the future needs of the nation's airports," said Ames Center Director Henry McDonald. "This facility will allow NASA, the [Federal Aviation Administration] and their research partners to examine ways to increase the flow of aircraft through the national airspace system safely, efficiently and under all weather conditions."  "We can simulate any airport in the world," said Nancy Dorighi, FutureFlight Central facility manager. "The highly detailed three-dimensional model of an airport is viewed out the 360-degree windows of the tower cab. The visual scene, along with specific airport traffic patterns, fleet mix and procedures, makes this the ultimate test environment."  For more information, contact John Bluck at Ames Research Center. 650/604-5026, jbluck@mail.arc.nasa.gov Please mention you read about it in Innovation.

For more information, contact Dr. Sarath D. Gunapala at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 818/354-1880, gunapala@mail1.jpl.nasa.gov Please mention you read about it in Innovation.