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Phase I
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3DFortify Inc.
SBIR Phase I: 3D Printing of Thermally Stable Composites for Injection Molding Tooling
Contact
21 Drydock Ave
Boston, MA 02210–4501
NSF Award
1843035 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will enable Fortify to provide U.S. manufacturers with a disruptive manufacturing technology to create low-volume tooling parts with order of magnitude reductions in lead times and part price. U.S. manufacturers rely on prototype and low-volume production parts that are currently produced using aluminum soft tooling that need to be precision machined. Prices for these small run parts can reach USD $10,000 or more per tool, depending on complexity, with lead times extending weeks or months. This results in high unit costs when parts are produced in low volumes. Industry data suggests the market for outsourced prototype and low volume injection molded parts with physical dimensions serviceable by Fortify technology may be as large as USD $2.7 Billion. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will enable Fortify to create a thermal competitive advantage to enable customer discovery in the field of low-volume injection molding tooling. Despite the noise in the field of 3D printing, disrupting the injection molding tooling industry has remained elusive due to the lasting need for high strength, thermal stability, fatigue resistance, and smooth mold finish in 3D printed molds. Fortify is uniquely positioned to address these technical challenges by leveraging novel materials, patented manufacturing hardware, and proprietary manufacturing software. Fortify prints ceramic-filled, high-temperature resins that are locally textured by magnetic fields in customized magnetic printers to produce optimum ceramic microstructures designed by Fortify's INFORM software to maximize the thermomechanical performance of the printed parts. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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3Derm Systems, Inc.
STTR Phase I: Intelligent Scoring of Inflammatory Skin Disease Progression
Contact
101 Huntington Ave
Boston, MA 02199–7611
NSF Award
1843221 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact and commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to empower providers with the unprecedented ability to treat patients with chronic inflammatory skin disease effectively and at a lower cost. Today, primary care physicians often refer patients with these conditions to dermatologists for the initial diagnosis and multiple follow-up appointments, especially when patients are prescribed high cost, high touch therapies like biologics or procedures, such as phototherapy. By introducing this automated severity scoring system, these providers will have the expertise of dermatologists at their fingertips, giving them the ability to assess disease severity and provide systemic treatments previously available only through specialists. It will also establish more objective assessments, evaluating patient progress to adjust dosage and treatments as necessary. For pharmaceutical companies, the ability to have non-specialists make these severity assessments during clinical trials reduces expensive and restrictive staffing requirements. Less expensive trials can help expedite new drugs to market. This innovation will enhance scientific and technological understanding by applying known machine learning techniques in a novel manner to solve a difficult visual problem. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will prototype a clinical tool that can assess images of a chronic skin inflammation, determine its severity, and suggest treatment. This system will be able to guide users with minimal training through the image collection process, determine if the information is sufficient, and request additional information if required via novel machine learning techniques. Currently, clinicians trying to assess the severity of chronic inflammatory skin diseases rely on a series of estimations and manual weighted averages, a time consuming and biased process. This Phase I research will explore what information is necessary for an algorithm to determine the severity of a psoriasis case. It will determine if it is possible for a machine to guide an imager through imaging regions of interest at higher detail, rather than the entire body at large. It will also explore how quickly and practically such a calculation can be performed. The end goal of the project is a working prototype that can consistently score a few psoriasis cases and serve as a proof of concept for expansion of the prototype in future work. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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3I Diagnostics, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Culture-independent Rapid Bacterial Isolation and Identification
Contact
20271 Goldenrod Lane
Germantown, MD 20876–4064
NSF Award
1819613 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/01/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project aims to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of a system that can identify a broad range of bacteria in < 1 hour directly from blood. Existing diagnostic systems require 2-6 days to identify the bacteria, which delays treatment using appropriate antibiotics. Sepsis, which is often caused by a bacterial infection, contributes to up to half of all hospital deaths in the US largely due to complications arising from delays or inappropriate treatment (which is mainly because of lack of information regarding the infection-causing bacteria). It is the most expensive hospital-treated condition in the United States ? representing $20.3 billion in healthcare costs. The proposed system aims to sharply reduce the time to provide information needed by physicians, enabling them to initiate treatment using the appropriate antibiotic rapidly. This is expected to lead to significant reductions in costs, complications, and mortality. Further, by eliminating the need for culturing, new insights into bacterial behavior can be acquired contributing to additional fundamental knowledge of bacteria. This knowledge will aid antibiotic discovery efforts, improve understanding of mechanisms of drug resistance, support new biomanufacturing processes through faster detection of bacterial contamination of pharmaceutical products and foods, and characterization of the microbiome. The challenges of rapid bacterial identification are primarily in two areas ? sample preparation, that eliminates the need for culturing, and multiplex identification, to cover the diverse range of bacterial species capable of causing infection. The proposed work is based on leveraging the differential response between bacteria and the cells in a sample matrix to selectively break down the sample matrix, but not bacteria, such that the largest lysis debris is smaller than intact bacteria. The debris is subsequently separated from intact bacteria using a size-based technique enabling rapid isolation of a broad range of bacteria directly from the sample. A novel Fourier-transform infrared microspectroscopy system is then used to identify the isolated bacteria at clinically relevant concentrations. No bacteria-specific reagents are employed. The proposed Phase I work addresses the highest risk technical hurdles in the process. Isolating and detecting low concentration of bacteria directly from blood is accomplished through the three objectives of this project that optimize the purification and bacterial recovery from the sample, identification accuracy, and performance of the integrated system relative to the traditional culturing-based method. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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4th-Phase Inc.
SBIR Phase I: 4th-Phase Water Technology
Contact
6545 34th Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98115–7301
NSF Award
1819846 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/15/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to optimize water utilization, thereby improving agricultural production. It is projected that the human population will exceed 9 billion by 2050. To meet the expected demand, global food production must increase by more than 50% by 2050. This SBIR project will have impact not only in expanding fundamental knowledge of plant utilization of water but also in contributing to agricultural productivity, an urgent and practical need for human survival, in a sustainable manner. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to commercialize the advanced water-treatment technology that could enhance plant growth, and therefore improve crop output in agricultural applications. In short, a thin layer (about 100 microns, as thin as a human hair) of interfacial water was found to exist with a slightly higher pH, net negative charge, and a tendency to exclude impurities. These findings were similar to those found by other independent research groups working with xylem cells in plants and muscle cells in animals. Several hydrogels and polymers were also found to contain interfacial water with similar properties. Initial studies regarding the practical use of the interfacial water were conducted in a plant system. On average, initial results show a rapid growth rate of around 10% to 20% improvement compared to the control group; preliminary findings that have now been confirmed to be similar amongst four different plants, namely chick pea, wheatgrass, basil, and pea shoots. This SBIR will enable continued testing and scale up the interfacial water generator to meet water demands for customer validations. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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A Carrot, Inc
SBIR Phase I: Qalaxia: skill-aware query engine for K12 Classrooms
Contact
20488 Stevens Creek Blvd #1501
Cupertino, CA 95014–2293
NSF Award
1843326 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2019 – 12/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project builds a new query engine for K12 that addresses four major shortcomings in existing automated question-answering systems. The shortcomings prevent both students and teachers from fully leveraging the power of such systems. Existing systems 1) cannot handle raw student queries like - Ten Ford Fiestas cost $146,000. How much does each Ford Fiesta cost?, 2) do not take into account students' skill-levels to return results that is within the scope of their understanding, 3) do not have a community vetting and feedback mechanism that allows systems to learn the quality of their automated answers, and 4) discard valuable insights obtainable from students' queries that can be used to inform future classroom instruction. The query engine, which is free to use, addresses all four shortcomings, improves classroom instruction and closes the achievement gap. It empowers students of all abilities and from all communities to obtain automated answers from the AI technology and regular answers from the community of users. The community of users on the platform range from students to teachers to experts from the industry fulfilling their corporate social responsibilities. The platform is compliant with federal and state privacy regulations and is projected to earn significant Annual Recurring Revenue from corporations and EdTech companies seeking to build their brand among the K12 community. This project develops new skill-aware AI technology that automatically maps student's raw queries into topics, sub-topics and intent. The technology considers the user skill-levels and automatically constructs an answer extracted from the most relevant educational resources, with highest preference given to teachers' own resources. The technology does something more if the detected topic falls under Algebra and the intent of the query is 'How do I solve this?' It generates, on-the-fly, additional scaffolding instructions for solving the problem. This approach extends to disciplines beyond Algebra. In addition, Phase I research leverages the latest advancements in Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing and Topic Detection to extract and track skill-levels, as well as strengths and weaknesses of students for teacher's benefit. Finally, the project will also demonstrate the efficacy of the technology in terms of queries made, relevant responses generated and its impact in terms of Algebra math outcomes. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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A-Alpha Bio, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Developing a Platform for Multiplexed Drug Profiling Using Yeast Synthetic Agglutination
Contact
3946 W Stevens Way NE 3rd Fl
Seattle, WA 98105–1654
NSF Award
1819398 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project will be to develop a preclinical drug characterization platform capable of profiling the effect of a drug candidate on whole protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks. PPIs play a pivotal role in most diseases, and are considered high-impact therapeutic targets for cancers, autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and more. Over 40 clinically relevant PPIs have been disrupted successfully with small molecules, and several have entered clinical trials. One recently approved cancer drug, Venetoclax, is expected to reach $2.2B in sales by 2020. Despite the enormous clinical and commercial potential of PPI disrupting drugs, preclinical characterization remains a major challenge. Pharmaceutical companies are limited by slow and laborious techniques to measure protein interactions that require each protein to be purified, and each PPI to be measured separately. As a result, only a small subset of relevant interactions are tested during preclinical drug development, which leads to a high incidence of failure during clinical trials. The proposed platform for PPI network characterization is expected to have a major commercial and societal impact by enabling more thorough preclinical screening of PPI inhibiting drugs, reducing the overall cost and time associated with drug development. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop and commercialize a novel platform for screening PPI disrupting drugs that provides quantitative accuracy, enables simultaneous characterization of whole PPI networks, and eliminates the need for protein purification. This platform combines the throughput of a cell-based assay with the accuracy of a bioanalytical technique by linking yeast haploid mating efficiency to the affinity of proteins displayed on the cells' surfaces. Preliminary results demonstrate that next generation sequencing of diploid cells may be used to accurately measure many PPI strengths simultaneously. The goal of this project is to demonstrate that the proposed platform can correctly recapitulate whole disease-relevant PPI networks and accurately characterize well-studied inhibitors in a format that is compatible with existing high-throughput screening workflows. To demonstrate feasibility, the well-studied BCL2 PPI network, which contains unstable proteins and considerable complexity, will be analyzed to identify each pairwise PPI and compared to known interactions from the literature. The yeast strains and assay parameters will then be optimized for screening water insoluble small molecule drugs and 96-well plate compatibility. The ultimate goal of this project is to establish a new platform technology for the preclinical characterization of PPI inhibiting drug candidates. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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ACTIBIOMOTION, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Quasi- Semi-Active Seats (QSAS) for Heavy Machinery
Contact
2261 Crosspark Rd Ste 202
Coralville, IA 52241–4716
NSF Award
1819917 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project focused on a novel seat design that reduces vehicle-based whole-body vibration and shock will 1) better protect human health while 2) addressing major transportation markets including trucking, agriculture, construction, military vehicles, and mass transit, as well as automobiles and water-/land-based recreational vehicles. The envisioned socio-economic impact is significant: Continual exposure to whole-body vibration and shocks can cause discomfort, reduction in work performance, and chronic low-back pain for vehicle operators and passengers. Low-back pain is the largest component of disability among all occupational-related injuries. Though so-called "active" seats can help reduce these vibrations/shocks, their high cost is a major barrier. The low-cost seats being pursued here could benefit millions of vehicle operators. The work will also result in a greater scientific and technological understanding of the sources/effects of and potential remedies for whole-body vibration and shock. The suspension system market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.11%, by value, from 2016 to 2021. The market is expected to grow from USD 52.38 Billion in 2015 to USD 67.22 Billion by 2021. The market for bus seats alone is expected to be at $10.03 Billion by the year 2022. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is focused on the feasibility of a quasi-semi-active seat (QSAS) technology. Seating design for heavy equipment and vehicle operators has faced a trade-off between performance and cost. The most-complex 'active seats' reduce vibration but are cost-prohibitive at $3,500. Semi-active seats are simplified active seats and perform better than passive seats, but still magnify input vibration and cost several thousand dollars. Passive seats are the least expensive, but they magnify input vibration at low frequencies. Recent design/material advances and strong preliminary data set the stage for developing an innovative passive seat at a fraction of the cost of semi-active seats that will reduce input vibration at low frequencies. Phase I feasibility will be shown using sliding friction to mitigate vibration at low frequency. A QSAS prototype will be built and used to show potential in laboratory and field settings. Technical challenges will involve material selection that will show maximum vibration mitigation and dissipation, as well as integration of the cushion with a suspension system that can handle the weight of a seated person. The research will determine effective performance parameters under different magnitudes and frequencies of vibration that simulate realistic operational conditions. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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ADVANCED REMOTE SENSING, INC.
SBIR Phase I: A Novel Method for Atmospheric Correction of Earth Observation Satellite Data
Contact
407 N VANDEMARK AVE
Hartford, SD 57033–2315
NSF Award
1840196 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 09/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to provide software service to correct Earth observation satellite (EOS) data to at-ground reflectance. EOS must look through the Earth?s atmosphere that induces systematic error in measuring the actual reflectance of ground targets through scatter and attenuation of light. Atmospherically-induced error affects data utility because the atmospheric aerosol content, i.e., humidity, dust, pollen, smoke particles, etc., fluctuates greatly, impacting applications for global monitoring, defense and agriculture. The value of data could make this a significant and growing market opportunity if the specifications are met successfully. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to correct aerosol-induced error in EOS data by reversing the effect, found empirically to be structured, independent of aerosol type and potentially predictable through measurement of dark target-reflectance ? water bodies clear of aquatic vegetation, entrained sediment and specular reflectance from windblown waves. The method of study is extraction and statistical analysis of Landsat 8 data, the standard reference for calibration and validation of data from all other EOS platforms. This problem is approached through a series of heuristic investigations to (1) reconstruct relationships of blue, green and red bands to near infrared (NIR) originally fitted using Landsat 5 and 7 data (longer wavelengths may not be addressed because they are resistant to atmospheric affects), (2) use these relationships to reverse the error, (3) develop methods to select, proof and apply dark targets that calibrate the correction, and (4) measure residual error by comparing post-algorithm reflectance to at-ground reflectance measured by portable spectrometry. The residual error is likely due to uncertainty associated with dark targets. Once developed and proofed, the algorithm will be brought to the Landsat 8 Cal/Val team for validation. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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AGITA LABS, INC.
SBIR Phase I: Vulnerability-Agnostic Secure Systems
Contact
1218 OLIVIA AVE
Ann Arbor, MI 48104–3935
NSF Award
1845552 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,725
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 10/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be safer and more secure IoT platforms that will contribute to the growth of the IoT market. Current security technologies in the IoT arena are either weak or expensive (usually both). The weakness in conventional approaches lies in their impractical goal of finding and fixing all security vulnerabilities. Modern systems have complexity that vastly outstrips the capabilities of any human or verification tool to find all the security vulnerabilities. The only way to somewhat mitigate this weakness is to throw significant resources at the problem, which is very expensive and still yields an imperfect result. The proposed technology developed in this SBIR Phase I project will provide practical and strong security. It gains these important properties by assuming that all systems are riddled with vulnerabilities, so it builds in security by making IoT computing devices that are unsolvable puzzles to attackers. In addition, it doesn't rely on IoT developers to deploy hand-crafted defenses; instead, developers simply build their applications on the proposed platform, and they receive all of its security benefits. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a new direction in IoT security. Unlike the world of IoT security today, where developers and tools are attempting to find and fix every last security vulnerability (and always failing), the technology being developed is a hardware-based secure IoT technology that is impractically difficult to penetrate. It achieves this by engaging ensembles of moving target defenses (EMTDs) on the runtime information that attackers need to build their attacks. To overcome EMTDs, attackers must extensively probe the system to acquire the run-time information obscured by moving target defenses. To stop these probes, the technology utilizes a technology called churn to re-key moving target defenses while the system is in operation. Once the churn mechanism is engaged, attackers will have to start their attack over again from scratch. With churn cycles of 50ms (or less), the proposed secure IoT platform becomes impractically difficult to breach, across a broad array of attack classes. The work proposed in this SBIR Phase I project will advance the technology from simulation to a real hardware implementation, which will allow the technology to be deployed into the IoT marketplace. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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AI STRIKE, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Semantic Information Extraction From Text
Contact
22 Stonybrook Ln
Shrewsbury, MA 01545–5477
NSF Award
1820118 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,991
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project can be summarized as follows. (1) Businesses will benefit from the proposed product because companies are increasingly using data-driven predictive models to improve their bottom line. In many areas where structured data are readily available, such as credit scoring, these models have produced impressive returns on investment. One of the main obstacles hindering the application of these models in other areas is the lack of structured data. By extracting information from sources such as web pages, blogs and social media messages, and storing it as structured data, companies will be able to take advantage of the vast amount of unstructured data that are generated daily and thereby improve their bottom line. (2) As the Chinese economy expands and becomes more deeply intertwined with the US economy, many US businesses will need high-quality and timely information about Chinese markets. However, information extraction from Chinese text is an underserved area. The proposed product can fill this void and thereby meet a significant commercial demand. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a new information extraction (IE) method. Currently IE focuses on information extraction from short text snippets consisting of a few words in order to derive structured factual information from unstructured text. But its performance is often deteriorated by the shortage of features - the sparse feature problem. A major benefit of the approach developed in this project is that it takes advantage of the important role of specific linguistic units even when the number of words in a sentence is limited. These linguistic units give a sentence its structure. Depending on structural characteristics or functional principles of sentences, the features around them are grouped. The grouped features satisfy certain properties and can be used to capture structural and semantic information, which is helpful for minimizing the sparse feature problem. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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ALIGNED CARBON INC.
SBIR Phase I: Manufacturable Growth And Purification Of Aligned, Semiconducting Carbon Nanotubes
Contact
2517 SEDLAK CT
San Jose, CA 95148–2514
NSF Award
1844111 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to enable the development of monolithic 3D integration of carbon nanotube (CNT) computing in conjunction with silicon nanoelectronics. The value of nanoelectronics utilizing silicon integrated with CNT has been shown to have immense potential through various academic studies. However, the transition of this technology from academia to industry has been stymied by lack of CNT material that meets the manufacturing requirements particularly in terms of alignment, purity, and compatibility to be properly explored. Monolithic 3D integration will enable game-changing levels of improvement to computing speed and power efficiency, creating better computing for all. Providing a material which accelerates research and development for improved computing will create a game changing impact on the $500B integrated circuit market and potentially create billions of dollars in revenue. This project is focused on the needs of the nanoelectronics industry because of the impact possible in that market, but other markets such as biosensing or flexible electronics would benefit from the same materials and often at relaxed specifications. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will greatly expand the utilization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) in nanoelectronics by making industrially relevant material available. This will allow application oriented nanoelectronics teams to move forward with R&D projects. Further, the project's work on the fundamentals of aligned CNT growth and purification will benefit the CNT materials community by the extension of the material into commercial manufacturing. The research objectives are on two fronts: 1) growth of CMOS compatible aligned CNTs and 2) purification of aligned CNTs. Growth of highly aligned CNT populations has typically utilized catalysts which are not compatible with front end of line CMOS fabrication, hindering the use of material in conjunction with Si integrated circuits. Current methods of CNT purification to remove metallic CNTs suffer from either destroying the critical CNT alignment, utilization of non-CMOS compatible materials, or the need of extensive post-processing. This project will develop a growth process and a purification process that preserves alignment while maintaining CMOS compatibility and utilizes wafer scale batch processes that allow high throughput manufacturing. The purification scheme is a proprietary method which must be characterized and refined to meet the exacting purification standards of 99.99% semiconducting CNTs or better. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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ALLUMIA, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Triumvi - A Rapidly Deployable, Energy-Harvesting Real-Power Meter
Contact
2315 E JOHN ST
Seattle, WA 98112–5412
NSF Award
1845625 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is a shift towards both accuracy and affordability within the world of energy sub-metering. This metering system will have a dramatic impact on the market for submetering commercial real estate. By drastically reducing the cost and knowledge hurdles associated with accurate submetering and bringing the costs of submetering in line with value, this technology opens the door for a mass-market approach to circuit-level energy use data. The market for this commercial submetering is expected to reach $2.5 billion annually within six years, but could grow substantially larger with the introduction of low-cost, high-accuracy technologies. Additionally, it is estimated that access to metering data alone can reduce energy consumption within a building between 5% and 15%, meaning a wide deployment of these technologies could have wide-reaching environmental and energy security benefits. The proposed project will advance the state-of-the-art in true power metering by providing revenue quality AC power submetering using an energy-harvesting, as opposed to plug-in, design. Doing so requires fundamental improvements in circuit design, embedded software architecture and signal analysis. The result is a self-contained system that drastically reduces deployment and installation costs. This project will simplify the system implementation and reduce the cost of production, and the ability for Triumvi meters to share data and, more importantly, energy harvested. Specific key technical objectives include creating a daisy-chain framework through which individual nodes within a metering system can share energy and data, improving accuracy in the myriad of potential field conditions, and creating a system of runtime-diagnostics to identify, and fix, human error in real time. Study and pursuit of these objectives will take place both in the lab, as well is in the field, where installation and accuracy can be benchmarked against conventional hardwired metering solutions. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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ANAFLASH
SBIR Phase I: Energy Efficient Neural Network Accelerator Featuring a Logic Compatible Non-Volatile Synapse Array
Contact
3003 N 1ST ST STE 221
San Jose, CA 95134–2004
NSF Award
1843483 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,931
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to accelerate the adoption of AI features in Internet of Things and mobile devices. The proposed multi-bit non-volatile memory (NVM) based Deep Neural Networks (DNN) IP is based on the standard CMOS logic processes. Existing solution for the DNN hardware typically requires off-chip access to retrieve neural network parameters from external memories, incurring additional communication latency and power consumption. Additionally, when critical neural network parameters are transmitted off-chip, security or privacy concern may arise, which is unacceptable especially for the applications such as personalized AI devices. Alternative approach integrating the DNN engine in a special NVM process requires as much as 10 additional masks beyond the conventional logic CMOS process which is not cost-effective for medium density DNN engine in cost-sensitive edge devices. With this proposed IP, any existing or new system on chip requiring persistent AI functionality can be built quickly and cost effectively. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to develop a cost-effective non-volatile neural network accelerator IP for edge devices. To solve the security, latency, power consumption, and cost issues associated with the traditional approaches, a single-poly based low cost, non-volatile, multi-bit eFlash cell is proposed. Multi-bit cell operation however presents significant challenges due to inherent reduction in signal-to-noise ratio. Key technical hurdles include solving disturbances of unselected cells, improving sensing margin, and overcoming reliability issues associated with high voltage operation in readout circuits as well as developing robust neural network cell arrays. To address these challenges, several new ideas related to multi-bit cell, high-voltage circuits, and cell programming methods have been proposed. Once verified successfully in this project, the multi-bit cell IP can then be integrated as logic compatible non-volatile memory to store neural network parameters on-chip, or as logic compatible non-volatile neural network IP to execute entire neural network operation. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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ATHERAXON, INC.
SBIR Phase I: Smart Skins for shipping containers tracking and identification
Contact
3076 RANLO DR
Atlanta, GA 30340–4612
NSF Award
1843302 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,996
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to, firstly, shed light on the benefits and limitations of mm-wave backscatter technologies in challenging industrial environments. More importantly, the lessons learned during this project could, if successful, bring about the emergence of breakthrough energy-autonomous real-time tracking technologies that would significantly increase the efficiency and reduce the costs of worldwide container shipping as well as provide a direct value that could bring about the adoption of the smart container. The container shipping industry stands as one of the unsung heroes of the modern world which, from its birth in the 1960s, cut the cost of shipping goods across the globe by several orders of magnitude, thereby enabling global trade on a massive scale and catalyzing the world?s economic development. Nevertheless, this industry has remained largely unmoved by the advent of big data and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. This innovation could empower the general introduction and leveraging of such tools, further lower the costs and increase the accessibility of worldwide shipping, and significantly benefit the world and the United States? economies. The proposed project will require, on the road towards commercialization, the exploration of the properties of backscatter mm-wave localization approaches and channels in complex highly cluttered environments such as that of metallic-parts-crowded repair facilities and terminals covered with container stacks. While significant research efforts are currently invested in the characterization and mapping of mm-wave transmission channels necessary to the planning and rolling out of upcoming cellular 5G networks, no such work has yet been reported for their backscatter counterparts, nor for localization purposes. In addition, although the influence of channels for standard Radio Frequency IDentification-based localization systems has benefited from decades of investigation, that of its higher-frequency correspondent is virtually unexplored and should display different properties and present novel challenges and opportunities, due to major differences in clutter diffraction and absorption. The work will start with the finalization of tag and reader hardware in view of the gathering of detection data in the aforementioned environments, followed by the formulation of the high-performance signal processing schemes used to retrieve tag positions and identities, developed hand in hand with optimized communications modulation schemes for the tags. Finally, a tuning of the devised numerical processing schemes for high-speed embedded processing will take place. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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ATOLLA TECH LLC
SBIR Phase I: Smart Sensor for Precision Agriculture
Contact
184 MAPLE AVE
Rockville Centre, NY 11570–4373
NSF Award
1842973 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to improve the current spraying practices in agriculture. Inefficient crop spraying causes drift which can lead to crop damage or unwanted pesticide use in neighboring non-target crop areas. It may contaminate nearby bodies of water or be an issue for human health. Our company would solve this through the implementation of a closed loop sensor system which would remotely determine the efficiency of sprayer machines and the spray pattern of the material continuously and in real time. Farmers will benefit through reduced costs of wasted materials resulting from over-spraying, while feeling safe against pest and fungus infestation resulting from under-spraying. The initial intended customers are large orchards, vineyards and tree farms. Those farmers generally use airblast sprayers which are highly inefficient and waste about 45% of the material. Those chemicals either hit the ground and contaminate it or pollute the air. An owner of a large farm that implements our proposed device will save a significant amount on chemical costs and also avoids the consequences due to drift of chemicals onto neighboring farms, public roads, or non-agricultural areas. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to introduce a new technology to the agricultural sector. This technology has been previously built for complex and sophisticated applications in mostly academia and government sectors. We look to provide a new functionality while reducing the size and cost of the technology. It would be used as a new and improved method of calibration, replacing a tedious and often ignored current process. Furthermore, the sensor would be integrated as a closed loop system for autonomous sprayer adjustments. A complete software solution would accompany the hardware in order to make it approachable to the non-scientific community. This project will prove the potential of our technology as a competitive player in the rapidly growing ag-tech field. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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ATOM COMPUTING INC.
SBIR Phase I: Spatially Modulated Light For Trapping And Addressing Of Alkaline-Earth Neutral Atom Qubits
Contact
11250 SUN VALLEY DR
Oakland, CA 94605–5736
NSF Award
1843926 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will result from the development of quantum computers that will impact many technologies by enabling, for example, molecular simulations for drug design and catalyst development for energy applications, quantum machine learning, and solving optimization problems such as scheduling. Scalable, universal quantum computing promises to be one of the most transformative technologies of the modern era. The range of applications are broad and will only expand with the development of new quantum algorithms, with one of the biggest opportunities being molecular simulations for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. For example, despite being a multi-billion dollar industry, computational drug discovery is limited by the approximations necessary to make calculations tractable for classical computers. In order to perform these simulations at a scale useful for commercial applications, qubit numbers must be increased several orders of magnitude beyond the state of the art. The proposed innovation of trapping and individual control of neutral atoms will, if successful, enable quantum computers to scale to the thousands of qubits needed for error-corrected, universal quantum computing. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop technology for scalable trapping and addressing of neutral atom qubits through dynamic, parallelized optical trapping and individual addressing of alkaline earth qubits. Neutral atoms are an emerging platform for quantum computing and the majority of work thus far has been directed towards alkali atoms (i.e., those with a single valence electron). Alkaline earth atoms have two valence electrons and correspondingly a richer energy level structure, which has demonstrated very long trapped coherence times. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Accelerate Wind LLC
STTR Phase I: Integrated Solution for Low Cost Distributed Wind Energy Generation
Contact
911 Washington Ave, Suite 501
St. Louis, MO 63101–1272
NSF Award
1843944 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,999
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to enable broad market adoption of rooftop and other methods for local wind energy generation through reduction in costs. This is achieved through development of technology designed to lower the cost of wind turbine drive trains and associated power electronics, high cost items which are often left without innovation in new wind turbine designs. Prohibitively high costs are currently the biggest barrier to widespread adoption of distributed wind turbines, and power electronics can be as much as 50% of these costs. Significant cost reduction has the potential to increase worldwide distributed wind power adoption. The innovative power train technology developed in this project is specifically designed to couple with a proprietary technology for wind capture at rooftop edges. When combined with this technology, costs estimates are competitive with rooftop solar energy, enabling wind energy to become a common addition to rooftop solar installations. Successful deployment of this technology will contribute to society by decreasing the carbon footprint of energy production, increasing energy resiliency, and creating new jobs associated with manufacturing and deployment. Significant manufacturing efforts are likely to remain in the US, creating local job opportunities and economic growth. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project proposes to use a novel drive train architecture to reduce small wind turbine power train costs. In this architecture, costs are lowered by temporarily storing the energy coming out of the wind turbine rotor in a flywheel before passing it on to the generator. This allows for the power train to include a generator and inverter that are sized for average rather than peak power outputs, enables removal of diversion load, and allows for the use of a faster spinning, and therefore lower cost generator. The Phase I project seeks to prove the feasibility of developing a low-cost flywheel which meets the needs of the overall drive train (including efficiency and reliability), a powertrain control system which maintains high efficiency, and a powertrain system configuration which maintains the reduced cost projections required for market traction. Research efforts include development of a bench-scale drive train to test the controls of the flywheel, powertrain simulation to test alternative generator and converter topologies, and benchmarking of generator candidates to determine efficiency and power density. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Aclarity, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Performance and Feasibility Evaluation of Electrochemical Advanced Oxidation Technology for Water Purification
Contact
10 Chestnut Hill Rd.
North Oxford, MA 01537–1103
NSF Award
1819438 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercialization potential of this SBIR project is an electrochemical water treatment technology which has the potential for minimizing cost, requiring little to no maintenance, and comprehensively treating harmful contaminants such as pathogens, toxic organics, and metals in drinking water. About 80M U.S. homeowners are seeking a water purification solution for fear of their water quality. They are unsatisfied with the high maintenance, long-term costs, and lack of comprehensive treatment capabilities of existing systems. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to optimize, demonstrate, and scale an electrochemical water purification system for residential point-of-entry application. Existing water purification systems are largely ineffective in comprehensively treating contaminants such as pathogens, toxic organics, and metals, and also require frequent maintenance which contributes to high costs and waste generation. To address these concerns, the treatment effectiveness, cost, and feasibility of treating water contaminated with pathogens and toxic organic compounds by the proposed electrochemical technology will be studied in laboratory and pilot scale applications. Design parameters will be optimized for highest treatment capability and lowest costs and maintenance needs. Prototypes will be scaled for pilot evaluation at flow rates for residential point-of-entry application and evaluated for robustness. The laboratory and pilot units will be evaluated for perfluorinated compound (PFC) removal consistent with NSF/ANSI P473 and for pathogen disinfection following EPA Purifier Standard Certification. PFC removal and disinfection are keys to proving a comprehensive water purification solution for decentralized treatment. The end result will be a small product automated by sensors that connects directly in-line with a building's plumbing. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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ActivSignal, LLC
STTR Phase I: ActivSignal Protein Profiling from Serum Exosomes for the Early Detection of Pancreatic Cancer
Contact
142 Marsh St.
Belmont, MA 02478–2133
NSF Award
1843738 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
This STTR Phase I project will develop a transformative platform for inexpensive screening for pancreatic cancer detection, based on profiling of cancer-related proteins from a small blood draw. Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest types of cancer, killing over 50,000 each year in the US, and with a five-year survival rate below 7%. However, currently there are no reliable diagnostic tests for pancreatic cancer, and the great majority of cases are detected at a late stage, with bleak mortality rates as a result. As cancer is driven fundamentally by a dysregulation of key protein networks, directly measuring the activity of key proteins provides a robust bio-signature for cancer detection. The project will develop a scientifically novel diagnostic technology based on broad protein profiling for the accurate and low cost detection of pancreatic cancer, and thereby shift the therapeutic field of battle to an earlier stage of the disease, where the current treatments can be more effectively harnessed to improve patient outcomes and save lives, avoid unnecessary and ineffective procedures, and generate health system cost savings across the US and elsewhere. Commercialization of this diagnostic platform is expected to drive creation of a substantial enterprise, and related employment and tax-revenues. The major innovation of this project is the breakthrough technology for monitoring the state of dozens of cancer-related proteins in biological samples and its application for diagnosing pancreatic cancer from a minute sample of a patient?s blood. The innovative platform has superior levels of sensitivity and accuracy compared to existing technologies, and also offers substantially lower costs, which are critical advantages for the diagnostic application. A further innovation in this project is the development of the analytic engine and the bio-signature knowledge base, that will be used for analysis of the patient?s protein profile. In this project, the Company will focus on several key technical challenges to develop and validate a 1.0 version of its diagnostic platform for pancreatic cancer detection: i. identifying a robust, differentiated multi-target, bio-signature for pancreatic cancer; and ii. doing so with an accuracy and at a sufficiently early stage in the cancer emergence and progression to be medically useful. This project will extensively profile biobank samples from various stages of pancreatic cancer and normal patients to generate the differentiated bio-signatures, develop a diagnosis prediction engine to match the bio-signatures and inform diagnoses, and validate those results using additional samples. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worth of support through evaluations using the Foundation?s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Active Energy Systems, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Grid-scale electricity storage from waste heat
Contact
1011 Hamilton Ridge Ln
Knoxville, TN 37922–3672
NSF Award
1843112 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,901
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to significantly lower the cost and expand the number of addressable markets for ice thermal energy storage. Cost effectively storing energy is imperative to a sustainable future. Storage can provide reliable access to power from intermittent renewable sources, increase the resiliency of the grid to weather events or terrorist attacks, and increase the utilization efficiency of existing assets, deferring costly upgrades. Today, ice thermal storage systems help building owners shift cooling loads from costly peak hours to when electricity is less expensive. Unfortunately the upfront cost of these systems, driven by the large cost of the cooling coil used to generate ice, prevents adoption from many users and has unduly restricted the number of addressable markets for ice thermal storage. Elimination of ice buildup on the cooling coil would reduce the size of the coil, and more importantly significantly lower the cost of these systems. Low-cost ice thermal energy storage could greatly improve the economics for long-duration energy storage technologies such as pumped thermal energy storage. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to translate the discovery of surfaces with zero ice adhesion into a cooling coil that can be integrated into a functioning ice thermal energy storage system. In order to repel ice, these surfaces require complete submersion in an immiscible oil phase, making coil geometry and overall system development challenging. At the beginning of this project, various plate and tube based cooling coil geometries will be systematically prototyped and refined, measuring the freezing and melting heat transfer efficiencies. Different formulations of the surface coating will be tested as well. The most promising candidate geometries will be charged and discharged over multiple cycles as part of an ice thermal energy storage system. The results from cycling will be compared to conventional ice-on-coil technology using metrics such as energy density and heat transfer efficiency. An ice shedding cooling coil, at less than a third of the size of an ice-on-coil system, is expected to deliver improved cooling performance. Demonstration of an ice shedding cooling coil in a functioning ice thermal energy storage system will prove the technology?s readiness to scale. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Advanced Geophysical Technology Inc.
STTR Phase I: Deep Transfer Learning Enabled Machine Vision Inspection and Its Applications in Exploration Geophysics
Contact
14100 Southwest Freeway
Sugar Land, TX 77478–4566
NSF Award
1746824 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will result from a direct benefit to the energy sector of the U.S. economy, since seismic exploration will play an increasingly important role in meeting increasing energy demands and maintaining healthy oil and gas output. The goal of this project is to develop a software package for automated pattern recognition that can be used by seismic processing companies to automatically pick geological features from seismic data. Seismic data volumes have grown exponentially over the last three decades as the seismic exploration industry increases its survey coverage. Manual picking and geological pattern identification jobs, which depend on visual inspection, are labor intensive and cannot keep up with the growth in data generated by seismic surveys. In this project, the company will develop a machine vision enabled picking and identification tool trained by a deep learning network. Lessons learned in training an efficient deep learning network for pattern recognition have wide applications in other areas such as medical image analysis. This project will support the training of both graduate and undergraduate students in the areas of seismic exploration, machine learning and high-performance computing. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project aims to develop a deep learning network model to recognize unique patterns embedded in seismic data, which patterns are characteristic of the associated geological structures. Specifically, the project will demonstrate the feasibility of delivering a machine vision enabled inspection tool to relieve domain experts from labor-intensive visual examination activities. Various automatic picking approaches currently exist, with differing degrees of success. Nonetheless, the uncertainty involved in these tools is still too high for them to be widely adopted by the industry. Recent advances in the area of deep learning make it possible to surpass human-level visual recognition performance in some applications. High performance deep learning network models, however, require a large amount of high quality training data. In this project, the company proposes to use a novel self-taught deep transfer learning approach to overcome the data shortage problem resulting from proprietary rights associated with the data. The new training workflow is adaptive to the domain of seismic data processing. It will also minimize the training effort and deliver a robust system with guaranteed performance for new and unseen datasets.
Errata
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AdvancedMEMS
SBIR Phase I: Low Cost, High Precision Methane Sensor System
Contact
2325 3rd St
San Francico, CA 94107–4301
NSF Award
1844067 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$223,890
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is the development of an improved methane sensor module that can enables new drone sensing and sensor network applications in the energy, agricultural, and waste management sectors. Methane, the third largest energy source after petroleum and coal in the U.S., is relatively difficult and expensive to measure compared to other gasses. It is a major atmospheric pollutant, both as a component of smog and as a greenhouse gas. This technology can provide societal environmental benefits by helping reduce methane release into the environment through the ubiquitous sensing of small natural gas leaks, allowing companies to rapidly respond. This sensor system has the sensitivity of laser-based spectrometers but is smaller, lighter, and has lower power requirements at a price three orders of magnitude less than existing high-end spectrometers. Designed to reduce power, weight and cost to a minimum while not compromising sensitivity, this technology is ideal for UAV-based measurements. It can also give station mounted and handheld monitoring units high sensitivity at a lower price point, enabling multiple monitor sampling strategies and a multi-station networked array to track intermittent sources of methane leaks. This technology can provide novel capabilities to cost-conscious customers in the energy sector while opening up additional markets for agricultural, waste management, and safety products. A first prototype of this methane sensor successfully measured methane in nitrogen down to 10 ppm. The long-term objective is the creation of a commercially available low-cost, high precision methane sensor product line. SBIR project funding is enabling the transition of this promising sensor technology from a small business research and development project into the early commercialization stages of a valuable new product. This SBIR Phase 1 project proposes to create a self-contained methane sensor system, smaller in size than a quarter, with the sensitivity of advanced laser spectrometers. Current methods of detection do not meet the needs of industry. They are either cheap, high power and low sensitivity, such as catalyst-based systems, or they are large, expensive, high power optical systems. There is a market need for methane sensors that improve upon size, weight and power, while still maintaining useful sensitivity and selectivity. The system consists of 3 primary modules: the replaceable or consumable sensor package, the sense electronics, and the data storage and communication system. Due to the extremely low power requirements of the sensor, clever design of the data and communications system is critical if the low power benefits of the sensor are to be realized in a product. Ultimately, the system will include wireless connectivity (Bluetooth, WiFi, 5G, Zigbee) for cloud and IoT data management. This design will be prototyped and will undergo performance measurements. Materials for methane sensing will be identified The objective of SBIR Phase 1 is to produce an initial prototype sensor for methane-sensing that will be the focus of SBIR Phase II. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Agile Focus Designs, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Fast Focus and Zoom in Microscopy
Contact
280 W Kagy Blvd Ste D #215
Bozeman, MT 59715–6056
NSF Award
1819493 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/01/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will enable fast focusing and zoom in microscopy with an optomechanical system consisting of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) mirrors. The microscope add-on will enable fast 3D imaging in wide-field microscopes and increase focusing and zoom speeds by 100x when compared with conventional methods in confocal and multiphoton microscopy. The technology allows the sample stage and objective lens turret to remain stationary during experiments. It will increase throughput, preserve sensitive samples, enable observation of dynamic events, and reduce training time. The innovation will spur significant discovery in understanding dynamic reactions that occur in in vivo and in vitro microscopy. The initial target market has an estimated gross revenue of $75M. The technology also promises to benefit 3D imaging systems for manufacturing or machine vision, optical coherence tomography, and endoscopic imaging systems by providing high speed and agile focus control. While MEMS are ubiquitous in mobile platforms and the automotive industry for motion sensing, they have not yet permeated other markets or imaging systems to the same extent. With recent advances in fabrication and performance of optical MEMS devices, bringing this type of technology to other platforms can spark greater commercialization of the technology in non-traditional areas. The intellectual merit of this project is foremost the demonstration of a novel optomechanical system with MEMS mirrors for independent control of focusing and zoom in microscopy. MEMS mirrors are a type of varifocus element. They remain stationary while their voltage-controlled, configurable surface shapes allow for fast focusing and attendant correction of spherical aberration. Fast MEMS mirrors, with sufficient diameters for 2x zoom and significant focusing capability, have not previously been demonstrated in literature or commercially. By producing and characterizing fast, large-diameter MEMS mirrors for this project, knowledge of varifocus elements will be advanced. This project will also continue to define standard optical design practices to best utilize varifocus elements, since traditional optical analyses assume fixed focal length lenses or mirrors. The project objectives are three-fold: 1) fabricate large-diameter MEMS mirrors with greater than 40% yield, 2) characterize their focusing range and dynamic behavior, and 3) demonstrate them in a focus and zoom system suitable as a microscopy add-on component. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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AirCrew Technologies, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: NANOSTRUCTURED 3D CATALYTIC COATINGS FOR HIGH-EFFICIENCY POLLUTION CONTROL AND AIR PURIFICATION
Contact
127 Western Ave.
Boston, MA 02134–1008
NSF Award
1843534 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,990
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to address the global challenge of pollution abatement and air purification which have a profound impact on the environment, health, and economy. Hundreds of billions of dollars are spent each year on emission control activities, yet air pollution costs the global economy over five trillion of dollars annually in welfare costs and is attributed to one in every eight deaths. The design and performance of current industrial catalytic air purification technologies is insufficient to treat the growing number of airborne pollutants. Finding sustainable, cost-effective solutions to this problem, and is becoming increasingly important in view of tightening regulations. The technology we propose has a high commercialization potential due to the fact that it is cost-effective, shows excellent long-term performance and potential for scalable fabrication within an existing manufacturing framework within the United States. Further, the founders of the company are inventors of the technology and have exclusive licensing of the core IP. Significantly, our demonstration of operating temperature reductions has been well-received by industry as evidenced by findings from our customer discovery effort through programs such as NSF I-Corps. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses outstanding challenges in catalytic converters, notably technical challenges associated with cold start, durability, and high cost, which can be attributed to the use of substantial amounts of platinum group metals, and reliance on the limited reserves of these metals. Through highly controlled composition and nano-, micro-, and macro- structuration, we have previously demonstrated dramatically reduced precious metal content in a catalytic decomposition of known pollutants. The research objectives of this SBIR project are to develop a scalable deposition method of these advanced catalytic materials onto industrially relevant substrates, to promote and accelerate their integration into commercial products to tackle the growing problem of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. The technical work will involve the synthesis of these materials and modifications to the synthetic schemes in a way that will be compatible with such large-scale deposition processes, as well as longevity, robustness, and catalytic testing. It will require building equipment for the deposition. Overcoming the technological challenges that are the subject of this SBIR Project will facilitate translation of the nanostructured materials to a broad range of catalytic applications related to pollution abatement and air purification. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Akai Kaeru, LLC
SBIR Phase I: The Data Context Map
Contact
302 E 88th Str.
New York, NY 10128–4931
NSF Award
1721664 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/15/2017 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is that it makes high-dimensional data visualization more accessible to mainstream users. An interactive multivariate visualization framework will assist users in the understanding of complex phenomena and help with decision making in the presence of multiple factors. It uses a map-like layout of factors and data that naturally appeals to a mainstream user's innate visual literacy, making it easy to learn and use. Through a variety of interaction facilities, users can define areas in this layout that indicate parameter values of their interest. This then enables them to make informed decisions within a single visual interface and balance among the diverse impacts the various factors have on the decisions. Given the massive growth in the availability of multivariate data, the unique capabilities that the proposed framework provides are expected to have a strong impact on society, in many application domains and at many different levels - personal, business, finance, scientific, medicine, and so on. In short, this project will have a significant societal impact by allowing users to make better decisions in less time. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project makes several intellectual and scientific contributions. A core contribution is the ability to embed high dimensional points and factors into a 2D plane or map, such that the distance between points has contextual meaning. This allows a single visualization to convey what currently takes a dashboard of several bivariate plots to show. The inherent mechanisms that create the combined map-like layout of data and factors are novel and open new opportunities to understand multivariate data. The same is true for the interactions defined on the layout, in particular those that allow users to derive the areas of influence of the various factors. Another intellectual contribution is the interface that allows users to focus their attention on specific attributes and deals with the mental and cognitive overload that may arise in users in the presence of too many factors and attributes. The proposed system constructs a meaningful hierarchical representation of the attributes that can be navigated within a novel space efficient visual interface. Using our design tools, anyone with an internet connection and a modern web browser will be able to create these layouts from multivariate data.
Errata
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Akanocure Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Novel Stereo-enriched Libraries as Commercial Complex Building Blocks for Facile Development of Biologically Active Compounds on Large Scale
Contact
3495 Kent avenue, Suite E-100
West Lafayette, IN 47906–1074
NSF Award
1746311 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,996
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 09/30/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project develops chemical tools and platforms to produce valuable chemical building blocks that can be used to produce synthetically challenging compounds on large scales. These compounds belong to the class of polypropionates which is known for its diverse and powerful biological activities across multiple indications within the pharmaceutical, agrochemical, and veterinary industries. The high impact of the polypropionate class is hampered by the inefficiencies of current chemical processes to fully tackle their complex structures. Importantly, the lack of scalability adds another severe complication to the development process. To fully unlock the potential of this class, improved chemistries with greater efficiencies are required to successfully identify high impact candidates for further development. Moreover, the new tools are excellent substrates for polyketide?{enhanced drug discovery. This project is a prelude to the development of a novel class of compounds against rare and unmet needs in cancer in collaboration with the NCI/NIH. Such cancers pose a huge burden on the healthcare system and the economy in general. Inspired by the NSF mission, this project describes an innovative chemical process that can deliver highly valuable compounds. Such an approach will enable accelerated discoveries across multiple medicinal and agrochemical needs. This project aims to provide all sixteen possible stereotetrad building blocks (in the form of chiral lactones) for construction of polypropionates on practical scales. Those chiral building blocks can serve as common precursors for synthesis of polypropionates, as tools for rational design and structure activity relationship (SAR) studies, or as entries for more diverse and complex library of analogs. The chemistry platform used to produce those building blocks is referred to as the Chiral Carbon Catalog (CCC). The CCC platform is a synthetic tool box that allows stereoselective large scale economic synthesis of various complex polypropionate building blocks from simple starting materials. The unified process has been carefully designed to employ highly diastereoselective substrate directed transformations while avoiding expensive and impractical chiral auxiliary overheads or expensive catalysts. The high efficiencies of transformations allow the elimination of tedious and expensive purifications such as column chromatography. The crystalline natures of key intermediates enable facile production on scale and allow the synthetic routes used by the platform to be easily adopted by the industry for large scale production. This ensures adequate supply of those building blocks for development of complex chiral products within several industries (e.g. pharmaceutical and agrochemical fields).
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Alfadan Inc
SBIR Phase I: A Compact Home Power Generator using a Free-Piston Engine
Contact
3350 SW 139 Ave
Miramar, FL 33027–3249
NSF Award
1819821 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,249
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to sell affordable backup generators that provide 23 kilowatts, for operating a home's lights and appliances. With power outages due to natural disasters and an aging power grid becoming ever more frequent, and with society increasingly reliant on electricity to power not only lights and household appliances, but also computers, wireless routers, and medical devices, back-up power is an increasingly critical need. This SBIR's portable generator is expected to be more than an order of magnitude lower cubic size and weight, all at a reduced cost compared to existing generators. The broader impact of this project is its significant benefits to the environment by providing backup power at high fuel efficiency (i.e. less consumption of non-renewable fossil fuels) and low emissions of hydrocarbons, particulate matter, carbon monoxide, and smoke. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to address the shortcomings of residential-use backup generators currently on the market. Available backup generators are either small and affordable but can only power a single appliance; or able to power most of a home's needs but cumbersome and expensive. This project will demonstrate the potential for implementing a free-piston internal combustion engine that will maximize fuel efficiency; minimize size; decrease dependence on lubricating oil; and incorporate an engine management system. The objective of the current effort is the engine, while the functioning compact generator will be developed in the next phase. In this free-piston engine design, the two pistons oscillate with forces in balance and reduced side-loads to the pistons, yielding a long-lasting high-speed engine. The pilot work included modification of the cylinder intake ports; addition of a modified squish band and dome to the cylinder head; and use of low-friction bearing materials yielding a successful prototype that runs on regular gasoline. The engineers will continue implementing, testing, and improving on these modifications. The successful completion of this project will yield an efficient, compact, low-weight, and low-emissions generator that produces 23 kilowatts of usable power that runs on standard pump gasoline. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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Allegro 3D, Inc
SBIR Phase I: 3D Printing of Bisphenol A-free Polycarbonates for Customizable Cell/Tissue Culture Platforms
Contact
6404 Nancy Ridge Dr.
San Diego, CA 92121–2248
NSF Award
1819239 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop customizable cell/tissue culture platforms using a new class of 3D printable bisphenol A-free polycarbonate (BFP) materials and a rapid 3D printing system. The 3D cell culture market was valued at $683 million in 2017 with an exponential projected growth in revenue valued at $1.7 billion by 2022. The rapid growth in this sector is primarily driven by the demand for custom-made 3D cell/tissue models that more accurately recapitulate the human in vivo biology in comparison to conventional animal models and planar cell culture systems. 3D cell/tissue models have the potential to provide more physiologically relevant responses for the drug discovery industry which is estimated to reach $86 billion in 2022. The proposed strategy of using BFP and a fully integrated benchtop 3D printing system will facilitate the production of different cell/tissue culture platforms on demand and enable rapid iteration of different designs to drive forward the development of more clinically relevant cell/tissue models for a broad market in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and biological studies. The intellectual merit of this project lies in: (1) the development of novel 3D printable BFP materials with tunable material properties using green chemistry, and (2) the rapid 3D printing of customizable cell/tissue culture prototypes to support various 3D cell/tissue models. The material development will include the establishment of a reagent library and optimization of the green chemistry process. The relevant material properties such as stiffness, elasticity, optical transparency, and small molecule adsorption will be characterized and optimized. These materials will then be printed using a rapid light-based 3D printer to prototype cell/tissue culture platforms followed by evaluation of their performance. In particular, 3D printing precision and resolution will be characterized and optimized by varying a range of fabrication parameters such as light exposure time and intensity. Next, the efficacy of the prototypes under cell culture conditions will be assessed based on device integrity, material degradation, as well as changes in mechanical and optical properties. Various cells/tissues will also be cultured on these prototype devices to evaluate biocompatibility. These achievements will provide customized culture platforms to facilitate the engineering of more physiologically relevant in vitro models for accelerating drug discovery and biological studies in both industry and academia. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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Altrix Medical, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Smartphone-based Automated External Defibrillator
Contact
15504 Vine Cottage Drive
Centreville, VA 20120–3750
NSF Award
1842149 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,502
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to save lives through the proliferation of miniaturized automated external defibrillators that attach to smartphones. Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) will kill more than 325,000 Americans this year outside of the hospital. An SCA can cause death if it is not treated in minutes. If an AED is available, it can save a person's life; some estimates suggest a 27% increase in the number of people who could be saved if AEDs are available and used when needed. A miniaturized AED embedded in a smartphone case could save lives by making AEDs more available and ensuring those who carry them are reachable by emergency medical services. The strategy is to equip law enforcement, firefighters, EMS personnel, and potential citizen first responders with this device and use smartphone technology to ensure they are reachable when in proximity to someone experiencing an SCA. It provides an opportunity for a new paradigm in first response: AED carriers that can be located during the first critical moments of an SCA. Through this research, hundreds of thousands of lives can be saved each year. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will prove out the concept of a regulatory-compliant miniaturized AED that integrates with a smartphone. The work includes researching and designing components and electronics that will enable creation of this critical medical device and accomplish three overarching goals: (1) design and develop the miniaturized components, interconnects, firmware and software necessary to implement the hand-held AED Smartphone case in Phase Two by evaluating high voltage power supply and switching electronics and completing a power converter and switching design capable of generating the required energy from an on-board lithium-ion battery and supporting a bi-phasic waveform; (2) develop the smartphone software and firmware necessary to implement the device itself, guide a user through the emergency protocol, and send GPS information to EMS to allow them to locate proximal first responders; (3) integrate the hardware and software into a prototype that demonstrates a path to a form factor function unit in Phase 2. Research and designs of interconnects and encapsulation methods developed as part of this effort will offer insight into the miniaturization of myriad electronics both within and outside the medical domains. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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Amber Agriculture
SBIR Phase I: Low-Power, Wireless Crop Quality Sensors for Grain Quality Preservation and Storage Automation
Contact
3033 E Stillwater Landing
Urbana, IL 61802–7632
NSF Award
1819370 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to increase the returns of grain storage for farmers and reduce overall postharvest loss due to toxin and insect damage. Ten billion bushels, over half of US grains, are stored on-farm each year for 3-12 months. During this period, grain is susceptible to spoilage, infestation, and moisture loss?all of which impacts the price a farmer receives at the time of market delivery. There is no easy way to monitor grain quality changes throughout the storage season to optimize for best times to run aeration controls to preserve, condition or maintain the grain. This leaves farmers with a ?gut check? system of driving to each grain bin site and climbing up and inside units. Since grain is priced based on moisture baselines, farmers are essentially selling water and weight, their final price outcome can vary significantly based on how well they managed grain conditions throughout the storage period. In the US, an annual $3 to $ 5 billion dollars (3 ? 5%) of crop value is lost due to toxin, insect and moisture mismanagement that could be prevented through the introduction of affordable and accessible monitoring technology. The proposed project would advance internet of things automation and wireless sensor applications as applied to production agriculture and the postharvest supply chain. There are certain, manual processes of farm production that are strenuous due to time burdens and the lack of obtainable information to make decisions. Monitoring grain assets, the product of farmers? toil and the safety net of global food supply, in farm bins, commercial storage, and barges is one such process. Sensing for when loss and spoilage risks occur, but more importantly connecting and turning the data into automation opportunities before they exist is the aim of this proposal. Cable-based monitoring solutions exist, but adoption is restricted due to physical installation limitations, electricity/power constraints, and investment costs. This project will validate the feasibility of a low-power, wireless sensor that can detect grain conditions and last a full postharvest cycle (18 months). Such a device will create opportunities to track grain qualities across the agriculture value chain, beginning with its use to monitor and automate farm grain storage. By characterizing, and testing against cable systems and within grain science 3D models, this project will prove the wireless sensor?s direct functionality within this first farm application. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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AmpX Technologies, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Integrated Onboard Charger and Auxiliary Power Module for Electric Vehicles
Contact
387 Technology Advmnt Bldg
College Park, MD 20742–3371
NSF Award
1842929 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to develop the first low-cost and integrated onboard charger and auxiliary power module for electric vehicles, facilitating deployment of next-generation electrified transportation systems. It is noteworthy that there are more than 250 million registered passenger vehicles in the U.S. Over 40% of greenhouse gases and 70% of emissions come from the transportation sector, and transportation is 99% dependent on one source of fuel: petroleum. Mainstream adoption of electric vehicles is essential if the U.S. is to gain energy security and substantially reduce carbon emissions. The electric car industry has passed its tipping point; however, electric vehicles are still in the very early stages of development. Like early computers, the pieces that make up an electric car are large, heavy, costly and unable to efficiently communicate amongst themselves. The proposed technology not only reduces the volume, cost, and weight of onboard chargers for electric vehicles, but also enhances their efficiencies, and enables bidirectional operation to support future Smart Grid functionalities. This project will lead to creating jobs once the technology matures toward commercialization. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will lead to design and development of an innovative integrated and bidirectional onboard charger for electric vehicles. Currently, all the upcoming and commercially available electric vehicles are equipped with an individual onboard charger to charge traction batteries and an additional auxiliary power module to power auxiliary loads. These converters are heavy, bulky, costly and need to communicate over a variety of controller area networks. The intellectual merit of this project is in the innovative topology, design, control, development, packaging, and validation of the first charger which integrates an onboard charger and an auxiliary power module. This SBIR Phase I project involves the design of the converter, investigation and design of the controller, design and implementation of the electromagnetic interference filter stage, creating the schematics and layout, thermal management, reliability analyses, enclosure design, and final alpha prototype assembly and verification. This important work will (1) lead to theoretical advancements in the design, control, and integration of power electronic converters, (2) involve interdisciplinary research in power electronics, control, packaging, and thermal management, and (3) lead to commercialization of the first integrated onboard charger and auxiliary power module for electric vehicles. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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Analytical Diagnostic Solutions
SBIR Phase I: A user-friendly point-of-care device for simultaneous G6PDH and hemoglobin determination
Contact
8 Abington Rd
Mt Laurel, NJ 08054–4719
NSF Award
1746309 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 08/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project seeks to transform treatment regimens for individuals suffering from malaria infections. Malaria, particularly caused by Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) and Plasmodium ovale (P. ovale) remain a potential cause of morbidity and mortality amongst the 2.85 billion people living at risk of infection. The only drug currently available for treatment therapy for P. vivax and P. ovale is primaquine, which can cause life-threatening anemia in individuals with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. Clinicians often do not prescribe primaquine due to the high prevalence (8%) of individuals who are born with G6PD deficiency. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) are urgently searching for a reliable assay for the diagnosis of G6PD deficiency to effectively treat patients and aid in the eradication of P. vivax and P. ovale malaria. This novel assay proposed will quantify G6PD and hemoglobin (Hgb) concentration simultaneously from a finger stick sample. This system comprises a single test strip coupled with a reflectance-based meter and cell phone application with Blue Tooth connectivity to incorporate a patient?s I.D., test results, global tracking, and history of treatment. It is projected that this point-of-care assay will be used to screen >23 million people for G6PD within 5 years of launch and generate over $27.5 million in compounded revenue. In the long term, the novel assay will create a universal point-of-care platform that can be utilized for other diseases or conditions that affect patients in the Unites States for which point-of-care assays are not currently available. The proposed novel platform will quantify both Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) and hemoglobin (Hgb) concentrations simultaneously from a single finger stick sample using a point-of-care (POC) reflectance-based meter. There is currently no such device on the market, which is urgently needed to screen patients being treated for P. vivax and P. ovale malaria. A significant portion (8%) of the world population is G6PD deficient, which places these individuals at risk for life-threatening anemia after treatment with current therapeutics such as primaquine against malaria. The POC assay utilizes a novel lysis and reagent layer membrane platform to enable a reflectance-based meter to measure non-over lapping wavelengths to quantify G6PD and Hgb concentrations. In this proposal, a functional prototype reflectance-based meter and data collection software will be constructed and compared to readings obtained using the current ?gold standard? Konica Minolta spectrophotometer. Secondly, the POC assay will be validated through performance testing using a G6PD-deficient whole blood specimen bank provided by the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH). Concordance of the data obtained from 20 samples for the proposed assay will be compared to the World Health Organization?s (WHO) approved spectrophotometric method for measuring G6PD and an FDA approved method for measuring Hgb. Success will be indicated by an R2 > 0.95, which demonstrates linear equivalency, as well as a demonstration that 90% of the data points fall within 2 sigma of each value. A POC assay that can simultaneously screen patients for both G6PD deficiency and Hgb levels will allow clinicians to treat patients with P. vivax and P. ovale malaria infections effectively and aid in the eradication of malaria.
Errata
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Andluca Technologies LLC
STTR Phase I: DDevelopment of a Transparent, Near-Ultraviolet Photovoltaic Power Source for Wireless Operation of Smart Windows and Internet-of-Things Devices
Contact
302 Nassau St
Princeton, NJ 08540–4605
NSF Award
1843743 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is a transparent photovoltaic technology that converts near-ultraviolet (NUV) light into point-of-use power for dynamic 'smart' windows. Energy use in buildings represents roughly 40% of total U.S. energy demand. It is projected that over half the buildings that will be in use in 2050 are already built. Retrofitting existing buildings with smart windows that regulate/monitor sunlight transmission could reduce building energy consumption by 10 - 40% and represents a $64B total addressable market, but is presently prohibitively complex and labor intensive. Transparent, NUV solar cells will simplify smart glass/film adoption by obviating the need for external wiring, thereby catalyzing deployment of smart window technologies in existing buildings to increase energy efficiency and enhance occupant health and productivity. Similarly, IoT smart devices/sensors promise to make the built environment more efficient by giving users more control over appliances, information, and energy use. Transparent NUV solar cells can provide point-of-use power to in-window IoT devices/sensors without altering aesthetics. For the photovoltaic community, the operation physics and performance of the NUV photovoltaic technology developed through this program will be of broader interest, as NUV wavelengths are inefficiently harvested by conventional photovoltaics. The proposed project will explore a photovoltaic technology that selectively absorbs near-ultraviolet (NUV) light - energy that is otherwise wasted - and efficiently converts it into high-voltage power. Solar cells harvesting NUV photons could satisfy the unmet need of powering smart windows monolithically without competing for visible or near-infrared photons that the windows seek to regulate or imposing design constraints on window aesthetics. First-generation NUV solar cells exhibit power scalability with area, and single-junction photovoltages exceeding 1.6 V (record for thin-film PV). This Phase I project aims to (1) translate NUV solar technology from rigid glass to a flexible substrate, and (2) demonstrate use of low-cost transparent electrode alternatives. These breakthroughs will allow for facile integration of NUV solar cells with smart windows for self-powered operation and intelligent management of the solar spectrum, with NUV photons powering the regulation of visible and near-infrared photons for natural lighting and heating purposes, respectively. Additionally, the aesthetically-discreet nature of flexible, transparent NUV solar cells can enable remotely-powered internet-of-things (IoT) smart devices/sensors. Accordingly, funding for this Phase I project will produce a flexible, transparent NUV solar cell prototype for field-testing with smart window and IoT device technologies. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Antora Energy, Inc.
STTR Phase I: Advanced Thermophotovoltaic Generators for High-Value Remote Power
Contact
4385 SEDGE ST
Fremont, CA 94555–1159
NSF Award
1820395 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/01/2018 – 12/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact / commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to enable electrification of remote oil & gas processes to reduce methane emissions, improve on-site safety, and provide leak-detection and monitoring capabilities. This will be achieved by developing a robust, efficient, small-scale power generator capable of converting on-site fuel to electricity. Beyond the entry opportunity in the oil & gas sector, this technology has other applications in large markets such as residential and commercial power generation and heating, transportation, and military. For example, our proposed generators would allow consumers in moderate/cold climates to efficiently match their time-dependent heating and electrical demands using natural gas (accessible to 70 million households). For a typical household in those regions, we estimate a 45% reduction in primary energy use and CO2 emissions by deploying our generators. The energy reduction translates to an annual savings of about $650 per household. Widespread deployment of our technology would grow the domestic natural gas economy, strengthen the US technological lead in semiconductor manufacturing, and facilitate renewables by providing a dispatchable supply.? The proposed project will investigate the fundamental heat-to-electric conversion process and address key issues around the stability and robustness of the technology, through a synergistic effort to develop generators capable of high performance and a manufacturing process to reduce cost. The project will focus on device optimization and durability, and process repeatability. This involves the fabrication and integration of multiple frequency-selective components including a thermal emitter, optical filter, photovoltaic cell, and back surface reflector. Each component, as well as the integrated system, will undergo rigorous thermal testing to prove both resistance to elevated temperatures and temperature swings. Additionally, novel manufacturing techniques will be developed to enable cost-competitive devices relative to conventional generators. If the technical objectives are met, this project will demonstrate record-breaking performance for thermophotovoltaics and accelerate the commercialization of thermophotovoltaic devices in many different markets.? This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Apollo AI Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Low-cost real-time perception system for self-driving consumer cars
Contact
1267 Willis Street, STE 200
Redding, CA 96001–0400
NSF Award
1820462 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is the practical deployment of a low-cost and low-power real-time perception system in self-driving consumer cars. This edge computing functionality in sensors enables higher reliability and lower cost of overall sensing and computing needed for truly autonomous self-driving. Such innovation will contribute significantly to the early and widespread availability of safety and convenience benefits to consumers. Furthermore, the advanced perception system will have a potential long-term impact on robotics in general, which can lead to creation of new markets and new lifestyles. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop efficient algorithms and software implementation of a real-time perception system to enable the use of low-cost computing systems for self-driving cars. The algorithms provide a novel way of using image features to perform simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) with 100 times less computational costs than the existing algorithms. They also include a truly novel neural network to fuse the image feature and light detection and ranging (LiDAR) features and perform object detection, which has 100 times less complexity compared to the state-of-the-art method. These reduced-complexity algorithms can be implemented on low-power and low-cost SoC processors. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Appia LLC
SBIR Phase I: Development of a Novel Rubber Recycling Process Not Involving Devulcanization
Contact
1765 Brookwood Dr.
Akron, OH 44313–0000
NSF Award
1820122 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is the reuse of rubber compounds from spent tires in high performance products including new tires without significant loss in product performance. Only a very small portion of those tires are currently being ground up for this purpose because of the detrimental impact on product properties. However, larger quantities could potentially be used if the ground rubber is treated by the process of our invention. This would have several benefits. Manufacturers could reduce material cost, the rubber recycling industry would enjoy significant growth and unsightly tire dumps with associated pollution problems would disappear. Additionally, the tire industry will become more sustainable and other unacceptable uses of old tires currently practiced, such as their use as fuels in low cost operations, would be financially challenged as novel, more profitable uses that retain the integrity of the polymer matrix emerge. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to build upon studies conducted by our company during the last few years. While it was widely known that recycled ground rubber will significantly reduce physical properties, limited information and understanding existed on the basic causes. Much hope was pinned by many companies and academic institutions on the potential merit of the ground up rubber but no significant commercial process previously emerged. This work aims to develop a recycling process which does not require a devulcanization step. This was first demonstrated with model sample geometries that simulate the environment which ground rubber particles experience when added to and being co-vulcanized with fresh rubber compounds. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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AquaNRG Consulting Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Data-Driven Module for Prediction of Materials Physical-Chemical Properties Using Machine Learning
Contact
1625 MAIN ST APT 1310
Houston, TX 77002–7545
NSF Award
1841740 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 08/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to develop a novel web application for faster and more accurate estimation of important physical and chemical properties of materials used by engineers and scientists from various academic and industrial disciplines. Oil and gas, mining, nuclear waste management, and environmental consulting companies can use this tool to acquire critical information which are esential to: estimate the oil and gas production rates under different hydraulic fracturing and enhanced oil recovery strategies, minimize the risk of groundwater contamination by acid mine drainage, asses the safety of cement-based engineered barrier systems in nuclear waste repositories, and design the efficient treatment and remediation strategies for contaminated sites. It can also provide necessary parameters for analyzing the long-term effects of geothermal energy usage, evaluating nutrient cycling and pesticide contamination in soil systems in agriculture and food production industry, and quantifying the uncertainties associated with carbon dioxide geological sequestration and storage. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop a cloud-based application which will use novel machine learning algorithms and deep learning image processing techniques to turn large volumes of data into valuable parameters used by various industries in their decision-making process. Built on artificial neural network models, minimum viable product version of the new application will target the oil and gas market. It will offer a state-of-the-art data-driven module for early adopters including special core analysis (SCAL) service providers, exploration and production companies, and chemical product suppliers. The customized application will introduce a more computationally-efficient alternative to SCAL and digital rock technology field (i.e. combined physics-based and imaging paradigm) and will accelerate the forecasting process of rock properties. Initially, users will be able to calculate one of the most critical properties of the reservoir rock, i.e. permeability. Customizing machine learning algorithms developed in Phase I for rock permeability estimation to other industries will facilitate entering into other markets. Built on Amazon?s AWS cloud service, it will offer a flexible, computationally-scalable, on-demand and cost-effective solution to the customers by decreasing the upfront and maintenance costs of hardware and software. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Aquasys LLC
SBIR Phase I: Machine Learning Driven Synthetic Sensor for Plant Water Stress
Contact
1925 Kenyon Street NW
Washington, DC 20010–2620
NSF Award
1843254 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 09/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to increase yields and save irrigation water and costs for farmers of perennial crops and high intensity annual crops. In order to maximize yields while simultaneously minimizing irrigation water usage, farmers need to understand, predict, and manage plant water stress, which is the yield reducing stress plants undergo when they struggle to draw water from the soil. If successful, this project will demonstrate to farmers that low-cost measurement and forecasting of plant water stress is possible, and that Machine Learning (ML)-based recommendations for irrigation scheduling reduce water and energy usage, eliminate plant water stress, and increase crop yields. Research and Development activities completed will enhance the understanding of the relationship of plant water stress to microenvironmental conditions and how plant water stress and microenvironmental conditions can be accurately measured and forecast with low cost sensing capabilities. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to perform research and development to validate the concept of a low-cost synthetic sensor for plant water stress. The objective of this project is to field test the low-cost sensor arrays, compare the output to data from high-cost scientific grade sensors, and utilize the data gathered during the field test to train ML models. These ML models will perform sensor fusion on the data from the low-cost sensor arrays and output a plant water stress measurement. These ML models can then forecast future plant water stress, which will be compared to actual field measurements for accuracy assessment and refinement. Once refined, the ML models will determine the minimal amount of irrigation water necessary to mitigate the predicted plant water stress. This optimized amount of irrigation water will be allocated into a recommend irrigation schedule for farmers to review and implement. The relevance and ease of use of the recommended irrigation schedule will then be assessed by farmers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Armaments Research Company, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: IoT System for Small Arms Detection and Response
Contact
6422 Broad St
Bethesda, MD 20816–2608
NSF Award
1819949 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project views an IoT firearms detection system in the lens of the military due to their immediate need of such a device and associated data. In addition, a foothold in the military will allow for and influence the adoption in downstream markets such as private security and law enforcement who have already expressed interest in piloting and adopting this technology once fully developed. However, the broader goal and impact of this system more importantly grants the potential to save lives. Whether this system will be used in the military, law enforcement, or private citizens in cases of home and self defense, successful implementation and commercialization of the first firearms detection system will grant the capabilities to objectively monitor and leverage firearm usage data. The proposed project aims to research, develop, and commercialize an integrated IoT system dedicated to detecting and processing small arms firearm discharges. The challenge in achieving the goals of this project is two-fold: one to create an IoT system that satisfies the stringent and high standards of the customer and two, to create value within the data collected by these IoT sensors. The proposed research and development covers the creation of a prototype device as well as generating a roadmap based on product and user feedback towards effective use of the data to ensure commercial success. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Articulate Biosciences, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Bioinert Viscoelastic Gels as Diseased Soft Tissue Lubricants
Contact
189 Tappan St
Brookline, MA 02445–5819
NSF Award
1819435 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,945
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project aims to demonstrate the technical feasibility of a first-of-its-kind injectable gel for treating osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis, a disease of the body's joints, affects greater than 27 million Americans, and the proposed activity will de-risk the proprietary gel technology to warrant continued development of a medical device for treating osteoarthritis. The product is a bioinspired polymer gel solution, to be administered by injection into the joint, which will lubricate, cushion, and protect the joint's cartilage from wear, and thereby slow the progression of osteoarthritis. Upon successful completion of this project, the company aims to complete the preclinical and clinical studies required to gain regulatory approval for the product emanating from the proposed activity. From this project, a deeper fundamental understanding of body-biomaterial interactions will be gained, benefiting engineers, clinicians, and ultimately patients. The anticipated commercial success of this product will result in job creation both before and after completion of product development. As joint pain is one of the leading causes of missed work, disability, and general depreciation of quality of life, successful completion of the proposed high-technical-risk project will lay the foundation for development of an impactful medical device which will treat the highly prevalent disease osteoarthritis. The innovation of this project's technology lies in the patented synthetic techniques and composition of a tissue-protective gel solution that remains in the joint capsule at therapeutic concentrations for significantly longer than current injectable gels remain. All injectable viscoelastics approved in the United States for treating osteoarthritis are comprised of hyaluronic acid, a biopolymer which degrades rapidly upon injection; in contrast, the product in this project uses a synthetic, bioinspired polymer which resists degradation and maintains effective viscoelastic properties for four months, whereas current products' viscoelasticity is degraded after one week. The project's first objective will, through a radiolabeled biodistribution study, ascertain the gel's distribution throughout the body following injection into rodent knees, to demonstrate 100% clearance out of the animal and no accumulation within any tissues or organs. The project's second objective will develop the material processing techniques and syringe filling protocol for formulating the gel into its final product form and ensuring product performance and safety specifications are met. Completion of these objectives will allow product to be made under FDA-compliant Design Control for a pivotal large animal study to be conducted following this project, along with completion of formal biocompatibility testing for submission to FDA to seek approval for a First-in-Human clinical trial. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Ascribe Bioscience Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Controlling plant pathogens with novel seed treatments based on nematode-produced ascarosides
Contact
950 Danby Road, Suite 101
Ithaca, NY 14850–5795
NSF Award
1843116 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,923
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to develop a novel seed treatment technology for plants, based on small naturally occurring molecules proven to activate natural defenses against a wide range of agriculturally important pathogens. The proposed innovation as a plant protectant is active at very low concentrations (nM range), can be readily synthesized in large quantities, and is biodegradable and non-toxic. To feed a projected world population of over 9 billion people in 2050, innovation will be required at all stages of crop production and distribution. Annual application of more than 600 different chemical pesticides (500 million Kg) costs $10 billion, and yet 37% of all crops are still destroyed by pests (insects 13%, pathogens 12%, weeds 12%). By providing an alternative, effective method for managing transmissible diseases in major crops, dependence on existing agrochemicals such as copper, synthetic fungicides and antibiotics will be reduced, as will the rate of resistance development. The goal is to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of agriculture by reducing the use of potentially harmful pesticides, and significantly enhance food security worldwide. The intellectual merit of this SBIR project is to develop a novel control for plant pathogens by leveraging a class of small, naturally occurring molecules that elicit specific immune responses in plants. These small molecules are recognized by plants at extremely low concentrations, and their perception has been demonstrated to result in defense responses and enhanced resistance to viral, bacterial, oomycete, and fungal pathogens, in Arabidopsis, tomato, potato, barley, and wheat. In order to bring the innovation to market in the form of a commercial seed treatment, the following must be demonstrated: a seed-coating formulation capable of long-term stability and efficacy, without adverse effect on seed germination or natural microbe/insect populations. The focus of the proposed Phase I project will be to optimize synthesis of the compound of interest and develop a stable, commercially viable formulation that is effective across a breadth of crops. Following initial validation, product testing will advance to in vivo efficacy testing in greenhouse and field trials. The seed treatment product developed will establish the technical and economic feasibility of using small-molecule signals to activate plant immune responses, and demonstrate their utility to improve economic and environmental sustainability of agriculture. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Astrileux Corporation
SBIR Phase I: High Fidelity EUV PhotoMasks
Contact
4225 Executive Sq Ste 490
La Jolla, CA 92037–8411
NSF Award
1747341 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to drive the next generation of advanced computing power and performance, by manufacturing integrated circuits, the fundamental units of electronic systems, at length scales of 7 nm and smaller. Today?s central processing units (CPUs) each contain 7.2 Bn chips and over 1.2 sextillion chips are manufactured per year to meet computing demands. Next generation technology is expected to enable artificial intelligence and machine learning through both conventional computing and potentially neuromorphic paradigms, bringing to reality transformative applications such as self-driving cars and smart buildings. As Moore?s law continues to set the pace of technological advancement, chipmakers will deploy new EUV (Extreme Ultraviolet) lithography tools, using light of 13.5 nm to pattern integrated circuits or chip architecture into silicon wafers, for the next three generations of technology. Chipmakers strive to bring about the readiness of EUV technology in 2019. The global demand for next generation electronics is forever increasing as the population grows above 7 Bn. However, the global supply of electronics constantly faces challenges to reduce costs and deliver technology beyond Moore?s Law. The proposed project addresses the challenges related to high volume manufacturing at the 7 nm node for lithography tools and its components. For example, an EUV photomask, a high commodity component, patterns and replicates integrated circuit design into silicon wafers. Current EUV photomasks have a sub-optimal manufacturing yield of ~60% and suffer from defectivity which arises during fabrication of its architecture. During operational use the photomask sustains damage from the debris generated by the EUV plasma light source that implants in the mask and inevitably replicates in the wafer, destroying the integrated chip pattern. In high volume manufacturing, these issues manifest in the wafer yield, the reusability of a mask, and drive the need for high cost real-time inspection and metrology. A new EUV photomask which promises greater robustness to defects, a higher manufacturing yield, more reusability of masks in operations and a longer lifetime is presented. The goals of the project are to evaluate new integrated architecture for the EUV mask design, develop a higher yield fabrication process and characterize the EUV performance. More robust photomasks reduce the capital outlay required for in-situ metrology and inspection and ultimately bring down the cost of next generation electronics.
Errata
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Avium, LLC
STTR Phase I: Dual-pH Water Splitting Device Comprising Earth-Abundant Electrocatalysts
Contact
1714 W 26th St
Lawrence, KS 66046–4206
NSF Award
1819766 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will assess the commercial viability of using new non-precious metal catalysts to produce hydrogen by splitting water. Electrolyzers made with these new catalysts have the potential to deliver higher efficiencies and lower capital costs than currently available systems. The market for hydrogen today is $115 billion per year. Currently, hydrogen is primarily produced via steam reformation of methane. Hydrogen production via steam reformation emits millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere annually. There is broad agreement that water electrolysis can play a significant role in future hydrogen production if cost reductions can be realized. In addition, hydrogen has the potential to store energy produced by renewable energy systems like solar and wind and make it available on demand. The initial market entry point for these new electrolyzers is to supply hydrogen for fuel cell powered forklifts used in material handling. A life cycle cost analysis by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has shown that the total life cycle costs of hydrogen fuel cell forklifts are 10% cheaper than those using lead acid batteries. The intellectual merit of this project is focused on the ability of new earth-abundant non-precious metal catalysts for both the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) to dramatically lower costs while improving efficiency in water splitting. The HER electrocatalyst is composed of hyper-thin FeS2 nano-discs and the OER electrocatalyst is nanoamorphous Ni0.8:Fe0.2 oxide. The preferred operating pH for the catalysts are different (pH 7 for the hyper-thin FeS2 nano-discs and pH 14 for the nanoamorphous Ni0.8:Fe0.2 oxide). Preliminary data shows that these two catalysts with the dual-pH membrane can effectively split water with a total overpotential of only 300 mV (1.53 V in a two electrode configuration). This is more than 50 mV lower than the best-known precious metal catalysts, Pt and IrOx, used in current commercial electrolyzers. The project will continue the optimization of these catalysts in the dual-pH electrolyzer stack and also determine if stability and lifetime meet commercial requirements This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Axalume Inc.
SBIR Phase I: PIC: Hitless III-V/Si Widely Tunable Laser with Back Reflection Suppression
Contact
16132 Cayenne Creek Rd.
San Diego, CA 92127–3708
NSF Award
1746684 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,997
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 04/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to develop a universal design kit for silicon photonics that will include, for the first time, the ability to design and produce, in a fabless model, a cost-effective, silicon-controlled, tunable laser. The proposed project goals will include the analysis, design, and fabrication of silicon photonic integrated circuits for back-reflection suppression. A key research objective will be to enable the design of a customized, silicon-controlled, tunable laser capable of insertion into a high-speed data communication link based on hybrid III-V/Si integration. A key development objective will be to enable the assembly and manufacture of the silicon photonic integrated circuits using industry-accepted back-end-of-line integration methods.
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BAONANO, LLC
STTR Phase I: AC-Supercapacitors for Power Applications
Contact
3004 County Road 7520
Lubbock, TX 79423–6373
NSF Award
1820098 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 08/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is an innovative new capacitor technology based on kilohertz high-frequency supercapacitor, called AC-Supercap, aiming to replace conventional aluminum electrolytic capacitors (AECs) for a vast range of electronic and power systems. Capacitors are an essential component used in electronic devices, in power supplies driving electrical machines, appliances and instruments, as well as in power conversion and conditioning systems used for renewable energy generation. In the consumer electronics sector, miniaturization and low-profile or even flexible packaging, and higher power efficiency are some of the key demands. In the power system and other power-demanding industry sectors, large capacitance, large ripple current absorption, and high temperature rating are the key requirements. With the emergence of distributed wireless sensors and Internet of Things (IoT), pulse energy storage and generation will be necessary as well. AC-Supercap, with its much better performance than current solutions, is anticipated to better serve the needs of broad range of customers. Upon the success of this technology, there will also be tremendous impact on the local ecosystem and regional community of West Texas. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will investigate the feasibility of producing AC-Supercap as high-performance alternating current (AC) filtering capacitors for power modules, on-board application, or as compact and efficient pulse power storage. Conventional AECs, limited by their low capacitance density, bulky size, poor lifetime, large equivalent series resistance, and polarity sensitivity cannot meet technical needs well. To achieve AC-Supercaps with both large capacitance density and high-frequency response, two contradictory requirements, and nanostructured electrode engineering will be investigated. To produce a compact capacitor with a large voltage rating and capacitance, multicell integration will be optimally designed and demonstrated, which is crucial considering the intrinsic low voltage rating of a single cell. The proposed innovative solutions to these technical challenges will de-risk the AC-Supercap product prototyping in the following project phases to make ready the technology for commercialization. These research activities will advance the scientific understanding and technological development of nanostructured electrode process and property control, multicell integration design, and particularly AC-Supercap technology. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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BEAGLE LEARNING LLC
SBIR Phase I: Creating the Critical University-to-Workforce Connection: Providing Quantitative Evidence of Collaboration Skills
Contact
5033 E TURQUOISE AVE
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253–1014
NSF Award
1842746 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,690
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project will develop new methods for training and assessing the skill of providing and receiving constructive feedback in collaborative environments. The United States higher education system is failing to train collaboration skills, despite companies listing it as one of the most important skills for new hires to have. Past research has identified specific types of feedback that most effectively encourage peers to improve, but today's higher education instructors have no ready means to effectively assess students' abilities to use these peer feedback strategies. This project will develop simple-to-use software tools to help instructors train peer feedback skills and new methods for automatically assessing student ability to provide and receive constructive feedback. By democratizing the training of the collaborative skills most sought after by today's employers, this project aims to reduce underemployment of college graduates and increase the economic output and tax revenues of the United States by building a better trained and more productive workforce. This project will develop an innovative peer-assessment tool coupled with novel natural language processing methods producing accurate measurements of student ability to give and receive constructive feedback based on written feedback. The natural language processing methods will combine word vectors for efficient language processing, a generalizable neural net structure for sentence categorization outlined in existing research literature, and manually defined features based on existing peer feedback research. Research efforts will focus on gathering a large training dataset from partnering higher education classrooms, and iteratively refining a deep-learning natural language processing algorithm to achieve a target 90% accuracy. Automating this assessment process will allow broad and continuous assessment of student collaborative ability without requiring expensive and time-consuming retraining of the United States instructor workforce. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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BENANOVA Inc
SBIR Phase I: Lignin-Based Formulations for Efficient and Sustainable Control of Plant Pathogens
Contact
840 Main Campus Dr. #3550
Raleigh, NC 27606–5221
NSF Award
1746692 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project encompasses the development of a continuous fabrication process to enable production of larger volumes of the next generation of agrochemical compounds. Although the first focus is on utilization for efficient delivery of antimicrobial and antifungal crop protection chemicals, this platform can be applied for actives and biologicals with other functionalities. The broader significance of this research and development effort entails the following aspects: First, in addition to agricultural crop protection products, the delivery system developed here is expected to find commercial applications in many products targeted to the consumer, construction markets, and healthcare. Second, the formulation of benign small structures that have the potential to replace a wide range of persistent and harmful nanoparticles in various industrial settings will enhance scientific and technological understanding of scalable processes on the nanoscale. Third, the sustainable solutions developed in this project could strengthen existing natural resources, enhance biosecurity of the U.S. food supply, and improve public health. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to engineer an innovative system for efficient delivery of agricultural actives. To increase productivity, current agricultural practices utilize large amounts of crop protection chemicals. However, the intensive use of agrochemicals creates environmental threats damaging natural resources and potentially causing climate change. To address these challenges we are developing innovative, breakthrough platform technology with potential to increase efficiency of farming with the same or fewer inputs, while protecting the environment. The goal of this work is to create a new class of scalable, functionally active, sustainable and eco-friendly materials based on the widely available, biodegradable and bio-renewable resource lignin. The first objective of the project is to build a continuous flow process for preparation of lignin particles functionalized with small amounts of active biocides. This research will establish feasibility for continuous formulation of these preparations. The second objective of the study includes characterization of the new formulations using a series of antimicrobial and antifungal assays. As a result of the Phase 1 effort, technical risk will be reduced by identifying the most promising formulations for field studies to be conducted in Phase 2.
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BERD LLC
SBIR Phase I: Advanced Manufacturing of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene and Metal Hybrid Structures for Bicycle Spokes
Contact
1995 Beacon St
Roseville, MN 55113–5602
NSF Award
1819577 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is for the development of an automated manufacturing process for polymeric, ultra-lightweight, bicycle spokes composed of an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and stainless steel hybrid structure. The use of an innovative polymer-to-metal connection allows for the creation of a bicycle spoke that out-performs modern stainless steel spokes. In comparison, steel spokes are heavier, do not effectively damp road vibrations, and are more prone to fatigue related failure. The target market for this innovation is the high-end bicycle spoke market, which is valued at over $100M. The research of new polymeric materials at universities is at an all-time high. Despite this, there exists a gap in the commercialization of new materials because of the difficulty in interfacing these materials to other common construction materials, such as stainless steel. This work will contribute fundamental knowledge to and catalyze the development of processes for new advanced polymer products. It will enable the use of UHMWPE and other materials in new applications. The intellectual merit of this project is the development of an advanced manufacturing process capable of the complex manipulation necessary for the production of novel polymer-to-metal connections and integral eye splices. These types of connections are not practiced in high-volume textile manufacturing today due to the novelty of the polymer-to-metal connection and the complexity of the eye splice operation. The research objectives include validating the key steps for process automation and optimization of the UHMWPE-metal connection. The anticipated outcome of this Phase I project is a prototype automated spoke manufacturing process. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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BETTERMENT LABS, L.L.C.
SBIR Phase I: READ! Toolkit, A Knowledge-Based Expert System to Develop Beginning Literacy Curricula in Endangered or Underserved Languages
Contact
6575 SNOWVIEW DR
Park City, UT 84098–6167
NSF Award
1842833 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2019 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project will develop and test a computer-based expert system that will guide development of beginning literacy curricula in any phonics-based language. The system will produce beginning literacy curricula mobile apps for phones and tablets and will include beginning reading, writing, vocabulary-building, and assessment activities. The expert system will (a) minimize cost, time and expertise required to develop early literacy curricula, (b) produce curricula that could increase early reading fluency and bilingualism, which is related to children's improved ability to manage their thoughts, behaviors and emotions, (c) provide effective curricula to learn languages other than English at home or school, (d) revitalize endangered or underserved languages while increasing connections to culture and heritage, which will improve long-term academic, health and economic outcomes for indigenous children or children who speak a language other than English at home, and increase their participation in STEM careers, and (e) contribute to research on bilingualism's impacts on academic, social, emotional, and cultural outcomes. The system will be licensed by underserved language communities, tribes, individuals, and organizations interested in improving literacy, with revenue produced by the mobile app products developed using the expert system shared between curriculum developers and the expert system developer. This SBIR Phase I project will develop and test a knowledge-based expert system that integrates early literacy research; language analysis to provide evidence-based recommendations for developing decodable text for phonics-based early literacy curricula; evidence-based teaching and formative assessment strategies; curriculum development knowledge; user interface/user experience best-practices; natural language processing for pronunciation feedback; and database and technology skills to guide users who may not have the knowledge and skills in developing a beginning literacy curricula in any language. The best practices and methods based on the research will be incorporated by analyzing text to create lists of sounds/letters and words, their frequencies, and sounds and words that come before and after each sound/word. From these lists, the system will generate language-specific recommendations based on the rules for optimal sequencing of sounds and words for learning to decode in another language. While some evidence-based guidelines needed for decoding in English, which is less phonetically regular than many underserved languages, may not apply in a language that is more phonetically regular, most are expected to. These rules will guide recommendations from which users of the knowledge-based expert system can select sequences sounds, words, and phrases to write decodable, connected text, culturally relevant stories for beginning literacy curricula. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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BEYOND THE DOME INC
SBIR Phase I: Energy Efficient Supercritical Water Oxidation
Contact
1192 CLINTON STREET
Redwood City, CA 94061–2237
NSF Award
1843662 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$223,882
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 10/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to help wastewater treatment plants become compliant with emerging environmental regulations, while saving energy and without adding cost. It has potential to reduce the amount of biosolids that need to be shipped off-site and landfilled by up to 85% as well as completely destroy odors and pathogens. As a result, the project may also enhance social justice throughout the country. Currently, low-income and disadvantaged communities inherit waste from other communities, sometimes very far away from where the waste originated. They inherit the stench, the vectors (rats, flies, birds) and toxins. For example, 7% of the biosolids produced by New York City end up in Alabama, via trains and trucks. People living near the landfills and along transportation routes no longer use their porch because of the stench. By improving the economics of a technology that destroys organics much better than state-of-the-art technologies, wastewater treatment plants will become cleaner, less malodorous and use less energy. Other markets could open as well including clean power and chemical manufacturing. Finally, the project may lead to increased hiring of employees over the next three years. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to create an affordable and reliable process to cleanly and completely destroy organic waste, extract more resources and energy from sludge and biosolids at wastewater treatment plants while considerably reducing the amount of biosolids that need to be shipped off-site for disposal. This objective will be achieved by improving a process that uses water contained within the waste to create a hyper oxidative environment. Similar processes use costly and hazardous pure oxygen, are extremely energy intensive, and are plagued with high maintenance cost. By making innovations in energy recovery, the use of air as an oxidant instead of oxygen is possible without the large cost associated with having to heat and compress an entire air stream- oxygen plus inert nitrogen. Once optimal technical conditions for energy recovery are identified, the project will enter the design and fabrication phases. The resulting new energy recovery module will be added to an existing system. The prototype will be tested for continuous operation. New insights into energy recovery will be gained, which will benefit the scientific community as a whole. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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BHO Technology, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Novel microalgae for high yield hydrogen production
Contact
612 Highlnad Knoll Ct.
Baton Rouge, LA 70810–5200
NSF Award
1819274 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is the development of a microalgae-based commercial hydrogen production process that will surpass current or developing technologies. By 2022, the global hydrogen generation market by value is projected to reach $154.7 billion. A technology for low-cost, high purity, renewable, scalable hydrogen production will accelerate transition to a hydrogen economy, thus facilitating domestic energy independence and creating new economic opportunities. Many industries, such as the petro-chemical, chemical, and electronics industries, would benefit from low cost industrial hydrogen. Transportation and electric power generation industries also would benefit from increased fuel efficiency. Environmental benefits include replacement of fossil fuels, switching hydrogen production from natural gas to sunlight and water, and substantial reduction of harmful emissions. The goal of this project is to incorporate proprietary, metabolically engineered, photosynthetic algae in combination with recent advances in bioprocessing and hardware engineering to manufacture clean, renewable hydrogen. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project proposes to develop microalgae strains that generate high hydrogen yields using a novel metabolic engineering strategy. To pursue this strategy, a suitable parental strain must be developed, combining intact hydrogen production genes with improved stability of introduced genes (transgenes). Despite the availability of genetic transformation methods, transgene stability in wild type strains remains poor. This seriously limits development of commercial strains. Two algal UV mutants with greatly improved transgene stability are available, but both have impaired hydrogen production genes. The proposed investigation will assess the feasibility of creating a suitable parental strain. The objectives are: 1) determine differences between genes of the best wild type hydrogen producing strain and the UV mutants; 2) introduce candidate genes into the UV mutants to restore hydrogen production metabolism; 3) knock out candidate genes involved in transgene inactivation in the wild type strain; and 4) test the ability of the engineered strains to generate hydrogen and retain transgenes. This project will produce the desired parental strain and enable implementation of the innovative strategy for developing production strains with greatly increased hydrogen rates in the target commercial process. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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BLOCKY MCCHAINERSON LLC
SBIR Phase I: A Microservices Approach To Low-Latency Process Interaction Through Distributed Ledgers
Contact
2708 HARRIS ST
Bozeman, MT 59718–6046
NSF Award
1843991 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,989
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to make unique properties of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) widely available to developers. In doing so, the company will empower developers to create novel distributed services with trustworthy and consistent shared state operations that will lead to more transparent business and governance practices. In the Phase I tools will lead to new innovative meat distribution businesses in Bozeman, MT. In the long term, we aim to build the fundamental tools for the growing ranks of blockchain developers, who need powerful and easy-to-integrate tools that access and manipulate DLT state. Ultimately, our suite of services will provide a unified interface to multiple DLT implementations and facilitate the trustworthy exchange of shared state among different applications to create a wide and consistent view of world state. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to create an ecosystem of tools to operate on shared application state stored on DLTs and to roll out these tools as they mature. The ultimate goal is to provide a unified API much like that of leading cloud service providers, which consists of several incrementally introduced services. Specifically, the services planned to provide are: 1. Blocky Valve - A JavaScript API that simplifies DLT read and write access. 2. Blocky Pipes - A DLT data delivery microservice based on message queues connected to Blocky Valve. 3. Blocky Loading Ramp - A continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) service of smart contracts. 4. Blocky Cement - An oracle service for exchanging data across DLTs using consensus-based provenance. Cement will also enable interaction between smart contracts across different DLTs. 5. Blocky Crates - A database-like query interface to data stored on DLTs. Crates will also enable smart contracts to interact with up-to-date shared application state stored on DLTs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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BLUESHIFT, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Solar Concentrator Unit for Low-Cost Metal Additive Manufacturing
Contact
575 Burbank St
Broomfield, CO 80020–1666
NSF Award
1843099 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,877
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to provide access to a solar heat source for controlled high temperature applications using minimal, low-cost equipment. The proposed Solar Concentrator Unit (SCU) is the first step to providing individuals and underserved communities with the freedom of a low-cost alternative to many of their most pressing manufacturing and materials processing needs. The SCU produces no emissions in its heat generation, requires no fuel costs, and can be used in remote locations to deliver precision control to high temperature thermal processes. Many new applications become available to market participants through the proposed innovation with the most notable commercial outcome being a multi-material additive manufacturing (i.e. 3D printing) system capable of producing custom metal and glass parts. Additional applications for the SCU include welding; recycling of waste material into useful feedstocks; pyrolysis of waste streams to render them chemically and biologically inert; sanitizing medical equipment in disaster response operations; and very high temperature materials science research by individuals and research institutions. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project explores the design and performance of a SCU for delivering high temperatures in the range of 65 ?C to 2,200 ?C over long durations (6+ hours). The technology relies on concentrated solar energy as the primary heat source with the proposed innovation being a feedback control system for maintaining temperature of a receiver plane to within +/-5% of an operating value. The proposed innovation addresses the limitations of existing methods for concentrating solar energy which lack temperature control and whose consistency of output thermal flux varies with time of day, sun position, cloud cover, and atmospheric conditions. This Phase I project will consist of development of a SCU prototype to conduct characterization tests on output solar flux and flux density under varying solar conditions. The expected outcome of this project will be to prove feasibility of the proposed design concept and evaluate its use for controlled, high temperature applications. The performance characteristics of the SCU will be fully explored in Phase I and the design of the SCU will allow for development of modular Thermal Processing Units in Phase II to interface with the concentrated solar spot produced by the SCU. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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Be More, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: A Mobile Learning System to Reduce Unconscious Bias Among Healthcare Providers
Contact
7 Gates Avenue #7E
Brooklyn, NY 11238–1531
NSF Award
1843286 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2019 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project will develop a mobile technology that can train healthcare professionals in science-based skills to break the habit of unconscious bias. Unconscious biases result from learned sets of mostly false and negative associations between a trait and a social group, i.e. stereotypes, that distort how people perceive, reason, and make decisions about other people. In healthcare, these biases often begin a chain of discriminatory interactions that lead to misdiagnoses, increased hospitalization, and unnecessary repeat visits that sustain health disparities and cause tremendous suffering to millions of Americans. Furthermore, these disparities cost the American economy multibillion dollars annually. This project aims to address both these challenges through a scalable mobile technology that will create learning experiences for providers to adopt skills that break the habit of unconscious bias. The project will further NSF's mission by advancing health, prosperity, and welfare of all Americans so they can receive the highest quality of care untainted by unconscious bias. The project's success would contribute to creating a healthier and productive American population, workforce, and economy. A successful outcome of this effort could spur its extension to other sectors, including education, law enforcement, and business. The intellectual merit of this project lies in demonstrating that the company's proprietary methodology enables healthcare providers to develop greater self-awareness about their unconscious biases and thus reduce health disparities. The project will create novel employment of technological, discursive, and experiential learning using a mobile application that offers and incentivizes the practice of bias breaking tools to fully and sustainably break the habit of unconscious bias. The mobile platform will be intentionally designed with the end user's experience and interactions in mind to incentivize them every day to learn and practice activities that transform unconscious biases in themselves. The goal in Phase I is threefold: to determine user preferences in design and experience for adopting new skills and building new habits; develop a high-fidelity beta-test for a limited number of experiences that teach breaking bias skills over a mobile platform; and test its usability and desirability with a representative number of healthcare providers. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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Berkeley Materials Solutions
SBIR Phase I: Intensification of propylene oxide manufacture via solid-catalyst design
Contact
3438 Morningside Drive
Richmond, CA 94803–2517
NSF Award
1746827 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project aims to develop a delaminated zeolite-based catalyst to facilitate more economical and environmentally friendly propylene-oxide (PO) production. PO is a commodity chemical with a $5.6B/year market. The two current pain points for PO producers are (i) that the currently used industrial catalyst lacks long-term stability under the harsh conditions at the tail-end of the PO synthesis reactor, and (ii) as a result of catalyst deficiency, that the process to manufacture PO consumes an extra $140M of raw materials per year, separate from the problem in (i) above. Berkeley Materials Solutions developed a catalyst for the tail-end of the PO synthesis reactor that nearly eliminates both of these problems. The catalyst allows for nearly 100% conversion of all raw material into PO, which leads to $145 M/year of additional revenue for PO producers, corresponding to a revenue increase of 8.6%. This increased revenue comes at no additional cost since it is a drop-in replacement. In addition, there are significant energy efficiency improvements associated with recovering the currently lost raw material in the PO synthesis process, which amounts to a CO2 footprint of ~740 kilo tons of CO2 per year worldwide. The intellectual merit of this project will be represented by the development of a generalizable crystalline catalyst platform to replace existing amorphous catalysts. Technical hurdles that will be addressed in the proposal are (i) the successful delamination of a layered zeolite precursor using a swelling method and sonication, (ii) establishing a sonication-free scalable delamination method for layered zeolite precursors, and (iii) the insertion of catalytically active heteroatom sites into the delaminates frameworks. If successful, this will enable the economical production of these zeolite catalysts for application in the PO synthesis reactor under flow conditions. The targeted scales even during Phase I activities are large enough to enable testing in collaboration with industrial partners who manufacture propylene oxide at large scales. These test results will be used to optimize the prototype catalyst. The results from Phase I activities will help to uncover other possible opportunities to use delaminated zeolites as highly efficient catalysts for chemical manufacturing.
Errata
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Addenda
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Bidea
SBIR Phase I: Development of a Device for Early Detection of Uterine Cancer Cells at the Point-of-Care
Contact
P.O. Box 20276
San Juan, PR 00928–0276
NSF Award
1746384 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project, if successful, will be the implementation of an effective point-of-care (POC) test that will not only impact the lives of patients, but can reduce the costs to hospitals, health insurances companies, and government agencies. According to the National Institutes of Health, cancer cost the U.S. an estimated $219 billion in 2007, including $130 billion for lost productivity and $89 billion in direct medical costs. The proposed screening technology is expected to help gynecologists in hospitals or in private practice to provide a complete diagnosis in less time, reducing the number of visits and the endometrial cancer incidence through an early detection, especially in women over 50 years old. This would benefit the medical insurance by lowering the cost per patient with this type of cancer. If successful, the proposed non-label/real-time cancer diagnostic device will contribute to new scientific findings and engineering aspects in bio-sensing technology. The resulting device will also provide a non-invasive, fast, and accurate method to detect cancer for preclinical diagnosis. In addition, the research based on this technology will improve a range of equivalent studies that use similar systems and biological indicators. The proposed project is aimed to develop a POC technology for the sensitive detection of telomerase as a cancer measurable indicator in real-time. Telomerase is a distinctive enzyme whose presence in cells or tissues is used for screening, early cancer detection, prognosis and/or monitoring a residual cancer disease. The proposed technology is based on the detection of telomerase in cancer cells through the measuring of an in-situ elongation process of an immobilized label-free single strand DNA probe by means of sensitive electrochemical events occurring at the conductive gold microchip surface. For the development of this new sensing microchip device the team will use commercially available products. Silicon wafers have been used as substrate with gold as electrodes due to their reliability but these materials are expensive and the fabrication is labor intensive. Therefore, important diagnostic device parameters will be studied after incorporation of bare bio-sensing strips. Phase I of this project, is aimed at demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed technology as well as testing the reliability and robustness of the microchip biosensor using uterine cancer samples.
Errata
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Bionanotech LLC
SBIR Phase I: A New Class of Immobilized Metal Affinity Chromatography Resins
Contact
190 Millerick Avenue
Lawrenceville, NJ 08648–3643
NSF Award
1746198 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project will be to develop protein purification nanotechnology and materials for biopharmaceutical applications. Over 150 different protein or small peptide-based drugs have received FDA approval to treat an array of diseases (e.g., biologics, monoclonal antibodies, and blood clotting factors). Protein purification remains a challenge as the number of synthetic peptides entering clinical trials continues to grow. The global protein and peptide drug market is projected to exceed $140 billion in 2017 with an annual growth rate of ~5%. Demonstration of the feasibility of the proposed new protein purification resins is expected to provide a transformational tool for drug research and development, enhance research in protein/peptide structure and function, and enable the discovery of new proteins/peptides. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop and commercialize new protein purification resins based on nanomaterials that will afford capacity independent of protein size, minimal metal leaching, and better stability with respect to existing immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) resins for protein purification. The new resins will ensure greater purity and activity of isolated proteins with control of epitope-tag specificity, and minimize non-specific interactions. The new resins will be compatible with current manufacturing processes and applicable in batch, microplate, sensor chip, and column formats. The goal is to demonstrate that the proposed technology is superior to existing commercial resins, as suggested by theoretical predictions and preliminary results. The new IMAC resins will be synthesized and characterized in terms of metal content and leaching, protein loading capacity, purity and activity of proteins isolated, and stability. These resins will be optimized for each mode of operation. The goal is to establish a new platform technology for analytic and preparative drug protein isolation.
Errata
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Addenda
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Bloomlife, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: A noninvasive, low-cost, point-of-care wearable electronic patch for continuous pregnancy monitoring
Contact
1931 MCALLISTER ST Unit D
San Francisco, CA 94115–4330
NSF Award
1843361 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,890
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to improve high-risk pregnancy care and preterm labor detection by developing a noninvasive, low-cost, point-of-care wearable electronic patch for pregnancy monitoring in both clinical and home environments. Each year, 4 million women give birth in the US. More than one in ten of pregnancies is considered high-risk, where the mother, fetus, or newborn has elevated risk of experiencing an adverse health condition. The proposed platform will allow doctors to remotely monitor and manage high-risk pregnancies and intervene, as needed, upon detection of labor or other potential complications. By enhancing early detection of fetal well-being and increasing access to care, the device will allow for improved healthcare delivery, thus increasing mother and infant safety, preventing maternal and neonatal morbidities, and lowering healthcare costs. By applying machine learning to what could become the largest and most comprehensive dataset on maternal and fetal health, the proposed platform could become a valuable resource to researchers to identify underlying causes and biomarkers of preterm birth. Primary end users are women with high-risk pregnancies, and elevated risk of preterm birth. Target customers are hospitals, health care providers and insurance companies. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to develop an unprecedented means to support advances in maternal and fetal health: a state-of-the-art miniaturized mobile monitor that discretely sticks onto the mother's abdomen and uses sensors to noninvasively monitor fetal heart rate (FHR) and other physiological parameters in home and clinical environments. The device communicates to a smartphone, which acts as gateway to send data to a cloud-based platform, where the data is collected, stored and analyzed, with doctors able to set notification thresholds. For this project, patch technology, proven to effectively measure uterine activity and fetal movement will be leveraged to develop a disruptive product capable of detecting FHR as early as 25 weeks gestation. Miniaturization, power consumption and cost levels necessary for deployment in remote settings will be achieved. A usability study of the prototype monitor will then be conducted in expectant women in hospital settings, followed by an equivalency study to validate accuracy of the prototype compared to cardiotocogram, the current clinical gold standard. This solution will increase specificity of FHR testing, and improve interpretation of monitoring data, as well as aggregate data to train AI models to predict adverse events such as preterm birth. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Boston Materials LLC
SBIR Phase I: Carbon Fiber Composites for Next-Gen Wind Turbines
Contact
26 Hasenfus Circle
Needham, MA 02494–1358
NSF Award
1820051 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$218,992
Start / end date
06/01/2018 – 04/30/2019
Abstract
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will explore a novel materials processing technology that progresses the state-of-the-art of carbon fiber composites while leveraging mature and cost-efficient manufacturing methods. The processing technology of interest produces a material that approaches the isotropic properties of high-performance metal alloys while retaining the light-weight and stiffness of carbon fiber composites. Components that are fabricated from this new composite will have higher impact strength and reduced susceptibility to delamination, compared to commercially-available carbon fiber composites. The broader impact of this project includes providing engineers with a new tool to implement previously unfeasible designs that drastically improve performance while reducing energy consumption and material waste. The rapid adoption of carbon fiber composites in the wind energy, aerospace, and defense industries provides an opportunity for the novel material developed in this project to disrupt the $25-billion global carbon fiber composite market. Effective scale-up to industrial production of the novel carbon fiber composite can revitalize the Massachusetts textiles manufacturing ecosystem and increase the competitiveness of the U.S. advanced materials manufacturing base. The intellectual merit of this project is the continuous production of a three-dimensionally (3-D) reinforced carbon fiber prepreg that features a carbon fiber fabric reinforced with vertically aligned short carbon fibers. This novel material provides a laminated composite part with dense through-thickness and interlaminar reinforcement. Conventional carbon fiber laminates lack through-thickness reinforcement and rely on an unfilled polymer matrix to bind the layers of the laminate together, resulting in poor impact performance and frequent delamination. This project involves the roll-to-roll fabrication of 3-D reinforced carbon fiber prepregs and characterization of the produced composite material. The anticipated result of the project is the repeatable fabrication of a 3-D reinforced carbon fiber prepreg with enhanced performance compared to commercially-available prepregs. Successful completion of this project will enable further scale-up of the associated manufacturing technology and the commercial-launch of novel 3-D reinforced carbon fiber prepregs to produce stronger, lighter, and more durable composite structures. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Boydston Chemical Innovations, Incorportated
STTR Phase I: Metal-Free Production of Olefin Metathesis Polymers and Resins
Contact
7725 31st Ave NE
Seattle, WA 98115–4727
NSF Award
1747201 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 04/30/2019
Abstract
This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I Project will develop a metal-free route to the production of high performance plastics and composites. Specifically, this project focuses on a unique class of materials based upon a thermoset that displays high strength-to-weight ratio and exceptional fracture toughness. A challenge to broader adoption of these materials stems from the current reliance on metal-based reagents and catalysts for their production. The metals impose a significant recurring cost of production, show sensitivity to air, and remain as contaminants in the final products. This innovation provides the first metal-free access to such materials. Additionally, the unique metal-free catalyst system is capable of producing resin and polymer feedstocks that are not available from metal-based reagents, and may offer advantages in processing and performance. The projected commercial impacts of the innovation will be enhanced material performance, lower cost products, and broadened (new) fields of use. The existing market is estimated to be $578M with 4.9% annual growth through 2023. The intellectual merit of this project is the invention and development of the first metal-free route to olefin metathesis polymers and oligomers. Prior art has demonstrated on small scale the ability to use a unique organocatalyst to produce polymer and resin feedstocks that are easily processable into high performance thermosets and composites. The organocatalyst approach is a divergence from all previous methods of producing materials via olefin metathesis and therefore warrants validation and optimization toward commercial scale-up. The Phase I research aims will include (1) scale-up through the design and implementation of flow reactor technologies, (2) mechanical analyses and product specification sheets for thermoset prototypes, and (3) evaluation of new resins and polymers for use in fiber reinforced composite materials. The results should be useful commercially and academically.
Errata
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CACTUS MEDICAL,LLC
SBIR Phase I: Handheld Device for Detection of Otitis Media
Contact
2062 BUSINESS CNTR DR STE 250
Irvine, CA 92612–1147
NSF Award
1841005 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 10/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project advances a novel medical optical spectroscopy device to facilitate accurate diagnosis of middle ear infections. The device uses a custom multi-LED microchip and photodetectors to illuminate the middle ear and collect reflected light in a familiar otoscope form-factor. Reflected light signatures are analyzed to determine the presence or absence of middle ear fluid - a hallmark of middle ear infection. The focus is to optimize product design and algorithm to enable gold standard accuracy across thousands of mass manufactured devices and millions of patients. The device will be a cost effective means to achieving improved ear infection diagnosis in primary care where it is most needed. Roughly 90% of children experience at least one ear infection before age 5 and misdiagnosis of suspected ear infection is the leading cause of unnecessary pediatric antibiotic use in the US. Collectively, ear infection results in at least $5B direct healthcare costs annually in the US and billions more in lost parent productivity. Improving ear infection diagnosis has the potential to eliminate millions of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions - a crucial step in mitigating development of resistant microorganisms. Addressing this challenge requires a product that is cost-effective and consistently accurate. This project will enable the first commercially available optical spectroscopy product for middle ear effusion and the only known method capable of accurately assessing ear health in very waxy ears. Although optical spectroscopy as a scientific method is widely practiced, comparatively few commercial medical products exist. High-cost, bulky spectrometer units are a primary limitation restricting development of products tailored to primary care and other low margin medical specialties where there is great need. The proposed work enables cost-effective manufacture and deployment of the proposed device for ear infection and will be a platform for other next-generation, LED-based optical spectroscopy medical devices. The investigators will develop an algorithmic scheme to correct variability in mass manufactured LED and photodiode components and design and construct test systems to automatically apply corrections to each completed medical device assembly. The resultant methods and systems will enable deployment of medical optical spectroscopy systems at up to 100X lower unit cost as compared to spectrometer based systems. The resultant device for ear infection will enable clinicians to more easily adhere to American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians guidelines for treating ear infections in primary care where there is greatest need. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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CIRCLEIN, INC.
SBIR Phase I: The Smart Study Recommendations Engine
Contact
12020 SWALLOW FALLS CT
Silver Spring, MD 20904–7818
NSF Award
1843409 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2019 – 12/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project is focused on continued development of a software platform that is used by students for peer to peer homework and studying help. After school help has historically been delivered by tutors and homework hotlines but those avenues have been proven to be inadequate in closing learning gaps for students after they exit the classroom. The proposed technology is expected to further democratize homework and studying help. Being peer to peer, the proposed technology can radically shrink the cost of personalized homework and studying help for students at their own time and pace - especially the ones from economically or socially more challenged backgrounds. The project will also explore use of an innovative business model to optimize commercial viability with impacting a broad range of students irrespective of their backgrounds. It is expected that when fully developed, the technology would emerge as a scalable low-cost option to help improve student learning outcomes both nationally and globally. The key intellectual merit of this project is in the development of a Smart Study Recommendations Engine. This involves harvesting the data from the class notes uploaded by students, analyze it to surface predictive insights and automatically deliver the notes or wide-ranging peer-reviewed study materials directly to the student users based on their learning styles, learning abilities, and learning gaps, without requiring them to perform a search. It will also provide them with an ability to connect them with peers who can provide additional support. Thus, this project seeks to provide personalized study playlists based on a student profile and pair them with a peer mentor who can provide deeper clarifications as required. The key outcome to be demonstrated is that 1 in 5 students engages favorably with the auto delivered math notes, helped by a peer who can provide clarity and tutoring as needed. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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CLEARSIGHT, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Presbyopia Correcting Intraocular Lens with a Novel Refractive System for Restoration of a Complete Range of Vision and Spectacle Independence
Contact
12635 E MONTVIEW BLVD STE 155
Aurora, CO 80045–7336
NSF Award
1841895 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project aims to address two conditions that are very prevalent in the aging population, presbyopia and cataract, with a single intraocular lens. Presbyopia, the age dependent loss in the ability of the eye to adjust focus, is expected to affect 1.37 billion people worldwide by 2020. Cataract, the irreversible clouding of the lens that results in blurred vision, is expected to affect 30.1 million Americans by 2020. Despite these ever-increasing numbers, there currently is no single product available that restores both visual acuity and a complete range of spectacle-free vision following cataract refractive surgery. Such a solution would provide a greatly improved quality of life for patients and would inform future scientific developments in human accommodation and cataract formation. Alongside improved quality of life, vision correction has the added benefit of increased productivity in the workforce. The cataract surgical and intraocular lens exchange markets are significant, with 25.5 million IOL implants and $3.3 billion in sales in 2016 worldwide. With the growing and aging population, these numbers are expected to increase at a rapid rate. This device will fill a significant unmet need and has the potential of restoring a range of vision unlike any device currently in the market. The proposed intraocular lens utilizes a highly sensitive refractive system leveraging large differences in refractive indices and has a mechanism of action unlike any currently in the market. It has the potential of levels of accommodation that are on par with accommodative abilities in a healthy, natural human lens. Forces in the eye are minimal, so this level of sensitivity is critical to any effective accommodating intraocular lens solution. Current devices and those in development do not exhibit the required level of sensitivity and subsequent accommodative amplitude to warrant significant adoption in the industry. Additionally, the proposed device shape mimics the natural lens, which allows for maximum utilization of the minute forces in the eye and prevents posterior capsular opacification. The first goal of this research will be the design and optimization of the lens utilizing a combination of mechanical and optical modeling. Lens prototypes will then be molded in a biocompatible, medical grade silicone. These prototypes will then be assessed for accommodative ability - first in an established opto-mechanical model eye experiment, then in an established human cadaver eye experiment. Finally, the prototypes will be assessed for injectability, to assure smooth integration with standard cataract surgical procedures. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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CLOUDSEAL INC
SBIR Phase I: Cloudseal: Software Testing with Deterministic Containers
Contact
3814 E DEVONSHIRE CT
Bloomington, IN 47408–9698
NSF Award
1843634 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,444
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 09/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will result from enabling efficient repeatable computing using commodity technology. While computers should, in principle, operate the same way each time, we have all seen how a program that ran fine yesterday somehow crashes today. Our current computing infrastructure betrays its fundamentally unrepeatable nature in a thousand careless ways, by letting processor and operating system details affect how programs run. Popular computing abstractions like containers and virtual machines improve repeatability, but do not provide any guarantees. This project conducts R&D on a new repeatable container, which provides repeatability for arbitrary programs running inside it. Repeatable containers will allow for reproducible software builds, software testing that runs the same on all machines, and faster software debugging with "one click" reproduction of failures. Repeatable containers reduce software development and QA costs. Repeatable containers can also facilitate archiving software and scientific research, and trustless grid computing. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project involves the development of new container runtime systems that can enforce repeatability with low performance overhead. This project will focus on technical improvements that yield a robust container runtime which can handle a wide range of legacy software that collectively exercises the full range of processor and operating system behaviors. The container will integrate smoothly with both existing container technologies and existing container users, to facilitate easy adoption by software developers. Key technical results will include developing a "fingerprinting" technology to uniquely identify container executions, and a stress-testing methodology to increase confidence that the repeatability guarantee holds. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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CONSERVATION X LABS, PBC
SBIR Phase I: The DNA Barcode Scanner: Democratizing Genetic Information For Conservation
Contact
4406 TENNYSON RD
Wilmington, DE 19802–1240
NSF Award
1843702 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,953
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to place the power of genetic identification in the hands of those who need it, at the front lines of conservation. The DNA Barcode Scanner will enable anyone, anywhere, to perform a low-cost, rapid, automated DNA test to validate the identity of a tissue sample, without specialized training, expensive lab-based equipment, reagents, or reliable power, where it is needed most - in the field. This technological advance has the potential to revolutionize species identification to prevent species extinction, to protect consumers and our food supply, and to combat threats to global biodiversity. The innovation's commercial potential includes improving the safety and sustainability of our supply chains, combatting costly environmental fraud, and detecting pests and pathogens that threaten our nation's economy, security, and health. The initial market opportunity is to address unmet demand from seafood suppliers, distributors, and retailers; government regulators and enforcement agents; and conservation and natural resources entities, for increased transparency and integrity of seafood supply chains by ending seafood mislabeling and fraud, which occurs in over 30% the $17.1 billion dollar U.S. seafood market and is worth up to $250,000 per illegal import. The proposed project will develop the customizable DNA collection, extraction, and amplification cartridge that enables a user to go from tissue sample to species identification in a single device. This project focuses on the scientific and technical challenge of automating sample preparation. The company's goal is to create an integrated device that will validate seafood products (our first market) from sample collection to DNA extraction, DNA amplification, and, ultimately, species identification. The goals of this project are to 1) determine a reliable and intuitive method for collecting DNA from a seafood product and create a prototype collection tool, 2) prototype an easy-to-use and highly flexible DNA extraction and sample preparation component to provide DNA suitable for analysis, and 3) fully integrate microfluidic processes and molecular chemistry (DNA amplification and analysis) with clear validation of multiple species. They will design and test several prototypes of the collection, extraction, and amplification cartridge and test these with users to identify the most robust and simplest method for delivering confident species identification. Their objective is to deliver a fully functional prototype that is intuitive for users and can perform a seafood species validation test in multiple field environments. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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CORESHELL TECHNOLOGIES INC
SBIR Phase I: Improved Lithium-Ion Batteries via Solution-Deposited Nanolayers on the Surface of Formed Electrodes
Contact
1095 67th Street
Oakland, CA 94608–1211
NSF Award
1843063 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,945
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to dramatically improve Lithium-Ion Battery (LIB) technology in order to advance renewable energy penetration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. LIBs are not only a major component of the current consumer electronics industry - they are also becoming a key linchpin in the development of clean energy applications such as electric vehicles and grid storage. Their limited cost-competitiveness relative to fossil fuels, finite energy density, and limited lifetime are all still road blocks against mainstream adoption of these emerging applications. These issues all point toward a need for significant technical advancements that cannot be satisfied by simple economies of scale alone. Coreshell?s innovation is to introduce a cheap and scalable electrode coating technology that protects batteries against cycling degradation. The technology has the potential to yield a marked improvement in battery cost and performance, as well as a reduction in manufacturing rates by replacing a slow electrochemical step that can take days with a fast coating step that can be completed within minutes. If fully actualized, Coreshell?s coatings have the potential to revolutionize the LIB industry and enable widespread commercialization of clean energy technologies. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to demonstrate the effectiveness of Coreshell?s unique electrode coating technology. The state-of-the-art electrode surface protection in LIBs is formed electrochemically and is termed ?SEI? (Solid-Electrolyte-Interphase). SEI is slow and expensive to make, inherently unstable, and consumes lithium thereby reducing capacity. This proposal is based on a novel proprietary coating in place of SEI, using a roll-to-roll process that can be seamlessly integrated into existing LIB manufacturing lines. By depositing well-formed coatings on the surface of battery electrodes, Coreshell?s technology can protect against many of the degrading reactions that occur during LIB cycling. The proposed technology has the promise to deliver greater initial capacity, greater depth-of-charge over equivalent cycle-life, reduced manufacturing costs and, ultimately, the potential to reduce LIB cost per kWh by up to 25%. In Phase I, Coreshell will demonstrate part of this value through two main objectives. The first is to increase initial battery capacity by >5% and retain the total capacity to >90% of original after 200 cycles. The second is to show that batteries incorporating Coreshell?s coated electrodes can eschew SEI formation, which would demonstrate the feasibility of ~7% reduction in manufacturing costs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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CORNERSTONE GENOMICS LLC
SBIR Phase I: Innovative software and database tools for targeted genomics
Contact
17590 MILLERS SAWMILL RD
Sharpsburg, MD 21782–1611
NSF Award
1843341 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is the development of a unique cloud computing platform with a novel database and bioinformatic software package to address the strong demand for transformative foundational resources crucial to interpret the biological function of DNA variation sequestered within and between genomes. The goal is to target a broad scope of laboratories investigating human genomics and disease, comparative and evolutionary genomics, systems biology, animal health and veterinary sciences, and wildlife biodiversity and conservation. The product will offer opportunities to advance cross-disciplinary research to keep pace with the accelerating rate of DNA sequence variant discoveries driving the extraordinary growth of the genomics industry. This vision is founded on the continued rapid growth projections (in billions of dollars) for the genomics market and the concomitant increase in the need for integrative tools and services. The technology will allow customers to save time and research costs, experience substantial increases in efficiency and accuracy, and explore, in precise detail, complex gene networks and pathways. The intellectual merit of this SBIR Phase I project is to resolve a critical impasse in genomic workflow where inconsistent or unreliable identification of DNA variant function prevents actionable discoveries. Using the customized suite of bioinformatic tools provided by this technology development, the customer will be able to interrogate the database for any gene or gene system of interest, determine the normal range of DNA changes tolerated by the gene within functional space, and screen their own data against this baseline to identify variants causative in altered biological function and phenotypic traits. The research objectives include: Compiling proprietary and novel DNA sequences from thousands of genes, establishing and confirming the precise arrangement of these gene sequences guided by shared common ancestry to create the database framework, establishing a plan for product software and content to guide the user through proper use of the database and interpret variant function, and developing strategies to ensure product security and cloud-computing service data visualization and display to protect the processing of user data when passed within the software. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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CURIO INTERACTIVE LLC
SBIR Phase I: The Curio Classroom: A Software Toolkit to Spark Engagement in STEM Through Hand-drawn Art and Tangible User Interfaces
Contact
2101 N 35TH ST
Seattle, WA 98103–9103
NSF Award
1843530 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,934
Start / end date
01/01/2019 – 12/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project proposes the creation of a unique, art-centric e-learning platform aimed at sparking the interest of young learners in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). This extensible software platform implements a new category of e-learning based on the ample body of research in educational psychology and technology that advocates the use of art and guided play to teach STEM. This project will test the hypothesis that an e-learning system based on scientific illustration sparks engagement and enhances learning in young students. With students disengaging from STEM at an increasing rate, it is critical to make more tools available to teachers that connect student with STEM. STEM-related fields will drive innovation in our economy for decades to come; opening new pathways to vastly broaden participation in STEM is critical to our economic future. This project also proposes the creation of an online community and marketplace supporting STEM education through this platform. This will connect teacher-to-teacher for sharing best practices in teaching science using art and can make a deep and broad impact on the way STEM is taught. Built on scientific illustration and coupled with a set of tangible user interface (TUI) devices that mimic scientific instruments, this e-learning platform brings student hand-drawn art to life, creating interactive lessons that correlate to Next Generation Science Standards. As this system will be extensible and customizable, a major part of the R&D effort will be to create an easy-to-use templating toolkit that any teacher can leverage to develop custom lessons in STEM. The Phase I goal will be to create a fully functioning product and assess this system in elementary school classrooms. This toolkit will be developed in collaboration with Curio Interactive?s educational partners, as well as the Pacific Science Center, where Curio Interactive is a startup in residence, to rapidly develop this system, continuously iterating the software with real testers, following agile development methods. One of this project?s objectives is to appeal to groups historically underrepresented in STEM. Because this platform will be visual and kinetic, highly affordable, and universally available via the web, the proposed platform will improve the equity and accessibility of learning science. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Capacitech Energy LLC
STTR Phase I: Supercapacitors for Power Supplies
Contact
3259 Progress Drive
Orlando, FL 32628–3230
NSF Award
1746740 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,905
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 12/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is the first time commercial development of a copper cable which can transmit and store energy. Currently, copper cables are used for transmitting electricity. Adding energy storage capability to these cables is transformative and has the potential to be employed in a myriad of electrical and electronic applications. Making these cables into spools of wires and custom sliced into a certain length to achieve a required capacitance will be very attractive to commercial applications. The proposed study enables to understand how energy transmission and storage can be simultaneously performed without mutual interference. These cables can find niche applications in the automotive, energy, defense, and IT industries. Moreover, when made into thin wires, it can be weaved into a matrix which can be used to charge wearable devices. For example, currently, a soldier carries about 30-40 pounds of battery for a three-day mission. However, if energy storage devices like the one proposed here can be made into an advanced textile form and can be worn as a uniform, the weight currently carried by the soldiers can be considerably reduced. A cable energy storage device developed can also be beneficial for storing energy for clean-energy technologies such as wind and solar. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project fills the gap of a cable-type capacitor which saves space and fits well with electrical and electronic devices. The objective of this proposal is to use nanotechnology-based fabrication techniques to grow nanowhiskers with a high surface area on a copper cable to make cable-type capacitors. These nanostructures considerably enhance the surface area necessary for the storage of electrical charges. Since nanostructures are developed only on the outside of the electrical cable to store energy, the inner part of the cable can still be used for electrical transmission. The focus of the proposed research is to develop the processes which can be used to make these nanostructured electrodes into a cable capacitor. The fabrication techniques for growing nanostructures will be so designed that making long lengths of the cables are feasible. The performance of the cable-based capacitors will be tested in terms of capacitance, cycle life, voltage output, etc. In addition, the flexibility of the cable will be tested at different bend-angles to evaluate its applications in flexible energy storage applications.
Errata
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Capro-X
SBIR Phase I: Microbial Fermentation Bioprocess to Produce and Extract Platform Chemicals from the Dairy Industry Acid Whey Waste Stream.
Contact
915 N Tioga St
Ithaca, NY 14850–3669
NSF Award
1820211 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,868
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is the commercialization of a fermentation bioprocess that can bring significant benefits for the dairy industry - called the WheyAway system. By initially addressing the problem of handling acid whey, a waste stream generated by all Greek yogurt and cottage cheese producers - the WheyAway can convert the cost of waste handling into a revenue by producing valuable bio-oil platform chemicals. The WheyAway can economically convert the acid whey waste stream to bio-oil on-site, allowing our customers to effectively install biorefineries at each of their plants. In comparison to anaerobic digestion, the WheyAway system can provide several multiples greater economic value. These bio-oils can be used as biofuel feedstocks, animal feed additives, and specialty chemicals. Converting acid whey yields a significant market opportunity with projected impact that could simultaneously offset ~435,000 gallons of diesel used to truck this waste off-site and eliminate ~18,000 tons of greenhouse gases from being emitted to the atmosphere. In the future, this bioprocess can be tuned to address other dairy processing streams, allowing the WheyAway to provide value to stakeholders across the entire dairy production value chain. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to scale-up and optimize a novel fermentation bioprocess called the WheyAway system, and can economically convert acid whey waste into valuable platform chemicals, to provide value to Greek yogurt and cottage cheese producers. Plan is to scale to maximize bio-oil production and conversion efficiency through system optimization. A key focus will be to lower the capital cost for the extraction process. Through the tasks proposed for this SBIR, objectives to scale to a 5x larger reactor, lower operating expense by 20%, and lower the capital cost of the currently expensive bio-oil extraction process by 10x. Additionally, potential to convert other dairy process streams, such as sweet whey, will be evaluated, which could unlock larger opportunities in the dairy production value chain. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Cell Reprogramming & Therapeutics LLC
SBIR Phase I: Generation of Dopaminergic Neurons from Fat
Contact
4404 S 113 str
Greenfield, WI 53228–2565
NSF Award
1819574 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
09/01/2018 – 08/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project will be functional neuronal cells derived from human adult adipocytes that will have applications in regenerative medicine. The goal is to develop dopaminergic (DA) neural progenitor cells (NPCs) from transdifferentiated human adult adipocytes using a DA cell induction cocktail. This will have application in cellular therapeutics and research tools for Parkinson's Disease (PD), and other neuronal diseases. In addition, these studies will impact the field of stem cell research and regenerative medicine, since this will be the first demonstration that functional neuronal cells, the main building blocks of brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nervous systems, can be produced from mature fat cells that can be used as cellular therapeutics for several neurological disorders. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop new technology for generation of midbrain dopaminergic (DA) neural progenitor cells (NPCs) from adult adipocytes (fat cells), which will used as a platform to develop cellular therapeutics for Parkinson's Disease (PD), and PD research tools. Recently, using a chemical genetics approach (chemical approach or small molecule approach), engraftable midbrain DA neuronal progenitor cells (DA NPCs) from human bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-hMSCs) have been generated. Additionally, DA neuronal progenitor-like cells also had been produced from de-differentiated fat cells (DFAT cells) that have several advantages over BM-hMSCs such as homogeneity of DFAT cell cultures, ease of isolation and low immunogenicity. The goal of Phase I project is to validate and optimize the DA induction protocol for generation of midbrain DA NPC from DAFT cells. Phase II will focus on clinical grade manufacturing of these DA cells and testing their therapeutic effect in several preclinical animal models of PD. Commercial products emerging from Phase I/II work include cellular therapeutics for PD and research tools for PD. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Central Inventions, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Stackmaps: A Metacognitive Learning Support Tool To Empower Students In STEM
Contact
14 Spring St
Waltham, MA 02451–4429
NSF Award
1843795 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,995
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project will study and develop methods to provide adult professionals and young adult students with the skills and self-confidence to pursue studies and careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. Today, a large segment of society identifies as being underrepresented in the technology sector. Some individuals experience low technology-related self-confidence as a result. At a time when the United States has an increasing demand for technology workers, the country needs contributions from all segments of society, and not simply those segments which have been privileged in the past, to meet this demand and maintain U.S. competitive advantage in the global innovation economy. Engaging people from the full spectrum of the United States population will enable innovative companies to leverage more diverse sources of creativity, build better solutions to today's problems, and create more jobs. When people see themselves as future practitioners of a technical skill, it is possible to learn topics in a deeper, more fulfilling, and more enduring manner. Commercializing this invention will increase online learning platform retention rates, driving revenue not only within educational companies but within the companies who hire the resulting talent. The proposed technology is innovative because no commercially-available software tools exist which support metacognitive development in tandem with technical skill acquisition. This innovation is risky because no one has proven that having a positive influence on metacognition through automated software is even possible during single learning session. The goal of this research is to deliver techniques for enhancing the self-efficacy of STEM learners within the context of online learning platforms. The project combines best practices in digital personalization and educational psychology research to deliver customized content responsive to learner preferences and learner attitude attributes. The proposed research will demonstrate, via a random trial, increased levels of motivation and engagement in students who receive targeted interventions as compared with a control population. Using survey instruments, the researchers will measure changes in self-efficacy, challenge-seeking, and goal-setting behavior. Because the research team has unique experience in developing proven educational interventions which enhance self-efficacy across a variety of learning domains, the algorithms and methods inside the proposed technology will be difficult for competitors to replicate. This SBIR project will deliver algorithms and automated, web-based interventions to help all STEM learners experience personal engagement with STEM topics and find empowerment in the task of learning. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Charmtech Labs LLC
SBIR Phase I: PeTeS: Personalized Text Simplification For English Language Learners
Contact
1500 Stony Brook Road
Stony Brook, NY 11794–4600
NSF Award
1843807 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project seeks to develop a novel text simplification technology that will personalize text to the reading level of students. There is a demand for such tools in inclusive and integrated K- 12 classrooms to cater to the needs of students with varying reading levels. This is especially pertinent to English language learners (Els), international students, and Special Education students with learning disabilities such as dyslexia, ADHD, and other cognitive impairments that impede their reading abilities. Existing tools offer one-size-fits-all solutions offering no control over the simplification process. The proposed Personalized Text Simplifier (PeTeS) will adapt texts to the reading levels of individual students, thereby filling a much-needed gap in the marketplace. With over 60% of U.S. K-12 students reading below grade level, the broader impact of the proposed technology will be in improving the literacy of a diverse population. The expected outcomes of using PeTeS will be improved vocabulary acquisition and improved reading and comprehension of texts by ELs and international students. Using PeTeS for reading may lead to better grades and higher graduation rates. PeTeS will also save teachers time on not having to explain texts or translate for students. PeTeS, will complement the instructor and provide additional support to ELs and international students, especially, in content areas, where these students have very little support. The proposed PeTeS is envisioned to be an adaptive reading assistant for personalizing instruction. The key innovation of PeTeS is in the application of natural language processing algorithms to perform automatic text simplification to dynamically meet specific reading levels - simplification being defined as an adaptation of any given text in a way that maximizes the likelihood that the student will understand its content. The key idea here is to replace a word that is presumed to be not known by the student with a word that is presumed to be known, i.e., the replacement criteria is the student?s knowledge and not the word complexity. Towards that, the proposed PeTeS technology will maintain a student knowledge model representing the reading level of the student. PeTeS will rely on the model not only to simplify the text to the student's level and improve comprehension, but also to challenge the student to learn unfamiliar words while reading whatever they need to read. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Clairways LLC
SBIR Phase I: Medical Device for Monitoring Respiratory Disease
Contact
1 South St
Hanover, NH 03755–2186
NSF Award
1843658 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be a novel wearable device for unobtrusively detecting changes in the lung health of patients with chronic respiratory disease. This Passive Unobtrusive Lung function Monitor (PULMO) will be the only device that can automatically measure a patient's lung health information without requiring any active engagement from the clinician, and without imposing any obtrusive changes to the patient's daily routine. The PULMO is useful in a broad range of respiratory disease applications, such as lung transplant post-operative care, asthma management and respiratory therapy research, that require continuous, objective and unobtrusive monitoring of lung function change. Since PULMO technology is compatible with low-cost microcontrollers, it has the potential to dominate the spirometry market and respiratory clinical trials space with high-volume production. The spirometry market has an expected CAGR of 9.4 % from 2018 to 2025, reaching a $1.4 billion market value by 2025, while clinical trials expenditures on new respiratory therapy drugs is forecast to reach $1.7 billion in 2025. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses the major drawback of the state-of-the-art in continuous monitoring of respiratory disease, which is that it demands daily discipline, effort and proper technique of the patient, resulting in missing, invalid or fabricated data. In this project, a manufactured PULMO test device will be implemented with an intelligent event detection unit combined with a low power microcontroller, and the total average power consumption will be less than 300 microWatts. The measurement error of the PULMO will be within +/- 5 %, which is necessary for detecting changes in lung impairment. The intelligent event detection unit will be implemented as a nonlinear dynamical system in a custom integrated circuit. A gated recurrent neural network that is optimized for embedded low resource systems will be implemented in the low power microcontroller and will be used to detect respiratory disease symptoms. Controlled tests will be performed with a silicone phantom chest to evaluate the measurement accuracy of the PULMO device. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Cleancult LLC
SBIR Phase I: Development of a composite system (surfactant-particle) including non-ionic green surfactants for enhancing efficiency of green detergents through colloidal...
Contact
1250 AVE PONCE DE LEON SAN JUAN
San Juan, PR 00907–9321
NSF Award
1842921 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be realized first in household cleaning applications, a market valued in more than 26 billion/year, where currently only about 3% of the market is filled with eco-friendly alternatives. Cleancult new scrubbing system will allow the development of more efficient and potent cleaning products, capable of competing with traditional petroleum-based brands while helping to reduce the water pollution effects due to laundry/cleaning activities, reduce the appearance of skin conditions in customers due to the continuous exposure to harmful chemicals found in traditional cleaning products, and reduce the energetic cost related to the use of hot water in laundry applications. Cleancult objective is to open the door to novel green clean technologies, by first introducing our all-natural scrubbing system in our products and potentially license the technology to other green detergents manufacturers, and later introduce our own all-natural green surfactant molecule, with the solid intention of increasing the green cleaners? participation in the marker by at least 20% in the next 5 years. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will provide funding for the development of a micellar system(s) composed of a biopolymer particle and a naturally derived from sustainable sources surfactant compound. The conjugation and stabilization mechanism of these micellar systems are the main focus on the research objectives, together with the inclusion of different functionalization to improve oil removal, avoid re-deposition and also enhance the antibacterial properties of the scrubbing system. The complete characterization of the micellar system and its efficacy in removing soil/dirt stains will be achieved through the use of spectroscopic, rheological and hydrodynamic techniques, surface chemistry modifications, and applying the global standards for detergency determination. The research team will work to provide a commercially ready product at the end of this SBIR Phase I project, and due to already in place collaborations with manufacture facilities will avoid delays in the introduction of Cleancults' new line of green powerful cleaners. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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CoastalOceanVision, Inc
SBIR Phase I: Real-Time Assessment of Water Quality, Harmful Algal Blooms, and Toxins from Distributed, Networked Sensor Arrays
Contact
10 Edgerton Dr
North Falmouth, MA 02556–2821
NSF Award
1820074 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project extends from years of research into the impact of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), and yet there is still no direct, field assay for toxic cells. The identification of HABs is critical to determine their patterns of occurrence, to protect water and food supplies, and to alert the general public when there is a problem. Harmful Algal Blooms are a world-wide fresh water, brackish water and marine phenomena that occur in every coastal and inland country and annually cause significant economic damage and take human lives. The detection of HABs and their toxins is currently completed by complex, expensive, and time consuming microscopic analyses that do not necessarily provide the critical and timely information that water quality mangers require. Raman spectroscopy provides a strong and distinct fingerprint of HAB cells and their toxins without the need for sample preparation, and can be used on-site at beaches, drinking water reservoirs, or within distributed networks of Raman sensors all communicating through the cloud to provide managers immediate and spatially distinct information on the presence and concentration of potentially toxic cells. This STTR Phase I project proposes to develop and market an in-situ 3D microscope with on-axis Raman spectroscopy to provide both morphological information and a chemical signature for identification of HAB cells to species, and in some cases specific strains, along with the presence and concentration of toxin on a per cell basis. The novel technical specifications include: 1) the use of Light Field (LF) microscopy to maximize the depth of field to allow for detection of low cell concentrations (< 1 cell/ mL). LF microscopy also provides a 3D image for more complete and accurate morphological assessment of cells and particulates, 2) Advanced software for color and texture feature extraction and classification of cells using Gabor wavelets and a novel color angle feature, which provide 100% classification accuracy in many cases, 3) the use of Resonance Micro-Raman Spectroscopy (RMRS) to collect spectral fingerprints on the inorganic and organic content of cells, particulates and dissolved compounds, and 4) the integration of these technologies into sensor packages as part of the IoT cloud computing thrust that is sure to gain traction over the next few years, and will provide regional protection of both large and small drinking water reservoirs, globally. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Comake, Inc
SBIR Phase I: The Comake Graph
Contact
20 10th St NW Unit 2501
Atlanta, GA 30309–3871
NSF Award
1843818 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2019 – 12/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to drive economic growth and innovation by increasing a knowledge worker's ease of access to the digital information that is relevant to his/her work. Businesses today are enormously dependent on the archives of files, communication, and other information contained within the systems and services they rely on (networked drives, cloud storage, messaging tools, email, etc.). As these archives grow, they are increasingly hard to standardize and organize so that individuals know where to look for and how to find the information they need to do their jobs. The result is that individual employees waste enormous amounts of time trying to locate files and information fragmented across complex directories and many communication channels. Centralizing access to files and communication within an easily searchable and flexible workspace can unlock several hours of lost productivity and duplicate efforts per knowledge worker per week. Furthermore, presenting all of the relevant context around each file and message, including other file-versions, related files, discussions, activity events, etc., can help knowledge workers today with better version control, an understanding of how projects/ideas unfold, transferring of best practices, and preventing institutional knowledge-loss. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to further develop a novel method for users to contextually and unobtrusively access all relevant files and information associated with their work. This project focuses on developing software that can automatically map the relationships between digital workflow components (email messages, chat messages, tasks, contacts, files, etc.), and store them in discrete private databases controlled by the users. This project's key technical challenges include: improving the proprietary algorithms that automatically interconnect user information (while the information remains hosted on third party systems/services); improving the scalability of data ingress, processing, indexing, and syncing; and establishing a system capable of hosting and processing a multitude of discrete and disconnected databases of user information. The anticipated outcome of this project is a new type of software platform that can be hosted in private instances and that improves the productivity of its users by: consolidating user information stored on third-party systems/services; making it all easily searchable and manageable; and augmenting every file with additional history and context from all other connected third party systems/services. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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CorInnova Incorporated
SBIR Phase I: Non-blood contacting, less invasive device for restoration of ventricular diastolic recoil
Contact
2450 Holcombe Blvd., Suite J
Houston, TX 77021–2041
NSF Award
1843901 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project seeks to address the lack of approved device therapies available for the almost 4 million patients in the U.S. who suffer from diastolic heart failure (DHF) - a disease for which the potential market is estimated to be approximately $5B worldwide. In DHF, the chambers of the heart become stiff and cannot relax completely, reducing the amount with which they fill with blood and thus reducing the amount of blood pumped by the heart during each cardiac cycle. The only evidence-based therapy to treat DHF is to manage blood pressure pharmacologically, and treat associated complications. DHF is a major cause of hospital admissions and has poor patient outcomes, without any discernable improvement over the last two decades. Thus, there is a strong need for an effective device solution that can alleviate the symptoms associated with DHF while improving patient outcomes, as well as further fundamental understanding of the key factors and mechanisms that lead to DHF. This project is focused on the development of a non-blood contacting biventricular diastolic recoil device for the treatment of patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF), also referred to as diastolic heart failure (DHF). The proposed device will provide a patented minimally invasive, non-blood contacting approach to mitigate the symptoms associated with HFpEF, addressing a large unmet need in a market which currently lacks any approved device therapies. Primary goals of this Phase I project include investigating variations in device design, functionality, and mechanical properties in pilot animal studies in order to optimize augmentation of cardiac function and hemodynamics, as well as the development of an accelerated fatigue test apparatus to test the durability of the device components. The commercialization effort in bringing this novel device to market will address the largely unmet need for the millions of Americans who suffer from DHF by alleviating symptoms, significantly increasing quality of life, and reducing morbidity and mortality. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Crestone Computing LLC
SBIR Phase I: Enhancing the Performance of Scientific Applications Through Intelligent Advice
Contact
19415 Lincoln Green Ln
Monument, CO 80132–8738
NSF Award
1820076 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to allow new hardware platforms to be more quickly deployed and useful software products to be more readily made available on a wide variety of hardware to satisfy the needs of their users. Additionally, researchers in science and engineering can reduce the runtime of their applications by hours or days on the machines inside high performance computing or data centers, enabling more scientific modeling and simulations to be completed within these centers, while allowing each individual scientist to concentrate more on his/her research, which in turn may more quickly benefit society. For example, in the defense industry, many contracting companies develop Monte Carlo simulation software to predict outcomes from disasters. Increasing the throughput of these simulations would allow for more simulation results to be analyzed and tested, thereby resulting in better predictions and handling of disastrous situations. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project is unique in its automated connection between existing performance modeling and prediction tools, and pattern-driven compiler optimization. Novel runtime monitoring and modeling techniques will be developed to automatically map performance bottlenecks discovered by existing performance analysis tools to potential opportunities of source code optimizations. Such opportunities again will be used to guide pattern-driven compiler optimizations, particularly to enhance the performance of finite element methods on both GPGPUs and multi-core/many-core CPUs. Deep learning neural networks will be used to automate the runtime behavior classification of computations. The new pattern-driven specialization of compiler optimizations will enable general-purpose compiler techniques to be aware of the higher-level semantics of library abstractions (e.g., data structures and algorithm abstractions) and allow them to be collectively customized and coordinated to attain the best performance. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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Curie Co. Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Reducing the cost of biomanufacturing and biopharmaceutical production with smart biocatalysts that can be incorporated into continuous processing technologies
Contact
64 Thompson St. #19
New York, NY 10012–4317
NSF Award
1843690 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to develop an enzyme immobilization platform to be used in the production of biopharmaceuticals and other biomanufacturing processes to reduce the timeline and cost associated with discovering and manufacturing biotherapeutics. Biopharmaceutical sales have soared in recent years and healthcare authorities have increased pressure on pharmaceutical manufacturers to reduce the cost of biologics leaving pharmaceutical engineers to focus on reducing bioproduction costs. To accomplish this goal, pharmaceutical companies are aggressively investigating continuous processing technologies to reduce the capital and other costs associated with biopharmaceutical manufacture. The immobilization platform described in this proposal will provide a technology that is compatible with continuous processing strategies to reduce the timeline and cost associated with discovering and manufacturing biotherapeutics. In addition, this platform has the potential to reduce the cost and increase the efficiency of biomanufacturing processes across several other industries including food, leather, and textiles. The intellectual merit of this SBIR Phase I project is to develop pH responsive immobilized enzymes for the production of biopharmaceuticals. There are three key technical challenges associated with this project: The immobilized-enzyme must demonstrate pH responsive behavior compatible with biologics manufacture (pH 6-7); mass transfer of protein substrates must be comparable to the native enzyme; and extended shelf-life of the immobilized-enzyme is required for long-term storage. To mitigate these challenges, this project aims to covalently bind an enzyme to a pH responsive polymer that is formulated to have reversible solubility near neutral pH. The solubility of the immobilized-biocatalyst can be tightly controlled within a specified pH range allowing for continuous processing and facile purification of the biotherapeutic product. Poor mass transfer often results from immobilizing biocatalysts on solid supports. These challenges are further exaggerated in bioconjugation reactions because the coupling partner, a protein, is generally more affected by sterics than small molecules. Therefore, fabrication of the solid support will be explored to produce resins of varied size, morphologies, and dissolution properties that are compatible with macromolecule functionalization. Additionally, the immobilized enzyme generated in this project can be utilized under soluble conditions, which combines the positive attributes of both immobilization and soluble enzyme catalysis. The final challenge of developing a commercially viable shelf-life of the catalyst will be addressed through development of novel drying protocols. Shelf-stable immobilized enzymes will be developed so that inventory can be maintained without requiring long lead times for catalyst production. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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Cybele Microbiome Inc
SBIR Phase I: Enhancing the skin microbiome for mosquito repellency: Next generation mosquito repellent derived from big data analysis
Contact
3077 N PARK WAY APT 212
San Diego, CA 92104–3675
NSF Award
1843179 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to develop a safe, natural, long-lasting and effective mosquito repellent product by exploiting the natural repellent compounds present in the skin microbiome. Mosquito-borne illnesses affect 700M people worldwide and cause several million deaths each year. Chikungunya, West Nile, Malaria, Zika, Dengue, are just some of the debilitating vectors spread by mosquitoes. Mosquito-derived diseases cost >$6.8B/year and the market for mosquito repellents is >$3.2B and growing. Many solutions are aimed at killing and disabling mosquitoes, but mosquitoes are a crucial part of the ecological food chain. Further, many repellents are extremely toxic, and mosquitoes are developing resistance. The proposed technology will be used to identify compounds that will drive the endogenous skin microbiome to a more mosquito repellent phenotype. Using these methods, it is possible to harness the biochemistry contained in the native skin microbiome to create an endogenous repellency that is a safe, natural, environmentally friendly, and effective barrier to mosquitoes. It is expected that this repellency approach may be used safely even with children and pregnant women. In addition, it may be possible to use this approach to develop repellents for multiple insects, repellent products for companion animals, and additional over-the-counter skin products. The intellectual merit of this SBIR Phase I project is to develop a new class of topical insect repellents by influencing repellency in the skin microbiome. This will be accomplished by developing and validating a platform technology to identify compounds produced by the microbiome that are associated with biochemical pathways of interest, and use the identified compounds to target those pathways whose end-products comprise natural mosquito-repellent compounds. The goal is to create a topical mosquito repellent product. For this project, the plan is to complete metagenome sequencing on skin samples collected from individuals that are either naturally repellent or attractive to Anopheles mosquitoes (the mosquito that carries Malaria). The next step is to predict metabolite compound turnover and use metabolomics to validate the results. In vitro assays and in silico models will be used to provide proof-of-concept for the use of those predicted compounds to induce the microbiota to produce mosquito repellent metabolites. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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CykloBurn Technologies LLC
SBIR Phase I: Biomass to Energy Conversion
Contact
1200 Shore Road
Baltimore, MD 21220–5526
NSF Award
1819593 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is that it holds the promise of significantly reducing the over fertilization of crop fields with poultry litter and at the same time provide poultry farmers with greater profits. Currently poultry litter (excrement, feathers, bedding and other waste) is used as fertilizer on crop fields. The litter is excessively high in phosphorous which is not well adsorbed by crops and ends up in waterways causing excessive algae growth resulting in dead zones with no aquatic life. This project expects to prove the practicality of a high efficiency burn system that is low enough in cost to be affordable by individual farmers. The system will burn poultry litter and convert the resulting heat energy to electricity and hot water for heating the farmer's chicken houses. The energy savings will increase farmer's net profits (including the amortized cost of the system) by, on average, 25%. Thus poultry farmers will be incentivized to eliminate environmentally dangerous poultry litter by converting their farm waste to energy. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to design, produce and test a scaled prototype version of the lab test system. The lab test system is expected to provide burn efficiencies as high as ~97% with particulate emissions well within EPA standards. The scaled system will be designed to process ten times the litter as the lab system. The primary question this SBIR project will answer is: can the lab results be replicated in a full scale system capable of handling the requirements of an average poultry farm. The patent pending technology upon which the lab system was designed uses computer controlled fuel (poultry litter) feed rates coupled with a multilevel air injection system to produce optimal efficiency. There are several variables that will be tested to ensure upscaling the size will be successful. These include combustion chamber size and design, air injection locations, pressures and CFM, and fuel feed rates. Successful commercialization will require optimization of these variables in a full scale system. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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DEEPBITS TECHNOLOGY LLC
SBIR Phase I: Building Extensible and Customizable Binary Code Analytics Engine for Malware Intelligence as a Service
Contact
20871 Westbury Rd.
Riverside, CA 92508–2974
NSF Award
1746819 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,987
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 08/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to spark more cybersecurity innovations, by reducing the R&D expenditures via providing fundamental security analytics tools as a service. Global cybersecurity spending is increasing significantly year over year. Enormous R&D resources have been invested in the development of a range of security products to meet this market. However, different security product providers repeatedly build the fundamental security analytics tools and use them to further develop different innovative security solutions. That is a huge waste of R&D resources. The proposed solution reduces the R&D expenditure of customers and lowers the entry bar for the growing cybersecurity market. With the lowered entry bar, the company anticipates that more innovations will be put into practice. As a result, with the increased competition and reduced R&D expenditure, the company expects a reduction in cybersecurity spending by companies and the government. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project focuses on malware intelligence, which has been a long-standing as well as increasingly complex cybersecurity problem. Traditional signature based detection and manual reverse engineering approaches can no longer keep up with the pace of increasingly sophisticated obfuscation and attack techniques. The objective of this project is to develop a security analysis tool for malware intelligence by combining the following two unique techniques: "whole-system emulation based dynamic binary analysis" and "deep-learning based binary code similarity detection". The first technique provides a fine-grained monitor capability to observe the behaviors of malware. The second technique provides the capability of learning and characterizing complex features. By combining these two techniques, the proposed technology will be able to better understand malware and generate actionable intelligence.
Errata
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DIGITOUCH HEALTH LLC
STTR Phase I: Smartphone-based blood pressure monitoring via the oscillometric finger pressing method
Contact
7 DANA RD STE 111
Valhalla, NY 10595–1554
NSF Award
1843514 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project is to drive hypertension awareness and control rates around the world, through the availability of low-cost, portable blood pressure monitoring. High blood pressure (BP) is a major cardiovascular risk factor that affects up to 1 billion people worldwide. It is treatable, yet hypertension awareness and control rates are low. Ubiquitous BP monitoring technology could improve hypertension management, but existing devices require an inflatable cuff and therefore do not afford anytime, anywhere measurement of BP. The market for a portable, cuff-less blood pressure monitor is estimated in the tens of billions of dollars. Successful completion of this project via demonstration of measurement accuracy across a broad range of blood pressures will provide the company with a strong position in this large market. Ultimately, the success of this project could translate to much greater awareness and control of hypertension, helping reduce the incidence and burden of cardiovascular disease around the world. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project aims to develop a technology for cuff-less and calibration-free measurement of blood pressure via a button on a smartphone. Existing automated cuff-based monitors are bulky and do not enable anytime, anywhere measurement of BP. The 'oscillometric finger pressing method'is an emerging approach that uses the same measurement principle that is employed by most automatic cuff devices, but instead of inflating a cuff, the user presses his or her finger (and the underlying artery) against a combination of optical and pressure sensors to determine the blood pressure. The objectives of this program are to shrink the current prototype design and validate its accuracy. The proposed R&D plan includes miniaturization of the circuit components to mount them on a single board and optimization of the sensing technology and algorithm to work in a broad range of normotensive and hypertensive individuals. This work will be followed up by a clinical test of the monitor. The resulting device is expected to be small and thin enough to mount to the back of a smartphone and demonstrate clinical-grade accuracy for the measurement of blood pressure. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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DIVERSE EMERGENT ENGINEERING PROSPECTIVE -DEEP- DESIGNS LLC
SBIR Phase I: Building Emotional Intelligence Through the Connected Readers Program
Contact
501 SW 75TH STREET
Gainesville, FL 32607–1739
NSF Award
1843642 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,986
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will address the challenge of developing students? empathy and emotional self-awareness with a mobile-based platform. Aligning with the NSF's mission to develop innovative education programs to enhance aspects of emotional intelligence, this project will address three major pain points for young learners with far-reaching implications. First, the need to develop emotional intelligence; which has been identified as a 21st-century literacy that is crucial for younger learners to thrive. Current school climate issues with bullying and violence consistently reinforce the need to address social and emotional learning. Next, the need to integrate social and emotional learning into regular classroom activities. With the demands placed on schools for testing, having a program that integrates with what schools are already responsible should support more widespread adoption. Finally, the program addresses a widespread need to combat the deleterious effects of the current uses of social media by young students. This project will bring a positive spin to social networking that can improve the emotional intelligence skills of students The proposed innovation is an augmented reality-based experience that immerses fourth and fifth-grade students in activities designed to build their skills of emotional intelligence; namely, emotional self-awareness and empathy, as they interact with a network of peers. The key technical challenges the project must solve include: refining core methods for developing emotional self-awareness and empathy, defining and refining a user experience that teachers/parents will find educationally compelling and with which learners will love to engage, designing a curating process for learner-generated content that will ensure the safety and security of all users and developing virtual interactions that engage students in emotional skill development, and connecting activities with the materials for which students are already responsible. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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DNALITE THERAPEUTICS, INC.
SBIR Phase I: Development Of An Orally Administered Gene Delivery Platform For Induced Protein Secretion Via The Gastrointestinal Tract
Contact
455 Mission Bay BLVD South
San Francisco, CA 94158–2158
NSF Award
1846078 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,684
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 10/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project will further the development of an orally administered gene delivery vehicle called the Crypt-Reaching Particle (CRP) that is able to overcome the physical barriers of the mucus to deliver DNA-based drugs to the cells of the gastrointestinal tract. The therapeutic agent will then be expressed as a protein locally in the gastrointestinal tract or be secreted into the bloodstream to treat the full body. Development of this vehicle will lead to novel scientific insights on DNA delivery that will benefit and educate the field of fundamental science and engineering. Successful commercialization would benefit pharmaceutical companies by providing an oral drug delivery platform for approved and novel drugs, U.S. patients by reducing the need for injectable drugs and thereby increasing compliance and quality of life, and payers by reducing costs associated with injectable drugs and improving outcomes by increasing patient compliance via oral administration. The drug-agnostic feature provides broad and diverse market opportunities within the rapidly expanding market for biologics, among other therapeutic agents leading to substantial job creation. As an example, a potential addressable market in four areas (i.e., delivering TNF inhibitors, protein replacement, peptide hormones, and blood factors) exceeds $90 billion per year. This project is designed to prepare a stable oral formulation of the Crypt-Reaching Particle (CRP), a novel drug-agnostic drug delivery vehicle, and demonstrate that it can deliver a functional DNA cargo for expression and secretion in intestinal epithelial cells in vitro and in vivo. This project focuses on the technical challenges associated with preserving the functionality of a DNA cargo as an example of a challenging drug delivery scenario that is difficult to replicate. The innovation is the design of the vehicle to penetrate through the mucus and transfect underlying epithelial cells by mimicking the enteric poliovirus. This will lay the foundation for the first oral gene therapy. Briefly, the project will address three objectives. First, preparation of a formulation for the CRP for oral administration via lyophilization with analyses to assess formulation and DNA stability as a function of time, temperature, and pH. Second, testing the ability of the orally formulated CRP to deliver a functional DNA plasmid encoding Gaussia luciferase to Caco-2 intestinal epithelial cells in vitro by measuring both cellular and secreted expression. Finally, testing the ability of the orally formulated and administered CRP to deliver a functional Gaussia luciferase plasmid to intestinal epithelial cells in vivo in Fischer 344 rats to assess expression and secretion. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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DOCBOT, INC.
SBIR Phase I: A Real-time Artificial Intelligence Dysplasia Detection (AIDD) system for Barrett's Esophagus and Early Esophageal Cancer
Contact
16533 Sequoia Street
Fountain Valley, CA 92708–7725
NSF Award
1843975 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 09/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to, through development of a Real-time Artificial Intelligence algorithm, bring expertise in endoscopic imaging interpretation to physicians taking care of patients at risk for esophageal cancer, to detect precancer earlier, and lower the cost of healthcare. Esophageal cancer is one of the fastest growing cancers in the US with a 6 fold increase in incidence in the last 4 decades. Most endoscopists are not trained well to detect pre-cancer in the esophagus as <5% have received dedicated advanced imaging training to identify dysplasia (advanced precancer) within Barrett's Esophagus. There are well-proven minimally invasive endoscopic treatments for dysplasia and early esophageal cancer that are >95% effective in providing cure to the patient. On the other hand, when cancer is caught at a later stage the only option is removal of the esophagus with surgery in combination with expensive chemotherapy and radiation. Creating this real-time Artificial Intelligence system will assist endoscopists to detect precancer earlier, prevent this deadly cancer and expand access to esophageal cancer screening to the community at large and also to the underserved community, who typically have fewer well-trained physicians. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop the first system that can detect dysplasia in Barrett's Esophagus in real-time during endoscopy. This proposed research will expand on the company's preliminary work in detecting dysplastic lesions in colonoscopy and applying transfer learning methods to develop the first ever dysplasia-detection algorithm for upper endoscopy. It will initially be trained using static, annotated images, and will expand on the company's software platform to be able to eventually process video feeds, in real-time, from device makers without frame-drop or lag. The company has begun engaging with endoscopy OEMs to define metrics for success in running real-time algorithms. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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DRAKEFORD SCOTT & ASSOCIATES
SBIR Phase I: Online curriculum for creating purpose-driven Start-ups
Contact
315 E CHAPEL HILL STREE
Durham, NC 27701–3317
NSF Award
1820018 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project takes a deeper look at the concept of 'purpose' and its relationship to the marketplace, unemployment, and start-up incubators. It intends to develop a multi-question self-assessment tool to help individuals find meaningful purpose through free, online, live and self-paced hybrid course instruction. The coursework will use augmented reality and 3-D video to motivate individuals to re-think purpose as a central motivation to employment and entrepreneurship. This project aligns with the NSF?s mission to advance national health, prosperity, and welfare with science and technology. These outcomes could potentially generate a new generation of business owners that are dedicated to meaning and money through a double bottom-line approach to entrepreneurship. This project combines the educational work of finding purpose through self- help and the technology of 3-D video and augmented reality for the first time. This unique project provides free online live synchronous education combined with hybrid self-paced online course work to help individuals find meaningful self-employment solutions. This project utilizes a proprietary training method designed to quickly help individuals find their purpose in life and invent a useful business or nonprofit to solve problems in the world. This research can help students re-center their motivations to chart a meaningful life course through a business or nonprofit start-up. The curriculum starts with this activity and extends to provide students an opportunity to enter the marketplace through micro-enterprise or nonprofit creation. The courses will utilize predictive analytics to synthesize student data (such as the answers each student inputs for the four questions in the purpose activity). The data will be reorganized and automated into a clear and targeted purpose proposition statement for the student. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Drone Amplified, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Intelligent Drone Ignitions To Manage Fires
Contact
1811 S Pershing Rd
Lincoln, NE 68502–4840
NSF Award
1843735 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,999
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is the development of drone-based technology to manage fires more safely, efficiently, and effectively. Wildfires cause hundreds of billions of dollars in annual damages in the United States. As the size and number of wildfires increases, prescribed fires have emerged as one of the most cost-effective tools to reduce catastrophic damage by removing excess fuel for wildfires and controlling their evolution. Yet, to be most effective, prescribed fires require putting people in the proximity of fire and are often limited by the unavailability (due to cost or demand) of fast delivery mechanisms such as those provided by helicopters. This effort will result in technology that directly addresses both pain points by improving the intelligence of drone-based fire monitoring and ignition systems. This project has the potential to shape how fire management is conducted in the future, making it safer for fire personnel and enabling cost-effective prescribed fire practices that can help society to control catastrophic wildfires and better manage landscapes. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will enable the development of drone-based technology that will transform fire management. Current drone-based ignition and monitoring systems have the potential to change the field but are hampered by their extensive reliance on human controllers. This lack of automation limits these systems? potential applicability, scale, effectiveness, and unnecessarily increases their risk. The proposed work aims to make monitoring and ignition more intelligent and scalable through: 1) specialized machine learning pipelines to characterize fire fronts and identify ground assets; 2) light-weight fire simulation engine that can provide short-horizon prediction of the fire front evolution while executing on limited computer power; and 3) distributed planning algorithms that adjust the drone's trajectory and sphere drop strategy to manipulate fire intensity while keeping ground assets, vehicles, and personnel safe. These challenges are especially difficult to address given the harsh fire environment, the weight and power constraints of commercial drones preferred for these activities, and the integration of two distinct domains, drone navigation and fire management. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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ENANTIOSENSE LLC
SBIR Phase I: A chemical assay kit for the high-throughput screening of chiral amine enantiomeric excess
Contact
1900 SIMOND AVE APT 1064
Austin, TX 78723–4648
NSF Award
1843626 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project seeks to commercialize new sensor technologies that enable the rapid measurement of the handedness of molecular mixtures. Like screws and keys, many molecules possess a certain handedness that can be important when interacting with living systems. This issue is vital to pharmaceutical research, where one handed form of a drug may result in benefits while the opposite form may cause harmful side effects. Consequently, measuring the handedness of molecular mixtures is of paramount importance in modern pharmaceutical research. However, conventional approaches to making these measurements are often too slow for modern pharmaceutical discovery and development research where high-throughput experiments on hundreds or even thousands of samples per day are performed. This project aims to remove this bottleneck by leveraging a recently introduced new instrument and commercializing reagent kits that have been shown in academic laboratories to achieve a much faster and simpler method for measuring the handedness of molecular mixtures. Making this improved technology widely available to the greater research and development community has the potential to streamline drug development efforts at reduced cost and minimized waste production, which is expected to increase profit margins and create new jobs in research, development and manufacturing, resulting in substantial benefit to the health and economy of the United States. The innovation of this project comprises a series of optical sensors, developed during a decade of fundamental research in the participating laboratories, which will allow rapid eescreening of a variety of asymmetric reactions. The focus of this unprecedented enterprise is to validate selected sensors against pharmaceutically relevant compounds, determine the error of the optical assays by comparison with traditional techniques such as chiral HPLC, to evaluate the robustness in the presence of potential interferants, and to apply a sensor in the analysis of an asymmetric reaction using multi-well plate technology. The development of a user-friendly kit will include the testing of different methods for the creation of pre-dispensed dried sensors that can be reconstituted without leaving behind residues that might increase the error margin beyond a few percent which is generally acceptable for high-throughput screening applications. The final outcome will be a convenient mix-and-measure protocol that enables rapid analysis of hundreds of small-scale asymmetric reaction mixtures. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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ENERGYXCHAIN, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Transforming Complex Utility Transaction Management
Contact
13515 SERENITY ST
Huntersville, NC 28078–6569
NSF Award
1842614 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is empowering the 68 million U.S. natural gas consumers to know their transaction status in real time, have more and continual control of their transactions, settle transactions in increments less than the industry?s current monthly accounting cycle and enjoy an extremely high level of security. Their transaction cost will be reduced and speed increased, freeing industry capacity and resources to be employed elsewhere at greater value. This innovation will allow others in the natural gas industry to better consider transaction processes and themselves innovate - employing many minds on industry efficiency. This innovation will also have application to other industries characterized by multiple complex, multi-party transactions; particularly the electric utility industry and possibly providing the catalyst for more extensive deregulation and consumer control. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to discover how to transform complex natural gas utility transaction management processes using Blockchain innovations and related technologies across production, transmission, distribution and consumption functions. The United States utility industry has operated in its present physical form for more than a century. Over the past four decades the industry has evolved through various policy and regulatory actions to open transaction participation to thousands of parties. During the past two decades, digital technologies enabled transaction functions to talk to each other and perform some functions automatically. Despite this progress, utility transaction management processes are essentially those created decades ago. They still require significant human intervention, remain highly segmented and employ little digital intelligence and security technology available today. The various technologies now supporting the industry?s seven step transaction processes will be mapped, assessed for Blockchain technology application and then consolidated into a single platform. The key challenge is to create transformative technology integrating the numerous other existing technology applications and data exchange formats and protocols without succumbing to customization which then mutes the transformative nature of the innovation and renders it ineffective as a platform to subsequent industry innovation by multiple parties. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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ENVIROTRONICS, LLC
STTR Phase I: Self-powered underwater light system for photosynthetic cultures
Contact
8000 INNOVATION PARK DR BLDG 310
Baton Rouge, LA 70820–7400
NSF Award
1843399 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$211,834
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to transform the culture of photosynthetic aquatic microorganisms. Although microalgae and cyanobacteria have high volumetric productivities, the cultures cannot be too deep, due to restrictions of light penetration. This proposed technology removes the light penetration limit inherent in current technologies. The results of this project will allow the production of medical and food grade biomass in controlled conditions, as the light source will not be connected to the exterior of the culture reactors. This approach will provide the advantages of a fermentation production using phototrophic species, without the need to supply organic carbon. The photosynthetic biomass production makes use of carbon dioxide and light for growth. This project will result in a microalgal/cyanobacterial biomass production in areas where it is not currently feasible and with higher productivity. The increase of the depth of the cultures two, five or more times of what is currently possible, practically reduces the area required for biomass production. A reduction of cost will improve the economic outlook for microalgal-based commodity products, including feed, food, fuels, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals and lower the environmental impact. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project addresses one of the most significant problems found in achieving the promise of microalgae and cyanobacteria as source of food, fuels and other products is the limitation of light penetration. Most outdoor cultures are limited to less than 60 cm depth. In reactors with artificial light, besides the light penetration high electrical costs limit their use to high value products. This project will result in a light system that takes advantage of the water movement in cultures to generate electricity for LED lights in untethered units that move with the culture. The proposed generator uses methods more efficient and lighter that traditional electromagnetic and piezoelectric generators. The developed energy harvester can be used in other applications such as power for water quality monitoring and other sensing equipment. In this phase, a unit with a miniaturized energy harvester coupled with passive switching, charging, discharging and rectifying modules in the same substrate, in a waterproof casing will be developed. Data proof of the suitability of these units to support photosynthetic microorganisms? biomass production will be obtained. The results will inform further development of the units in a future phase. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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EQUILIBRIA LEADERSHIP CONSULTING LLC
SBIR Phase I: Young Leader Project
Contact
525 S 4TH ST STE 471
Philadelphia, PA 19147–1582
NSF Award
1842707 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$223,996
Start / end date
01/01/2019 – 12/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project will provide children ages 7-11 years with an interactive learning program that cultivates core leadership skills. This project goes deeper than many traditional socio-emotional programs by fortifying children with the behavioral skills and mindset they need to evolve as effective leaders. The educational curriculum was developed by psychologists who specialize in leadership development, and is based on cutting-edge child developmental, leadership, and educational research. This project aims to research the engagement and effectiveness of the program and its ability to enhance ten core leadership behaviors in youth, at home, in the community, and in academic settings. This program has the potential to make a long-term impact on the next generation of youth, promoting resilience in the face of adverse events, such as school violence and cyberbullying, and to positively shape the next generation of leaders, helping them form lifelong commitments to personal and professional development. The project has philanthropic aspirations to make the educational curriculum available to all children and schools, regardless of socio-economic standing, supporting the mission of NSF to promote the health, prosperity and welfare of the nation through science. This project is focused on the development of an interactive leadership program for children, that is proven to make a positive impact on leadership behaviors and that is also fun and engaging for youth and their adult caregivers and educators. What sets this program apart from others is that the research will provide evidence that the program builds the critical skills it intends on developing in children. The program is designed to be self-led or facilitated by an adult caregiver or educator, either using an online platform or physical materials. As children move from one leadership competency to another, they are extrinsically and intrinsically rewarded for their efforts. Adult caregivers and educators are encouraged to participate and are provided mastery building exercises that help them take the child?s leadership understanding and skill to the next level. A database has been developed to track real-time participant feedback as curriculum elements are developed. The testing of educational content will focus on three aspects, which include maximizing content appropriateness, validating learning and skill retention, and assessing variances and preferences for mode of delivery. Results will be used to make modifications to the curriculum and product design for commercialization. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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EQUILO INC.
SBIR Phase I: Using big data, AI, and machine learning in gender equality and social inclusion analysis
Contact
1780 E 1338 RD
Lawrence, KS 66044–9189
NSF Award
1843248 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,814
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to enable economic development aid organizations to plan, implement, measure, and achieve better gender equality and social inclusion outcomes. Gender equality is recognized as an important factor in catalyzing development and lifting communities out of poverty. Empowered women contribute to healthy and productive families, communities, and nations. An important step in doing this is to integrate high quality and timely gender analysis (examination of how differences in gender roles, activities, needs, and opportunities affect men, women, girls and boys in specific contexts), into decision-making and project planning. For both public and private sectors, early, action-oriented gender analysis is vital to tackle improve outcomes. In 2015 - 2016, OECD aid agencies spent, on average, $41.7 billion per year targeting gender equality and women's empowerment. Conservatively estimating that 3-5% of this expenditure is for gender analysis and action planning, that makes a market of $1.3-2.1 billion in the development sector alone. This project can potentially improve outcomes from that development funding. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to develop and test a web-based application that automates the currently manual process of conducting gender analyses. This addresses a real world challenge faced by aid organizations to effectively integrate gender analyses into planning to inform effective and timely decision-making. Despite being a requirement by many organizations, there are procurement and contract delays, shortage of gender experts, and manual research and data collection. This project will develop a machine learning model that leverages big data, APIs, and text-mining, driven by an analytic framework created by experts, to automate this process and deliver customized results instantly for a fraction of the cost. Phase I will build, train, and test the model for one sector and select countries. By the end of Phase I, the model will be tested and iterated to meet high quality control standards. Once validated, it will be ready to scale globally across sectors. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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ETC SOLAR LLC
SBIR Phase I: Development of printing process of effectively transparent contacts (ETCs) for III-V, thin-film and silicon solar cells.
Contact
1047 LAGUNA AVE
Los Angeles, CA 90026–4220
NSF Award
1844090 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$218,237
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 08/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to boost the power output of solar cells by 5-6% and reduce manufacturing costs by ~5%. By commercializing the proposed effectively transparent contact (ETC) technology the levelized costs of electricity (LCOE) of solar energy systems could be dramatically reduced, resulting in accelerated adoption of solar energy to address greenhouse gas emission and to become independent of fossil fuels. Improving power output of solar cells is one of the most effective means to drive down LCOE, and the ETC technology is broadly applicable to improve the power output of nearly all types of solar cells. Lower-cost solar cells can also be expected to benefit the developing world as well as disadvantaged communities that lack access to the power grid. In the near term, the proposed ETC technology will unlock higher power output and new applications for III-V photovoltaics, which are used predominantly in aerospace, defense, high performance consumer electronics and automotive. These rapidly growing markets require higher power output solar cells to add functionality (RADAR, LIDAR and surveillance) by increasing the payload capacity that is currently limited by the available space to mount the solar cells. The proposed project will demonstrate the commercial viability of the ETC technology by demonstrating a new world record solar cell and scalable fabrication on commercial III-V solar cells. Metal contacts are required for charge extraction from solar cells, typically covering 5-6% of the front surface and blocking sunlight from reaching the photovoltaic material below. These losses due to blocking of incoming sunlight by the metal contacts are the largest single contribution to the performance loss in most solar cells. The proposed ETC technology eliminates these losses and thereby boost the solar cell power output by 5-6%. The ETC technology has been demonstrated at lab scale and is world's highest performing front contact technology. During the research project, ETCs will be integrated with commercial III-V solar cells supplied by prospective initial customers and world-leading research partners. The technical viability of ETCs will be established by achieving dramatic improvements in cell efficiency for each cell type, whereas the commercial viability will be established by successfully integrating the ETCs using techniques, materials, and tools suitable for commercial scale-up. Completion of these objectives will accelerate the efforts to commercialize the ETC technology, which will broadly increase power output and reduce cost of solar energy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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EXOTANIUM, INC.
SBIR Phase I: X-Containers: Fast, Secure Containers for a Cloud-Native World
Contact
154 LEXINGTON DR
Ithaca, NY 14850–1719
NSF Award
1842846 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,967
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to improve security of cloud computing without sacrificing performance and cost efficiency. Cloud computing has proven to be a disruptive technology in the Information Technology (IT) sector, and the application container market is a rapidly growing segment of this sector. Although containers provide a simpler and more efficient apparatus to host applications in the cloud, there are important problems to address, such as weak security isolation, low kernel compatibility, and poor kernel customization. Security is the most common concern because one infected kernel can affect a multitude of containers. So far, each organization that has adopted container applications has been required to independently ensure their own security. One study found that a majority (54% of participants) ran containers on top of virtual machines (VMs) for security isolation, which sacrifices performance and cost efficiency. Thus, there is a significant need to provide a container architecture that supports greater security without sacrificing performance and cost efficiency. This project addresses this urgent need, and the resulting technology can be applied broadly to domains such as cloud computing, Information Technology (IT) infrastructures, Network Function Virtualization (NFV), etc. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will further improve usability, security, and efficiency of a novel software application container architecture, so that it can be easily deployed and evaluated by customers. While the current platform can run Docker containers without modifications, it is incompatible with the Docker and Kubernetes orchestration platforms, which is a probable obstacle to adoption for many container users and developers. The novel containers can run unmodified iterations of existing applications and automatically optimize performance of many applications by patching the binary during runtime. However, it is challenging to handle complicated scenarios in the application binary, and a more sophisticated technique is required to further improve the coverage of the automatic binary optimization module. Due to the licensing requirements of some of the software the novel container platform is based on, the research prototype is run open-source. The goal of this project is to address these limitations and challenges through five major objectives: support Docker and Kubernetes ecosystem compatibility; improve automatic binary optimization coverage; re-design the platform to avoid open-source license violations; further improve security; develop an automatic installation tool and a product demonstration. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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EXPERCOIN LLC
SBIR Phase I: Expercoin Republics: Protocol for AI-Powered Decentralized Learning Economies on Blockchain
Contact
42 GREENWOOD RD
Hopkinton, MA 01748–3111
NSF Award
1843169 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,788
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is that it will reskill those being displaced by the disruption caused by the impending AI and automation that is sweeping every industry. By providing training and fully integrated career services platforms at significantly lower cost than traditional models, Expercoin Republics will make education more accessible to organizations seeking to upskill their employees and professionals looking to reskill. According to Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen, 50% of all American colleges are bound for bankruptcy in the next few decades. Due to the rapid pace of technological change and new employment requirements, we are moving away from credentialing to continuous learning. This project will allow organizations of all kinds to use its protocol to create expert networks and content platforms, while leveraging tokens to reward participation among their users. 400 to 800 million people globally need to be reskilled. This is estimated to translate to $8.5 trillion in unrealized revenue due to lack of talent by 2030. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to embrace a novel intellectual approach and business model that empowers employees and employers through upskilling, continuous learning, and skill verification. The mission of Expercoin Republics is to instantly allow anyone to create a specialized community with marketplaces for training, assessments, mentorship and work opportunities. Expercoin will use blockchain to create decentralized autonomous organizations that advance learning and facilitate employment through the creation of thousands of specialized learning communities. A notable achievement of Expercoin would be to create the underlying infrastructure that helps businesses and governments launch learning economies that consist of self-regulated decentralized entities with features such as transparent voting, effective governance, fraud adjudication, spam prevention, account verification and rewards. An Expercoin token will provide a wide range of functions necessary to create a decentralized economy that is not governed by any central authority. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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EarthSense, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: TerraSentia: Ultra-compact, Autonomous, Teachable Under-canopy Phenotyping Robot for Plant Breeders and Crop Scientists
Contact
60 Hazelwood Drive
Champaign, IL 61820–7460
NSF Award
1820332 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
Broader Impacts: The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project include improving food security, while at the same time enhancing the economic viability and environmental sustainability of large-scale production agriculture. In order to improve crop varieties, agricultural production, and sustainability of farming, there is an urgent need for better technologies to acquire under-canopy plant trait and health data. Examples of high-value under-canopy data include emergence, stem width, corn ear height, plant life-cycle events like flowering and fruiting, and symptoms of pathogens, diseases, and nutrient deficiency. Because these data cannot be obtained by aerial imaging, under-canopy data collection has dramatically greater actionability and value compared to aerial data. However no cost-effective, scalable ways of collecting this data are currently available. In fact, the state of the art is manual data collection by crop scientists (and their students or interns), agronomists, crop-scouts or farmers - an extremely labor intensive, and therefore expensive way of collecting this highly valuable data. Our work will greatly enhance the availability of under-canopy data from field crops. The commercial value of the field data for crop breeding is in excess of $50 Million/year for breeding major row-crops in the US. Intellectual Merits: This SBIR Phase I project will demonstrate the technical feasibility of autonomously collecting under-canopy data from field crops using TerraSentia, our low-cost ground robot. In preliminary work, we have built the robot hardware, demonstrated its ability to collect high-value plant data from row-crop fields, and analyze it to generate plant-trait information. In the proposed work, we will enable and demonstrate the ability of TerraSentia to collect data autonomously throughout the season. We will demonstrate the technical feasibility of fusing information from low-cost LIDAR, GPS, and vision. We will also demonstrate the feasibility using real-time control algorithms to adapt camera perspective and robot path in order to obtain the highest quality information from the complex and dynamic under- canopy field environments. These high-risk innovations will together enable long-term deployment of TerraSentia for effective data collection and phenotyping, benefiting crop scientists and agricultural product development professionals. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Eden GeoPower, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Directional Permeability Enhancement Using Electric Well Treatment
Contact
444 Somerville Avenue
Somerville, MA 02143–0000
NSF Award
1820135 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is a system that provides improved reservoir productivity through a novel, inexpensive, and environmentally friendly method. This method will use an electric impulse to increase reservoir permeability, and decrease industry reliance on alternative methods like hydraulic fracturing, which requires hazardous chemicals to be pumped into the subsurface. Residents in regions where fracking techniques are utilized have commonly been impacted by induced seismicity and landslides as a consequence of pumped in chemicals lubricating faults, making earth ruptures more likely to occur. Additionally, the material and operation time for reservoir stimulation techniques makes the current process expensive. The ability to increase permeability with an electric impulse will avoid the environmental concerns associated with current methods, and will proved a cost competitive reservoir stimulation solution due to a short operational time. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop a novel low-frequency impulse method (LFIM) that increases reservoir permeability for petroleum and geothermal applications, without requiring pumping of material into the subsurface. Fluid mobility is increased due to viscosity reduction and reservoir permeability is increased in the direction of interest from the vibrational removal of particles within sediment pores. This program will 1) simulate the processes taking place in the reservoir using computer simulation model, 2) perform experimental analysis of the effects of the electric treatment on different core samples, and 3) determine applicability of the method to different types of the reservoirs located in the United States. Therefore, this project will identify the optimum sites, where LFIM can boost geothermal performance and oil & gas production. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Embark Medical
SBIR Phase I: A Diagnostic Catheter for Treating Obstructions/Occlusions Within a Body Lumen or Vessel
Contact
2934 Scott Boulevard
Santa Clara, CA 95054–3312
NSF Award
1843246 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 10/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project intends to design and develop an innovative medical device solution that can potentially save $1.16B to the overall US healthcare system by reducing the procedural time and decreasing the number of catheters and devices used in Peripheral Vascular lnterven6on procedures. Lower extremity peripheral arterial disease affects more than 8 million people in the United States alone. The annual healthcare expenditure spent on treating peripheral arterial disease is $4.37B. Since 2008, US Center for Medicare and Medicaid has been stressing for greater efficiency and lowering costs for Peripheral Vascular Intervention. Commonly performed Peripheral Vascular Intervention procedures in the CathLab, to treat PAD, encounter loss of guidewire access. This complication is amplified in the case of difficult to cross stenotic lesions and, in many cases, is frustrating for the physician as they have to spend several hours/procedures trying to regain guidewire access. Guidewire access is the key for a successful procedural outcome. The Project intends to reduce Peripheral Vascular Intervention cost by improving procedural efficiency by eliminating guidewire/catheter exchanges in current practice thereby reducing Cath Lab overhead costs and by reducing procedure time and effort required to acquire a good quality angiographic image. An important ancillary benefit of the innovation is that the radiation exposure to the healthcare providers and the patient can potentially be minimized due to the decreased fluoroscopic activity. The project aims to continue beyond SBIR Phase I to become a commercial product and be the standard of care for Peripheral Vascular Intervention procedures. This SBIR Phase I project is for the design and development of a .014-inch guidewire compatible low profile PTA balloon catheter with a proprietary contrast injection mechanism. This product is ideal for performing PTA interventions in difficult anatomical spaces e.g. below-the-knee peripheral vasculature. The proprietary inflation and injection system allows for treatment visualization without needing catheter exchanges or loss of guidewire access. The output of the Project intends to provide focused and sharper visualization along the entire treatment length and allows for judicious usage of radiopaque contrast in contrast sensitive patients. A feasibility prototype of the concept was tested in an animal model with promising results. The SBIR Phase I project is focused on overcoming technical challenges to design and develop the unique device design to maintain a statistically significant rated burst pressure, develop and evaluate device bond joints per ISO standard 10555-1 2013, Sterile Single Use Intravascular catheters, develop the manufacturing process and tools, to integrate the catheter multi functionality. The Project intends to design and fabricate a test fixture to simulate clinical usage of the Innovative device per FDA Class II Guidance Controls for Percutaneous Transluminal Balloon Catheters and confirm that the catheter satisfies customer requirements. The Development efforts as part of SBIR Phase I project involve utilization of iterative design process. 3-dimensional design modeling and optimization, creation of a test fixture to simulate clinical usage, iterative prototyping and testing efforts to ensure the desired device specifications are met. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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EnerMat Technologies, Inc.
STTR Phase I: Manganese Oxide-Carbon Nanosheet Anodes for Extreme High Power Lithium Ion Batteries
Contact
51 Orchardview Drive
Clifton Park, NY 12065–3810
NSF Award
1819877 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
08/01/2018 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) project is the advancement of improved lithium ion batteries. The project will evaluate new battery chemistry enabling more rapid charging rates then currently available in the worldwide energy storage marketplace. Such high power density batteries would cater to a major emerging battery segment where current lithium ion battery technologies fall dramatically short. Successful development of this innovation will provide benefits to both current and future applications. Clearly, large scale deployment of a markedly superior energy storage device will have significant societal benefits by accelerating the move away from fossil fuel in many applications and products. For instance, a viable regenerative braking energy storage technology based on the proposed technology would result in a tremendous reduction in electricity used by subway trains, with a concomitant reduction of CO2 emissions. This STTR Phase I project proposes to address the core of the microstructure - performance relations in energy storing materials, answering a series of fundamental questions regarding how a charge carrier is reversibly or irreversibly stored at high rates in manganese oxide - carbon nanocomposite anodes. In conventional LIBs, it is the graphite-based anode that limits charging rates, with catastrophic lithium metal plating and dendrite growth occurring at increased currents. It is expected that many of the existing "Graphite - Inherited" paradigms regarding fast rate in anodes would be done away with, or substantially redefined with the proposed approach for designing high power lithium ion batteries based on an inexpensive hemp-derived carbon nanosheets and nanostructured manganese oxide anodes. A much clearer understanding of the synthesis - structure - property relations in such nanocomposites will have wide-reaching scientific and technological implications. Research and development activities will focus on structural optimization and manufacturing scalability along with fabrication and testing of near-commercial pouch cell form factors in order to demonstrate device-level performance and commercial viability of the proposed technology. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Enertia Microsystems Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Commercialization of low-cost micro birdbath resonant gyroscope
Contact
2972 Barclay Way
Ann Arbor, MI 48105–9463
NSF Award
1819893 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,903
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercialization potential of this project is to address the need for a small, low-cost, and high-accuracy angular rate and angular orientation sensor (also known as a gyroscope) for a wide range of applications. Gyroscopes are desired by many emerging applications such as inertial measurement units for small satellites such as CubeSats, autonomous vehicles, drones, and high-end wearable electronics. These applications require a gyroscope with a similar price (< $10) but ~10,000 times better accuracy than those currently used in smartphones. The birdbath resonator gyroscope (BRG) is a novel micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) gyroscope with a strong potential to satisfy the needs of these applications due to significantly better resonance quality and mechanical symmetry than current silicon gyroscopes. The economic impact of BRGs will be enormous since many industries can utilize high-performance gyroscopes to monitor the dynamics of their systems, provide positional awareness, and improve the performance of other parts of these systems. Availability of low-cost and high-performance gyroscopes will enable users to further understand their applications and explore their limits and applicability across a broad range of societal needs. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop a new batch-level microfabrication technology to enable the commercialization of low-cost, very high-performance MEMS gyroscope from fused-silica. Gyroscopes available today are either accurate but large and expensive (example: hemispherical resonator gyroscope), or small and cheap but inaccurate (example: smartphone gyroscopes). High-accuracy silicon MEMS gyroscopes in research are small and accurate but expensive. This is because silicon has fundamentally low mechanical resonance quality factor (Q) so it is difficult to manufacture high-accuracy gyroscopes with a high yield. The BRG is a gyroscope made from fused-silica and capable of having low cost, small size, and high performance. Its fused silica micro mechanical resonator can achieve significantly higher Q than silicon, which allows the BRG to be manufactured with a high yield. The BRG fabrication process uses a blowtorch to reflow-mold a fused silica substrate into three-dimensional hollow shells with dimensions of several 10s of micrometers to several millimeters with high geometrical accuracy. The proposed research will significantly enhance our understanding of the relationships among size, design, and process on the performance of the BRG as well as the relationship among detailed process parameters, yield and reproducibility on cost. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Engaging Education Inc
SBIR Phase I: Increasing Student Engagement with Scalable Project-based Learning
Contact
74 Middlefield Rd
Atherton, CA 94027–3020
NSF Award
1843358 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project is dedicated to building a scalable project-based learning education technology platform. The technology in this project is based on a chatbot that sustains ongoing, interdisciplinary conversations with each student. The platform is designed to provide middle school students with curriculum materials that expose them to authentic and engaging real-world problems that, over the course of weeks or months, come together to form a cohesive response to a project prompt. The goal of this project is to build and refine this new form of eLearning platform that has the potential to greatly improve engagement and learning outcomes, especially for low-income and minority students. This goal will be achieved by making the standards-aligned educational content meaningful and relevant to the interests of students and by catering the instructional materials to each individual student's skill level so they can move through the materials at their own pace towards mastery. To measure the impact of this technology on student outcomes, this project will involve state-of-the-art efficacy research in accordance with guidelines in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). This SBIR Phase I project is concerned with developing a forward-looking education platform built around a chatbot that sustains long term, goals-oriented conversations powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and based on a decision tree architecture. The highly-customized chatbot is designed to make project-based learning scalable by empowering students to choose and customize their own project theme from a set of options, and then providing conversational explanations and practice questions that illustrate how Common Core standards apply to the student?s project. This research undertaking will involve developing and training custom neural networks to interpret student responses and questions. It will also involve developing algorithms that correctly identify each student's level of reading comprehension and, independently, conceptual understanding. With an understanding of the student's level, another algorithm will be developed that selects the appropriate materials and resources at the student?s reading comprehension level. These algorithms will be refined through user testing and a preliminary study of the efficacy of this education intervention will be tested in a correlational study with statistical controls. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Ernest Pharmaceuticals
SBIR Phase I: A bacterial intracellular delivery platform for liver cancer
Contact
2 Ladyslipper Ln.
Hadley, MA 01035–3512
NSF Award
1819794 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/01/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project develops a bacterial platform for intracellular drug delivery to solid tumors, with a primary focus on liver cancer. Every year, 30,000 men and women are diagnosed with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which has a 5-year survival rate of 17.6 %. The prognosis for these patients is poor. Currently, there are no curative treatments for these patients. The current standard-of-care only increases overall survival by months and has toxic side effects, with a cost to the US healthcare system of $1.5B per year. This technology is based on the inherent feature of bacteria to colonize solid tumors throughout the body in ratios of 100,000 to 1 compared to healthy tissue. Due to this specificity, the developed bacterial platform has the potential to increase dosage specifically in tumors, while reducing toxic side effects in healthy tissues. This platform will be a toolbox that can target intracellular pathways that are currently considered undruggable and deliver potent doses of biologicals directly into tumor cells. The affinity of bacteria for solid tumors, independent of organ localization, enables the extension of this delivery method to other hard-to-treat tumor types, such as pancreas, ovarian and gastric cancer. Systemic cancer therapies have many obstacles, such as stability in the blood, traversing the cellular membrane, internalization and endosomal release. These processes impede the use of RNAi and peptides in humans and hamper the targeting of intracellular pathways with monoclonal antibodies. The development of a bacterial drug delivery platform can optimize drug potency in tumors and reduce side effects in healthy tissue. In this SBIR phase I, efficacy of this platform will be measured in HCC by targeting intracellular pathways essential for cell survival, for which no systemic therapy exists. A bacterial strain will be created according to FDA guidelines that can be manufactured reliably without loss of activity. An optimized preservation protocol will be developed to ensure maximal bacterial fitness and maximal delivery efficacy after administration. This bacterial delivery system has the potential to accelerate the translation of fundamental cancer research into clinical therapies. Discoveries could be genetically translated directly into protein, antibody or shRNA therapies that regulate mammalian gene expression and function. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Everix, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Thermal Drawing of Hybrid Organic-InorganicMulti-Material Dielectric Filters
Contact
2372 N. Forsyth Rd.
Orlando, FL 32807–5304
NSF Award
1843789 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 10/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to provide high-performance light filtering at a level that potentially affects all people in the world. Inexpensive high-performance light filters allow for early detection of cancer and infection by bringing the highest-precision technologies such as fluorescence microscopy and sensing to portable, consumer diagnostic devices. They also make sensors in self-driving cars and other intelligent devices of the future to detect objects in the surroundings more accurately by eliminating the undesired light noise from the ambient and focusing on the target frequencies of light only. Batteries of future mobile devices may also last up to 20% longer due to more efficient light energy management in display units that become possible with low-cost, large-scale optical filters.?Finally,?the anticipated lower manufacturing cost at high volume will allow for more high-tech manufacturing jobs to remain in the US. The proposed project will establish the technical feasibility of using a novel multi-material, micro- and nano-layered film production process in order to produce visible and near-infrared thin-film optical filters. The time and cost requirements of conventional, deposition-based production techniques of such filters are a significant barrier to market growth and commercial acceptance of their broad range of uses. In order to address this market gap, this project will investigate the elements necessary for consistent production of filters made of hybrid organic/inorganic materials using the novel process of thermal drawing. This investigation will cover methods of integration and handling of hybrid organic-inorganic materials in the thermal drawing process as well as understanding and controlling fluidic instabilities at interfaces to obtain filter uniformity and integrity. The results of the proposed research will determine whether the novel thermal drawing process, in conjunction with developed materials and handling techniques, can reliably generate high-performance visible and near infrared filters at scale. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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FARMSENSE INC.
SBIR Phase I: Inexpensive Automatic Classification And Counting Of Insects To Enable Precision Agriculture
Contact
786 NAVAJO DR
Riverside, CA 92507–6018
NSF Award
1843998 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,968
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 11/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is in improving crop yields, while reducing the amount of pesticides used. By significantly improving the accuracy and timeliness of insect surveillance, we will allow more effective pest management, allowing the applications of insect interventions to be targeted in space and time. For example, rather than a blanket spraying of harsh pesticides across the entire field, our system could suggest spraying of a milder (and cheaper) pesticide in just a few "hot spots", at the optimal time of day. Reducing the volume of pesticides has further positive benefits to society at large, it will reduce pollution, and the use of pesticides has been implicated as a contributor to climate change and to colony collapse disorder. The hardware/algorithms/representations/data-models created in this project have an obvious application to mosquito surveillance, which has implications for control of insect vectored diseases of both humans and livestock. The commercial potential of this SBIR Phase I project is obvious. Insects damage or destroy about 150 billion dollars' worth of crops each year. If we prevent reduce this by just one percent, we have a billion-dollar market. The proposed project will investigate techniques to improve the state-of-the-art in flying insect classification, with the goal of producing a platform that allows insect surveillance for precision agriculture. In particular, we will take the current algorithms and representations (many of which were invented by the current PIs) and make them invariant to the wide range of conditions (temperature, pressure, humidity) encountered in the field. The company's research has shown that without creating such invariances, the variability induced by changing environment conditions will swamp the regularities in the features that are currently exploited by classification algorithms, and reduce the accuracy to random guessing. It is well understood how temperature, pressure, humidity effect air density, and how air density effects insect flight. However, the current models treat the insects as idealized objects using aerospace equations for density vs. lift and completely ignore the effects of the environment on insect physiology. The company plans to achieve this by creating a model that compensates for environmental conditions. To achieve these ambitious goals, they plan to use machine learning to learn the appropriate invariances and model corrections. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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FLUIDION US Inc.
SBIR Phase I: e-CHEM: A fully-autonomous connected in-situ chemical sensor
Contact
396 S San Marino Ave
Pasadena, CA 91107–5050
NSF Award
1747293 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project addresses a great demand for in-situ chemical sensor technology with ability to (1) Measure with high resolution the environmental footprint of agricultural and urban development, and (2) Identify potential safety issues related to drinking water quality. High concentrations of nutrients (e.g. nitrate, nitrite, orthophosphate) in surface waters are the source of environmental, public health, and economic issues. Active monitoring of nutrient concentrations in surface waters such as estuaries, lakes and rivers is critical in assessing their health and implementing timely action to minimize ecosystem degradation. This SBIR project aims at developing a disruptive new type of highly miniaturized autonomous water quality chemical sensor, that can be operated remotely and autonomously, has minimal installation and maintenance requirements, is capable of performing thousands of measurements directly in-situ, in both reagent-based and reagent-less configuration, on a single battery charge. Applications that will greatly benefit from such sensors range from scientific research, to estimating nutrient loads, establishing discharge limits, predicting eutrophication conditions and demonstrating compliance with regulatory reporting requirements. Independently, the drinking water industry has its own requirements for autonomous chemical sensors for monitoring reservoirs and distribution networks, optimizing treatment processes and identifying tank nitrification issues early-on. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to achieve the highest level of miniaturization and functionality attempted in a commercial water quality sensor. The core innovation of this proposed e-CHEM system is in the microfluidic chemical analysis module, combining a novel highly-efficient mixing mechanism to homogenize minute volumes of reagent with the fluid sample with a microfluidic implementation of dual reagent-based and reagent-less chemical measurement capability, the possibility of controlling relevant chemical reactions in-situ via precise on-chip temperature management, and finally the potential of overcoming the important hurdle of bio-fouling via novel surface nano-engineering. The parameters measured will include a selection from: ortho-phosphates, nitrites, nitrates, dissolved organic carbon, total and/or free chlorine, free ammonia, and pH. The system will include bidirectional wireless telemetry to enable automatic alert generation and data transmission to remote servers for visualization, analysis and interpretation. Target accuracy and response times are superior to traditional measurement techniques due to full process automation, elimination of sample degradation and transit times, reduction of human error, and automatic data centralization.
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FOLIA WATER, INC.
SBIR Phase I: Affordable point-of-use water disinfection through mass-produced nano-silver embedded paper filters
Contact
1401 FORBES AVE STE 302
Pittsburgh, PA 15219–5152
NSF Award
1843411 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2019 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The proposed broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is the reduction of waterborne disease from drinking water in low-income populations. 2.1 billion people drink fecally-contaminated water, 50% of hospitalization in developing countries are due to waterborne diseases, and contaminated drinking water causes >500,000 diarrheal deaths each year. Low-income populations not only pay for water, but pay anywhere from 30% to 10 times more in absolute terms than the wealthy. This proposed technical innovation will provide: a consumer packaged goods water filter, i.e. a product priced as a consumable and sold through food/beverage retail grocery stores. This is a different business model than water filters which are sold as durable good appliances through specialty stores. If successful a new consumer water filter category reaching a fraction of 2.1 B people has potential to represent a $1B+ category. This proposed project would bring the innovation closer to commercialization by creating a more robust performing antimicrobial filter paper through challenge water stress testing. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop a nano-silver antimicrobial filter paper through mass-production methods, e.g. paper machines, that is formulated to be biocidal in a wide variety of water sources. Technical hurdles include the reliability of technology scaling, developing frameworks for quality and stress testing, broader antimicrobial efficacy, and longer use life. The project goals include engineering a paper formulation with increased silver uptake, more uniform nanoparticle synthesis, synergistic antimicrobial chemicals, and reliable filter paper pore size and flow rate. The project plan to address these technical challenges include rigorous stress testing with specific challenge chemicals and high microbial loads, development of new formulations based on adding synergistic antimicrobial chemicals, absorbent chemicals to increase silver uptake, and process variations in the operation of the paper machine (speed, temperature, pressing, etc). These experiments will require new formulations to be evaluated following the same quality and stress tests with each iteration at the bench scale and pilot scale. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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FORCAST ORTHOPEDICS INC
SBIR Phase I: Antibiotic Dispensing Spacer for improved treatment of PJI in TKA
Contact
6224 TREVARTON DR
Longmont, CO 80503–9095
NSF Award
1842958 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,872
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 10/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project will help to address a critical need for patients who have suffered an infection in a total knee replacement joint. Unfortunately, doctors have few good options for effectively treating this type of infection to avoid the potential for limb amputation or even death should the infection persist and spread. Today, treatment requires surgical replacement of part or all of the existing implant while using oral or intravenous antibiotics. Due to the capsule around the joint (isolated from blood vessels) these methods deliver marginal amounts of antibiotic within the knee where the bacteria reside. Patients suffer elongated treatment, many times without the use of their knee, waiting for the bacterial infection to slowly resolve. ForCast Orthopedics' Antibiotic Dispensing Knee Spacer provides a refillable reservoir within the artificial knee that can distribute antibiotic directly into the knee capsule for effective infection treatment. Physicians can prescribe the antibiotic most appropriate for the bacteria diagnosed. The patient returns to the doctor's office once per week for a checkup and antibiotic refill injection until the infection is cured. No follow up surgery is required. Duplicating the antibiotic delivery of previous successful clinical studies (using representative but intolerable daily injections) should result in similar highly successful patient outcomes, reduced patient suffering and reduced healthcare costs. This SBIR Phase I project addresses an underserved clinical need for improved treatment of Periprosthetic Joint Infection (PJI). Today, doctors have few good options for treatment to avoid the potential for limb amputation or even death should PJI persist and spread. All methods require surgical debridement and replacement of part or all of the existing implant (to reduce bacterial load) while using oral or intravenous antibiotics that cannot reach the remaining bacteria within the knee capsule (blood/synovial fluid barrier). Temporary eluting antibiotic spacers and beads are too short lived. Patients suffer elongated treatment, many times without a load-bearing knee. ForCast Orthopedics is developing an Antibiotic Dispensing Spacer (AD Spacer) to replace the standard spacer in a total knee implant. The AD Spacer provides a refillable reservoir to hold the antibiotic of choice for the bacteria identified and a delivery system to maintain a therapeutic concentration within the knee for the entire therapy duration, typically a minimum of 6 weeks. As a permanent spacer, no further surgery is required after treatment. Emulating the delivery characteristics of previously successful clinical studies (using intolerable daily injections) should result in similar highly successful patient outcomes, reduced morbidity and reduced total cost of care. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Ferric Contrast, Inc.
STTR Phase I: Relaxivity mechanisms of Fe(III) MRI contrast agents
Contact
Baird Research Park
Amherst, NY 14228–2710
NSF Award
1746556 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 04/30/2019
Abstract
This STTR Phase I project will undertake the development of iron coordination complexes as alternatives for gadolinium contrast agents which are currently used in clinical MRI diagnostic exams. New MRI contrast agents are needed to serve the segment of the population who cannot tolerate Gd(III) agents. This includes patients with kidney disease and those who have frequent MRI scans and may accumulate Gd(III). The proposed research involves the study of new trivalent iron coordination complexes based on those initially studied in the co-PI?s university laboratory. New iron complexes will be prepared and studied as contrast agents in live mice to improve characteristics of the agents such as clearance from the body. Fundamental studies of the iron complexes will add to the body of knowledge on the paramagnetic properties of iron. For the most promising Fe(III) contrast agents, the synthetic procedures will be adapted for large scale preparation and purity determination. Iron MRI contrast agents may also be beneficial to society by reducing gadolinium in water supply. Furthermore, iron as an abundant element is less expensive and more readily available in the USA than is gadolinium. The commercialization of iron MRI contrast agents will create jobs in chemical manufacturing, sales, and in health-related occupations. The lead Fe(III) coordination complex on which this project is based produces longitudinal (T1) relaxivity of water protons that rival clinically used Gd(III) complexes at 4.7 Tesla, both under in vitro conditions and also in live mice. Importantly, these complexes contain macrocyclic ligands that stabilize iron in the trivalent state (negative redox potentials versus NHE) and do not produce reactive oxygen species even in the presence of ascorbate as a reductant and peroxide. The importance of outersphere water and innersphere water interactions will be studied by varying the coordinating pendent groups on the macrocyclic ligand which is bound to Fe(III). The ancillary group will be varied to increase binding to serum proteins and to modify the clearance route of the contrast agents either through kidneys or through hepatobiliary routes. The complexes will be optimized for kinetic inertness towards release of iron under biologically relevant conditions. Toxicity studies in cell culture will be carried out on each of the new complexes. This research will focus on both pilot scale preparation for the study of the Fe(III) complexes in vitro and also on larger scale preparations and HPLC analysis of the most promising new derivatives. In vivo MRI scans in mice on a 4.7 T scanner will be used to track the distribution and clearance of the iron contrast agents as a function of time.
Errata
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ForgeWorks, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Digital Loft--An online platform for innovation education
Contact
2040 Sherman Ave
Evanston, IL 60201–3245
NSF Award
1843776 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,982
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project will develop educational technologies to better train university students to innovate. To become innovators, students must gain practice solving real-world problems, such as reducing hospital acquired infections, narrowing education achievement gaps or reducing poverty. However, universities struggle to provide the labor intensive, face-to-face coaching necessary for student innovators to tackle real-world problems. This project develops a novel online project-based learning platform that helps instructors more effectively coach innovation project teams. The platform allows instructors to (a) create libraries of project goals to help students plan, (b) collaboratively author and remix design guides to help students develop technical skills, and (c) crowdsource large group, face-to-face critique to provide feedback on in-progress innovation work. The research and development in this project focus on overcoming the technical risks associated with creating the software libraries necessary to create new project-based learning platforms and supporting the complex computer-supported collaborative learning interactions necessary to achieve desired learning outcomes. By developing the technologies necessary to enable more effective project-based learning, this project will improve university education and create a more capable innovation workforce better able to tackle societal challenges. This SBIR Phase I project will conduct research and development of the Loft platform, which combines a novel project-based learning environment, social media platform, and software components to transform how universities train social innovators. Technical risks in this project stem from software engineering, learning sciences, and computer-supported cooperative work obstacles associated with creating novel software platforms to enable new pedagogical strategies that achieve more effective learning outcomes in project-based learning environments. Software libraries will include a more powerful and flexible set of components for creating complex object hierarchies and social media interfaces required for rapid development of the crowdsourcing and real-time collaborative editing features needed for online project-based learning platforms. The platform will introduce new computer-supported collaborative learning strategies, such as collaborative remixing of instructional content, technology-supported tailoring of instructional goals to individual project teams, and crowd critique to provide feedback as good or better than individual instructors. Research and development will test the impact of the platform on learning outcomes for innovation teams. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Fortiphyte, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Identification of disease resistance traits to improve the productivity and sustainability of soybean cultivation
Contact
663 Colusa Ave
Berkeley, CA 94707–1517
NSF Award
1844088 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to improve the productivity and environmental sustainability of soybean cultivation. Soybean is the most widely grown crop in the United States with nearly 90 million acres under cultivation. Soybean is a key part of the food system and generates $22 billion in export revenue each year. One of the greatest threats to soybean production is the fungal pathogen known as Asian Soybean Rust. Current commercial soybean varieties have no resistance to this pathogen and over $2 billion is spent annually on fungicides to control this disease. While soybean is highly susceptible to this disease, many wild plant species have natural resistance to this pathogen. This project seeks to identify the naturally occurring mechanisms of disease resistance in wild plant species that can be used to develop disease-resistant soybean varieties. Adoption of these varieties is expected to bring more than $4 billion in value to the soybean industry while improving productivity and reducing fungicide use. The intellectual merit of this SBIR Phase I project is to identify plant immune receptor proteins that confer disease resistance to Asian Soybean Rust, which is caused by the fungal pathogen Phakopsora pachyrhizi. A key determinant of whether or not a plant is resistant to a particular pathogen is whether the plant has an appropriate immune receptor protein capable of recognizing the presence of the invading pathogen. Once activated, plant immune receptors trigger plant defense responses that typically result in immunity. This project will use reverse genetic and biochemical approaches to identify plant immune receptor proteins that confer resistance to Asian Soybean Rust. Preliminary work identified several molecules from Phakopsora that elicit an immune response in non-host plant species. The goal is to identify the cognate immune receptors and test them for sufficiency to enable immune activation in response to Asian Soybean Rust elicitor molecules. This research will enable future work to the development soybean varieties with resistance to Asian Soybean Rust. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Funxion Wear
SBIR Phase I: Direct-write Printed Electronics on Textiles
Contact
3200 Compatible Way
Raleigh, NC 27603–3397
NSF Award
1821134 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will demonstrate the commercial feasibility of a manufacturing platform for functionalizing textile materials with smart functionality such as for wearable smart garments developed out of the NSF funded ASSIST Engineering Research Center for Self-powered Wearable Nanosystems. Smart garments have been touted as the next sensing platform for acquiring biometrics such as electrocardiogram, heart rate, or heart rate variability. However, mass adoption has been difficult due to the high production cost, leading to a small market segment within the greater wearable technology market. As demonstrated by our customer discovery through the NSF I-Corps program in Fall 2016, the biggest barrier to adoption is the production cost. This project seeks to decrease the cost by 5x and decrease production time by 36x, enabling this market segment to grow for applications in health & wellness, healthcare, and beyond. By employing high-throughput direct-write printing and deposition of functional dielectric and conductive materials from the printed electronics space, high-value data generating devices such as smart garments can be manufactured in a single step bridging established practices within the textile and electronics industry resulting in automated textile electronics. Novel materials will be explored to impart functionalities on existing textiles with our manufacturing platform. The broader impact of this project is to create a single manufacturing platform that marginalizes the cost of production for textile electronics such as smart garments and demonstrate minimum viable product (MVP) solutions for stakeholders within the value chain of smart textiles. The proposed innovation combines developments from 3D printing, printed electronics, and textile science to create disruptive advancements in the emerging field of smart textiles and textile electronics, creating new knowledge and commercial innovations. Lastly, manufacturing within the USA has seen a resurgence due to value-added technical textiles manufacturing being brought back. An ancillary broader impact of this project is to serve as a driver for value-added smart garment manufacturing technologies to be employed for USA manufacturing. Success of this project's vision will allow for low-cost smart textiles to usher in a paradigm shift for the textiles industry, allowing for a multitude of use-cases and innovative business models to proliferate, ultimately increasing the well-being of billions of people around the world. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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GENETIC INTELLIGENCE
SBIR Phase I: Platform to Elucidate the Causal Mutations Behind Human Inherited Diseases
Contact
153E W 110th St
New York, NY 10029–0000
NSF Award
1819331 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is the development of an artificial intelligence-based software platform to elucidate inherited diseases by identifying the causative genetic factors in the whole genome at large, not just the tiny portion of the genome called the exome. This technology will help solve the longstanding problems of multigenic inherited diseases and help unlock the full potential of gene therapy modalities such as CRISPR, which require knowledge of the causal mutation for targeting. With a defined genetic target, truly curative therapeutics and early, accurate diagnostics will be made possible. Through this platform, pharmaceutical companies will benefit from a shortened drug development cycle and a lower risk of clinical trial failure while diagnostics companies will be able to develop fast and accurate molecular diagnostics targeting the mutations identified by the platform. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to build a build a proof-of-concept software platform that employs a combination of supervised and unsupervised machine learning algorithms to process, sort, and analyze human whole genome sequencing data from an Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) cohort from a set genetic background. ALS is an incurable, debilitating disease whose genetic causes remain largely unknown. Identifying these mutations will enable the development of efficacious treatments for the conditions. Three main objectives will be accomplished for the platform. One, the ability to process full-size, high coverage human whole genome data automatically through the pipeline in a scalable manner. Two, the ability to identify the genetic background of a test subject with a top-5 error rate of <1%, an important verification step to minimize incorrect cohort stratification from false ancestry self-reports. Three, the ability to rapidly identify at least one genetic feature known to be associated with ALS (e.g., SOD1, C9ORF72), which will help provide early validation for the platform. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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GEOSPIZA, INC.
SBIR Phase I: Increasing community resilience through actionable data and analytics
Contact
9668 E 28TH AVE
Denver, CO 80238–2990
NSF Award
1843098 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to enable emergency managers, first responders, and elected officials across the country to increase community resilience in disaster to save countless lives, save key critical infrastructure, and save the environment from otherwise catastrophic outcomes during disasters, some of which continue to increase in frequency and severity. It will allow for significant advances in protecting our society's most vulnerable populations in disaster. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project develop a platform to integrate, interpret, and organize a multitude of relevant data sources in order to deliver actionable insights to those responsible for intervention before, during, and after disaster. This project will enable a fully integrated, dynamic web-based tool capable of generating estimated and real-time results for a broad set of hazards across the nation down to the neighborhood level granularity. As a real-time, dynamic tool, it will operationalize population vulnerability data and provide forward-leaning decision support and actionable intelligence to first responders, emergency managers, and elected officials that will save lives by identifying those populations with the greatest needs and highest risk during a disaster. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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GHAMUT CORPORATION
SBIR Phase I: A Community-Building Platform That Uses Machine Learning To Facilitate In-Person Interactions
Contact
540 MEMORIAL DR APT 603
Cambridge, MA 02139–4907
NSF Award
1845752 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,995
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the reinvention of community wellness programming from a typically qualitative process into an evidence-based procedure. Treating wellness as a science will allow for more efficacious use of wellness budgets (an annual expenditure exceeding $100 Billion), will create a positive social impact within organizations, and by extension, society as a whole. Organizations with effective wellness initiatives have higher employee engagement, improved productivity, and increased profitability. Hence, there is significant opportunity for societal and commercial impact through evidence-based wellness technologies. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project involves the theoretical development, and practical deployment, of recommendation algorithms that arrange meetings between groups of people with divergent interests and incentives. Our research objectives are (1) the development of a theoretically grounded recommendation algorithm that accounts for the effects of social dynamics and incentives on behavior, (2) the development of an application to facilitate community wellness through in-person meetings. We anticipate the successful deployment of the platform, the collection of multi-center data for semi-supervised training and prospective evaluation of the developed algorithms. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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GLOBE BIOMEDICAL LLC
SBIR Phase I: Feasibility of a Wearable Blindness Prevention System
Contact
25014 LAS BRISAS S
Murrieta, CA 92562–4029
NSF Award
1842393 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,206
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 10/31/2019
Abstract
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project comprises the development of a wearable system capable of accurately tracking glaucoma progression via continuous monitoring of intraocular pressure (IOP). Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world and affects nearly 80 million people worldwide. Using a novel wearable system, optometrists, ophthalmologists, and medical professionals across multiple disciplines can review the IOP trends at visits, monitor high-risk patients in real-time, and program patient-specific threshold alarms that will prevent irreversible blindness caused by glaucoma and related conditions. Through successful product commercialization, the novel wearable blindness prevention system (BPS) is expected to be adopted by approximately 2 million glaucoma patients annually. Users of the device will have continuous access to IOP data trends. Clinicians will be alerted when at-risk patients fail to comply with prescribed daily medicinal treatment (due to excessive IOP levels) and can continuously track the efficacy of prescribed IOP-lowering treatments. Finally, the IOP tracking capability of the system will allow improvements in the quality of care for general clinicians, medical specialists, and clinical researchers and will be a major player in the current move toward data-driven, value care. The intellectual merit of this project centers on laboratory feasibility testing of the fundamental concept behind the novel blindness prevention system technology - image-based pressure sensing - on a benchtop 3D-printed glaucoma simulator that is monitored using an alpha prototype of the system. The research plan includes testing of the feasibility of a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) camera which fits inside a pair of eyeglass frames, plus processor, optics, and software, as a way to record pressure changes in eye tissue in a benchtop environment. The key objective is to accurately - and with high repeatability - detect unhealthy eye pressure levels in the simulator using an alpha prototype, a-BPS, that communicates with a standard mobile device. The target research outcome for the a-BPS is to successfully trigger a high-pressure alarm in a repeatable manner whenever eye pressure in the simulator exceeds a clinically-relevant threshold. It is anticipated that the Phase I research results will show successfully operation in 90% or more of the test samples. The output from the Phase I effort will be used as design inputs for a Phase II prototype, which will be wearable and will allow testing on humans. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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GMJ TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Next-Generation Capillary Electrophoresis with Mass Spectrometry for Biopharmaceutical and Biomedical Applications
Contact
4820 148TH PL SE
Everett, WA 98208–8812
NSF Award
1842394 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 09/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project will be the development of a robust capillary electrophoresis instrument with mass spectrometry detection for biomedical research, biopharmaceutical development, clinical diagnostics, and system biology. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) is a powerful liquid separation technology with remarkable potentials for bioanalysis. It was the workhorse tool for the completion of human genome project that, in part, led to the DNA sequencing market. A CE system with both optical and mass spectrometry detection will enable a deeper understanding of molecular dynamics governing biochemical processes, such as protein expression, deregulation, and interaction with other biochemical species, which could lead to breakthroughs in drug development, early diagnosis, and treatments for deadly human diseases such as cancer, diabetics, and neurodegenerative disorders. The proposed technology will offer benefits to biopharmaceutical drug development companies by increasing the efficiency of product characterization for quality improvement. It also will allow efficient routine proteomics analysis and other bioanalytical applications. The intellectual merit of this SBIR Phase I project is to develop a next-generation capillary electrophoresis with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (CE-ESI-MS) for protein characterization. CE-ESI-MS allows high efficiency separation and characterization of several biochemical species including proteins. However, leveraging the intrinsic advantages of CE-ESI-MS has been difficult due to lack of robust, easy-to-use instrumentation, which has made adoption for routine applications uncommon. This research will develop and evaluate a novel CE-ESI-MS instrument for protein characterization. The proposed instrument will employ original innovations to overcome the limitations of the incumbent technologies and exceed their capabilities. A novel fluidic nanoport for sample and buffer manipulation will be developed to allow analysis from 1 microL or less sample volume. The nanoport will employ a fully automated design with less operator intervention. This will be useful for sample-limited applications such as in clinical analysis. In addition, the instrument will utilize a hybrid electrospray ionization interface for simultaneous optical and MS detection, which no existing technology offers. Combining CE's ultrahigh efficiency with robust quantitative characteristics of optical detection and the molecular identification of mass spectrometry will be a powerful tool for bioanalysis. This combination will represent a significant advancement over the state-of-the-art and enhance the means of interrogating proteins and their biochemical functions in biological samples. The proposed innovations will significantly enhance the robustness and capabilities of CE-ESI-MS for fast, efficient, and deep bioanalysis. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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GRO BIOSCIENCES INC
SBIR Phase I: Synthetic biology platform for production of stabilized high-value proteins
Contact
131 FULLER ST UNIT 3
Brookline, MA 02446–5711
NSF Award
1842697 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to develop technology using engineered bacteria to improve protein stability in two large markets: therapeutic proteins and industrial enzymes. Proteins used as therapeutics frequently have insufficient half-lives in human blood plasma, so that patients with chronic disease need to receive frequent dosings, often by painful injections. These burdensome dosing schedules result in high rates of patient noncompliance, with attendant poor responses and negative health outcomes. Therapeutic proteins with improved half-lives in blood plasma would permit relaxed dosing schedules, lowering costs of administration and improving outcomes by reducing noncompliance. This proposed technology focuses on improving the plasma half-life of a therapeutic for a chronic disease primarily affecting children that currently comprises a $4B global market. Similarly, industrial enzymes are frequently deployed in harsh environments that impair enzyme stability and activity. Endowing enzymes with improved resistance to destabilizing chemicals would enable their deployment in high-value environments that are currently prohibitive. The proposed technology will be used to stabilize an enzyme for application in a $730M segment of the personalized medicine market. If successful, this work would provide a platform for developing next-generation enzymes deployable in currently prohibitive environments. The intellectual merit of this SBIR Phase I project is to utilize a synthetic biology platform to create proteins with new amino acid building blocks that dramatically improve half-life and stability. Many proteins used as therapeutics or used as industrial enzymes are stabilized by disulfide bonds. These bonds break in the presence of chemicals called reducing agents that are found both in human blood plasma (destabilizing to therapeutics) and in solvents and buffers (destabilizing to industrial enzymes). Using a strain of engineered E. coli that can incorporate amino acids beyond the 20 standard amino acids into proteins, the goal is to replace disulfide-forming cysteine amino acids with selenocysteine amino acids that form bonds called diselenides. Diselenide-stabilized proteins maintain stability and activity in environments with reducing agents incompatible with disulfide-stabilized proteins. This project will produce a diselenide-stabilized protein therapeutic for a major disease class. Improvements to disulfide-stabilized therapeutics will be demonstrated by ELISA assays showing improved binding activity, and by cell-based assays showing improved therapeutic activity, after prolonged exposure to blood plasma. This project also will produce a diselenide-stabilized industrial enzyme to catalyze a critical reaction for personalized medicine. Performance improvements over disulfide-stabilized enzymes will be demonstrated by in vitro stability and activity assays in reducing conditions. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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GUARDION, INC.
SBIR Phase I: Ultrasensitive chip-scale ion-sensors for mass spectrometry
Contact
21 DRYDOCK AVE, SUITE 610E
Boston, MA 02210–4501
NSF Award
1843742 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$223,660
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will benefit manufacturers of residual gas analyzers, mass spectrometers, ion-mobility spectrometers, time-of-flight spectrometers and related instruments. Implementation of these sensors will increase the revenue, revenue streams and market share of commercial manufacturers of mass spectrometers by significantly lowering production cost, and by enabling penetration into new markets that require increased sensitivity, lowered size, weight, power consumption, and instrument complexity. The product, if successful, will lead to analytical tools that can substantially benefit the needs of education/research, space, bio/health, agricultural, defense and security markets. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop nanotechnology-based chip-scale ion sensors with ultra-high intrinsic charge-to-current amplification factors. This patent-pending technology allows semiconductor-processable miniaturization and scalability, sub-microwatt intrinsic power draw, and robust ambient-pressure-agnostic operation. With reduced size, weight, and power requirements, increased sensitivity and dynamic range, these sensors can potentially replace expensive, bulky, and/or high-power-consuming charged particle detectors such as microchannel plates, Daly detectors, electron-multiplier tubes and Faraday cups. The ability to operate under any ambient pressure and distinguish charge polarity can significantly enhance field-portability, turnkey operations, and enhance analytical reach of ion-sensing-based applications. Specifically, the proposed research will seek to overcome the challenges related to generation of high signal responses (by enhancing the electronic transport parameters), high ion-sensor interaction (by optimizing sensor design), and lower readout noise (by optimizing materials and design). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Gamdan Optics, Inc
SBIR Phase I: A novel AR on LBO
Contact
2362 Qume Drive
San Jose, CA 95131–1841
NSF Award
1840843 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,667
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is as diverse as the laser technology itself. Lasers have become the true facilitator of the data-based society. It is tool of choice for future smart factories and on-demand manufacturing. It serves as the fundamental building block of optical sensing systems used to collect large volumes of critical data to be used for decision making in every facet of society. The myriad of new applications for laser systems echoes the same demand ? higher power. The bottleneck in the power generation is often the capability of optical components of the laser to withstand the power without degradation. So the greater potential of lasers can be unleashed if there would be a way to break through the power handling capability of laser components starting with the nonlinear optical crystals indispensable in creating these powerful energy sources. This research project is precisely designed to address this need and the successful completion of this project would enable the next generation of miniaturized electronic devices, expand our horizon of biological imagery and precision surgery, and explore our universe with instruments that are currently confined to our laboratories. The proposed project targets the most common material used to generate high power visible and UV light ? Lithium Triborate (LBO) crystal. Able to handle power density up to 45GW/cm2, LBO is currently the material of choice for high energy industrial lasers. However, optical surfaces where the light enter and exit LBO often get damaged well before the actual bulk material. Traditional dielectric anti-reflective (AR) coatings on these surfaces are typically made using a limited selection of materials of lower damage threshold in a process highly susceptible to contamination, resulting in significantly lower damage threshold than the bulk LBO crystal. In this proposal, state-of-the-art surface-texturing processes on LBO will be developed to eliminate the use of these dielectric films while still providing the necessary AR functionality. A variety of processes and materials on LBO surfaces will be attempted and studied with resulting surfaces tested for absorption and damage threshold. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Geegah llc
SBIR Phase I: GIGAHERTZ ULTRASONIC FINGERPRINT IMAGERS
Contact
610 The Parkway
Ithaca, NY 14850–2273
NSF Award
1746710 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to provide spoof-free biometric fingerprint sensors. Consumer confidence in adopting many technologies such as IoT devices, and reach a cash-less society is limited by our confidence in transactions being fraud-free. Around the world, there are varying degrees of fraud and it is well known that poorer countries have higher levels of fraud then more advanced countries. By providing a trustable biometric device, the proposed commercialization plan will allow lower levels of fraud and allow greater degree of economic activity bringing up standards of living. The technology of GHz ultrasonics for sensing also has the potential for to be used for applications in being able to image baby fingerprints, enable fingerprint readers in fire-arms for authenticated use at very fast speeds, and allow integration with credit and debit cards. The success of the commercial activities will create a new paradigm for trusting the electronic economy. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop revolutionary new biometric sensors. Biometric technologies range from sensing the unique patterns of the eyes, to voice, and fingerprints amongst other markers. Capacitive fingerprint sensors, and optical fingerprint sensors are very commonly found in smartphones and desktop applications. These technologies produce images that are often limited in resolution and are not spoof-proof. For example, optical fingerprint readers can be spoofed by fingerprint images and capacitive fingerprint sensors can be spoofed by skin-like dielectric polymer fingerprint molds. Ultrasonic images offer the potential for detecting tissue material properties that can help identify fake fingerprints. Although many low-frequency technologies for ultrasonic fingerprint sensing are available, very few have made it into the market in large quantities owing to cost, packaging, and insufficient SNR and resolution. In this project the company will extend the frequency of operation to the GHz range to achieve four to eight times the standard industry standard of 500 dpi resolution. Coupled with integrated circuits operating at low voltages, the company aims for integration of the sensors in very thin platforms such as credit cards.
Errata
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Gel4Med
SBIR Phase I: Tunable Mechanical and Functional Properties of Peptide Films
Contact
15 Waverly St
Brighton, MA 02135–1200
NSF Award
1843682 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project focuses on developing chemically cross-linked synthetic nanomaterials to address the unmet clinical need in promoting infection free tissue regeneration in surgical, traumatic, ocular, burn, and chronic wounds. While small wounds heal naturally, larger chronic wounds demonstrate delayed wound healing with infections, and affect over 6.5 million patients costing over US $25 billion annually in treatments. In addition, annually, 2 million Americans suffer from serious infections due to drug resistant bacteria resulting in severe morbidity, serious complications, huge economic losses with an estimated 23,000 deaths. As conventional antibiotics are failing, our ability to fight drug resistant pathogens is diminishing and the pipeline of new potential antibiotic drugs is very skim. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop a product that can fight multiple pathogens through a mechanism against which bacteria are less likely to develop further resistance. Hence, the current project evaluates the feasibility of developing a novel, easily handleable dry film with potential to eliminate a variety of infectious pathogens while improving wound healing in a single application. This product is pliable, easily rehydratable, has intrinsic tissue scaffolding properties and is inherently antimicrobial against a broad range of pathogens without the use of any additional agents. This SBIR Phase I project will demonstrate the feasibility of developing a shape retaining, pliable, easily handleable antimicrobial cell-scaffolding gel matrix into a product that is simultaneously toxic to antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, while remaining conducive to tissue regeneration. This current product has a nano-porous gel matrix that promotes cellular infiltration and attachment along with utilizing a charge-based mechanism to lyse bacterial membranes upon contact. Although there is on-going research on such self-assembled hydrogels, the formation of films using these nanofibers has never been assessed before and stands to be the key technological advancement. Thus, this current proposal explores two methods for making films such as i) solvent casting methods relying on non-covalent crosslinking - where the hydrogel is applied to a surface and then allowed to dry into a film overnight, and ii) Covalent crosslinking by - incorporating cysteines by oxidizing using H2O2 or crosslinking using Schiff base formation followed by reductive deamination. The films so formed will be structurally and functionally evaluated for their ability to eliminate infections and biocompatibility. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Gemstone Biotherapeutics, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Cure-in-Place Extracellular Matrix Replacement Scaffolds for Wound Healing
Contact
180 W Ostend St.
Baltimore, MD 21230–3755
NSF Award
1819788 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,563
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
This Phase I SBIR project will investigate cure-in-place materials for filling and stabilizing open wounds to promote healing. Chronic wounds represent a significant and debilitating burden to patients, affecting more than 6.5 million people in the US alone. The incidence of chronic wounds is expected to rise with increasing rates of obesity and diabetes, but current treatment options show limited clinical efficacy. To address this unmet need, new materials that stimulate the body's healing mechanisms must be developed. This project will evaluate a promising new material that can be applied to a wound as a liquid and cured to a solid in contact with the wound. This cure-in-place process is expected to promote healing by ensuring intimate contact between the pro-healing material and the wound bed, mechanically stabilizing the wound area, and stimulating the body's healing responses. There are few cure-in-place materials in clinical use, so this project will also generate new fundamental engineering knowledge about these materials and their potential applications in human health. The advanced wound care market is currently valued at more than $8 billion, and it is growing. Therefore, innovative technologies in this space represent significant business opportunities that create economic growth. This project will investigate a novel cure-in-place process for generating a polysaccharide biomaterial that mimics the mechanical and structural properties of native extracellular matrix to stimulate wound healing. The material is generated by curing two aqueous precursor solutions to form a biodegradable, solid, and hydrated polymer matrix. This project will investigate a cure-in-place process by which the precursor solutions will be applied to the wound as liquids and cured in contact with the wound bed. If the extracellular matrix replacement biomaterial can be cured inside of a wound bed, then its pro-healing effects may be amplified due to its ability to fill an irregularly-shaped wound with complete contact with tissue and its capacity to mechanically stabilize the wound bed and stimulate pro-healing biochemistry. The scope of this effort will include developing an optimized formulation for the cure-in-place precursor solution, determining curing conditions for the biomaterial in contact with tissue, evaluating the material properties of the cure-in-place product, and evaluating cure-in-place application and wound healing efficacy in a porcine excisional wound model. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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GenEdit Inc
SBIR Phase I: A block copolymer delivery system for the Cpf1 ribonucleoprotein
Contact
140 Hearst Mining Bldg
Berkeley, CA 94720–1760
NSF Award
1844019 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 10/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to bring curative gene editing therapies using CRISPR to patients with genetic diseases. CRISPR-based therapeutics have the potential to be next generation therapeutics, particularly for genetic diseases due to their ability to cut DNA with sequence specificity. However, this type of targeted genome editing has not yet been successfully demonstrated for human therapeutics with existing methods. The translation of CRISPR-based gene editing to the clinic remains a significant unmet need and the most difficult aspect of translating CRISPR-based gene editing into therapeutics is the lack of safe and effective delivery methods to the target the tissues. Existing viral-based delivery systems have limitations that include immunogenicity, pre-existing antibodies against them, broad tropism, off-target effects, restricted DNA cargo packaging capacity, and manufacturing challenges. As a result, non-viral methods that employ synthetic materials are being widely investigated as potential alternatives. Developing non-viral delivery vehicles that can effectively deliver CRISPR components to target tissues will improve the ability to broadly use CRISPR-based therapeutics for many genetic diseases. The intellectual merit of this SBIR Phase I project is to develop a non-viral delivery system for the CRISPR enzyme Cas 12a (Cpf1) for delivery to target muscle tissue, and, potentially, enable the development of a novel gene editing treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). The approach involves proprietary CRISPR-nanoparticles that are composed of peptide PEG-PAsp(DET) complexed to Cpf1 RNP, which possess good biocompatibility and high gene editing efficiency with the potential to manufacture and scale up under GMP for use in clinical trials. Preliminary data demonstrate that PEG-PAsp(DET) complexed to Cpf1 RNP can efficiently deliver Cpf1 RNP to the muscle tissue and can induce the expression of the dystrophin protein by deleting exon23 with a mutation. Under this proposal, the specific experiments will focus on improving the biocompatibility, stability, and muscle-targeting ability of the CRISPR-nanoparticles. The experimental plan is to synthesize various Peptide-PEG-PAsp(DET), followed by screening in primary myoblasts and reporter mouse system. This technology using CRISPR-nanoparticles will be the first example of a delivery vehicle that can simultaneously deliver Cpf1 protein and gRNA via intravenous injection and achieve gene editing. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Goodwintercrop Inc.
SBIR Phase I: 6crickets Automatic Schedule Recommendation
Contact
17444 NE 97th Way
Redmond, WA 98052–6959
NSF Award
1842790 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2019 – 09/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to disrupt the 1000 hours per child per year where American children have no school and no parents and deserve access to the best enrichment activities. The company plans to build a much-needed technical infrastructure for schools, enrichment providers, and parents. By automating and simplifying the process of providers supplying, parents consuming and schools hosting enrichment activities, the proposed system will remove significant friction and create an efficient market. A key invention is the company's Automatic Schedule Recommendation System which recommends a schedule of classes for a family of one or more children and satisfies constraints such as ages and driving distance, maximizes desirable attributes such as minimal driving and diversity in classes across time, and leverages historical data like classes taken in the past and social data such as classes enjoyed by friends and classmates, to make effective recommendations. The proposed technology removes the most significant friction during parents' purchases of enrichment classes, namely, piecing together a class schedule from classes across different providers. This project is the first interdisciplinary research that strategically combines algorithms from the fields of optimizations and recommender systems to solve the problem and achieve scalability and efficiency. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will design, implement and evaluate an Automatic Schedule Recommendation System. Existing recommender systems are insufficient because they largely recommend a single item to a single user; this application requires that a sequence of items (namely, a sequence of classes that fit in a coherent schedule) be recommended and coordinated among a group of users (i.e. children in the same family or set of friends). Existing class scheduling algorithms are insufficient because they find optimal schedules using known preferences; in this problem there is a need to predict preferences. The company will design a fully-automatic schedule recommendation system that predicts the suitability of each session to each user using machine learning techniques and aggregates these predictions over time to propose full schedules that are most appropriate for a parent and satisfy multi-dimensional constraints. The resulting system will be deployed to the company's users along with extensive evaluation of its efficacy. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Greppo Technologies LLC
STTR Phase I: A steerable needle to enable precise and minimally invasive delivery of treatments, ablation therapy and tissue biopsies.
Contact
3401 Grays Ferry Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19146–2701
NSF Award
1746583 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,592
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 12/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project include enabling the minimally invasive treatment of a large variety of conditions. This is expected to be achieved through the development of a steerable needle that can reach arbitrary positions in the human body that are not reachable by a straight needle from a simple needle hole. The long term impact of the proposed technology is in targeted delivery of medicine, or the removal of tissue such as biopsies, or treatment mechanisms such as ablation devices. An overarching goal of the proposed project is the availability of minimally invasive procedures that can replace more drastic surgery options. The development of this device has the potential to also save lives, treating what otherwise would be inoperable conditions due to the location of tumors blocked by sensitive organs or bones. The proposed project, if successful, will lead to demonstrating the application of a device that utilizes the buckling behavior of semi-curved beams to controllably alter the stiffness in a needle for cancer treatment and measure its efficacy in terms of the advantages over straight needles. The objectives of this research include: developing a prototype and match to surgeon use cases (interventional radiologist) and testing and characterizing the steerability performance while delivering the medical payload. Specifically, it is expected that the first therapeutic application of this technology will be microwave ablation of cancer tumors.
Errata
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HALCYON BIOMEDICAL, INCORPORATED
SBIR Phase I: A New Approach for Isolating Leukocyte Sub-populations to Enable Efficient Manufacturing of Cellular Therapies
Contact
2319 BRIGHTON PARK LN
Friendswood, TX 77546–3357
NSF Award
1843623 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 10/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to develop a microfluidic device for cell therapy manufacturing. Advantages in terms of cost and quality of the cell products produced by the proposed technology should benefit clinical researchers and cell therapeutics. Further, by providing an efficient, standardized, and scalable approach to the manufacturing process, the translation of lab-scale discoveries to curative therapies that are widely-available should be significantly accelerated. On a fundamental level, this project will enhance technological understanding of how to apply microfluidic technology concepts to clinically-relevant applications (requiring macroscopic flowrates) in a practical manner, while also establishing a new medical device sector centered on a suite of easily implemented cell separation devices for use in cellular therapies and related fields. The intellectual merit of this SBIR Phase I project is to employ a cell separation approach to create a high-throughput proof-of-concept prototype to help simplify and streamline the manufacture of cellular therapies. To accomplish this objective, a two-stage microfluidic module will be designed to achieve isolation of separate lymphocyte- and monocyte-rich subpopulations from blood samples, while removing undesirable red blood cells and platelets, at levels sufficient for successful culture growth. In addition, the plan is to fabricate a full-scale prototype system of parallelized lymphocyte/monocyte isolation modules to achieve a volumetric throughput capable of processing 200mL of peripheral blood-, buffy coat-, or mononuclear cell (MNC) leukapheresis-derived product within ~30 minutes. Once developed, this technology will overcome many drawbacks that plague current cell isolation approaches including high per unit cost, laborious/time-consuming workflow, and potential to compromise sterility. This device will require no expensive or complex equipment on-site to drive the separation/concentration of the cells of interest. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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HINETICS LLC
SBIR Phase I: Actively Shielded Superconducting Generators for Large Wind Turbines
Contact
1804 Vale St
Champaign, IL 61822–3563
NSF Award
1819321 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$219,444
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is reduced levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of offshore wind from current levels that are about twice that of onshore wind. Given the proximity of offshore wind resources to load centers along the coast, it is an attractive renewable energy source for the nation, but high costs are an impediment to widespread adoption. One way to address this is with larger turbines that can lead to lower ?balance of plant? costs, which can be as high as 65% of the total project costs of offshore wind. However, turbine rating is currently limited due to the large size and weight of the generator and the rotor, as well as infrastructure obstacles like manufacturing, transport, and assembly. The lightweight superconducting (SC) generators being developed within this project, coupled with advanced rotors already being developed by the OEM?s, could open the door to significantly larger turbine ratings and lower costs. The underlying high specific power machine technology can also help transform a number of other weight-sensitive electrical systems like hybrid electric airplanes and ship propulsion. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to disrupt the traditional risk versus benefit trade of the low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) SC technology by significantly increasing the benefits with a novel ?active magnetic shielding? concept. This design concept enables a very high operating magnetic field within the machine while eliminating the need for a yoke made of ferromagnetic steel to contain the field. The higher internal fields increase the electromagnetic torque significantly over other solutions, leading to very high power density. Additionally, the elimination of heavy iron from the magnetic circuit leads to further reduction in weight. The proposed generator design can be about half the size of currently available wind direct-drives. Efficiency is also expected to improve with the elimination of about a third of copper coils while maintaining the same current density. Available cryogenic cooling technology from the commercially successful magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) industry will be adapted and utilized in the machine to reduce many of the cryogenics related risks while maintaining high specific power. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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HT CrystalSolutions LLC
SBIR Phase I: Hydrothermal Growth Strontium Beryllium Borate (SBBO) for deep UV Nonlinear Optical Applications.
Contact
107-3 Sloan St
Clemson, SC 29631–1483
NSF Award
1819738 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$217,730
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 08/31/2019
Abstract
The?broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is represented by the development of a company in a unique field of single crystal growth addressing needs in solid-state lasers. Single crystal growth represents a small and highly specialized, but absolutely essential, area of modern materials technology. Solid-state lasers are commercially vital because they are compact, durable, relatively inexpensive, and field deployable in many technologies. Single crystals are essential components to solid-state lasers and thereby represent significant commercial potential. This project will enhance the skill set of specialty manufacturers of high quality single crystals for solid-state lasers. It represents an unmet commercial need in short wavelength solid-state lasers and also will expand the technological skill set of single crystal growers. This last point is especially important, as there is a serious lack of skills, technology and infrastructure in solid state laser production in this country, and this makes the US increasingly dependent on offshore suppliers of essential materials. This program will help train the next generation of critical materials manufacturing experts in the US. The proposed project intends to address the development of new single crystals called Strontium Beryllium Borate (SBBO). These crystals are an enabling technology for the manufacture of short wavelength solid-state lasers lasing at and below 266 nm. Such lasers have many potential applications but at present there are no materials capable of practical performance at these very short wavelengths. This shortcoming represents a significant commercial opportunity. The project will examine production of single crystals of a new material to meet this need using hydrothermal synthesis, which employs very hot water at high pressures as a growth environment. In this Phase I project, research will be undertaken to develop a growth protocol of large single crystals of this vital material, A feedstock will be perfected, and seed crystals will be produced. Transport conditions will be optimized, and suitable temperature gradients will be identified. Preliminary evaluation of crystal quality will be performed. Suitable crystals will be sent to collaborators in the laser manufacturing industry for preliminary production of solid-state short wavelength lasers. The seed crystals and growth protocols from the research in this Phase I program will be used in a Phase II project for development of a full-scale commercial manufacturing process for this crystal. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Harvest Moon Automation
SBIR Phase I: Robotic Gripper for Fragile Produce
Contact
19 Franklin Road
Winchester, MA 01890–4014
NSF Award
1746212 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is that it will enable the automated harvesting of fragile produce such as strawberries to help offset a shrinking workforce and increased labor costs. The world population is expected to grow from 7.3 billion to 11.2 billion by 2100, this population growth and a rising middle class will place more demand on the agricultural industry. Presently, the agricultural industry relies solely on manual labor to harvest its fragile produce. There is no mechanized option that can reliably and cost effectively harvest these crops. Consequently, the industry is struggling to harvest its crop, maintain quality and control its costs. High quality and lower costs can only be maintained if robotic harvesters are utilized that can pick fragile produce without damage. One of the key elements on the automated harvester is a gripper that can grab and pick the produce without damage. There is a market for a reliable and low cost robotic gripper that can gently pick and handle strawberries and other fragile produce. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project involves the development of a robotic end effector that can be used to harvest and handle fragile produce. Advances in machine vision and robotics has made it possible to commercially harvest fragile produce such as strawberries, however, the key component that still needs to be developed is an end effector that can pick the fruit without damage and be reliable and cost effective. Design and development of this end effector will use a new and novel method for grabbing the strawberry with advances in design, materials and actuation. The proposed R&D plan will involve repeated testing of the interaction between the fruit and the end effector. Analytical studies using a series of thin film load sensors mounted on the end effector will provide real time load profiles that can be used to optimize the design and performance of the end effector. Shelf life testing of the fruit will be used to assess the success of the end effector in properly picking and handling the fruit without damage.
Errata
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Addenda
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Harvest Moon Inventions, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Truncated Icosahedrons Protect Pitchers from Line-Drive Baseball Strikes to the Head
Contact
1846 E. Greentree Drive
Tempe, AZ 85284–3434
NSF Award
1819390 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$221,366
Start / end date
06/01/2018 – 08/31/2019
Abstract
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project focuses on finding a practical and cost-effective protective cap for baseball pitchers susceptible to serious head injuries from impacts of batted baseballs. The new cap design satisfactorily addresses the shortcomings of previous commercialization efforts that were unable to meet the prescribed protective requirements; failed to pass both the players' fashion expectations and comfort evaluation; and carried a hefty purchase price. The acceptance and use of the new cap by professional baseball players will create widespread demand from collegiate, high school and Little League players, a market that is estimated to generate annual revenues of more than $18M. These market projections exclude consideration of the technology's Broader Impact potential in other sports or vocational and military applications, where there is a growing recognition of the need for improved head protection for athletes, soldiers, law enforcement officials and construction workers. Sports injuries are now highly scrutinized, especially those causing long-term medical issues from brain injury, blunt force trauma and repetitive concussive injury. The societal value of this innovation will be found in safer sports and work environments. Such equipment represents a rapidly growing segment of the apparel market and a unique commercial opportunity for the company. The intellectual merit of this project is based on the company's patented design that provides head protection from the impact of a baseball. The novelty of the protective cap headliner is its flexible outer hard shell made with highly rigid interconnecting truncated icosahedron panels. This allows the headliner to conform to the shape of the head while maintaining the stiffness needed to diffuse impact loads. Since the impact of a baseball represents a short duration point load, the energy-absorbing capacity of the layer beneath the outer shell can be minimized. The objective is to identify the material characteristics required to dissipate the impact load associated with a Severity Index of 1200 or greater when a head-form is struck by a baseball traveling at speeds up to 125 mph; and to identify the material combination(s) best suited to achieve this goal. Traditional foam materials as well as state-of-the-art material compositions will be used in unique configurations to produce solutions that are not too heavy, not too bulky nor too hot to wear. The outcomes of this study will determine the availability of materials that can be used within the ergonomic and mechanical constraints of the patented design to protect the head. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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Helios Applied Science Inc
SBIR Phase I: Utilization of a Combustion Process to Rapidly Solidify a Photocuring Composite Structure
Contact
1 Westinghouse plz, Ste D157
Hyde Park, MA 02136–2196
NSF Award
1843840 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,973
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact and commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 1 project will be the research and development of a new class of extremely portable deployable structures that allows easier transportation and simplifies the deployment of bulky structure. This fundamental technology covers a wide variety of potential commercial products including large easily transported rescue equipment and large tents for earthquake and other widespread humanitarian disaster scenarios; large space satellite structures such as antennas and optical arrays; large deployable UAV wings; large volumes for habitation or material storage; piping for water, sewage, oil or gas. This technology can help save lives during disasters, ease the transportation of potable water, sewer and energy with lower construction and deployment costs. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) phase I project will entail the systematic analysis and development of a novel highly compact, rapidly deployable composite tube technology. The challenge is to harness and combine the extremely energy dense properties of chemical combustion with a photocuring high-performance structural composite material to create an easily transported structure that can be rapidly deployed. The project will entail experiments to better understand the polymer material properties and tailor them to the electromagnetic spectrum emitted by the combustion. Customization of an adhesive that will combine the necessary viscosity, structural and curing properties. A multiphysics simulation, validated with laboratory experiments, will be used to predict the technology's limitations. The qualifying components will be utilized in a refined design and evaluated by manufacturers for large scale production. These efforts will culminate in scale prototype construction and testing. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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Helux Technologies, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Dynamic Solid State Lighting with Micromachines
Contact
344 Howard Ave.
Piedmont, CA 94611–4360
NSF Award
1819751 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,247
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 12/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is in improving the quality of general and task lighting and reducing the amount of wasted light, thus reducing energy consumption. Solid state lighting has caused a paradigm shift in the lighting industry. However, the rapid growth of the LED has surpassed our understanding of its effects on human health and productivity, as well as the environment. Developing systems that put light only where it is needed can reduce energy consumption and improve well-being by eliminating glare and wasted light. Full control over where artificial lights shine may also reduce the disruption of natural ecosystems and agriculture caused by light pollution.? Unfortunately, a compact and low-cost solution to spatially controllable illumination is not available. Should one be brought to market, the industry could be tailored to meet the needs of each street lamp, each office worker and the entertainment industry among others. The ubiquitous nature of artificial illumination provides a unique commercial opportunity with multiple market segments for growth potential. The proposed project will focus on a microsystems solution to steerable lighting using a low-power, low-cost, silicon-based mirror less than 1 mm in diameter. The mirror is capable of real-time adjustments that will steer incident light with significant angular range. It is controlled using digital electronics and easily combined with traditional smart home electronics. The objective of the research is to measure the optical output of varying system setups and optical components to determine what optics are necessary for proper light output shape, uniformity, and color temperature. The project will rely heavily on a combination of test measurements and simulations to cycle through experiments rapidly and efficiently in order to converge on a manufacturing plan. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Hexalayer, LLC
SBIR Phase I: HIGH CAPACITY ENERGY STORAGE ANODE MATERIAL
Contact
2508 River Oaks drive, Unit 5
Louisville, KY 40206–3211
NSF Award
1843172 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,999
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is the development and widespread adaptation of next generation energy storage devices. With high energy density advanced materials, these devices can store significantly higher electric power per single charge. Particularly, rechargeable batteries with significantly higher energy density will improve; the range of electric vehicles on a single charge, operating time of defense platforms (such as aerial drones, naval vessels, exoskeletons, communication devices, etc.), amount of renewable energy stored, battery life of medical devices, and the need to charge consumer electronics less often. In addition to improved performance, high energy density devices will accelerate commercialization, adaptation, and sale of new vehicles or devices that utilize them. In turn increasing investments and revenue not only for the advanced material and battery producers, but for companies involved in manufacturing and sale of electric vehicles and devices within the United Sates. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop the production of novel, pure graphene anode material by Chemical Vapor Deposition technique using readily available material resources. Currently, graphite anode-based LIBs are the most commonly used and the most reliable energy storage devices for portable electronics, electric vehicles and electric grid storage due to their stability, low cost, and safety. However, graphite's low capacity (theoretically, 372 mAh/g) prohibits the development of higher energy density batteries. The problem is that graphite's internal structure limits lithium diffusion within interlayer spaces. We propose to replace graphite as the anode material. Our material is a newly-discovered high-quality graphene network, consisting of incommensurately-stacked multilayer graphene (IMLG) assembled in three-dimensional (3D) form. It exhibits unique structural and electrical properties that enable the reversible intercalation of large amounts of lithium within interlayer spaces of multilayer graphene. IMLG anode exhibits an extremely high reversible capacity of up to 1500 mAh/g tested as an anode material in LIB cells. Within the scope of this project we plan to scale the production of this material, while maintaining high quality, and supply IMLG to industry partners for integration testing in commercial batteries. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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High Road Learning Inc
SBIR Phase I: Using Technology to Promote a Dual-language Approach to Personalizing English-language Learners' Growth in Literacy Ability
Contact
8008 Strawberry Meadows Ct
Raleigh, NC 27613–1043
NSF Award
1820041 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$211,741
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase 1 project will create an educational technology that accelerates the acquisition of foundational English language skills by children (4 to 10 years old), by melding English and Spanish language instruction, delivered via a personalized digital learning platform. Using state-of-the-art text-to-speech and speech-to-text engines, students that are English Language Learners (ELL) will engage in deliberate literacy practice across the four modalities of language (listening, speaking, reading, writing). Over the last decade, the number of ELL students enrolling in public schools has steadily increased while there remains a shortage of bilingual or certified ELL teachers. Technology can help these teachers to personalize instruction and extend the school day which in turn increases engaged learning time. Achieving college and career readiness is an economic imperative for all students, especially ELL students given the importance of English communication skills to career success. While developing technologies for use in classrooms by young children can be a risky proposition due to the nature of the modern classroom, the reward far outweighs the risk. This project will produce a high-impact technology solution designed for young children that integrates the latest text-to-speech and speech-to-text technologies and is grounded in sound research about language skill acquisition across the four modalities. The key innovation of this SBIR Phase 1 project is a plurilinguistic (e.g., Spanish and English) approach to literacy development across the four modalities of language (e.g., reading, writing, speaking, listening) where young students (aged 4-10 years old) are immersed in personalized learning experiences specifically tailored to support and accelerate language development. The first research goal is to test the feasibility for using and adapting proprietary English and Spanish language text-to-speech and speech-to-text engines with young children. The second research goal is to examine the impact of a dual-language personalized learning platform on children?s acquisition of foundational listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills. Participants will be ELL students whose first language is Spanish. The research is based on a plurilinguistic framework for second language acquisition; researchers hypothesize that a dual-language application that leverages students' first language to learn English will score significantly higher on independent measures of foundational literacy skills and self-efficacy for learning compared to students who are using an English-only personalized learning application. A mechanism of growth may be the amount of time students are immersed in deliberate practice of literacy skills. A dual-language personalized learning platform has the potential to extend teacher-led literacy instruction and increase the amount of time students spend engaged in learning English. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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IDEM, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Novel Field Drug Test System for Law Enforcement
Contact
311 6th Ave.
Indialantic, FL 32903–4301
NSF Award
1843595 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,722
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to improve law enforcement (LE) effectiveness in battling the illegal drug epidemic in the U.S. Death rates related to drug use have been increasing yearly and exceeded 72,000 Americans in 2017. To control this epidemic, the President?s 2019 Budget Request called for $30B in federal funding to combat illegal drug use, presenting a commercial opportunity to disrupt the existing market for conventional color test kits and Raman-based testing systems. Numerous interviews conducted with LE and forensic supply resellers demonstrate a readiness to adopt a new technology to replace drug test kits currently in use. This novel drug test system will improve the accuracy, reliability, ease of use, safety, and affordability of field drug identification and permit field use data analysis, which will help remove dangerous drugs from the streets. This innovation will also enhance the understanding of the chemical and photoluminescent properties of narcotic drugs reacting with various drug-indicator materials such as copper(I) iodide and validate the use of such information to identify suspected drugs. This is a wireless technology for the LE market sector, with the potential to eventually expand into the medical diagnostics and environmental analysis markets. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a novel system for on-site field drug testing for LE. Conventional chemical-based color tests are outdated and highly flawed, causing issues for end users and the rest of the drug enforcement ecosystem. These issues include false positive drug tests and the lack of ability to identify new drugs that are introduced into U.S. communities each year. Superior testing methods such as handheld Raman devices are too expensive for LE agencies to widely adopt, thus a low-cost technologically-innovative solution is necessary. This innovation leverages photoluminescence spectroscopy in four main components: a handheld spectrometer, a drug-sampling device, a mobile app with a matching algorithm and access to a cloud database of reference drug standards. The goal of this phase I project is to achieve a high-fidelity Minimum Viable Product drug testing system. The investigation of alternative fluorescent drug-indicators is anticipated to result in novel methods for drug identification with high selectivity and sensitivity. These methods will be implemented into a drug-sampling device. As a part of software and hardware optimization, beta testers within LE will help identify system shortcomings and provide input to develop enhancements for usability and ergonomics. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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ILANS, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: SeeingBus: Improving Public Transportation Services for the Blind
Contact
2416 Stone Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105–2541
NSF Award
1819920 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I is the improvement of public transportation services for people with disabilities, specifically people with visual impairments. Individuals with visual impairments are heavily dependent on public transit as an essential service for engaging in daily life and social activities. However, they often face challenges with (1) determining which bus to board, especially at busy bus stops when multiple buses approach, and (2) boarding the correct bus in a timely fashion before they leave the stop. By developing an advanced notification service for alerting bus drivers, SeeingBus will address the societal and market needs to mitigate these challenges and thereby promote independent use of public transportation among people with visual impairments. Improving accessibility of public transportation to people with disabilities along with enhancing perception of their service will boost ridership resulting in increased revenue for agencies. The project will contribute to the scientific community as well as society in general by advancing understanding of Smart City services needed for independent travel of people with disabilities. The proposed project will develop and commercialize a Smart City service to improve public transportation for people with visual impairments. The service, SeeingBus, provides an advanced notification to bus drivers about users waiting at their next stop. People with visual impairments often miss buses due to challenges they face with boarding the correct bus. SeeingBus aims to improve accessibility of public transportation by engaging bus drivers even before the bus arrives at the stop where riders with visual impairments are waiting. As part of the smart city vision, SeeingBus will enhance connectivity of public transportation systems through greater communication between riders, bus stops, and bus drivers by means of smart sensors. Using big data, SeeingBus alerts bus drivers about users with disabilities, so the drivers can assist individuals in boarding the bus safely. The research objective of this project is to develop and test the feasibility of the SeeingBus system. Advancing public transportation, essential to promoting the travel and independence of individuals, aligns with the NSF mission to advance prosperity and welfare through scientific advancements. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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IMPACT PROTEOMICS, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Universal Proteome Sample Preparation Kit Development
Contact
1406 BROWNING RD
Pittsburgh, PA 15206–1738
NSF Award
1843332 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2019 – 12/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to develop a protein sample preparation kit that eliminates variability and provides researchers with the information they need to find important protein drug targets and biomarkers. The high throughput protein analysis methods of proteomics are having a significant impact on the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, from the development of new protein-based drugs to quality control monitoring and biomarker discovery to clinical diagnostics. All proteomics applications require robust, repeatable and automatable sample preparation methods. Currently, however, these methods are not standardized. The lack of the standardization often leads to experimental failure and unreliable results, which may require many rounds of experimental repeats, costing time and money. Standardized protein sample preparation kits will provide significant workflow savings, improve time to market, and accelerate biomarker discovery and drug development. The intellectual merit of this SBIR Phase I project is to develop a universal peptide isolation kit to serve the diverse needs of the proteomics community. Currently, methods for sample preparation typically have more than a dozen steps, are prone to peptide loss and bias, and require more than a day to complete. Through the NSF I-Corps program, it was discovered that more than 70% of researchers in academia and industry are unhappy with current protein sample preparation methods. To address this need, a sample preparation kit that increases the speed and efficiency of peptide sample preparation was developed. The approach differs from current methods in three fundamental ways. First, all manipulations will be done in solution in a single tube with half the number of steps compared to existing protocols. Second, a fast, universal, and reversible chemical tag is employed rather than relying on physical separation, preventing sample loss or bias. Third, a stabilized derivative of trypsin will allow for complete digestion of protein samples followed by efficient removal of intact and fragmented trypsin, preventing contamination. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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INFOCUS NETWORKS
SBIR Phase I: Scaling Cluster Computing Fabrics with Optical Networking
Contact
3957 30TH ST UNIT 406
San Diego, CA 92104–3080
NSF Award
1842768 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,993
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will result from developing technology to enable enterprise, cloud, academic, and government network operators to cost-effectively scale computer clusters to support the growing demands on these systems. Computer clusters underpin an increasingly broad range of services that businesses, researchers, and society have come to rely on, from machine learning systems to online social media platforms. Companies increasingly use computer clusters to gain a competitive advantage and accelerate product development. Today's networking technologies improve in performance by a factor of two every two years, but the demand placed on cluster computing systems is growing more than twice that fast in some market segments. The technology developed through this project is well-positioned to exceed the cost and performance scaling limitations of current networking technology, enabling business and scientific end-users to find solutions to more complex problems more quickly. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project demonstrates the feasibility of a network interconnect for computer clusters that routes traffic through transparent optical switches. Optical switches remove communication bottlenecks in the network fabric but require fundamental changes in how distributed applications communicate information across the network compared to present-day technologies. The commercial success of the technology depends on its ability to accelerate the execution of common distributed applications while providing the interoperability, reliability, and manageability expected by network operators. This project aims to demonstrate a 2x improvement in the execution speed of network-bound applications compared to today's technologies. The proposed research to reach this goal includes developing and optimizing the software stack necessary to interface commodity applications with the fabric, quantifying the performance of those applications subject to the constraints imposed by optical switching, and optimizing the optical switch design to maximize application performance at a system level. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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INNAVASC MEDICAL, INC.
SBIR Phase I: Development of a novel graft to provide safe and reliable vascular access for hemodialysis patients
Contact
110 SWIFT AVE
Durham, NC 27705–4880
NSF Award
1841131 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,975
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project will advance the development of a novel arteriovenous graft that will minimize injury and decrease the probability of serious complications for chronic hemodialysis patients. Hemodialysis is a life-sustaining therapy for patients suffering from kidney failure; it requires that blood be withdrawn and cycled through a dialysis machine that performs the function of the failed kidneys. This process must be performed at regular intervals and requires access to the blood with large bore needles. Graft failure complications, many directly attributable to needle injury, cost the healthcare system billions of dollars per year and lead to significant morbidity and even mortality for patients. There are nearly 2.5 million patients with kidney failure who receive dialysis worldwide, and this population is growing at a rate of 8% per year. Currently, no technology on the market addresses dialysis graft needle injury or graft material degradation due to needle trauma. InnAVasc Medical's novel graft design has the potential to reduce complications associated with aggressive graft compression and inadvertent punctures, thus reducing adverse events and dramatically improving patient outcomes and quality of life while significantly reducing health care costs related to chronic dialysis graft injury. This project will substantially advance the development of an innovative device that will simultaneously allow for immediate cannulation following graft implantation (typical is to allow 4 weeks to heal prior to cannulation) and eliminate complications associated with repeated cannulation during maintenance hemodialysis. The ultimate goal of this proposal is to identify and engineer a suitable biocompatible material that will provide the desired mechanical strength to withstand passage of the dialysis needle into undesirable areas, while being sufficiently flexible to allow for optimal blood flow through the device and adequate conformity for patients of all shapes, sizes, and skin integrity. The first technical objective will focus on identifying candidate materials and testing their strength, flexibility and durability. The second objective will take promising candidate materials and develop prototype devices to assess manufacturability and performance. These aims will identify a suitable material that will enable the InnAVasc graft to be marketable to the broadest patient population. Successful completion of this project will provide a prototype device constructed of materials that will simultaneously optimize the desired ratio of mechanical strength to flexibility. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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INTUITAP MEDICAL, INC.
SBIR Phase I: Tactile sensing for spinal-needle placements
Contact
2450 HOLCOMBE BLVD STE X
Houston, TX 77021–2039
NSF Award
1843381 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project will develop an innovative imaging device that applies tactile sensing to the surface detection of vertebrae to help clinicians place needles for the nearly 13 million diagnostic and therapeutic spinal punctures performed in the United States each year. The standard of care involves manual palpation of the back to estimate a vertebral gap for needle insertion. This technique is highly inaccurate, often requiring multiple attempts, which lead to pain and complications, unpredictable procedure times, poor throughput, and high rates of referrals to radiology for fluoroscopic guidance. By offering an accurate means of localizing bony landmarks, this project will enable successful insertion in fewer attempts, thereby improving clinical outcomes and reducing costs across the $3.2 million market, including emergency medicine, neurology, anesthesiology, and pain medicine. The device can also be introduced for training and to reduce errors in clinical testing of intrathecal drugs; and can increase procedure access by offering an alternative, bedside solution for challenging cases. To date, tactile imaging has only been applied clinically to soft-tissue evaluations. This project will pave the way for expanded use of this low-cost, non-radiative modality; to possibly replace palpation for other procedures, such as joint injections and thoracenteses. The innovation is the first standalone, clinical tactile imager. Its imaging subsystem comprises a sensitive, high-resolution pressure-sensing array, which detects vertebral landmarks when pressed against the back, and communicates them as a 2D pressure map to an integrated display. The device also includes a novel needle guide, which allows for flexible and reliable insertion. Positive gap localization has been verified in early development. This project will first confirm accurate insertion relative to imaging output by characterizing the relationship between guide and visualized-landmark locations, and by developing a mechanism to stabilize the device over unpredictable lumbar curvatures. Next, 2D pressure information will be evolved into an optimally robust and intuitive image. Advanced algorithms will be developed to detect, track, and highlight features of interest; and to understand and predict device use across cases. At each stage, the device will be tested on phantoms and through IRB testing on anesthesiology patients. Performance will be evaluated across anatomical variations, and compared with the standard of care. The resulting device will have demonstrated feasibility as a comprehensive spinal-puncture localization and insertion solution, rendering it suitable for further development and testing toward a regulatory submission, and providing compelling evidence for continued optimization in Phase II. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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IngateyGen LLC
SBIR Phase I: Progeny Analysis Of A Chimera-Free Hypoallergenic Peanut
Contact
410 Interpath Parkway Unit J
Elizabeth City, NC 27909–2738
NSF Award
1843503 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to develop a hypo allergenic peanut (HAP) variety, which is expected to save human lives by preventing allergy-related deaths, reduce the incidence of peanut allergy, and increase security, comfort and peace of mind for those individuals sensitive to peanuts and their families, extended families, friends, schools, and restaurants. HAP also may reduce and/or eliminate the number of institutional lawsuits resulting from peanut allergy events, and reduce and/or eliminate the number of costly food recalls due to peanut contaminations. Reducing allergens may gain back the loss endured by the peanut market, improve the U.S. competitive edge on the international peanut market, and increase sales by 15% to 20% due to an increase market by restaurants, airlines and more. Food allergies cost the US $25 billion annually and peanut is a major contributor. HAP will provide a significant solution to peanut allergy with the potential to reduce the overall cost of food allergy. The intellectual merit of this SBIR Phase I project is to produce a commercial prototype for a hypoallergenic peanut as a solution to the serious health concern nationwide for peanut allergy. In previous work, a HAP was developed by concomitant silencing of the genes coding for the three most potent peanut allergens Ara h 1, Ara h 2 and Ara h 3. The HAP was 2 to 85-fold reduced in allergenic potency, and the HAP trait was transmitted to several successive generations in field trials. However, some of the transgenic peanuts were found to be chimeric and to produce non-homogeneous population of seeds with variable levels of allergenic potency. To solve this problem, repetitive somatic embryogenic tissue was used to produce first generation chimera-free HAP (T0 plants). During this Phase I project, the progeny T1 plants will be analyzed using Southern blot and quantitative PCR to confirm the chimera-free status of the plants. Reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR, Western blot, sandwich ELISA and immunoCap assay will be performed to confirm the population of the progeny T2 seeds is homogenous and has undetectable levels of the targeted allergens. A commercial prototype variety for the hypoallergenic peanut will be identified and selected for further studies. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Innerspec Technologies Inc
SBIR Phase I: PORTABLE EMAT PHASED ARRAY FOR CORROSION MAPPING
Contact
2940 Perrowville Road
Forest, VA 24551–2225
NSF Award
1842797 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,048
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to provide a better and safer alternative to conventional piezoelectric ultrasonic instruments that use liquid-coupled transducers for the inspection of pipelines, tanks, and other structures used in power generation and liquid process industries. This new instrument does not require the use of liquid coupling, and can work on rough, coated, or contaminated surfaces that cannot be inspected with conventional liquid-coupled techniques unless the part is subjected to costly and time consuming part preparation. By not using liquids, this instrument can also be used on components that are very hot, very cold, radioactive, or in a vacuum. A high-resolution ultrasonic instrument that does not use couplant and has comparable performance to a piezoelectric instrument will save inspection time, reduce inspection costs, and permit inspections while in-service, which will result in millions of dollars in savings for plant operators. Society as a whole will also benefit from improvements in safety and performance of the plants, and by reducing the amount of waste and contaminants released into the environment as direct sub-product of the inspection, or from failures in facilities and equipment. The proposed project consists of the development of a portable, high-resolution, ultrasonic phased array instrumentation, software, and transducers based on non-contact Electro Magnetic Acoustic Transducer (EMAT) technology to substitute or complement the tens of thousands of conventional piezoelectric instruments in the market. For the instrumentation, the research will revolve around the development of a high-power and compact 16-channel pulser/receiver with a very small dead zone that permit inspection near the surface of the part. This instrumentation will also require custom software with signal-enhancing algorithms that compensate for the small amplitude of EMAT signals. The 16-channel phased-array EMAT transducers will involve multi-physics simulation of electrical and magnetic components to develop very small and high-density coil elements that can produce enough signal amplitude at high-frequencies while handling the pulsing rates required for effective inspection, and the high-power generated by the custom instrumentation. All these components will need to be enclosed in a battery-powered package that can be used in the harsh conditions typically found in field inspections. The expected result is a portable instrument that can compete in performance with conventional piezoelectric instruments, especially in applications and inspection environments where a conventional instrument is not practical or very costly to use. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Instapath Inc.
STTR Phase I: An automated digital pathology lab for rapid on-site processing and imaging of tissue biopsies
Contact
5855 Marcia Ave
New Orleans, LA 70124–1121
NSF Award
1820258 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
This STTR Phase 1 project seeks to develop an automated system that would significantly increase the speed and accuracy of biopsy assessments at the point of care. The proposed technology eliminates extensive manual tissue processing steps and generates digital images of fresh biopsies that look just like standard pathology slides. The imaging can be performed in seconds, thus improving the efficiency of biopsy assessments at the point of care. Rapid, whole fresh biopsy imaging also improves evaluation accuracy while maximally preserving tissue for further testing and facilitating remote pathology consultation. With over five million patients in the United States undergoing biopsy procedures each year, and one in five of those patients returning for repeat procedures due to inaccuracies in biopsy assessments, an increase in accuracy and procedure speed could have a profound impact. This could lead to decreases in patient procedure time and decreases in repeat procedure rates, preventing unnecessary, painful, and invasive repeat biopsy procedures. With an estimated 1.6 billion USD spend on repeat procedures per year, this would also represent a significant decrease in financial burden on patients. In addition, due to the decrease in time per procedure, this could increase procedure throughput for hospitals, thus increasing hospital revenue potential. Finally, by producing remotely viewable images, this system could be utilized in a remote pathology setting at underserved communities within the US. This STTR Phase I project seeks to develop an automated sample processing and tissue pathology imaging system that delivers biopsy-to-image in a completely automated manner on fully-intact fresh tissues within five minutes of tissue removal. Through integration with the previously developed Video-Rate Structured Illumination Microscopy (VR-SIM) system as the integrated optical sectioning modality, and using novel fluorescence dye combinations that recapitulate gold-standard histology, the throughput, efficiency, and accuracy of biopsy evaluation can be improved while maximally preserving tissue for downstream processing and readily facilitating telepathology consultation. Preliminary work in multiple fresh tissue preparations, including core-needle biopsies and whole surgical resections, indicates that the technology and method can deliver high image quality and diagnostic accuracy in short, clinically-relevant timeframes. A prototype of an automated, disposable cartridge system for biopsy staining and imaging for effortless integration with VR-SIM imaging will be developed. Image quality will be optimized at the highest optical sectioning power to be equivalent to physically-sectioned tissues, using polarization-gated VR-SIM and novel immersion media. ADPL workflow testing, validation of diagnostic image quality, and verification of compatibility with downstream analysis in human biopsy samples will be completed. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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Intensivate Incorporated
SBIR Phase I: High Performance Low Power Dense Server for Cloud
Contact
40087 Mission Blvd., Suite #274
Fremont, CA 94539–3680
NSF Award
1820507 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to accelerate the most common computations in processing Big Data and performing real-time analyses on data streaming-in to enterprise data centers. For the same total cost, the technology advanced by the proposed project is expected to increase performance by a factor of 12. As part of this improvement, it is expected to reduce the energy per instruction by a factor of 25 times or greater. This frees businesses to apply more advanced analytics techniques and react more quickly to changing business conditions. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project addresses the ever-growing need to process more data, but on a fixed budget. The objective is to provide accelerator technology for an increasingly critical set of applications that are currently underserved by generic CPU technology. The project aims eventually to deliver a PCIe accelerator card populated by silicon chips based on a new type of accelerator micro-architecture. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Interstellar Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Online Platform to Host Intra-District, Game-Based Math Competition
Contact
6117 N. Kirkwood
Chicago, IL 60646–5023
NSF Award
1840917 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2019 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project focuses on developing an educational platform for improving motivation levels in students with respect to the STEM disciplines, especially Mathematics. The core activity consists of live academic competition, students answering questions in a game-based, online arena. The platform will borrow the features and structures found in popular athletic sports, from points and rankings to leagues and championships, and reproduce them online so that students can compete academically in the classroom just like they compete athletically on the sports field, with similar performance gains and improvements to peer dynamics expected to follow. Leveraging classic game mechanics in an exciting online format, the platform has the potential to motivate students across the skill and demographic spectra where offline academic competitions have historically failed and input or output focused efforts have produced disappointing results. This project offers the chance to approach learning improvement from a new perspective. By focusing directly on student motivation with a structure only recently made possible by the advent of the internet age, this project leverages the power of competition to advance the stated NSF missions of developing a globally competitive STEM workforce and increasing economic competitiveness in the United States. This project entails the development of a web and mobile platform with the ability to host and engage every student across the U.S. in robust, online competition activity. As such, the proposed activity is expansive in its breadth and scope and therefore presents an immense challenge, both from a technical and a design perspective. Three distinct roles are imagined: an administrator of the platform will have the ability to create leagues, tournaments, and championships, team-based and individual-based, for students across the school district/network; a teacher on the platform will be able to arrange matches for a team/class of students by dividing them into multiple teams that play against each other or challenging another team in the same school district/network to a match; a student on the platform will be able to arrange individual-based matches with other students in the same school district/network or play against a personal best avatar. Bringing all such activity together into a single platform, one that can be integrated with existing online education platforms and replicated from school district to school district across the U.S. will seamlessly blending together the experiences of very different users. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Iria Pharma, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Targeted Small Molecular Taxane Delivery for Triple Negative Breast Cancer Treatment
Contact
60 Hazelwood Drive
Champaign, IL 61820–7460
NSF Award
1819081 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/01/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop a novel cancer targeting technology, Active Tissue Targeting via Anchored ClicK Chemistry (ATTACK), for targeted treatment of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). TNBC is a subtype of breast cancer that occurs in 10-20% of diagnosed breast cancers and is more likely to affect younger people, African Americans, Hispanics, and those with BRCA1 gene mutation. Currently, TNBC patients are mainly treated with chemotherapeutics and cannot benefit from existing targeting therapeutics due to the lack of Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) or hormone epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2/neu). This project will develop the first cell labeling based targeting technology (ATTACK) for TNBC treatment. A novel unnatural sugar will be developed for cancer-specific labeling of TNBC through metabolization to insert an artificial receptor onto TNBC and then target the artificial receptor to deliver therapeutic taxanes through a specific reaction between the receptor and the taxanes-drugs. The project involves interdisciplinary combination of knowledge from chemistry, biology, materials engineering, and pharmaceutical science. The successful development of the project will afford an effective targeted therapeutic drug for TNBC patients with improved quality of life in the future. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop a novel cancer targeting technology, Active Tissue Targeting via Anchored ClicK Chemistry (ATTACK), for targeted treatment of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). ATTACK can treat untargetable cancers that do not have established cell surface receptors through cancer-specific artificial receptor insertion of de novo designed unnatural sugars and subsequent azide-Click reaction mediated targeted delivery of therapeutic drugs. Currently, TNBC patients are mainly treated with chemotherapeutics and cannot benefit from existing targeting therapeutics due to the lack of Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) or hormone epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2/neu). This project will develop the first cell labeling based targeting technology (ATTACK) for TNBC treatment. Unnatural sialic acid (a type of sugar) precursors with azide will be first used for tumor-specific labeling on cell surface and subsequent targeting. Multiple taxane candidates will be synthesized and preliminary in vitro DMPK properties of the conjugates will be studied including solubility, plasma stability, liver microsome metabolization, and cytotoxic MTT assay. In vivo biodistribution and efficacy of the taxane candidates in combination with unnatural sugar labeling will also be studied in mice tumor models to validate the anti-TNBC efficacy of the drug candidates. The accomplishment of the Phase I research will enable further translational development of the novel cancer-targeting therapeutics into clinical applications. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Isolere Bio, Inc
SBIR Phase I: Non-Chromatographic Method for the Purification of Monoclonal Antibodies
Contact
701 W. Main St.
Durham, NC 27701–5013
NSF Award
1843074 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to improve manufacturing technology for the purification of monoclonal antibodies, which are important therapeutics as well as valuable tools in research and diagnostics. Approximately four new antibody drugs are approved every year, and while they can have tremendous clinical outcomes and are sometimes heralded as "magic bullets," they often come with a significant price tag. This puts a strain on patients and insurance companies, limiting the accessibility of antibody-based drugs. Furthermore, antibodies are critical research tools that enhance the understanding of biology. The technology developed in this research project will provide a completely novel method for the purification of antibodies from cell culture that will lower cost, increase manufacturing throughput, and accelerate the time to market for new therapeutics. Commercially, this technology will disrupt the current gold standard - Protein A resin - making antibody purification simpler, faster, and cheaper at all scales: research, clinical, and industrial. The intellectual merit of this SBIR Phase I project is to develop technology for improved purification of monoclonal antibodies. Although upstream production of antibodies in cell culture has improved dramatically, downstream purification has not kept pace, resulting in a production bottleneck and a major market opportunity. The objectives of this SBIR Phase I project are to demonstrate technical and commercial feasibility of a new technology that combines affinity with liquid-liquid phase separation to separate antibodies from cell culture contaminants. It involves an antibody-binding domain fused to a biopolymer with stimulus responsive phase behavior. When this fusion protein is added to cell culture harvest, it binds the antibody and, after triggering the phase separation with salt, pulls the antibody out of solution. The purified antibody can then be eluted from the fusion by lowering the pH. This project aims to 1) optimize regeneration conditions so that the fusion can be reused, 2) evaluate long-term stability, and 3) validate the technology at scale and conduct a head-to-head comparison to the industry gold standard, Protein A resin. The goal is to identify storage conditions that provide a long shelf life for a product that can be reused 10-100 times without compromising antibody yield or purity. The focus of the project is to demonstrate promising capabilities of the technology for use in industrially manufactured monoclonal antibodies, replacing conventional chromatography steps with a simpler and more cost-effective method. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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JAQ ENERGY LLC
STTR Phase I: Wirelessly Enabled and Distributed Energy Storage Systems Technology
Contact
800 22ND AVE THE EDGE
Tuscaloosa, AL 35401–2142
NSF Award
1843319 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project includes the development and proof-of-concept prototype demonstration of a new wirelessly-enabled and distributed battery energy storage system technology which can result in significant contributions to wide range of applications that critically depend on energy storage systems and energy availability. These applications include electrification of transportation via Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Electric Aircraft (EA), off-power-grid homes, green homes, and other buildings. This technology seeks to and supports the adoption increase of EVs, EA, and renewable energy sources. As a result, the project contributes to the increase in energy efficiency, the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and the reduction in the dependence on foreign oil imports. The project enhances scientific and technological understanding by demonstrating the visibility, robustness, and stability of distributed wireless control methods and power electronics architecture for the wirelessly enabled and distributed energy storage system. The results of the project will be used to evaluate and determine the technical and commercial feasibility of the wirelessly enabled and distributed battery energy storage systems. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will focus on conducting research and development tasks that will address key technical challenges that are crucial to successful commercialization of the wirelessly-enabled and distributed energy storage system such as robust and stable controller realization, wireless communication link realization for continuous wireless control, realization of efficient light-weight multi-link wireless power transfer, high-density light-weight power electronics with high-efficiency, and electrical and mechanical integration of the overall system. A proof-of-concept prototype for Electric Vehicles application will also be developed under this project and used for several demonstrations to potential partners, customers, and investors. This proof-of-concept demonstration prototype will be used to demonstrate the feasibility of the system and related desired functionalities such as fast, easy and safe exchange of modules in the system without the need for specialized personnel and distribution infrastructure. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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JuneBrain, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Development of a Wearable Retinal Imaging Device for Improved Monitoring of Multiple Sclerosis at Home
Contact
155 Gibbs Street
Rockville, MD 20850–0395
NSF Award
1819326 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project will help advance the health and welfare of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) - a debilitating chronic inflammatory disease affecting nearly 1 million people in the United States. A non-invasive, wearable retinal imaging device will be developed for at-home patient use that detects changes in MS disease activity, enabling patients and their physicians to track responses to treatment and detect disease flare-ups between clinical visits. Early detection and proper treatment of MS is crucial to reducing the risk of disease progression and disability. Current practice relies on infrequent neurological and radiological exams to assess changes in disease activity and treatment efficacy. However, there is currently no way to monitor MS in real time between these visits. Research relating retinal pathology to MS processes in the brain demonstrate that retinal imaging can provide early detection of disease events, offering an alternative monitoring pathway. This device will thus help reduce increases in patient healthcare costs associated with increasing disability, and potentially impact the research and care of patients with other brain conditions that manifest in the retina, including traumatic brain injury, epilepsy, and addiction. Following FDA approval, the device will be sold to MS patients, neurologists, and researchers. This project will yield a novel retinal imaging device that uses optical coherence tomography (OCT) and fundus autofluorescence (FAF) to assess retinal biomarkers associated with MS progression. While OCT and FAF are widely-used modalities for imaging the retina, the proposed device differentiates itself from current technologies in that it is specifically designed for use by MS patients at home. This will include a ruggedized, ergonomic, and wearable design suited for those who suffer from low mobility and other symptoms that make trips to a clinic difficult. Patients will use the device briefly once a week, during which time retinal images will be automatically acquired, analyzed, and sent to a physician for remote review. As such, it will further increase engagement between patients and physicians by making patients more proactively involved in their disease management. For this project, the following objectives are planned: 1) Develop the OCT component of the device to acquire high-resolution and repeatable images of layers in a healthy tissue-mimicking phantom retina, 2) Develop the FAF component of the device, and 3) Validate the device?s ability to acquire high-resolution and repeatable images of retinal layer thicknesses and autofluorescence in post-mortem retinas from MS patients and healthy individuals. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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KINO BIOSCIENCES INC.
SBIR Phase I: Vasoreactive Perfused in Vitro Vascular Network
Contact
33 SILVER CRES
Irvine, CA 92603–3611
NSF Award
1843331 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project proposes to commercially develop an in vitro (cell culture) platform to enhance the efficiency of drug discovery. Every drug delivered to a human engages the network of blood vessels for delivery to the target tissue or as part of the removal. An essential feature of the blood vessel network is an extensive network of small vessels surrounded by smooth muscle which can contract and dilate to control blood flow, and thus drug delivery. There are no in vitro human platforms that can mimic this biological function, despite the fact that cardiovascular toxicity is the leading cause of failure in clinical trials. As such, a pre-clinical tool to assess vascular toxicity would significantly impact the drug development process. Developing a successful drug averages 10-12 years and nearly $2.6 billion. Despite the fact that ~60% of the total development costs are spent on human clinical trials, fewer than 1 in 10 entering clinical trials will succeed. There is a significant opportunity to improve the accuracy of preclinical drug screening which, in turn, will generate dramatic cost savings and shorten time-to-market. The company's proposed vasoactive human vascular network represents a leap forward in technology to simulate the human response to new and existing drugs. Furthermore, the platform technology has broad future applications including the incorporation of tissue specific function (e.g, human tumor cells) and patient specificity which will further advance drug development and precision medicine. There are currently no in vitro platforms that can mimic vasoconstriction or vasorelaxation, processes which require vasoresponsive smooth muscle cells. Competing technologies line prefabricated tubes or membranes with endothelial cells to mimic the vasculature which will never be able to simulate vasoactivity. Since the company's platform is comprised of living dynamic microvessels, the company is uniquely positioned to create a platform with this functionality. The primary objective is to develop a 3D perfused human vascular network with smooth muscle providing the capacity to characterize vasoactive substances. The company will achieve the primary objective by completing two specific aims: 1) Incorporate human smooth muscle cells into a 3D in vitro vascular network; and 2) Quantify the dose-response of the 3D perfused vessel network to a panel of vasoactive drugs. Achieving vasoactive functionality in an in vitro vascular network will be the first demonstration of this critical biological phenomenon, and will meet an important commercial need in the pharmaceutical industry. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Kaizen Technologies, Inc
SBIR Phase I: Air Quality Analysis by Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
Contact
2339 N. Kildare Ave
Chicago, IL 60639–3655
NSF Award
1842686 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,653
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project will be to bring to the market a faster and cheaper means of gathering highly accurate local air quality. This will be done through the use of miniaturization of chemical sensors that are carried by UAVs. Not only will there be technical hurdles that will be overcome through the implementation of this means of gathering data, the use of UAVs in this manner pushes the boundaries of their use in urban areas in a way that has not been done before. The societal and commercial impact will be to reduce cost and time in obtaining air quality at a point in time and space, thereby making air quality measurements less of a financial and technical burden to governments, organizations and corporations. This progress will help ensure that communities can address air quality concerns through the data gathered. This STTR Phase I project proposes to implement a novel means to couple a low-cost technology to detect when chemical components reach a given threshold in the air with the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles as a means of delivering the sensors to a specified location. The sensor technology utilizes colorimetric detection of chemicals. Off-the-shelf colorimetric sensors, combined with a unique algorithm, produce color difference maps for toxic industrial chemicals at their permissible exposure level (PEL) concentrations. The objective of the research is to determine if the proposed approach will allow for accurate chemical sensing for a precise location. It is anticipated that the technology to be utilized will allow for an accurate capture of a broad range of pollutants and chemical compounds along with concentration levels. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Kalion, Inc.
STTR Phase I: Low-Cost, High-Purity Biobased Glucaric Acid
Contact
92 Elm St.
Milton, MA 02186–3111
NSF Award
1819514 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer(STTR) project is to develop a bio-based manufacturing process for glucaric acid and its intermediate, glucuronic acid. Microbial fermentation represents an attractive option for production of fuels and valuable chemicals from renewable resources, and glucaric acid can be produced from glucose, a renewable biomass-derived resource. The glucaric acid market was estimated at $550M in 2016, and has a plethora of uses ranging from detergents to food ingredients, corrosion inhibitors, and de-icing applications. The proposed project will engineer improved productivity of the microbe using C5/C6 sugars, thus accelerating the production of low-cost, high-purity glucaric acid. Achieving these bioprocess improvements will facilitate widespread adoption of bio-based glucaric acid in a variety of markets, broadening opportunity for US products. These applications include coatings, foams and foaming aids, electrolytes, gels, polymers, and polymer additives. This STTR Phase I project proposes to perform multi-omics studies to characterize the physiology of E. coli strains producing glucaric acid via fermentation, and develop strain engineering strategies to enable high yield and productivity. Most fermentation products are highly reduced compared to the starting sugar, and care must be taken to maintain cells in a reduced state, meaning high NADH/NAD ratio, to drive the NADH-consuming biosynthetic reactions. Products that are derived from sugar oxidation, in contrast, pose a much different challenge, and have been explored to a much lesser extent. Here, additional oxygen is needed to accept the excess electrons generated during glucose oxidation. It is well known that both S. cerevisiae and E. coli, two of the most common organisms for industrial application, are limited in their electron transport chain capacity, resulting in overflow products from high glucose uptake rates. Regardless of the oxygen transfer ability of the fermentation equipment, there is an inherent maximum production rate of these organisms. In this project, the plan is to develop E. coli strains with increased respiration capacity, thus increasing the maximum glucose oxidation rate. Glucaric acid, which can be produced from glucose via 3 enzymatic reaction steps, is an exemplary product. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Katz Water Technologies
SBIR Phase I: Modified Finned Tube Heat Exchangers for Economically Purifying Produced Water
Contact
4801 Woodway Drive, Suite 300
Houston, TX 77056–1884
NSF Award
1843943 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,994
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 10/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project involves improving oil and gas sustainability. To achieve that goal, we are proposing purifying produced water at the wellsite using waste natural gas to reduce disposal costs, carbon footprint and human induced seismicity from disposal wells. This process is enabled by patented equipment that fundamentally changes thermal distillation by performing the entire process inside a heat exchanger to reduce equipment and energy costs. In Texas, using the amount of gas that is flared annually, the proposed X-VAPTM system can theoretically purify a significant percentage of U.S. produced water problem of 33 billion barrels in 2020. The brine discharge from the purification process will be concentrated into specific densities to be recycled as a drilling fluid. This new circular economy will provide environmental benefits by reducing the need for large diesel water trucks to move the source water, dispose the produced water and deliver heavy brine for drilling. Society will benefit with a new renewable source of fresh water and reduce the need for oil and gas producers to compete with farmers and ranchers for increasingly scarce fresh water resources. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to prove the X-VAPTM thermal distillation system can fundamentally improve thermal distillation by reducing equipment costs and energy requirements. Before this patented invention, the entire thermal distillation including the distillation and separation from contaminates has never been performed inside a heat exchanger. The unique design provides a removable spring water tray and distillation column to address maintenance issues including scaling in the field. Our team of industry-experienced engineers will further test, improve and validate the existing thermal distillation prototype by performing prototype lab experiments and coordinated simulations to calibrate and improve equipment designs (Phase I). These novel simulations will need to be calibrated against coordinated prototype laboratory tests to achieve a 90% agreement between simulations and laboratory tests. This testing data and correlated simulations will be utilized to scale the prototype design to efficiently handle large volumes of produced water typically encountered at oil and gas well sites. The proposed research and simulation testing will validate the patented system and create a proposed program for customer field testing prior to commercialization (Phase II). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Kepley Biosystems Incorporated
SBIR Phase I: A Novel Horseshoe Crab Device and Approach for a Sustainable Endotoxin Testing Resource
Contact
2901 E Lee St
Greensboro, NC 27401–4904
NSF Award
1819562 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
09/01/2018 – 08/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is the development of a cost-effective, environmental and economically sound Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) production facility based on a finite number of horseshoe crabs (HSC) using minimally impactful and novel bleeding procedures. The goal is to address the demands of an estimated $114 million LAL market and finished kit market in excess of $1 billion per annum. Success of this project also anticipates exceeding current standards by ensuring biomedical and pharmaceutical manufacturing compliance with fewer total horseshoe crabs than the number that die annually from current practices. New approaches to HSC bleeding developed in this project would also enable repeated, controlled bleeding while maintaining optimal conditions for animal vitality and for the adjacent communities. Assuming optimized, scalable HSC bleeding operations could eventually expand current supplies, innovative applications could be developed. For example, early detection of sepsis could help avert some $30 billion in direct care every year in the US, notwithstanding the potential to save countless lives with development of gram-negative screening tools for hospital acquired septicemia. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop an alternative method of bleeding horseshoe crabs (HSCs) for Limulus amebocyte lysate (LAL) harvest. The overarching objective to demonstrate the proof-of-concept of an implantable, and surgical-grade device engineered to facilitate routine bleeding, without compromising the integrity and well-being of the HSC. This will be achieved via a systematic study of HSC bleeding outcomes to investigate whether such a device can meet the sterility and quality standards of traditional approaches, while obviating the need for extraneous transport to expensive, inland bleeding facilities. Furthermore, the commercial opportunity and feasibility of the device paired with a habitat-based, enclosed system to systematically monitor HSC wellbeing will be investigated. This SBIR Phase I project would be the first to investigate an alternative approach to bleeding HSCs, a technique that has not changed significantly since the late 1800's. At scale, the proposed approach would also be expected to improve product quality and traceability, and ultimately the bottom line of companies producing LAL kits, given a surplus of LAL in the supply chain. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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KnipBio Inc
SBIR Phase I: Novel Immuno-Nutrition Properties of a Single Cell Protein to Abate Soy-Induced Enteritis in Aquafeeds
Contact
142 Still River Rd
Harvard, MA 01451–1501
NSF Award
1819652 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to develop a protein replacement for soy-based marine animal diets to improve yield through effective nutrition and enhanced animal welfare. Aquafeeds represent >50% of the cost of production, and losses due to mortality can be as high as 50% in certain commercial species. A novel feed ingredient that contains immuno-nutritional properties to address these inefficiencies could be considered a game-changer to the industry. Fish are the most resource-efficient sources of animal protein, a healthy source of food for people, and will be one of the ways to address food security. As the surface of the planet is greater than two-thirds ocean, one estimate suggests, if managed properly, just 2% of this vast resource could produce enough food for all of mankind. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to expand previous studies that suggested a novel single cell protein (SCP) is a significant candidate to serve as a fishmeal alternative. In addition, SCP also may contain functional properties that improve growth performance and survival. The SCP tested previously supported improved feed conversion ratios (FCR) as compared to conventional diets, while at the same time, statistically relevant improvements in survival of carnivorous fish and shrimp. It also was observed that SCP relieved secondary disease complications associated with diets, such as gastro-enteritis. With hundreds of marketable species in aquaculture, and an industry that is just 50 years old, the collective understanding of aquatic animal nutrition is in its infancy. In this project, a carnivorous Seriola species will be used as a model organism to serve as an additional reference point beyond salmon. Targeted components of the SCP will be enhanced (or deleted) to determine the effect of leading immuno-nutritional candidates on the animals' ability to digest more completely inputs like soy bean meal (SBM). The effectiveness of SCPs in emerging commercial fish diets has yet to be fully elucidated, and the results of this study may have implications towards lower-cost feed formulations and optimized nutrition. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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LEONINE TECHNOLOGIES INC.
SBIR Phase I: Multivariate Shrinkage Sensor For Injection Molding
Contact
8120 Penn Ave S Ste 100-D
Bloomington, MN 55431–3114
NSF Award
1843921 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is that it addresses the injection molding industry which generates over $100 billion in revenue in the US alone. The proposed multivariate shrinkage sensor promises a leap forward from the current use of in-mold pressure/temperature sensors for indirect estimation of molded part dimensions and quality. Direct measurement of the shrinkage along with pressure and temperature in situ from the proposed sensor will enable improved process and quality control methods for injection molding which will eliminate the burden of frequent post-molding inspections and allow fully automated manufacturing. As a result, over 30 % of manufacturing cost and time will be saved while achieving 100% quality assurance even for the parts with tighter specifications. The proposed sensor will help heavily regulated industries such as medical devices and automobile manufacturing in achieving significant time reduction for process set-up and stabilization, and improvement in parts quality while meeting stringent regulatory requirements. Each percentage point improvement in productivity due to cycle time reductions, yield improvements, and related automation corresponds to cost savings of more than $1 billion per year in the United States alone while reducing the energy consumption and environmental waste related to molding, discarding, and recycling of defective plastic parts. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project provides a creative and original concept: a multivariate design for measuring shrinkage along with pressure and temperatures via a conventionally packaged device. Furthermore, knowledge and understanding are expected to be advanced in the development and validation of improved on-line models for estimating molded part shrinkage in real-time. Previous research did not have access to in-mold shrinkage data and so propagated faulty initial conditions throughout the shrinkage analysis. Due to the lack of direct observability and controllability of the molded part dimensions, most molders rely on the use of cavity pressure traces or part weight measurements as estimators of the part dimensions. However, there still is no technology or research available to monitor and predict the shrinkage on-line during production to improve, to optimize and to control parts quality and processing parameters without using expensive instrumentation. The outcome of this Phase I project will fill this gap and develop a fully functional multivariate shrinkage sensor which will enable measurement of molded product dimensions in situ prior to ejection from the mold. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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LIV Medical Technology Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Optical Coherence Tomography(OCT)-Sensor Guided Sub-Retinal Injector
Contact
14917 Meriwether Drive
Glenelg, MD 21737–9628
NSF Award
1819719 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,973
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to address the most common causes of blindness worldwide. Retinal diseases account for vision loss in over 25 million Americans. Worldwide, the prevalence of blindness in children is determined largely by socioeconomic development and availability preventative care. By 2020, the World Health Organization estimates that visual impairment among children age 14 and under will reach almost 19 million, and adults will reach almost 266 million. This SBIR Phase I project proposes a SMART surgical tool to enable safe and precise delivery of stem cells and genes to help repair and restore the vision of patients with retinal degeneration. Studies have shown cell transplant technology and injectable therapeutics improve vision in afflicted patients. However, due to the delicate nature of retinal tissue, this procedure is challenging to perform successfully. The proposed tool addresses the unmet need for better visualization and targeted delivery of therapeutic agents. Precise delivery of treatment is expected to deliver benefits in preventing and correcting retinal diseases. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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LOCAL CROWD, LLC, THE
SBIR Phase I: Incubating A Fourth-Sector Ecosystem With A Scalable Educational Crowdfunding Platform
Contact
4218 CHEYENNE DR
Laramie, WY 82072–6914
NSF Award
1842729 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2019 – 12/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project is focused on demonstrating the feasibility of an innovative crowdfunding process to effectively support and grow the fourth sector economy at the local community level. This fourth sector economy, a blend of three traditional economic sectors (public, private and nonprofit) is poised to solve many of the world's most difficult and complex social problems; however, this sector cannot work effectively without a supportive ecosystem that enables the creation, funding, and operation of organizations within it. This project proposes an innovative Fourth Sector Ecosystem incubator that brings a coordinated suite of services to local communities to engage them, educate them, and provide financial capital through a crowdfunding platform. This project will engage four communities in a pilot study designed to engage and educate key leaders, energize advocacy for fourth-sector growth, and catalyze fourth-sector social enterprises by offering capital access through crowdfunding. The validation of this grass-roots scalable educational and participatory incubator will enable communities to support local for-benefit businesses who will improve the quality of life in their communities, create jobs, and contribute to the economy, leading to expansion of this model across the nation and globally. The innovation inherent in this educational platform is the synergy between the components of its scalable, turnkey process to provide a catalyst for fourth-sector business growth. Innovative components include a robust, secure crowdfunding platform, educational training for community leaders and businesses in fourth-sector principles, assessment methods to evaluate/provide continuous improvement of the process, gamification that rewards fourth-sector-supporting behaviors; and network-building processes. The goals of this research are to determine the performance, design and educational training specifications that will address the needs of all stakeholders (e.g., entrepreneurs, community leaders, contributors), and demonstrate the feasibility of this platform through a pilot study in four communities. Methods will focus on continuous evaluation and feedback from stakeholders in the four communities to determine best methods to teach communities to manage their incubators, activate their communities to participate, achieve campaign success, demonstrate improved learning outcomes from the training, and increase the density and reciprocity of networks in the pilot communities. Surveys and data will be collected and analyzed to determine the effectiveness of each component in the process, from planning to implementation to assessment, as shown through survey results, expansion of networks, and funding raised by fourth sector enterprises using the crowdfunding tool. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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LORAND TECHNOLOGIES INC
STTR Phase I: Wireless Vibration Micro-Sensors for None Intrusive Real Time Monitoring
Contact
2200 CREEKEDGE CT
Corinth, TX 76210–3619
NSF Award
1843260 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,916
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is mainly in the area of machine condition monitoring. Vibration monitoring is an integral part of any machine condition monitoring regimen. All equipment that comprise belts, gears, bearings, drive motors, or other moving components have a specific vibration signature during normal operating cycles. Change in equipment vibration serves as an early warning of a decline in operating condition and signals the need for preventative maintenance to avoid more serious equipment faults and failure. Due to extremely small form-factor and wireless signal detection scheme of the sensing tag in the proposed vibration monitoring system of this project, simple and cost-effective direct measurement of vibration from hard-to-access parts of machinery (e.g. rotor in an electric motor) is enabled. This will have a significant impact on widespread use of such vibration monitoring techniques, hence improving the performance and safety of the equipment, extend their lifetime and avoid any unplanned downtime or maintenance across a host of existing and new industries and applications. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will initially focus on developing wireless battery-less accelerometers that can achieve very high resolution. The operating principle of the resonant accelerometer to be developed has never been demonstrated in the past and it is through this novel concept that high-sensitivity wireless measurement of acceleration is made possible. The proposed sensor consists of a piezoelectric resonant cavity coupled to an antenna that utilizes the piezoelectric stiffening effect to produce an acceleration-dependent resonance frequency. The center frequency of the resonator is wirelessly interrogated through pulsed excitation signals. One main and particularly attractive feature of the sensors is the simplicity of the sensor tag where no electronics are required. An acceleration detectivity of less than 50mg for a device operating in the 27.12MHz ISM band is targeted in this project which meets the requirement for a wide variety of application including motor vibration monitoring. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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LUCENDI, INC.
SBIR Phase I: Cost-effective, portable and fast platform for automated characterization of aquatic microorganisms and other particles for aquaculture, public health and marine res
Contact
2115 Stradella Rd
Los Angeles, CA 90077–2324
NSF Award
1843093 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,926
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 11/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the development of a cost-effective high-performance platform to monitor and characterize phytoplankton and other microorganisms in water. Some of these aquatic microorganisms may be toxic or even fatal resulting in significant public health concerns (such as recent "red tide" events in Florida, USA) and drastic economic consequences (i.e. deadly effects of harmful algal blooms on the aquaculture industry). The current state of the art in monitoring technology includes laborious and expensive manual sample collection and evaluation using a benchtop microscope or optical digital imaging system. In contrast, the proposed platform will be transformative by enabling low-cost, portable and fast monitoring and automated characterization of aquatic microorganisms. Therefore, this platform will revolutionize monitoring of aquatic microorganisms and, being low cost, it will enable a much wider application of the technology to other markets. Some of these future applications include more efficient biofuels research and development (via algae monitoring), marine biology science and education, general monitoring of particles and pathogens at the water treatment facilities, production algae monitoring. Therefore, the potential societal impact and commercial potential of the proposed technology is transformative. The proposed project aims to develop and evaluate a portable, rapid, durable and environmentally-stable imaging flow-cytometry technology that will automatically monitor microorganisms, such as phytoplankton and pathogens present in the flowing water, and will be capable of specific classification. Existing optics-based flow-cytometry solutions are expensive and not durable for field use. Unlike lab-based flow cytometers or hand-held assays, the proposed system will not rely on reagents or labeling, and therefore will not need an expert/professional, and will keep the evaluated water unchanged. Thus, it can be installed for continual unattended operation and will be much more cost-effective per test due to elimination of an expert's time, costly reagents and fluorophores. Furthermore, the proposed system will also be integrated with a machine learning engine capable of automated identification of microorganisms as well as other micro-objects of interest. Finally, the proposed system will be evaluated on pre-collected samples of local coastal ocean water to determine the presence of three example types of phytoplankton microorganisms and to provide statistical distribution of all of the detected micro-objects. Therefore, the proposed system will be transformative and provide an innovative and unique capability to expediently survey samples of water and automatically characterize identified micro objects. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Lapovations, LLC
SBIR Phase I: AbGrab Laparoscopic Lifting Device
Contact
2746 N Hidden Springs Drive
Fayetteville, AR 72703–9203
NSF Award
1843314 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 10/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project supports development of an innovative device for use in laparoscopy (minimally invasive surgery of the abdomen). Laparoscopic injuries most often occur during primary port entry, before visualization into the abdominal cavity is possible. Injuries are primarily to the bowel or vasculature and are very serious, with mortality rates up to 5% for bowel injuries and up to 15% for vascular injuries. To minimize this risk, surgeons lift the abdominal wall away from the vital organs that could be inadvertently punctured during primary port entry. Two lifting techniques are commonly utilized, but one is unreliable and the other invasive. The product in development utilizes suction instead of mechanical force to grasp the abdominal wall and is more reliable and less invasive than the current techniques. Projected benefits include better surgical outcomes, increased surgeon and patient satisfaction, and decreased patient post-op pain. Successful development of this product is forecasted to create 40 new jobs by 2023 with an annual payroll exceeding $2.5M. As a direct result of this Phase I grant, this innovative product can reach the U.S. market in 2019 and become the gold standard for abdominal wall lifting devices in the next five years. The technical innovation in this proposed project is a novel abdominal lifting device for use in laparoscopic surgery that is more reliable and less invasive than current lifting techniques. The novelty of the innovation is affirmed with one issued patent and an additional pending patent application. The device takes advantage of existing suction available in every operating room. This suction allows for the non-invasive attachment of the lifting device to the abdominal wall. Current lifting techniques include manually grasping the abdominal wall and using perforating towel clips. Manual grasp does not always provide a secure grip and perforating towel clips invasively perforate abdominal wall tissue to provide a handle by which to lift and elevate. The technical goals of this project focus on creating a minimum viable product produced with biocompatible materials using standard good manufacturing practices for FDA Class I medical devices. Production quality samples will be produced with five different materials to determine which performs best in terms of strength, reliability, and flexibility. These samples will also be used to determine if any further design changes are needed prior to commercialization. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Leading Edge Crystal Technologies, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Refinement of the Floating Silicon Method to Produce Drop-In Silicon Wafers for High Efficiency Solar Cells
Contact
98 Prospect Street
Somerville, MA 02143–4109
NSF Award
1820028 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 09/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is a 25% cost reduction in solar panel manufacturing and the elimination of up to 2.1 Gigatons of annual CO2 generation. As silicon wafers are the most expensive component in the $50BN solar panel industry, our low-cost wafer manufacturing technology presents the strongest opportunity to reduce global solar panel production costs. This cost reduction drives the compelling economics needed for increasing solar market penetration. As context, the solar market has historically doubled for every 20% cost reduction created by the industry. Our single crystal wafers are further significantly higher quality, and therefore can enable up to 10% higher effective efficiency using existing commercial solar panel manufacturing lines. Further, as the incumbent silicon wafer production process is extremely energy- and material-intensive and thus constitutes 80% of the solar industry?s carbon footprint, our direct and high efficiency technology has the potential to reduce the solar industry's 2026 carbon footprint by over 50%. The proposed project develops the systems needed for our process to produce silicon wafers with commercial dimensions and demonstrates to solar manufacturers (our customers) that our wafers can be processed by commercial solar cell lines. As our process produces a continuous ribbon of silicon, this work will develop a cutting system that laser cuts discrete wafers with the edges and dimensions needed for commercial solar cell processing. This involves developing the laser cutting recipes, the wafer handling systems, and verifying with a third party that the edge quality does not interfere with cell processing. Our project then investigates and optimizes our wafers' performance during each critical step of commercial solar cell processing, including chemical etching and screen printing. A successful demonstration that our low-cost wafer can 'drop-in' to an existing cell line to deliver equivalent (or better) performance compared to the incumbent technology would gate our working with industry partners to commercialize this process. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Levisonics Inc.
STTR Phase I: Innovative Platform for Low Volume Blood Coagulation Analysis
Contact
1126 Webster St
New Orleans, LA 70118–0000
NSF Award
1843479 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project addresses the problem of assessing blood clotting and associated bleeding and thrombosis risks in neonatal and pediatric patients. Existing coagulation analyzers put these patients at further risk because they cannot operate with low volumes of blood, and because they are less reliable owing to the requirement for test sample contact. This project will develop Acoustic Tweezing Thomboelastometry (ATT) for these patients. Using only a single acoustically-levitated drop of blood, this non-contact technology platform enables safe and reliable assessment of blood clotting in small children and provides an opportunity for development of newborn screening tests for coagulation abnormalities. This technology is the outcome of NSF funding which has supported the training of several PhD students in biomedical and mechanical engineering. ATT can reduce side effects for neonatal and pediatric patients by using 1/100th the sample volume required by technologies developed for adult healthcare and improve diagnostic response time for critical care providers by up to 350%. This technology could decrease the cost of blood coagulation analysis by over 30%, thus allowing for patients in the United States to save $2.0 billion annually. This SBIR Phase I project develops an innovative technology for non-contact blood coagulation analysis that integrates photo-optical and viscoelastic measurements in a single drop of blood (<6uL in volume). The essence of the ATT technology is to levitate a small sample in a host fluid (e.g., air) by the acoustic radiation force and measure its physical properties under deformation during levitation. ATT addresses the issue of high variability and poor standardization of existing coagulation analyzers caused by blood sample contact with artificial surfaces. Due to its noncontact feature and low sample volume requirement, ATT can rapidly (<10 minutes) and reliably assess bleeding/thrombotic risks and is sensitive to temporal changes in shear viscosity and elasticity during blood clotting and fibrinolysis. In addition, ATT can measure platelet function and assess the functional levels of fibrinogen and other coagulation factors. The goal of this project is to develop a user-friendly minimal marketable product for the market of pediatric coagulation analyzers. This goal will be achieved by meeting the following three objectives: 1) build the user-friendly prototype; 2) develop integrated software for device control, data acquisition, and data analysis; and 3) calibrate the prototype and standardize it for coagulation measurements. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Li Industries, Inc
STTR Phase I: A Direct Lithium-Ion Battery Recycling Process Yielding Battery-Grade Cathode Materials
Contact
2200 Kraft Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24060–6702
NSF Award
1819982 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/01/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
This Small Business Technology Transfer Phase I project advances a cost-effective and scalable direct recycling method for producing battery-grade cathode materials from end-of-life (EOL) lithium-ion batteries. The commercialization of the proposed direct lithium-ion battery recycling technology will lower the energy consumption and emissions associated with battery production, reduce demand for raw battery materials and decrease lithium-ion battery manufacturing cost. Using directly recycled materials instead of raw battery materials will diminish or even avoid the negative environmental impacts from mining and processing ores and from disposal of hazardous waste. Reducing battery cost will facilitate the implementation of more efficient electrified vehicles, thus reducing petroleum demand and vehicle emissions. Finally, research on the end-of-life lithium-ion battery cathode, on the direct recycling process and on the recycled materials will advance the understanding of intercalation chemistry in nonaqueous and aqueous media and of electrode degradation during electrochemical cycling. The intellectual merit of this project is to advance the direct recycling technology through the design and demonstration of a scalable electrochemical flow system capable of non-destructive relithiation and the optimization of post treatment operation for the recovered materials. The electrochemical flow system is capable of restoring the lost lithium in the EOL cathode material at any state of charge (SOC) and can be scaled to a commercially viable size. The cathode materials recovered in the proposed direct recycling process retain the same structure and morphology and exhibit equivalent electrochemical performance compared to the commercial virgin cathode materials. The recovery of high-value cathode materials substantially improves the profitability of lithium-ion battery recycling and is a key element of the business plan. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Liquid Carbonic L.L.C.
SBIR Phase I: High-pressure Density-driven Separation Technology for Carbon Capture
Contact
813 Fairway Drive
Columbia, MO 65201–6348
NSF Award
1843390 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,999
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is the potential to deploy a powerful tool for carbon capture. CO2-capture is the foundation of greenhouse gas mitigation. The high cost of current processes for CO2-capture have prevented their widespread deployment. High-pressure, Density-driven Separator (HDS) technology efficiently and continuously captures CO2 from gas streams, including both flue gas and fuel gas. An HDS module produces nearly Pure High-pressure CO2 (PH-CO2). HDS technology has transformational operating expense enabled by innovative strategies for compression, expansion, energy recovery, and subsequent use of the dense and light fractions. An HDS module has no moving parts, membranes, pressure swings or temperature swings. Therefore, HDS technology has the potential for very low capital expense. These low costs allow access to financial markets. Other revenue sources are also facilitated by low capture cost. For instance, PH-CO2 is food grade, valued in excess of $100/ton. PH-CO2 is suitable for enhanced oil recovery. HDS technology separates CO2 from fuel gas, producing a valuable high-pressure vapor, in addition to PH-CO2. HDS technology dramatically reduces the CO2-capture cost and provides a purity that enables a profitable B2B model. This STTR Phase I project proposes to develop HDS technology. Quantitative metrics will be refined and employed to develop detailed capital expense and operating cost models. Two technical hurdles must be overcome to reduce these costs. These hurdles are also opportunities for innovation. The first opportunity is to achieve sufficient volumetric efficiency in the pressure vessel for commercial deployment. The equilibrium state inside the HDS module is perfect separation. Increasing the rate of approach to that equilibrium state reduces the size and cost of the HDS module. This will be accomplished by exploiting the synergy between fluid state, surface state, fluid motion, and gravity. This synergy coalesces CO2, allowing its rapid separation from the remaining components of flue gas and fuel gas. The second opportunity is to achieve sufficient overall process efficiency for commercial deployment. The power required for compression determines operating expense. Our strategy involves operating the near-isothermal cold compression train and near-isothermal hot expansion train as a heat engine (an approximation of the Ericsson cycle). In this manner, innovative gerotor compressors and expanders work together with heat exchangers using waste heat to reduce or eliminate operating costs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Lucent Optics, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Internally Microstructured Optical Films for Natural Lighting of Building Interiors
Contact
1832 Tribute Road, Suite C
Sacramento, CA 95815–4309
NSF Award
1746140 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,997
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is in enabling additional energy savings in buildings by harvesting natural daylight and using it for illuminating the interior space with high efficiency and without glare, thus offsetting the need for electrical lighting. This will make building operations more sustainable and help improve the energy security of the U.S, create jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Additionally, when commercially available, this new technology will bring all of the well-known benefits of enhanced natural lighting for occupants of millions of residential and commercial buildings across the U.S., such as connection to outdoors and improved comfort, productivity and well-being, thus benefiting many groups of consumers. The proposed project will demonstrate the feasibility of a novel, non-prismatic optical film material and its use for enhanced daylighting harvesting in buildings. This material employs thousands of microscopic reflective surfaces embedded into the bulk of the material and operates by capturing the incident sunlight and projecting it deep into the building interior. Commercial buildings alone consume about 20 percent of all energy used in the United States at an estimated cost of nearly $180 billion. Building interior lighting accounts for around 30% of that cost. By applying the daylight-harvesting optical material to windows of building facades, a significant fraction of that energy consumption can be offset using the natural light captured throughout the day. The project will provide the critical design, testing, and experimental validation needed to transition the technology into the commercial sector. The primary objective of the project is to develop the core light-redirecting material and associated micro-optical fabrication technology that can be subsequently scaled for low-cost mass production. A second objective is to develop, test and demonstrate a prototype daylight-harvesting window film product based on this material.
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Lux Semiconductors
SBIR Phase I: Roll-to-Roll Manufacturing of Highly Crystalline Thin Film Semiconductor Substrates for Flexible Electronics
Contact
1400 Washington Ave
Albany, NY 12222–0000
NSF Award
1819961 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,949
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to further the development of a patent pending technology aimed at producing flexible, lightweight, and low-cost semiconductor substrates. These flexible semiconductor films represent the next evolution of the silicon wafer, the foundation of over 90% of today's electronic devices, including computer chips, solar panels, microelectronics, and a wide range of sensors and similar 'internet of things' devices. The silicon wafer, in its current form, is essentially unchanged since its inception over 60 years ago. These wafers, although larger today, remain thick, rigid, fragile, and are limited to circular forms no larger than 450 millimeters (18 inches) in diameter. The ability to produce large-area, high-throughput quantities of this material, in a flexible, more durable format would be truly disruptive, and help to usher in the next generation of affordable, flexible, and pervasive electronic devices. Accelerating the commercialization of this 'wafer 2.0' will help to shape America's high-tech semiconductor manufacturing industry for the 21st century. The proposed project will focus on the development of this innovative technology at a simulated roll-to-roll prototyping scale, to enhance film crystal quality, repeatability, and electronic properties, while preparing the process for integration into large scale manufacturing. To date, no techniques exist that can produce large-area, highly crystalline silicon or other semiconductor films, that are suitable for high-throughput manufacturing. The technique in this proposed work is a novel, patent pending process, suitable for high-throughput roll-to-roll manufacturing and has several technical advantages that favor high-uniformity crystallization. Low-cost, flexible, wafer-like substrates will open the door for a wide range of electronic devices and fully integrated system-on-chip designs, including sensors, displays, lighting, processors, memory, microelectronics, and photovoltaics. Specific research activities will include optimization of the crystallization process via exploration of operating parameters; improvements and refinements to the prototype chamber equipment; evaluation of intermediate thin-film layers to provide ideal electronic properties and to promote more favorable recrystallization; and, finally, characterization of the resulting semiconductor films using state of the art semiconductor tools at the world's largest nanotechnology focused institute. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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MAGIC BLUE, LLC
STTR Phase I: Development of a coral reef-friendly sunscreen with broad spectrum protection
Contact
6307 KENHOWE DRIVE
Bethesda, MD 20817–5419
NSF Award
1842745 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR/STTR) Phase I project is to commercialize the world?s first sunscreen that protects against UVA-induced photoaging, provides sufficient UVB protection and to reverse UVB-induced damage, and is safe to coral reefs. Leading sunscreens that are currently on the market have been shown to be inadequate in protection against UVA damage (photoaging). Moreover, Oxybenzone and octinoxate, which are found in over 80% of chemical sunscreens, have been shown to be highly toxic to coral cells. Estimated 14,000 tons of sunscreen settle into the world?s coral reefs every year and the oxybenzone that is present in many of these sunscreens cause coral bleaching and accelerate the destruction of the world?s already fragile coral reefs. The Magic Blue sunscreen uses an alternative eco-friendly technology to protect the skin from UVA and UVB damage, and the successful commercialization/market adoption of the Magic Blue sunscreen will significantly benefit the global environment by protecting our aquatic ecosystems, especially coral reefs, from further oxybenzone/octinoxate-induced damage. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR/STTR) Phase I project will develop a novel coral reef-friendly sunscreen that can provide broad spectrum protection. Magic Blue, LLC is partnering with the University of Maryland, College Park and collaborating with the Carnegie Institution for Science to conduct the key feasibility experiments, including biological analysis of UVA protection in 2D and 3D human skin tissues, chemical assays on SPF determination, and environmental study on the effects of the new sunscreen on soft and hard coral reefs. Once these experiments are complete, Phase II of the project will revolve around obtaining necessary FDA approval for commercial launch. The overall outcome from a successful STTR project will be the commercialization of the world?s first sunscreen that will encompass the following attributes: scientifically proven to protect against UVA-induced photoaging, abilities to provide sufficient UVB protection and to reverse UVB-induced damage, and safe to coral reefs. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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MAIA ANALYTICA LLC
SBIR Phase I: Real-Time Decision Making Software for Wastewater Treatment Operators
Contact
3830 NW BOXWOOD DR
Corvallis, OR 97330–3350
NSF Award
1843020 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 09/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is the development of a new generation of machine learning/artificial intelligence tools for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of wastewater treatment systems. Over $160 billion is spent on sewer fees in the U.S., with year-to-year costs increasing by over 5% for many users. Even with the significant resources spent on wastewater treatment, 3 to 10 billion gallons of untreated sewage are still released from US wastewater treatment plants each year. Development of technologies leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence to better manage complex biological and chemical processes will not only have a major impact on the $91 billion wastewater treatment system control market, but on other biochemical-dependent industries as well. In addition to reducing the societal financial burden associated with wastewater treatment, this technology will improve the sustainability of the infrastructure and will limit the environmental impact of human activities. Wastewater operators will be able to utilize this technology's real-time decision-making software to significantly reduce their municipal facility operating costs and decrease environmental pollution caused by non-compliance and overflows. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop real-time software for assisting wastewater treatment operators with decision-making for improved efficiency and effectiveness. Existing commercial simulation solutions for control and monitoring do not accurately reflect actual treatment plant behavior, do not model biological processes, do not require extensive configuration to be used, and do not respond rapidly to changes in plant performance. This project improves upon current approaches by linking biological components of the wastewater treatment plant with historical data using machine learning techniques. Phase I research will focus on development of: 1) an influent flow/composition model allowing accurate model inputs; 2) a full-scale hybrid model combining physical process and machine-learning bioprocess modules able to accurately predict plant effluent flow and quality, and; 3) a software platform to manage the model processes. The technical approach will focus on balancing the complexity of incorporating large-scale genomic data as part of a non-linear treatment process while ensuring high accuracy and maintaining model stability. Anticipated technical results will provide waste operators a software product that develops full-scale treatment plant models in real-time, using historical and current plant data, enabling significantly improved operational decision-making. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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MAKEFULLY, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Collaboration, Creativity and Computational Thinking - A Cooperative Music Tinkering Game
Contact
6320 Brookside Plaza
Kansas City, MO 64113–1709
NSF Award
1843894 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,649
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project will produce a digital + physical game for 6-10 year olds that fosters computational thinking practices through collaboration, listening, and tinkering through play with music. It is widely recognized that to be ready for the future, today?s students need to develop the ability to think critically, identify and solve complex problems, communicate clearly about their thinking, and work collaboratively with a team. Computational thinking (CT) is the core of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines, and is about developing a set of problem-solving heuristics, approaches and habits of mind. Collaboration and creativity, now seen as cross-cutting 21st Century skills, are also viewed as CT practices. Not all learners are motivated to learn CT through traditional programming contexts, even those designed for young learners. Moreover, there are a lack of learning environments to engage children in tinkering--trying things out and debugging--finding out why things didn?t happen as expected. And, the vast majority of existing CT learning environments for young children do not explicitly support the development of positive attitudes towards problem solving, confidence in dealing with complexity, and communicating and collaborating with others to achieve a goal. This product will enhance students? grasp of collaborative problem solving and ultimately computational thinking by engaging them in fundamental concepts that unite computing and music. The core technical innovation of this project is the design and development methodology that will lead to the creation of a transformative learning platform in its approach to learning outcomes, collaborative problem solving, and engaging game play. This multi-user, multi-device experience relies on a new approach to collaborative problem solving, leveraging multiple user inputs responsive to group tinkering and debugging. Players must employ critical listening, tinkering, debugging, and communication to identify pieces of music that are off, and work collaboratively to adjust controllers to get the music back to its original state. This game not only requires problem solving across scales (debugging smaller parts of the puzzle to get to an overall solution) but also requires collaboration and communication, something largely missing in educational games for children. This phase will focus on the build of the digital component of the game as well as conduct research and development around physical controllers. Additionally, this phase of development will research the balance of visual, audio and haptic feedback mechanisms to help players through frustrating moments, foster player communication and collaboration, and test visual design for the most effective feedback. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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MEDNET, INC.
SBIR Phase I: An Online Peer-to-Peer Resource for Oncologists to Improve Clinical Trial Knowledge and Enrollment
Contact
246 5TH AVE UNIT 513
New York, NY 10001–7603
NSF Award
1843270 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to put forth a solution to the critical problem of clinical trial enrollment, by improving awareness of clinical trials with physicians through technology that matches physician questions to relevant clinical trials via an online interactive social decision support platform. Patient enrollment is a significant weak link in the development pipeline and a significant pain point for organizations that sponsor clinical trials. More than two-thirds of trial sites fail to meet enrollment goals for a given trial, and up to 45% of study delays are caused by enrollment difficulties. This can result in lost revenues up to $1 million/day. Clinical trials are a critical link between scientific discovery and changes in clinical practice that advance prevention, treatments, and cures for diseases and disability. Increasing awareness of trials among physicians is key in increasing clinical trial enrollment, which in turn is essential in advancing health care practice as well as patient health and quality of life. While the area of cancer is an initial target for improved enrollment, ultimately the proposed solution can be applied to other medical specialties and be scaled globally using the same platform. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to drive clinical trial accrual by changing how physicians learn about clinical trials. The major innovation is combining a credible online social platform with powerful natural language processing technology and machine learning techniques to deliver customized clinical trial information to physicians in their decision-making process. For this Phase I project, the key objectives are: 1) To build out a prototype to match clinical trial information to relevant physician questions. Natural language processing (NLP) technology will be created to match clinical questions to related clinical trials so that physicians learn about clinical trials at the time they are seeking information on how to best treat their patients. 2) To conduct a pilot assessment of clinical trial knowledge pre- and post-use. A small subset of users of the social network platform will engage in a comparative assessment, pre- and post-exposure to the clinical trial component, to determine the technology?s impact on clinical trial knowledge. Successful completion of Phase I will result in a user-friendly platform that matches clinical questions to oncologists and relevant, open clinical trials, and will establish the technical and commercial feasibility of the proposed concept. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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MESODYNE INC.
SBIR Phase I: Scalable Photonic Crystal Fabrication for Mesoscale Fuel to Electricity Conversion
Contact
5 LESTER TER
Somerville, MA 02144–2715
NSF Award
1843687 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,362
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the demonstration of the technical and economic feasibility of a photonic crystal enabled thermophotovoltaic (TPV) system at scales over 10 watts, which would have transformative effects in power generation for portable and remote applications. A small, high energy density TPV power source has the potential to transform multiple markets that currently rely on battery power by reducing the battery weight by 75%. For example, remote scientific instrumentation stations in polar regions rely on 1000-2000 pounds of batteries to operate through the six-month polar night, resulting in high installation costs. Dismounted warfighters carry 10-20 pounds of batteries and would have greater capability if they could carry ammunition and water instead. Small unmanned aerial vehicles would be more effective if they could fly themselves to remote and inaccessible locations, perform their mission for longer, and then return. The proposed project will develop a new approach to photonic crystal fabrication to greatly improve the efficiency of TPV energy generation - the conversion of fuel into electricity with heat and light as intermediaries. A TPV generator works by burning fuel to heat a selective emitter to incandescence, leading to infrared radiation which drives specialized photovoltaic cells to generate electricity. A photonic crystal selective emitter greatly improves the efficiency of the generator by almost perfectly matching its emission spectrum to the photovoltaic cell. Our photonic crystal is a square array of cylindrical micro-cavities etched into a refractory metal substrate. The research objectives of this project address the technical hurdles that limit the use of photonic crystals in TPV: scalable substrate preparation from commercial foils using a novel high-throughput process; nanofabrication over large flexible substrates using traditional semiconductor manufacturing tools; and integration with the generator by brazing. The anticipated technical results of this project are to develop a process capable of a breakthrough fifty-fold increase in photonic crystal emitter area, to enable photonic crystal fabrication on flexible substrates, and to reduce photonic crystal cost - all leading to a practical TPV generator that meets market demands. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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MICROBIAL PULSE DIAGNOSTICS, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Multichannel Resonators Enabling A Phenotypic Point Of Care Infectious Disease Diagnostic
Contact
721 1ST ST
Golden, CO 80403–1380
NSF Award
1845581 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project will build technology to reduce the time needed to identify effective antibiotics for urinary tract infections (UTIs) from 2 days to 2 hours. Every year in the US, 13 million UTIs are treated with a physician's best guess antibiotic, because antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) is too slow. Up to half of first guesses are wrong, opening up the possibility for infections to worsen into life-threatening sepsis and allowing antimicrobial resistance to evolve. One quarter of 1.5 million sepsis cases and at least 250,000 deaths every year begin as UTIs. Rapid AST using biophysical sensing can take guesswork out of UTI treatment, save lives, and avoid billions in unnecessary healthcare costs. By sensing bacterial cell fluctuations associated with the mechanically active processes of metabolism, motility, and growth, this novel and fundamentally different measurement concept for AST enables almost an order of magnitude increase in speed. This project will establish technical and commercial feasibility of developing the underlying sensor technology for point-of-care diagnostics that demand push-button technology operable in a hectic clinical environment. Translating innovative federally-funded technologies like this out of the laboratory and into medical clinics will build taxpayers' return on basic research investments. This project tackles a key technical hurdle for clinical implementation of rapid biophysical AST at a meaningful scale: demonstration that the demanding performance characteristics of the underlying resonating quartz sensor technology can be reproduced using low cost materials for a disposable resonator housing providing fluidic, thermal, and electrical control. The rapid biophysical AST method takes the pulse of bacterial cells. Changes in mechanical fluctuations of cells occur after exposure to an effective antibiotic, and can be sensed in real time by detecting phase noise generated by cells on a resonating crystal substrate. Key to the commercial success of this technology are multichannel resonators that can be manufactured in large quantities to perform with very low noise resonance characteristics. Best practices from low cost microfluidics studies will dovetail with those from high-tech resonator development to deliver the phase noise performance needed to pick up the biological signal. Rapid prototyping tools including 3D printing will be used for quick design iterations. If satisfactory, Phase II will optimize fabrication methodologies for both resonators and housing modules interfacing with a fully integrated clinical prototype instrument ready to support clinical trials of the technology. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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MILLIMETER WAVE SYSTEMS, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Versatile Low-Noise Traveling-Wave Parametric Amplifier for Quantum Information Processing
Contact
9 RESEARCH DR STE 8
Amherst, MA 01002–2775
NSF Award
1843017 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,986
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will result from the development of a traveling-wave parametric amplifier (TWPA) prototype suitable to be marketed to the Quantum Information Processing community. Quantum computers require extremely sensitive amplifiers operating near absolute zero to amplify weak signals. There are two critical features of this amplifier that will benefit the community directly: 1) the ability to have more qubits per amplifier - essential for large scale quantum computers, and 2) the ability to use a commercial manufacturing process. As quantum hardware continues to scale, so does the number of qubits, making multichannel amplifiers essential. European and Asian investment in quantum technology is growing at an alarming rate. The US is at risk of losing the leading position in this technical space. The commercialization of TWPA technology is an example of technologies required for the US to remain competitive in quantum technology. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will introduce a TWPA product prototype for the Quantum Information Processing market by addressing some of the interfacing, packaging and manufacturing limitations of experimental devices. Critical to the ability to distribute these amplifiers to the market is a means of manufacturing such devices at scale. A key advantage of the proposed technology is its ease of fabrication and the fact that it can be fabricated using an industry standard process, which will be demonstrated during the Phase I project. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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MOMENTUM OPTICS, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Scalable Manufacturing Of Optical Lenses For Complex Systems Integration
Contact
2113 SEAWAY COURT
Longmont, CO 80503–7871
NSF Award
1846603 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$173,673
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is the development of an advanced manufacturing technology that will enable the production of high-quality optical glass lenses that are customizable and affordable, without the use of laborious machining or expensive tooling common in traditional lens manufacturing. The technology aims to reduce lens production costs by at least 5x while increasing throughput by ~6-8x. In addition, the project will address a key industry need to improve integration of optical components with electro-mechanical systems such as those found in compact camera modules. The methods and tools developed here will enable systems integration at a wafer level, thereby simplifying assembly, reducing cost/weight/size and improving the overall performance of many next-generation devices. This outcome will have a significant impact on imaging technology used in smartphones, wearable electronics, miniature aerial vehicles, medical endoscopes, and advanced automotive driver assistance systems. Hence, the project has the potential to benefit a diverse number of industries and strengthen U.S. economic competitiveness within the optics sector. In a broader sense, the technology developed in this project will also help revitalize American manufacturing. The proposed project will demonstrate a new method of lens manufacturing by leveraging semiconductor processing techniques and developing an innovative lens fabrication tool. The new tool will measure key optical metrics in real-time during lens creation for on-the-fly process adjustments. Closed-loop feedback during fabrication will improve tolerances and yields and produce higher quality lenses compared to traditional methods. This approach represents a paradigm shift in manufacturing as all commercial lenses today are created through iterations of lens forming and ensuing optical metrology. Furthermore, the tool will enable rapid production of customizable lens shapes, including a novel planar lens. The flat lens will be compatible with surface modification technologies such as those used to create electronics and micro mechanical structures, thus enabling, for example, thin film transistors or sensors to be fabricated with the optics at a wafer level. Specific research activities will include (1) designing and constructing manufacturing tools and fixtures, (2) experimentally correlating tool configurations with lens shapes, (3) constructing and characterizing concave, convex and planar lenses and (4) developing a software model of the lenses based on realistic manufacturing constraints. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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MOSAIC MICROSYSTEMS LLC
SBIR Phase I: Manufacturable Implementation of Thin Glass for Next Generation Electronics Packaging
Contact
500 LEE RD STE 200
Rochester, NY 14606–4261
NSF Award
1843230 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is that enabling processing thin glass substrates for next generation communications and packaging needs will mean faster communications with improved power efficiency. Society has an ever-expanding need for data, due to technologies such as mobile communications, cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and the shift of communication to higher frequencies (1s-10s of GHz). As the frequency increases, traditional material choices, such as silicon, can experience very high losses and therefore there is increasing interest in using insulating materials, such as glass, to improve power efficiency. Similarly, as device size is also important, ability to process thin materials is also critical. Successful completion of this work will enable cost-effective processing of thin glass substrates and enable next generation communication initiatives impacting commercial, military and industrial markets. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is proposed to enable processing thin glass substrates in high volume environments. There has been substantial interest in using glass for next generation RF and packaging solutions for many years due to its advantageous material properties, and scalability. Of particular interest is the dielectric properties, which provide low electrical loss solutions relative to incumbent materials such as silicon. Furthermore, the smoothness, hermetic properties and scalability of glass provides additional advantages over materials such as ceramics and organic laminates. There has been a lot of progress in establishing processes to form thin glass and make precision through glass vias (TGV), as well as demonstrating advantaged functional performance in a lab environment. There has been a challenge to establish the ability to scale to high volume for thin glass solutions due to gaps in the supply chain. This SBIR project will establish a process that enables a carrier solution using a silicon carrier that will allow processing of glass in existing infrastructure making thin glass solutions available to the current well established and capable supply chain. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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MRX ANALYTICS PBC
SBIR Phase I: Improving MRI Guided Thermal Therapies by Designed Magnetic Nanoparticles
Contact
19740 GLEN SHADOWS DR
Colorado Springs, CO 80908–2375
NSF Award
1843616 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 10/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project involves the creation of particles that will allow one to see a map of temperature within a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) measurement. This is a significant advancement because conventional thermometry is usually invasive, allows only single point temperature measurements, and may interfere with the therapeutic and imaging instrument. The proposed technology is designed to be biocompatible and minimally invasive, leading to fast 3D temperature mapping deep in the human body. The proposed materials and techniques can be used with MRI-guided thermal procedures which can replace scalpel-based surgery for a variety of cancers, improving patient outcomes and reducing surgical time. The method can also be used to improve treatments for essential tremor, uterine fibrosis and arteriovenous malformation. In these treatments, the temperature in the entire affected region must be constantly monitored. Due to the limitations of the currently used temperature measurement methods, these minimally invasive MRI-guided procedures are not frequently used or take considerably longer time than desired because surgeons often must work around failed temperature measurements. The work in this proposal could transform current methods of MRI-guided thermometry, significantly reducing surgery time and cost as well as improving patient outcomes. This proposal develops a novel, minimally-invasive method of creating temperature maps superimposed on anatomical MRI images. The technology uses a new type of temperature-sensitive sensor, in the form of magnetic nanoparticles, and could ultimately be used within human or other tissues. The key idea is that magnetic particles embedded in tissue will create a local dipole magnetic field that will modulate (statically or dynamically) the homogeneity of the main static magnetic field of the MRI scanner. This changes the nuclear relaxation times of the tissue and broadens the Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) linewidth, ultimately leading to local changes in the brightness of the MRI image. The magnetization of the particles is engineered to change with temperature, and therefore the results are temperature dependent. Different shades of gray in the weighted gradient echo MR images, can then be calibrated to obtain a spatial map of temperature. This has immediate application in providing real-time temperature information to the surgeon during MRI-guided thermal interventional procedures to treat cancer, for example. These new contrast sensors can operate in a wide temperature range both below and above the human body temperature, producing spatial maps of temperature with an accuracy better than 1 degree Celsius. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Manifold Robotics Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Robust autonomy for robotics-based data collection in surface water environments
Contact
195 Adams St Apt 14D
Brooklyn, NY 11201–1853
NSF Award
1843049 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project lies in the increase in efficiency and reduction in cost of gathering information in surface water environments using unmanned surface vehicles (USVs). USVs have the potential to increase accessibility to bodies of water, enhance coverage, and make data collection safer by removing humans from the task. However, to fully realize the potential of USVs for gathering information, a level of autonomy with minimal need for human supervision and intervention is required. The development of this technology will open the door to the pervasive use of USVs for environmental data collection, and ultimately benefit society through: i) more information upon which to base decisions about resource management and environmental policy; ii) higher frequency of data collection activities through reduced cost; and iii) increased safety by keeping human personnel out of harsh environments. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will lay the foundation for a transformative approach to environmental data collection in surface waters. The intellectual merit of this project lies in addressing technical challenges that will enable unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) to effectively navigate autonomously in complex surface waters that may contain a range of diverse obstacles, which would otherwise be inaccessible or at best require a high degree of human supervision. This will be achieved by advancing the state-of-the-art in computer vision and machine learning toward intelligent obstacle characterization. The proposed framework interprets images or video of obstacles to extract salient features, such as flexibility or rigidity, through the innovative use of machine learning, dimensionality reduction, and tools borrowed from the analysis of collective behavior. This extra layer of information provided through the proposed framework represents a significant advancement in computer vision, which offers direct benefits to environmental monitoring and data collection by empowering USVs with new unmanned capabilities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Mechanismic Inc.
STTR Phase I: Robotics Launchpad - A Design-Driven Educational Robotics Framework
Contact
133 Village Hill Dr
Dix Hills, NY 11746–8335
NSF Award
1843476 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,959
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
This STTR Phase I project aims to bring together computational thinking, mechanism design, and design process to create a new framework for design-driven robotics education for K-12 schools and camps. This work would result in a platform for 1) teaching students Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) topics and 2) providing them critical hands-on experience designing, prototyping, and programming machines. By enabling students to exercise their creativity via an intuitive design interface and a minimalist novel robot kit, this project advances the students' ability to innovate and invent machines and robots. Driven by a need to keep pace with the evolving techno- and socio-economic requirements and remain competitive, schools and camps are increasingly adopting STEM and Robotics programs and products. This framework would fill that void that currently exists in the educational market. This project is closely aligned with the NSF's mandate to support development of a strong STEM workforce. The proposed design-driven educational robotics framework has the potential to fulfill these needs, improve public scientific literacy and engagement with science and technology, and positively impact the U.S. educational robotics market, which is expected to grow to $2.7 billion by 2021. The proposed research seeks to develop a novel design-driven educational robotics framework encompassing 1) a modular, customizable, and compatible with off-the shelf electronics hardware kit consisting of rigid and compliant parts for rapid prototyping of robot structures and mechanisms, 2) a multi-modal mobile app for synthesis and simulation of robot motions, 3) a web-based CAD interface for designing users' custom robot parts that interface seamlessly with the kit, and 4) instructional material and curriculum for middle and high-schools. The hardware would provide a suite of planar parts with unique design capabilities to support creation of 3D geometry of robots and structures. The novel structural elements would give rise to a new method of enforcing geometric and kinematic constraints and provide flexibility in choice of material and manufacturing process. While the new connection methods are much more intuitive and simpler, they also closely mirror the way engineered structures are created in practice. The mobile app based on the latest mechanism synthesis research imbued with a multi-modal graphical user interface will allow creation of robot assemblies and their motions before constructing their corresponding physical models and provide necessary skills and experience in the design process. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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Medical Innovators Company, LLC
SBIR Phase I: A software product that empowers healthcare teams with community resource information and facilitates post-treatment care coordination.
Contact
10707 Holly Springs
Houston, TX 77042–1411
NSF Award
1746170 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,935
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be to develop and test feasibility of a web-based software and machine learning technology that is able to empower healthcare teams with community resource information as well as facilitate coordination of post-treatment care. Lack of access to community resources such as housing, food and transportation (also known as social determinants of health) has been associated with negative health outcomes such as unplanned hospital readmissions and emergency room visits. This leads to high healthcare costs. Therefore, healthcare teams (i.e. social workers, case managers and discharge planners) spend a significant amount of time to locate appropriate community resources for their patients. Our innovation will leverage a community of healthcare professionals and the resource providers to ultimately find community resources for patients in a faster and less costly manner. The machine learning technology supported by this award will connect healthcare professionals with relevant community resources that ultimately reduces the cost and time associated with this process. A successful implementation of this technology will lead to improved post-treatment care outcomes for the patients and reduced cost of care. The proposed project will develop and test the feasibility of a web-based software platform to empower healthcare professionals to share community resources. Novel machine learning technology will be developed to facilitate appropriate and efficient exchange of community resources. Healthcare professionals using the platform will be able to get onto the platform as well as search and share resources. The machine learning algorithm leverages the relationships of healthcare professionals and resource providers to coordinate community resource sharing. A successful implementation of this algorithm will provide substantial improvements on the ability to acquire timely community resources as compared current methods. The goal of this research is to validate whether the machine learning technology is able to help healthcare professionals identify appropriate community resources.
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Meisner Consulting Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Novel Ultra-Rapid, High Definition, Additive Manufacturing System
Contact
43126 Lancashire Common
Temecula, CA 92592–9227
NSF Award
1747210 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project will examine a new ultra-rapid 3D printing technology designed to break down important barriers to the future of Additive Manufacturing. The subject is a machine and materials set that can provide exponentially faster object generation at high resolution. This system leverages several familiar technologies in a new way to provide a path for 3D printing, generally considered reserved for the high-tech sectors, to become accessible to everyone. Because the new method is so rapid, detailed, and the materials are so diverse, it is poised to enhance plastics manufacturing profit margins by eliminating mold costs in many cases. In this way, many American business forced to outsource overseas will be able to maintain domestic production and increase the return of manufacturing jobs to the US. In addition, the manufacturing of the consumables will also enhance job creation. When this new method is fully adopted, its use in the medical field will make lifesaving and life enhancing prosthetic, implantable, and pharmaceutical testing applications much more cost effective, fundable by Medicare, benefiting all our citizens. By servicing a higher percentage of the general plastics manufacturing $600B industry, as well as professional designers, engineers, technical professionals, and the medical and scientific community, the new system in its many forms will eventually be of benefit to nearly every industry in the US, increasing the growth and practical value of the 3D market sector. The subject invention is unique in its use of multiple disciplines simultaneously. As a solid-state system, pressure-biased build material presses up against a glass screen, which is micro-porous, and is laced with the same kind of electronics as are found in flat screen displays. The discrete addressing normally reserved for video images, known as row-and-column refresh rates, is instead used to activate resistive material generating micro-heat spots in this open weave configuration. The heat stimulates the build material to transit the glass and solidify topside, at 1000 dpi resolution, or 1 million droplets per square inch. These high-resolution droplets conjoin and cool, as an entire layer is created at once at 30-120 times a second with no mechanical heads tracking back and forth. The objects should seem to simply appear on the glass at about one to seven vertical inches per minute, depending on the refresh rate, at virtually any planar size, and can be used right away, since no post-curing treatment is needed. Integrating an activated video matrix to build entire cross sections at once, increases speed exponentially. The pores in the glass rely on the known science of Microfluidics, a highly refined means of moving an entire 2D matrix of liquid, to eliminate costly and slow mechanization, and will be studied in this application. Robust and diverse materials have been developed for many embodiments and will be tested. Optimizing first in Multiphysics simulation, and then fabricating a simplified Proof of Concept in Phase I, should provide compelling evidence for continued work on this novel method in Phase II.
Errata
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Addenda
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MeshPlusPlus, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Low-Loss Ad-Hoc Networking for Outdoor WiFi
Contact
60 Hazelwood Drive, Suite 206
Champaign, IL 61820–7460
NSF Award
1843462 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 09/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project enables connectivity in otherwise difficult areas. Broadband access in rural America, for example, has been a lasting problem that inhibits business and education alike. The primary barrier to installation is the cost of trenching cable, which can be $7,000-$30,000 per service location. Similar challenges exist in emerging markets and remote industrial Internet of Things. Networks cannot easily be replaced with today?s wireless technologies due to the losses that occur when forwarding information wirelessly, which can eliminate up to half of the throughput capability at each forwarding location. Low-loss mesh networking, such as that proposed, would enable fully-wireless solutions to last-mile connectivity problems globally by eliminating reliance on cable. The impact of distributed and scalable algorithms extends beyond mesh networking into the decentralization of other technologies to be more secure and robust, but cannot due to performance issues. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is focused on low-loss mesh networking that could feasibly cover hundreds or thousands of acres with broadband internet access without laying cable. The primary intellectual merits include scalable aggregation of data, reducing communication interference with a predetermined network structure, and other challenges that arise in very large wireless networks. The objective of this research is a wireless mesh network topology and hardware that can maintain less than 17% throughput loss-per-hop in a network larger than 100 nodes. This will be accomplished through real-world trials, simulations, and iterated testing of different geometries and time-domain multiplexing. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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MetaSeismic, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: MetaMaterial for Seismic Energy Absorption
Contact
5141 California Ave Ste 250
Irvine, CA 92617–3062
NSF Award
1721975 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2017 – 04/30/2019
Abstract
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will investigate isolation pads made of a novel class of metamaterials to reduce seismic vibrations of equipment and buildings. Use of traditional seismic isolation materials often leads to restricted design spaces and needs expensive full-scale device testing, which make the technology unfeasible for extensive application. The internal architecture of the high-performance materials to be studied and optimized in this work can enlarge the design space to embrace objects as small as an expensive equipment and as large as a major bridge. Simplification of testing protocols due to the shift of the isolation property from the device to the material level adds to the Broader Impacts by making seismic isolation accessible for a wide range of applications. The high level of seismic protection provided by this technology constitutes an immediate value for commercial activities that require continuity of operations after earthquakes. The initial target is the fast growing market of data centers, with the potential for follow-on market in residential housing construction. The extensive application of the innovation has the potential of increasing the resiliency of communities in areas prone to seismic activity and reducing related direct and indirect losses. The intellectual merit of this project derives from the development of an optimization framework for the internal architecture of metamaterials for enhanced seismic protection. There has not been a fundamental study to optimize metamaterials based on manufacturing tolerances, costs, and performance for seismic applications. This work will contribute to developing a set of design principles for optimized internal material architectures depending on desired seismic performance. Experimental investigations will be carried out to validate the methodology and to prove the feasibility of replacing device testing with material coupon testing to certify metamaterial pads for seismic isolation. This will include the investigation of processing methods to manufacture material assemblies with uniform mechanical properties, and will involve both static and dynamic testing of the material. The key technical objectives of the project are 1) the development of the optimization design framework based on manufacturing and seismic performance constraints, and 2) the material testing protocol to verify scalability and defect insensitivity of the material property. It is anticipated that the metamaterial architecture can be modulated to provide seismic isolation property beyond state of the art seismic isolation devices, and can be scaled from material coupons to large assemblies without significant property modification.
Errata
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Microgrid Labs Inc.
STTR Phase I: Intelligent Planning and Control Software for EV Charging Infrastructure
Contact
903 Grogans Mill Drive
Cary, NC 27519–7175
NSF Award
1746858 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,475
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 04/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to develop smart software to plan and control Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in commercial facilities, such as workplaces, hotels, car rental centers, parking garages, etc. The EV planning software finds the optimal design balancing design tradeoffs such as EV customer satisfaction, grid stability limits and financial constraints. This software will help facility operators to optimize their EV charging infrastructure by minimizing their operating costs and maximizing their revenue by utilizing intelligent scheduling and pricing strategies. The software leverages the latest developments in stochastic optimization for designing an optimal configuration of EV infrastructure that is robust to variations in mobility behavior of the users. This will enable public utilities to save billions of dollars by deferring expensive upgrades to their existing infrastructure. It will also empower small consulting businesses, facility managers and electrical contractors to design and build EV infrastructure without any specialized knowledge of optimization or modeling. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project addresses the problem of planning and controlling EV charging infrastructure to meet the rapidly growing energy demands of EV owners. EVs are expected to comprise 30% of all cars globally by 2030. This forecasted increase over the next 10 years is of major concern for utilities, and commercial real estate owners. Given the long commute distances, driving habits, time taken to charge using home-based chargers and range anxiety, there is a need for charging locations at workplaces, hotels, and car rental centers. Chargers at these locations will generally be medium power Level 2 chargers, which are 5 to 10 times the size of typical home chargers. Simultaneous uncontrolled charging of several EVs at these locations will easily overload the local electrical infrastructure. The software mitigates this problem by designing an optimal EV infrastructure together with optimally sized onsite generation and storage. The controlling solution ensures that the grid impacts are minimized by scheduling the installed EV chargers together with onsite generation and storage with optimal set points in real time.
Errata
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MobIQ Technologies
SBIR Phase I: MobIQ: A SIM-Based Solution To Software-Defined IoT Network Services
Contact
4425 ENSENADA DR
Woodland Hls, CA 91364–5408
NSF Award
1843994 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will result from advancing the application territory of Internet-of-Things (IoT) and 4G/5G/Beyond-5G ecosystems. If successful, the obtained results would directly benefit a large portion of the current 8.4 billion wirelessly "connected things" with an estimated $273 billion market. It will facilitate "always-on, anytime, anywhere" network services and further help enable many emerging IoT applications (e.g., safe driving, remote healthcare, smart city, wearables). The technology is expected to create new business opportunities for IoT vendors, service providers, and mobile virtual network operators. If successful, it will facilitate evolution from an operator-centric network ecosystem to a user/application-centric ecosystem. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop a software-based solution to enabling dependable, software-defined network services for IoT applications. The objective for Phase I is to provide "always-on, anytime, anywhere" network service for billions of IoT devices and applications. Different from the current infrastructure-based solutions (using software-defined networking or network slicing), the proposed technology offers an in-device, SIM-based software solution without infrastructure upgrades or added device hardware. It enables in-SIM visibility to "black-box" mobile network operations, performs in-device optimizations using readily available mechanisms, and offers further value-added cloud services for network-wide optimization and management via crowdsourcing. The technology is readily deployable on today's IoT devices (both low-end and high-end) and provides "must-have" features for two customer segments (validated through NSF I-Corps interviews) - IoT mobile virtual network operators, and IoT application vendors. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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Molecular Glasses, Inc.
SBIR Phase I: Non-crystallizable charge transporting organic materials as OLED functional layers and thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitter-layer hosts
Contact
16 CARDOGAN SQ
Rochester, NY 14625–2509
NSF Award
1843233 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,958
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to accelerate the commercialization of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology. For color displays (TV, cell phone, computer, virtual reality, watches, etc.) OLED is superior to all existing technologies in terms of energy usage, display color space, viewing angle, etc. For lighting, OLED fixtures use very low energy, the light is soft, casts no shadow, and is architecturally flexible. OLED is the display and lighting technology of the future. However cost and short device lifetime has retarded commercial advancement. The introduction of an entirely new class of materials for OLED manufacturing will enable this advancement. The proposed project will reduce OLED cost and improve performance by utilizing a new class of photoelectric materials for the nanometer thick layers that comprise an OLED. OLED layers utilize single-component small molecules for the charge transporting and light-emitting layers. These molecules tend to crystallize and are poor solvents for the emitting molecules leading to decreased light emission efficiency and shortened device lifetime. The innovation is using isomeric mixtures of designed molecules that are amorphous and non-crystallizable in all three layers. These molecules are chemically designed to meet all the required photophysical and electrical characteristics necessary for superior OLED performance. Preliminary device fabrication and testing has confirmed that these new materials dramatically improve both emission efficiency and device lifetime with the standard emitter molecules. Due to the physics of charge recombination in the emitter layer there is only one technology which has the potential to harvest 100% of the injected charge as emitted light: thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). OLEDs using TADF technology have demonstrated high efficiency but with very short device lifetime. This project will couple the new non-crystallizable technology with TADF to design and fabricate OLED devices with both high efficiency and long life to meet commercialization requirements. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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Myriad Sensors
SBIR Phase I: Natural Language Voice Controlled Science Equipment
Contact
505 Cypress Point Dr.
Mountain View, CA 94043–4849
NSF Award
1819287 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 04/30/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project will develop Natural Language Voice-Controlled Lab Assistant technology that enables students to control and interact with hands-on science lab equipment using natural language dialog. The lab assistant technology will connect with science equipment hardware, a mobile or computer app, and cloud-based software for speech recognition and data analysis. A student can perform hands-on experiments, ask questions like "How high did my rocket go?" or "What was the force of the cart collision?", and receive audible responses based on their own experimental measurements. The lab assistant is designed for students that encompass (1) students who are blind or low vision, (2) students with disabilities affecting physical skills, (3) students that would benefit from multi-sensory learning methods as required in Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), and (4) generally students that would benefit from increased engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). The broader impacts of the lab assistant technology will be to promote teaching and learning through professional development of K-12 educators in STEM, and enable broad participation of under-represented groups of people in authentic science inquiry. The proposed Lab Assistant will be the first application of state-of-the-art voice recognition technology for educational science experiments. The Lab Assistant will integrate with sensor hardware and mobile apps to enable hands-on experiments in physics, earth science, chemistry, and engineering. The intellectual merits of the Lab Assistant are (1) the development of software that can respond to a wide spectrum of natural language questions and (2) the systems integration of many cutting-edge technologies (wireless sensors, mobile apps, voice recognition software, cloud-based data analysis algorithms) into a simple user interface for science education. The voice interactions will help students overcome disabilities with traditional touch and visual technology, work more independently due to the presence of auditory help, work more effectively in groups, and gain confidence in their STEM abilities. For teachers, the Lab Assistant will provide an "expert in the room" to help guide the hands-on activities that they already do, and provide technical support. The Lab Assistant will be especially useful to teachers without formal science training, that nevertheless need to lead hands-on STEM activities. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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N-Sense LLC
SBIR Phase I: Field Mobile Soil Nitrate Sensor for Precision Fertilizer Management
Contact
4204 Arizona Circle
Ames, IA 50014–3612
NSF Award
1842556 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project stems from the need to substantially improve nitrogen (N) use efficiency in crop production and thereby improve profitability for farmers, while simultaneously reducing the adverse effects of agriculture on the environment. Currently, less than half of the N fertilizer applied to agricultural fields is used by the crops to which it is applied. The remaining N is either leached from the soil or lost to the atmosphere as nitrous oxide - potent greenhouse gas. This inefficient use of N fertilizer by crops is an economic burden for farmers, cause serious water and air quality problems, and contribute about 2.5% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, these N losses represent a tremendous energy inefficiency, because the production of synthetic N fertilizer is the largest energy input in production agriculture. The key to improving N use efficiency in crop production is applying the right amount of N fertilizer in the right place at the right time. The proposed sensor technology would be disruptive to existing agricultural technology and practices, wherein N fertilizer is applied at a uniform rate across agricultural fields, and improve profitability for farmers. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to demonstrate the feasibility of a robust field-mobile soil nitrate (NO3-) sensor utilizing mid-infrared technology to facilitate precision N fertilizer applications. Mid-infrared spectrometers have historically been large, expensive, and fragile laboratory instruments that require substantial sample preparation, thus preventing their use as mobile optical soil NO3- sensors. The scope of the Phase I research will focus on three objectives: 1) The design and development of a robust and low-cost mid-infrared spectrometer that uses a diamond attenuated total internal reflectance (D-ATR) probe to measure NO3- levels; 2) The design, construction, and testing of a chisel shank-tool bar system that houses the spectrometer and D-ATR probe; and 3) the development of control and data processing and analysis software to manage the system. Anticipated technical results of Phase I will provide a prototype that can measure NO3- in the upper 30 cm of soil, not just at the surface, by enabling modulation of the depth of the shank and the probe as the system is pulled through a field, and self-cleaning of the system as soil is continuously moved across the optical surface of the diamond by the forward motion of the tractor. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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NALA SYSTEMS, INC.
SBIR Phase I: Chemically Resistant Membranes for Water Purification
Contact
202 COLFAX DR
Chapel Hill, NC 27516–4654
NSF Award
1843587 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2019 – 12/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project will provide new opportunities for purifying waters that cannot be economically treated using existing commercial membranes. Increased market growth to include recycle and re-use of contaminated water that is currently slated for disposal or long term environmentally risky storage will increase water availability for industry and agriculture and reduce environmental impact from these same users. More available water, especially in higher demand locations, will lead to higher production and lower costs for industrial and agriculture based consumers, leading to job growth. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to validate a new method of thin film composite membrane fabrication using new materials strategies to produce game changing anti-fouling and chlorine resistant reverse osmosis membranes. Current market dominating polyamide thin film composite (TFC) membranes are inherently susceptible to fouling and degraded by chlorine disinfectants used to mitigate bio-fouling, which is the greatest challenge to membrane operation. The established TFC production technique provides very thin active layers on the order of 100?s of nanometers but is limited to polyamides. The proposed technology will produce TFCs with alternative polymers. Polymers that are chlorine resistant and inherently non-fouling are targeted for use but the unmet challenge has been the opportunity to manufacture them with membrane thicknesses down to the 100?s of nm thickness regime necessary to challenge the flux properties of current commercial membranes. Combining this new fabrication technology and new polymers is the technological breakthrough needed to develop innovative membranes. The project will synthesize a target polymer composition, develop the formulation and fabrication parameters within the new process and produce TFC samples for testing. TFC samples will undergo comparative testing of fouling and chlorine resistance, water flux and salt rejection in a variety of simulated test waters. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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NBN TECHNOLOGIES, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Affordable Multi-Wavelength Lidar and Thermal Imager for Autonomous Vehicles
Contact
136 WILSHIRE RD
Rochester, NY 14618–1221
NSF Award
1843757 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$222,500
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to provide a low cost Lidar+Thermal camera to the autonomous car market that will eventually enable level 4 and level 5 autonomy. The proposed innovation incorporates both a Lidar and a thermal detector to locate objects but also classify them, as this is the most crucial aspect of autonomous vehicles. The dual polarity Lidar+Thermal photodetector solves a few major issues in the current Lidar industry. First, current Lidars have to use advanced algorithms to classify the objects, whereas a Lidar+Thermal detector can easily distinguish between animate and inanimate objects, while continuing to establish their location. This is done due to the drastic heat signature of animate objects. Second, the dual polarity detector is able to detect and locate hazards on the road such as snow or puddles, which is vital if autonomous vehicles are used in northern regions. In addition, the frame rate of the Flash Lidar+Thermal is up to 200 Frames per second, which will drastically reduce smearing effects and allow for driving at speeds of 70+ MPH. Lastly, the high thermal resolution of the camera will ensure operation in bad weather conditions including fog and rain. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will provide a proof-of-concept of the dual polarity Lidar+Thermal detector. An array of 32x32 pixels will demonstrate that in one polarity, a thermal hot-mid-wave image and in the other polarity the pixels will operate in a time-of-flight mode for Flash Lidar operation. The pixel?s spectral response will range from 500nm up to 3.5?m in the Lidar mode. Characterization of the detector array will use the eye-safe 1550nm laser. The goal is to show a 200m Lidar operation with a high resolution of a few centimeters and thermal imaging with a thermal sensitivity of 4mK. The transition to Phase II will include an array size of 1000x500 with 10?m pixel pitch. The detector will be evaluated outdoors to demonstrate the detection of animate objects, snow and puddles and will be tested under fog conditions. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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NEUROLOGICAL REHABILITATION VIRTUAL REALITY, L.L.C.
STTR Phase I: Motion Assisted Hand Exoskeleton with Virtual Reality (MAVHEXO) for Post Stroke Rehabilitation
Contact
6913 CAMP BOWIE BLVD STE 173
Fort Worth, TX 76116–7169
NSF Award
1843880 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,893
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
This Small Technology Transfer Phase I project will realize a sensorized soft robotic hand exoskeleton coupled with an interactive 3D virtual reality (VR) gaming environment that provides fine motor training for stroke patients' hands. There is a currently a lack of available devices that provide fine sensory and motor training of the hand. The potential benefit is to fill this niche market opportunity, especially when considering the high incidence of hand disability due to stroke and other neuromusculoskeletal injuries. This system can provide structured therapy sessions which requires minimal therapist supervision while improving patient engagement which enhances the broader participation. As a complimentary technology for current rehabilitation practice, it has a potential to lower health care and labor costs associated with neurological rehabilitation. The outpatient physical rehabilitation market is a $30 billion industry growing at a rate of 7% in the US, mainly due to the growing elderly population. The robot-assisted rehabilitation market is expected to grow dramatically, reaching $2 billion by 2020. As robot-assisted treatment becomes widely available, the customer base will grow from acute care clinics to long-term rehabilitation centers and finally to home-based care. The intellectual merit of this project results from the combination of a soft robotic system with fine motor control synced to VR games for both sensory and motor stimuli. The robotic exoskeleton provides individual joint control to practice complex grasping while the VR environment provides targeted rehabilitation games. This system addresses the fine motor control needs that have not been met by current hand rehabilitation devices, which only offer gross motions. Adaptive algorithms will adjust to the patient's level of ability to accomplish the assigned tasks in virtual game scenarios, providing accessibility for a wide range of population with different levels of severity. There are three main goals for the project. First, we will develop a VR environment simulating real-world hand motion via interaction with objects in an immersive game. Second, we will develop adaptive control algorithms for the soft robotic exoskeleton to provide active assistive motion in performing rehabilitation-oriented tasks in the VR environment. Third, a pilot study will be conducted with both healthy individuals and hand-impaired stroke patients. The Phase I project will produce a system with assistive hand motion in a targeted rehabilitation virtual game environment, which can be tested for efficacy in a larger clinical population of stroke survivors. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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NEUROTRAINER, INC
SBIR Phase I: An innovative virtual reality platform that accurately and rapidly assesses meaningful brain function outside the lab
Contact
87 GRAHAM ST STE 160
San Francisco, CA 94129–1768
NSF Award
1844085 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project lies not only with athletes, but with the 3 million Americans who suffer a traumatic brain injury each year, and the 40+ million more who are concerned about dementia and seek a way to measure their brain health. Current solutions (typically available only at facilities with trained professionals) assess only significant health changes to cognition. In contrast, our solution provides an affordable, reliable way to measure brain health and to monitor changes after treatment, training, and rehabilitation. Thus, it will be an excellent tool other companies can use to assess various interventions aimed at affecting brain function. The "quantified self" market sells technologies (wearables, DNA tests, software) that collect data to inform and guide health and self-improvement. The total addressable global market is estimated at ~$19B for 2019. The initial target market of customers are those seeking a competitive athletic edge by measuring, tracking, and training cognitive abilities such as reaction time, decision-making, and multitasking. These customers are coaches in high schools, colleges, and high-performance gyms across the US. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will address the need to combine and harness the power of eye-, hand-, and head-tracking instruments, virtual reality, and cognitive neuroscience to accurately measure and monitor brain function. This Phase I SBIR project will complete four technical objectives: (1) to develop a highly controlled testing environment that can accurately measure the time users (athletes) spend on detecting, processing, and acting on different cognitive tasks; (2) to develop software that can collect reliable data from naturalistic inputs; (3) to develop a set of tasks that users can complete within 30 minutes and that will generate sufficient data for analysis; and (4) quickly process, summarize, and contextualize the collected data and report meaningful results to the athletes and their trainers. Successful completion of these objectives will realize a first-of-its-kind product that provides meaningful insight into the brain with laboratory-quality cognitive assessment in a real-world context. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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NGS Detectors LLC
SBIR Phase I: The Transformation of X-ray Detectors for Medical Imaging
Contact
229 Medway St Apt 207
Providence, RI 02906–5300
NSF Award
1819978 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project focuses on the development and demonstration of a new high resolution X-ray detector to be utilized (initially) in medical diagnosis. The early work by NGS Detectors and collaborators has shown an improvement in resolution by a factor of almost 10 over the X-ray detectors in current use. The focus of this Phase I project is to now improve both the resolution and efficiency of the detector (in order to reduce the x-ray dose received by patients). The initial diagnostic application is for mammography, where the improved resolution is expected to allow accurate diagnosis of suspicious features in the breast at an early stage, while reducing the false diagnoses (both positive and negative) that are recognized to be problematic. The detectors have potential application in other medical diagnostics situations, such as neonatal and cardiovascular fields, where the higher resolution is expected to extend the application of X-ray diagnostics well beyond current practice. Applications for industrial nondestructive evaluation in fields such as semiconductor manufacturing are also envisaged. This SBIR Phase I project focuses on the development and demonstration of a new high resolution X-ray scintillation detector. The indirect detector utilizes a new polymeric scintillating polymer developed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories for security applications, and incorporates the material into an optical channel plate. The optical channel plate contains an ordered array of high quality capillaries (e.g. 10 micron diameter). The scintillating polymer absorbs X-rays, and emit photons that are channeled to pixels of an optical detector with minimal scattering. A resolution of 10 micron has already been demonstrated, an improvement of nearly an order of magnitude over both direct and indirect detectors in current use in medical diagnostics. The focus of Phase 1 is to complete the detector characterization, with a special emphasis on improving the detector efficiency in order to minimize X-ray dose rates for patients. The successful completion of Phase I will lead to a Phase II that demonstrates that the higher resolution indeed yields higher feature discrimination in realistic diagnostic situations. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Nanopore Diagnostics, LLC
SBIR Phase I: A handheld sensor for seafood identification
Contact
4320 Forest Park Ave
Saint Louis, MO 63108–2979
NSF Award
1819757 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to develop technology to prevent seafood fraud through enabling wholesalers, restaurants, and consumers to rapidly identify mislabeled fish product outside of controlled laboratory settings. U.S. consumers are subjected to mislabeling errors one out of every three times they consume seafood. Species that are cheaper and easier to source are commonly swapped for higher value fish such as tuna, snapper, and grouper. This substitution occurs at multiple points in the supply chain, from producers/processors to wholesalers to restaurants. U.S. consumers pay approximately $32 billion for mislabeled seafood on an annual basis. Additionally, this seafood may pose a serious health concern or counteract regulatory efforts focused on managing vulnerable fish populations and illegal fishing. Current seafood identification efforts are insufficient to eradicate mislabeling because they require controlled laboratory settings and highly trained personnel. A few portable tests are becoming available but they lack the ability to screen large numbers of samples cost-effectively. The platform proposed here will enable more widespread seafood identification testing by delivering identification within 45 minutes, on-site, and for a lower per sample cost than existing technologies. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to address seafood mislabeling by developing a fast and portable DNA-based screening platform to allow for accurate seafood identification to address concerns from consumers, retailers, and regulators regarding seafood mislabeling. The key component of the platform to be developed is a nanopore-based sensor technology, which is an amplification-free method for direct counting of target nucleic acids. It has been demonstrated in preliminary results that the technology is able to distinguish grouper DNA from catfish with single-nucleotide specificity. This technology also has achieved multiplexed detection, distinguishing 36 sequences with one sensor. This project will advance this detection assay towards a commercial-ready product by expanding the multiplexing strategy to cover 200+ sequences, designing probes to distinguish 20+ fish species, and then completing a full commercial proof-of-principle by identifying seafood species in blinded samples in work done on-site. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Nativus Inc
SBIR Phase I: Rotary heat exchanger for energy reduction in residential and commercial HVAC applications
Contact
611 Solana Hills Ct
Solana Beach, CA 92075–1421
NSF Award
1844015 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project addresses the immediate need to develop advanced air conditioning technology that increases energy efficiency and will have a significant and positive impact on reducing Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions. As Room Air Conditioning (RAC) demand increases by an estimated 5x over the next 30 years, it is crucial that newly established scientific and technological approaches be developed which lessen the requirement of 'peaker' power plants to supply electricity for their operation. Nativus is engineering an energy-efficient 12,000 BTU Room Air Conditioner (RAC) for residential and light-commercial consumers, capable of cooling 500 ft2. Through a complete architectural redesign, our proprietary technology offers customers a solution to their air conditioning needs which is cheaper to operate, quieter, filters the air, and is easier to install than currently available commercial offerings. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop a novel, rotating air conditioning design which combines the main components of an air conditioner into a single, packaged device to drastically increase air conditioner performance. The roughly one billion air conditioners in operation globally operate at 5-10% of their theoretical ultimate Carnot efficiency, as industry focuses on "first-cost" and has not demonstrated meaningful, radical improvements since the inception of the air conditioner. The current state-of-the-art technology in the HVAC industry is based upon the 'fan plus finned-tube' (FPFT) Heat Exchanger in which a fan blows air across either hot or cold heat exchanger fins. This architecture results in the formation of an insulative 'boundary layer', severely degrading heat exchanger performance. Through the use of one high-efficiency motor, instead of two or three motors commonly found on state-of-the-art technology, our proprietary design rotationally-shears the boundary layer from the surface of the heat exchanger, thereby increasing efficiency while decreasing power consumption. Our research objectives include air conditioner component and system-level validation, supported by three milestones which include Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) performance validation, system reliability through prototype testing, and economic analysis. The tasks involved in our project include design, manufacture, assemble, and testing of a complete system. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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Natural Cuts, Inc.
STTR Phase I: Development of a Process to Extend the Shelf Life of Fruits and Vegetables at Ambient Temperature
Contact
409 College Avenue
Ithaca, NY 14850–4694
NSF Award
1819600 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,387
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 11/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this STTR Phase I project is a sustainable fruit and vegetable processing technology utilizing a new, low temperature technique that can extend the shelf life of pre-cut fruits and vegetables by months without using preservatives, chemicals, freezing, or refrigeration. The technology would enable: all-natural, shelf stable fruit and vegetable products that retain maximum nutritional value, texture, and taste. With significant percentages of the total US national energy budget used for food-related energy, and high fresh produce loss in the developed countries due to insufficient refrigeration, achieving shelf life extension without cold storage or preservatives could drastically reduce energy costs, increase efficiency, and expand access to nutrition globally. This STTR Phase I project proposes to develop, validate, and build-upon initial research to evaluate the feasibility and scope of a novel food processing technology. Traditional processing methodologies have fundamental drawbacks. High temperature treatments degrade nutritional quality while altering texture and taste of end-products. Freezing negatively affects the reconstitution properties of fruits and vegetables, and requires high energy consumption throughout the food system to maintain the cold chain. HPP (high pressure processing) has limitations on the enzymes it can inactivate, and chemical alterations from high pressure treatment negatively affects texture and taste. This research proposal will use validation studies to evaluate the feasibility and applicability of the novel processing technique to a variety of fruits and vegetables. Successful experimentation will prove that the application of dense phase gas at low temperatures can overcome the aforementioned drawbacks, achieving enzymatic inactivation, destruction of the spores, improved reconstitution properties, lower energy requirements, and minimal deterioration of taste, texture, and nutritional quality. Such a result would actuate follow-on development work to validate that, at commercial scale, the new process technology improves upon the operational costs of traditional methodologies. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Neptune Fluid Flow Systems LLC
SBIR Phase I: CryoPREP-EM: Time-Resolved Sample Preparation for Single-Particle Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM)
Contact
2094 Yale Street
Palo Alto, CA 94306–1422
NSF Award
1820414 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/01/2018 – 08/31/2019
Abstract
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will evaluate the technical feasibility and commercial viability of a novel sample preparation method for cryo-EM (cryogenic electron microscopy) studies. As a rapidly growing technique in the structural biology field, the cryo-EM market as a whole is estimated to be more than $5 billion a year, with > $500 million attributed to the sample preparation space. In spite of an overall revenue growth rate of more than 70% per year, cryo-EM sample preparation remains an area that has yet to see any major technological breakthroughs commercialized in the past decade. In fact, the current industry solution is reported to have a failure rate of > 95%. By providing a sample preparation system that actually works, this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will significantly reshape the massive and rapidly expanding cryo-EM market and allow scientists to more readily collect detailed protein structures in their native state. This new knowledge on the molecular basis of cells and of life itself will be used to facilitate as well as accelerate the development of new pharmaceuticals as well as therapeutic treatments for diseases and thus greatly benefit human health in the long run. The intellectual merit of this project is the development of a cryo-EM sample preparation device built on the application of state-of-the-art microfluidic jet systems to deposit and vitrify protein solution on EM grids in milliseconds, which is at least 1000x faster than the current methods. Furthermore, it offers scientists the novel ability to control the thickness of the vitrified aqueous layer and, overall, more control over the sample vitrification process. With this new sample preparation device, a larger region of the cryo-EM grids will have intact protein molecules with the right layer thickness for structural determination, allowing researchers to save time and money in terms of both grid preparation and screening in a high-throughput manner. Currently, the proposed technology has not been tested nor used anywhere. Therefore, the first and foremost goal of this SBIR Phase I project is to better understand and well characterize the technical capabilities and limitations of this proposed innovation, with additional R&D work needed before product commercialization, which is expected in five years. The project will focus on defining and optimizing both the geometric and experimental setup in order to de-risk the technology. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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NeuroFlow, Inc.
STTR Phase I: Implementation of a Biometric Data Software Platform to Augment Mental Health Treatment
Contact
1635 Market St
Philadelphia, PA 19103–1095
NSF Award
1820209 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,510
Start / end date
07/15/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) project is to improve outcomes and decrease costs in the mental health space by engaging patients starting with their first therapy session through objective progress reporting and post-session motivation. Patients and clinicians alike will be able to track and assess treatment progress through self-reported and physiological measures. This innovation builds upon the strong academic, government, and industry partnerships that will advance research and innovation in the field of biotechnology. By demonstrating improved outcomes and decreased costs associated with the utilization of technology, this will pave the way for insurance reimbursement (using existing CPT codes) to accelerate market adoption. Additionally, as education of patients and the public improves regarding mental health and PTSD in particular, the negative stigma surrounding these conditions will decrease and more people in need will seek help rather than resorting to unhealthy behavior or even suicide. This STTR Phase I project proposes to represent an innovative approach that provides easy to interpret results tailored to mental health providers, patients, and other non-technical users. Current mental health treatment and assessment has lacked qualitative, scientifically-based measurement. The need for a scientific measurement is evident, as about 8 percent of all adults - 1 of 13 people in this country will develop PTSD during their lifetime. Currently, 60% of adults diagnosed with a mental illness don't receive mental health treatment; using proven science and physiologic measurements as the foundation for improving treatment and monitoring progress for PTSD can help to alleviate some of the stigma surrounding mental illnesses. This project aims to demonstrate how implementing a web-based platform can improve PTSD treatment by providing physiologically relevant feedback to the patient and by providing a tool for the clinician to tailor the therapy to the individual patient. Patients will have their subjective measures and physiological data visualized throughout treatment on a software platform, with progress being tracked through validated assessment scales. Patients will be compared to others in treatment as usual. Results should yield improved quality of life and decrease long term healthcare costs for those that use the platform. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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NeuroPrex Inc.
SBIR Phase I: A Novel, Protective Shield to Increase Safety and Efficacy of rTMS Depression Treatment
Contact
2040 Martin Ave
Santa Clara, CA 95050–2702
NSF Award
1820005 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,925
Start / end date
07/15/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to make non-pharmacological treatment of depression accessible to all patients. According to the World Health Organization, 350 million individuals are affected by depression. In the United States, depression affects 16 million people and it costs $210 billion a year in lost productivity and care for the illnesses related to the disease. Antidepressant drugs are coupled with negative side effects and they are ineffective in 30% of the cases. Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) is an FDA approved non-invasive method for depression therapy that consists in the administration of short electromagnetic pulses on patient?s scalp to stimulate regions of the brain involved in mood control. This SBIR Phase I project will help the generation of a new rTMS system that will improve outcomes of depression treatment by stimulating deeper brain cells and reducing the incidence of pain and discomfort associated with current rTMS therapy. The new device will allow broad distribution of rTMS based therapy for both professional clinicians and, in the future, home-care settings. It will avoid reliance on drugs to people affected by depression and it will reduce the impact of depression on society. The SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop and demonstrate the efficacy a new wearable rTMS stimulator device. Although rTMS has a 75% success ratio on depressed patients, 40% of subjects report pain, headaches and discomfort during therapy with current rTMS systems, resulting in a high dropout rate. This is mainly due to poor localization of electromagnetic pulses with commercially available rTMS devices. The new system will combine a new technology that stimulates the brain?s deepest regions involved in depression with unprecedented precision and a new protective shield designed to ward off unwanted heat away from the head, reducing scalp pain and discomfort. The project will develop and validate the efficacy of these components and their integration into a wearable helmet. The project will also demonstrate the superiority of the new device over current gold standard rTMS solutions. The company expects that this research will lead to the generation of a new device capable of treating depression patients through precise stimulation reducing over 40% the unwanted heat, thereby preventing headache and scalp discomfort. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Nikira Labs Inc.
STTR Phase I: Development and Validation of Low-Cost Natural Gas Leak Detection Sensors and Analytics for Drone-Based and Handheld Deployments
Contact
1074 Wentworth St Unit B
Mountain View, CA 94043–4629
NSF Award
1745840 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,348
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is the rapid, cost-effective detection of natural gas leakage to improve public safety, mitigate global climate change, and decrease product loss. Natural gas is the largest provider of power in the United States. However, more than 80 Tg of leakage occurs at well pads and pipelines during production alone. Such leakage poses a public health risk, with 1300 significant incidents reported from 1997 ? 2016, resulting in 50 fatalities, 180 injuries, and $2B in costs. Additionally, methane is a greenhouse gas with a warming potential that is 84 times higher than CO2. In 2015, natural gas leakage accounted for 198 million tons of CO2 equivalents, corresponding to a carbon tax value of more than $2B. Finally, energy companies want to reduce leakage to avoid product loss, with 80 Tg of methane having a value of $12B. This project will directly impact the aforementioned areas by improving the efficiencies and costs associated with natural gas leak detection. With over 2.2 million miles of local utility gas distribution pipelines 1.2 million well pads in the U.S. alone, the commercial prospects for an improved natural gas leak detection system are very promising with expected revenues exceeding $70M. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project will involve the development of a comprehensive natural gas leakage detection solution that integrates compact, low-cost sensors with state-of-the-art analytics. The solution, which can be used in drone-based and handheld monitoring, will enable energy providers to detect natural gas leakage from well pads and pipelines. In Phase I, technical feasibility will be demonstrated by the development of a lightweight gas sensor based on incoherent, cavity-enhanced spectrometry and a natural gas camera based on filtered infrared imaging. These sensors will be integrated with global positioning system, wind speed/direction, and data analytics platform. The Phase I solution will be laboratory tested to characterize its analytical performance, before undergoing field testing on controlled natural gas leaks. In Phase II, the sensor hardware, electronics, and firmware will be refined to meet the stringent size, weight, power, and environmental constraints of drone-based and handheld deployment. Likewise, the analytics platform will be refined to incorporate the STTR sensors, interpret the infrared camera data, and provide comprehensive leak detection reports. The Phase II prototypes will be field tested under real-world conditions with a variety of potential customers for both well pad monitoring and pipeline distribution system monitoring.
Errata
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Nucleos Incorporated
SBIR Phase I: An E-Learning Program for High School Equivalency (GED) and Remedial Education for Prisoners
Contact
3912 Portola Drive
Santa Cruz, CA 95062–2048
NSF Award
1821213 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,999
Start / end date
06/01/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project addresses the pressing need for providing incarcerated youth and adults with continual systematic and secure personal education and training opportunities, giving inmates the skills they need to productively re-enter society. It will also reduce recidivism rates, and increase their confidence and the potential for contributing to local communities. Every year, more than 700,000 state and federal prisoners are released back into their communities, often with no greater skills than when they went in. The majority of prisoners lack basic high school degrees. The goal of the project is to provide the most effective, secure and flexible offline e-Learning applications for acquiring high school equivalency, the area of greatest need, within the constraints of the prison environment; covering both instructor-led and self-directed learning sessions. At the completion of Phase I, correctional facilities will have an opportunity to utilize a secure, easy-to-administer, offline e-Learning solution for the General Education Development (GED) or for any other education and training in a digital format. A wealth of high-quality instructional programs will be incorporated into the platform that will ultimately lead to a high school equivalency diploma, and additional support to address technical and vocational skills. The Phase I project innovation is centered around the delivery of a single, highly-flexible, secure learning management platform, where multiple applications can be stored on a single server. It will provide the General Education Development (GED) content and will be expandable to incorporate additional e-Learning applications including those that can address recidivism. The adaptable learning management platform will automate the provisioning and installation of these GED and non-GED educational applications on private servers, either on-site at the correctional facility or on off-site private server networks. Different sets of content would be automatically customized for each prison, with no outside Internet connectivity required. Another key innovation will be the ability to have the e-Learning system follow the inmate as they are moved. They will always have access to their specific content and progress status as their data will be centrally-hosted on the fully secured prison servers. Their individual records can be confirmed and reviewed for parole evaluations. By providing uniform student analytics and continuous monitoring of learning outcomes with different content and educational application vendors, the system will advance the capability of offline learning to be a data-driven endeavor and will deliver a personalized experience comparable to systems in civilian life. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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O2M Technologies, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Robust Bench-Top Oxygen Imager for Tissue Graft Viability Assessment
Contact
2242 W Harrison St, Ste 201-18
Chicago, IL 60612–3738
NSF Award
1819583 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project will address a problem of poor oxygen delivery to the core of artificial tissues by providing reliable means of three-dimensional oxygen mapping in vitro and in vivo. The field of tissue engineering regenerative medicine combines the principles of the life sciences, cell biology, and engineering to create functional tissues and organs that can be used for replacing damaged tissues and organs. The public health benefit of replacing damaged tissues and organs is at par with curing cancer. Almost every part of the human body has been considered for replacement. Tissue engineering strives to solve arthritis, Type I diabetes, stroke, vascular diseases, liver and kidney damages, and many other medical problems by replacing or restoring damaged tissues or organs with artificial functional tissues. This project will address the problem of poor oxygen transport in artificial tissue grafts, which is one of the major causes of tissue failure, by developing an oxygen imaging instrument to generate three-dimensional in situ oxygen maps. This instrument will allow scientists to assess oxygen environment over the time of graft production and upon implantation and develop better artificial tissues. The oxygen imager uses cutting-edge radiofrequency and magnet technology and will help create high-tech jobs in the Midwest. The oxygen imager will be based on the innovative noninvasive electron paramagnetic resonance oxygen imaging (EPROI) technology. EPROI uses an injectable water-soluble, non-toxic contrast agent, trityl that has oxygen-dependent relaxation rates. EPROI provides absolute partial oxygen pressure (pO2) maps with high accuracy (~ 1 torr) within 1-10 minutes. The oxygen imager will be equipped with a 25 mT magnet and ~720 MHz electronics suitable for in vitro and small animal in vivo oxygen imaging. The instrument will have user-friendly software for image acquisition, image registration, data processing and analysis. This project will develop the magnet with the top loading of samples along with temperature and gas controlled bioreactor sample chamber for in vitro oxygen mapping of artificial tissues. The robustness and performance of the imager will be tested by acquiring oxygen maps of cell-seeded biomaterials. It is expected that the oxygen imager will become an essential tool in tissue engineering labs of academic institutions and biotech companies and will have a major impact on the successful development of regenerative medicine therapies. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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ONECYTE BIOTECHNOLOGIES, INC.
SBIR Phase I: A High Throughput Microfluidics Platform to Measure Secretion from Single Cells
Contact
99 North St
Somerville, MA 02144–1129
NSF Award
1819932 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 09/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to develop single cell analysis technology to provide insight into cellular mechanisms, which has the potential to transform drug development and manufacturing. Single-cell analysis, or the ability to decipher cell-to-cell heterogeneity, is a limiting factor in biotechnology and clinical applications. This project aims to further develop a transformative platform technology for integrated single-cell analysis capable of addressing existing challenges with the current state-of-the-art. The platform will potentially shift the paradigm of drug development and manufacturing, enabling quick iteration and evaluation of new therapeutic compounds. This approach could significantly reduce the time and cost to bring new drugs to market and reduce the overall cost of treating patients, which is a substantial benefit to society. Beyond this initial application, this single-cell analysis platform could become a readily implemented research tool, enhancing our basic understanding of biology, facilitate engineering of cell function, as well as evaluating safety and efficacy of new drugs and treatments. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop a robust and cost effective commercial prototype technology platform for integrated single-cell analysis. A key feature of the platform technology is the unprecedented sensitivity in measuring quantitatively secreted molecules from single cells. This is achieved by incubating single cells in extremely small volumes, and enabling analytics on an unprecedented scale in these microscopic bioreactors. The proposed work will lead to the development of a consumable prototype microfluidic chip, enabling quick and resource efficient adaptation of the platform to the marketplace. The proposed prototype will be validated through relevant studies, addressing a confirmed market need in cell line development. Commercial adaptation of this prototype will potentially provide deep insight into biological and physiological processes on a single-cell level, and transform drug development and manufacturing, therapeutic treatment, as well as clinical diagnostics. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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OSCIFLEX LLC
SBIR Phase I: VTE mitigation device
Contact
1500 LOCUST ST #2619
Philadelphia, PA 19102–4339
NSF Award
1842867 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
This SBIR Phase I project will support the research and development of a new medical device designed to prevent deep vein thrombosis in hospitalized patients. Deep vein thrombosis occurs when blood clots form in the veins and is a common complication in hospital patients that is also a leading cause of preventable death in the United States. This project will develop a device that modifies blood flow patterns in the legs in a new manner designed to specifically activate genetic changes inside the vein that protect against blood clot formation. The goal of this project is to generate a new device that it is capable of creating the desired blood flow patterns in patients while maintaining a high level of device comfort, reliability, and ease of use for clinical staff and patients. In addition to preventing death and disability in the hospitalized population of the US, this project will move a new device towards commercial production, thereby supporting economic growth, job formation, and tax revenue. This SBIR Phase I project will leverage novel molecular and cellular discoveries regarding the pathogenesis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) to create a more effective device to prevent DVT in immobilized individuals who are at high risk for the disease. DVTs form in the sinus behind venous valves, where blood flow is reduced during immobility, promoting blood clot formation. This site is typically protected against clot formation by a powerful genetic program in the endothelial cells that is unique to the valve sinus microenvironment. Loss of this genetic expression program results in a prothrombotic environment that supports clot formation and DVT. Research has further revealed that the valve sinus anti-thrombotic genetic program is activated by a specific pattern of venous blood flow at that site that is driven by muscular activity. During prolonged periods of immobility, common during hospitalization, loss of this flow profile extinguishes the protective endothelial phenotype and supports DVT formation. Ultrasound analysis reveals that current mechanical therapy devices marketed to prevent DVT do not generate the hemodynamics at the valve that are produced by muscular activity due to their methods of action. This project will develop a device that generates a protective hemodynamic pattern in the valve sinus of immobile patients by actuating blood flow that accurately reproduce muscular activity. To accomplish this goal the device design alters the primary physical manipulation strategy of other existing devices away from calf and thigh compression and instead induces rapid calf expansion to replicate the effect of muscular activity on venous blood flow. Vascular ultrasound studies demonstrate that this actuation method successfully recapitulates the venous hemodynamics of the active limb required to support expression of the protective genetic pathway in the valve sinus. This SBIR Phase I project will optimize the device design to create this actuation while also improving patient comfort, mitigating common risks, and facilitating ease of use by clinical staff. This project will address key risks in advancing a medical device into clinical testing and use, thereby enabling the device to bridge to a phase of commercial manufacturing and use. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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OSSO VR INC
SBIR Phase I: Proposal For The Assessment Of The Feasibility Of An Objective Surgeon Assessment Platform.
Contact
2806 SAN ARDO WAY
Belmont, CA 94002–1342
NSF Award
1843983 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$222,596
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 07/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will lead to broader adoption of newer medical technologies and increased revenue for medical device companies, decreased training costs, and decreased liability from misuse or lack of appropriate training on medical devices. Research has shown that surgical skill is directly related to a variety of patient outcomes, yet there are few tools that can reliably and affordably measure surgical proficiency. Providing objective measurements of surgical proficiency is not enough; the assessment method must also identify areas of difficulty during a task to improve the surgeon's future performance. The proposed innovation is an objective and scalable way to measure procedural competency using head and hand motion-tracking data collected in a surgical simulation and applying novel, deep-learning algorithms to the analysis. By providing surgeons with real-time feedback during training, this project will allow surgeons to rapidly improve training on specialized devices, thus leading to wider adoption of new technology. Adoption of this surgical assessment platform in medical schools and operating rooms across the country will enable an objective assessment of surgical proficiency, thus reducing training time and costs and lowering risk of medical error due to underdeveloped skills. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to develop an innovative, deep-learning Surgical Training and Assessment Platform to increase the commercial viability of a Virtual Reality (VR) surgical training program. VR surgical training technology holds enormous potential in improving the efficiency of learning by allowing for unlimited practice and rehearsal of surgical procedures; however, without the ability to reliably assess performance, such platforms cannot be used to their full potential. This application will translate the simulation environment into a vehicle for technical skills assessment to prevent trainees from graduating to independent practice without first proving competency in critical areas. The novel, proprietary software algorithms developed in this proposal will allow for the above applications and broad improvements to training efficiency and patient safety through the tracking and analysis of hand and head motion as a surrogate measure for surgical expertise. The Surgeon Assessment Platform will be developed by determining the most vital head and hand motion data to collect and validating the resulting assessment dataset in a small proof-of-concept study, while meeting the challenge of collecting, storing, and analyzing such a large, high-fidelity dataset. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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OmnniVis LLC
SBIR Phase I: A Rapid Portable Biosensor for Field Detection of Vibrio Cholerae in Environmental Water Sources
Contact
2042 Malibu Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47906–5306
NSF Award
1819970 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is an inexpensive handheld smartphone device for rapid detection of the toxigenic cholera pathogen in environmental water sources. Contaminated water sources place populations at risk for contracting cholera. Once contracting the disease, patients with cholera exhibit symptoms of diarrhea, vomiting, and dehydration and, if left untreated, ultimately death. Wide-scale cholera outbreaks devastated Haiti in 2010 and Yemen in 2017, affecting over one million total individuals. Currently, methods used to detect the cholera pathogen in water involves a 3 to 5-day water collection and cell culture procedure. This project proposes a portable smartphone platform used to detect the cholera pathogen, Vibrio cholerae, in under 30 minutes at the water source. Smartphone connectivity, will also enable geomapped and time-stamped detection results. This novel and proactive approach for detection can enable organizations to remediate water sources prior to communities contracting and spreading cholera. Downstream, this technology will save the time and costs currently associated with cholera outbreaks and can be expanded to other infectious diseases. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop a rapid, cost-effective, and robust smartphone platform to detect Vibrio cholerae and automate the detection result at an environmental water source. The device performs isothermal DNA amplification assay combined with the novel sensing approach, particle diffusometry. This project proposes to characterize the specificity, sensitivity, and lower limit of detection of Vibrio cholerae detection on the smartphone platform. The detection results will be compared against current gold-standard quantitative DNA amplification methods. Further, a reagent storage method involving freeze drying will be used to eliminate the need for cold-chain storage. We will assess the long-term stability of our assay reagents through accelerated aging studies. Lastly, a low powered integrated heating unit will be designed to perform the isothermal DNA amplification assays in the handheld device. At the completion of this Phase I project, an integrated smartphone platform will be ready for field testing. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
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OncoSolutions LLC
SBIR Phase I: 3D Tumor Model Microtechnology for High Throughput Drug Screening
Contact
526 S Main St Suite 1001
Akron, OH 44311–4401
NSF Award
1819594 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
07/01/2018 – 06/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to develop a drug discovery platform for preclinical cancer drug testing using a 3D tumor model technology. The technology is designed to reduce time and costs associated with the high failure rate (~95%) of cancer drugs by increasing the likelihood that candidate drugs advancing to animal studies will be effective. The robotic technology will provide a biologically relevant tumor model to test libraries of cancer drugs in the preclinical stage, and replace currently used 2D cancer cell models. This project aims to scale up the 3D tumor model technology to accommodate large drug libraries tested in the pharmaceutical industry, and verify that it meets industry standards and customer needs. The technology will expedite the introduction of effective cancer drugs into the market for patient use, and help reduce the more than half a million of lives that cancer claims annually. The proposed work will significantly facilitate the introduction of the technology into the market as a preclinical cancer drug screening tool by demonstrating its competitive advantages and capabilities to improve cancer drug discovery efforts. This SBIR Phase I project proposes to develop and validate a 3D tumor model technology for high-throughput cancer drug screening in the pharmaceutical industry. Despite widespread interest in 3D cancer cell cultures, existing methods are not currently used in the industry due to their many disadvantages. The proposed technology provides a robust, high-throughput, and cost-effective approach to generate 3D cancer cell cultures for rapid drug screening, beyond what is currently available. This work will evaluate quantitatively the reliability and robustness of 3D cancer cell cultures and costs of cancer drug testing while considering competitive techniques. A major goal is to adapt the technology to a 1536-microwell plate format for highly efficient drug screening, which is not currently available on the market, and validate the capabilities of the technology to predict cancer drug responses in animal studies. This work will involve robotic protocol optimization, imaging analysis of 3D cultures for consistency, proof-of-concept cancer drug screening, and statistical evaluation of robustness. It is anticipated that the work will demonstrate the advantageous capacity and speed of the technology for drug testing, industry-level robustness, compatibility with different cancer cell types, ability to predict animal study drug responses, and low cost. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Optimeos Life Sciences, Inc.
STTR Phase I: Sustained Delivery of Peptides with Inverse Flash Nanoprecipitation
Contact
174 Nassau St, Suite 334
Princeton, NJ 08542–7005
NSF Award
1843551 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 10/31/2019
Abstract
This STTR Phase I project aims to pioneer a novel approach for the sustained delivery of peptide therapeutics using nano-composite microparticles. Peptide therapeutics tend to suffer from rapid enzymatic degradation and clearance, with half-lives on the order of minutes, and require frequent injections. The goal of a sustained release formulation is to reduce the frequency of injections by slowly releasing the therapeutic over a period of weeks to months. This will result in improved patient compliance and quality of life. Patient non-compliance is an economic burden that is estimated to cost the healthcare system over $100 billion/year. The lack of commercial success of existing sustained release technologies is due to low loading efficiencies, lack of controlled release at higher loading, and complex manufacturing. These limitations can be overcome with the newly-developed inverse Flash NanoPrecipitation (iFNP) process to produce nano-composite microparticles. This project aims to develop and test a once-monthly injectable formulation of a peptide therapeutic for type 2 diabetes that is currently injected daily. This research will aid in the understanding of the fundamental materials science and engineering principles that control therapeutic release from nano-composite microparticles. The rules for controlling release will apply broadly to other peptides, and this research will help to more rapidly develop future long-acting formulations. Current methods to produce peptide-loaded microparticles suffer from low drug loadings and poor encapsulation efficiencies, two of the most important factors for commercial viability. In contrast to existing methods, the iFNP technology allows for the assembly of nanoparticles with peptide loadings greater than 50wt% and encapsulation efficiencies greater than 90% in a fully scalable process. The nanoparticles are then assembled into microparticles to create the final sustained release formulation. Each drug-containing pore inside the microparticle is surrounded by a dense hydrophobic polymer layer which allows for therapeutic loadings 10x higher than competing technologies. The iFNP process has been demonstrated on a number of proof-of-concept molecules. In this project, iFNP will be used to produce a formulation of a peptide for diabetes therapy with a month-long release profile. The first goal of this project is to develop an understanding of the physical parameters that control the peptide stability and release. Supporting this goal, the peptide will be formulated with polymers of varying glass transition temperatures and degradation rates, and the release profiles will be measured in vitro. The efficacy of the optimal in vitro formulation will then be tested in a rat model. These studies are an important step in developing a commercial product that can positively impact patient care. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Otzi Bio LLC
SBIR Phase I: Marangoni Processing for the Stabilization of Biologically Active Surfaces
Contact
14281 Richfield
Livonia, MI 48154–4938
NSF Award
1820032 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
06/01/2018 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project proposes development and optimization of a surface tension mediated lyoprocessing technique for long-term storage of biologically active surfaces and other biological materials at ambient or above cryogenic temperatures. Stabilization of temperature sensitive biological materials at ambient temperatures can address significant bottlenecks that prevents economic distribution of pharmaceutically relevant biomolecules worldwide. In addition, the implementation of this technology has the potential to greatly improve global health, particularly in developing regions where many advanced treatments are unavailable as a result of their temperature sensitivity. Overall, this project aims at offering an alternative technology platform to stabilize temperature sensitive biological materials at non-cryogenic temperatures. The intellectual merit of this project lies primarily in the approach used to achieve stable desiccated storage. The project aims at translating a newly developed drystate biopreservation processing methodology into a commercially viable, mechanized, long-term biopreservation technique. The newly developed biopreservation technology provides a way to efficiently process biologically active surfaces containing bioactive components, assay reagents, cells and cellular components, and other biomolecules for long-term stability at non-cryogenic temperatures. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Ozonovation Corp
SBIR Phase I: Exploration of Plasma Activated Water Systems in the Dairy Industry
Contact
45 A Manor Parkway
Rochester, NY 14620–2625
NSF Award
1843833 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,828
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project centers on the possibility opened by plasma-activated water in dairy sanitation. Plasma activated water has several advantages: it is reusable and reduces the need to buy, store, and dispose of chemicals, it will not face antimicrobial resistance, unlike chemicals, and could be a faster disinfectant. In addition to replacing chemical disinfectants, plasma activated water could prove to be fast enough to allow for disinfecting the milking unit in-between individual cows, which should reduce the spread of mastitis within a herd, reducing the farmer's costs in terms of medicine, increased labor, and culling. By using plasma activated water as part of a milking system, cleaning could be automated as well as target spores in farm environments. The resulting reduction in costs, infection rate, manual labor & strain, and increase in milk quality, could revolutionize the dairy industry. This SBIR Phase 1 project proposes to research a method whereby plasma activated water replaces chemical disinfectants used in dairy milking machines. The dairy industry is facing two major problems relating to milking machines: first, a manual labor shortage, and secondly an ever-present threat of mastitis, an infection estimated to cost the industry $1B annually. These two problems come to a head at the milking machine, as current methods require cows to be manually cleaned before milking. The goal of this project is to explore whether plasma activated water could be an effective replacement for teat dips, aiming to design a self-cleaning milking attachment for existing machines, and clean the cows with PAW prior to milking. In Phase I, the focus will be on building a basic prototype to check sanitation capabilities, and compatibility with a farm environment. Future research would include a longer-term study of animals and track infection rates before and after. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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PI RADIO INC
STTR Phase I: A Fully-Digital Transceiver Design for mmWave Communications
Contact
95 LINDEN BLVD APT 65A
Brooklyn, NY 11226–3291
NSF Award
1821150 – STTR PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,493
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 05/31/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project covers a myriad of domains including wireless health-care, remote education, supply-chain management, public safety, anti-poverty initiatives, market-places, and entertainment. However, a more immediate work product from this effort is a powerful fully-digital mmWave software defined radio (SDR) platform that will be made available to academic researchers at very affordable rates; this will spur further research and make mmWave testbed experimentation within the reach of lightly-funded academic research groups. The ambitious goal of making this transformative technology the reference design of future mmWave radios represents a massive commercial opportunity which is not limited to the cellular ecosystem (base station, tablets and smartphones), but rather extends to new connected players such as cars, drones, virtual reality (VR) headsets and beyond. This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project focuses on the development of millimeter-wave (mmWave) radio technologies for next generation wireless systems. The mmWave frequencies of above 28 GHz are necessary to alleviate the spectrum crunch in the traditional cellular bands, and to make ultra-fast 5th Generation (5G) cellular a reality. However, the uniquely challenging propagation characteristics at these frequencies necessitates the use of transceivers that not only operate over low power budgets, but also deliver the robustness that the cellular ecosystem demands. While existing transceivers allow the radio to look (i.e., transmit or receive) in only one direction or a small number of directions at a time, the proposed transceiver design allows the radio to look in all directions simultaneously. While seemingly simple, this unique ability - combined with a top-down implementation ? will provide enormous benefits to cellular systems at reasonable power budgets. The proposed technology forms the key technological bridge between the theoretical promise of mmWave and actually achieving it in the real world. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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PLASTICITY INC.
SBIR Phase I: A System for Automating End-to-End Creation of Natural Language Interfaces
Contact
2562 Amethyst Dr
Santa Clara, CA 95051–1155
NSF Award
1820240 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$224,679
Start / end date
06/15/2018 – 04/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to enable more efficient access to information, goods, and services from organizations and businesses through conversational interfaces. With an estimated 33 million voice-activated devices installed in the U.S. by the end of 2017, consumers are beginning to see the benefits of the rise in business services on these devices. Interacting with computers in natural language is more efficient than ever before, and business are urgently seeking to include their services on this new modality. Yet, while advances in machine learning have increased the speed and accuracy with which conversational interfaces are built, today's solutions still result in major bottlenecks in the development process. Addressing these bottlenecks would result in significant savings of time and resources for businesses, in addition to increased convenience for end users. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project advances the development of machine learning and natural language processing technologies that will enable rapid creation of conversational interfaces and increase the efficiency with which individuals interact with computers. Despite major recent advances in conversational interface tooling, current bottlenecks in building robust conversational interfaces still exist, as portions of the development process go from highly-automated to manually-programmed. Instead, the proposed approach will achieve end-to-end automation using an innovative LSTM sequence-to-sequence machine learning model to learn and simulate human behavior on a web page, as well as a new system for open-domain question answering. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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POW GENETIC SOLUTIONS, INC.
SBIR Phase I: A Biocide/Biocide-Resistant System for Microbial Contamination Control in Biomanufacturing
Contact
2151 BERKELEY WAY RM 420
Berkeley, CA 94704–1011
NSF Award
1843365 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
02/01/2019 – 01/31/2020
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) project is to develop technology that will enable robust, contamination-free, continuous biomanufacturing. While biomanufacturing may be one of the most technologically complex and profitable industries, the underlying production process, batch fermentation, has not changed in decades. In theory, continuous fermentation would decrease operational cost and increase production capacity. However, owing to the high risk of contamination, continuous fermentation is considered unreliable and is rarely used. The proposed technology solves this issue and enables contamination-free, continuous fermentation. Successful implementation of continuous fermentation facilitates automated production and paves the way for future technological development in continuous product purification and recovery. The reduced operational cost is essential for the economic viability of bio-based commodity chemicals such as bioplastics, as their market demand depends primarily on their price competitiveness with petroleum-derived counterparts. The proposed technology also eliminates the use of antibiotics in fermentation, which in turn alleviates antibiotic misuse and promotes a positive environmental and health impact. The intellectual merit of this SBIR Phase I project is to explore the feasibility of using a biocide/biocide-resistant system to prevent and treat microbial contamination during continuous biomanufacturing. Microbial contamination in biomanufacturing processes is a major concern, as it results in loss of productivity, time, and money. In addition, it restricts the production mode to slow batch fermentation, and prohibits the implementation of continuous fermentation. The proposed technology solves the contamination problem, as a biocide will inhibit the invading microbial and viral contaminants and a biocide-resistant enzyme will protect the processing hosts. The proposed Phase I research will address the technical challenges by using classical molecular biology and synthetic biology techniques. The first objective is to demonstrate that the proposed technology will provide biocide resistance to bioplastics-producing organisms while inhibiting the outgrowth of contaminants. The second objective is to show that the proposed technology can be used to prevent and treat contamination in continuous fermenters. The final objective is to fine-tune the biocide/biocide-resistant system to demonstrate the technology will not adversely affect the production yield and product quality in continuous fermenters. If successful, future Phase II development will be conducted in pilot and industrial-scale reactors to further optimize the technology. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.
Errata
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Addenda
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PQSecure Technologies, LLC
SBIR Phase I: Post-Quantum Cryptography in Resource-Constrained Devices
Contact
901 NW 35th Street
Boca Raton, FL 33431–6410
NSF Award
1745882 – SMALL BUSINESS PHASE I
Award amount to date
$225,000
Start / end date
01/01/2018 – 04/30/2019
Abstract
The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to deliver state of the art cryptography and cybersecurity solutions to Internet of Things (IoTs) and embedded device designers, enterprise hardware and software vendors, and government contractors against the attack of classical and quantum computers. It has been widely accepted that quantum computer attacks on today's security are expected to become a reality within the next decade. Some progress towards constructing quantum computers has been made, although no quantum computers with serious computing power have yet been built. Nevertheless, we believe it is prudent to plan ahead for future needs as it normally takes many years to change cryptosystem deployments due to network effects. This project plans to implement quantum-safe solutions which will require the integration of quantum-safe software and/or hardware cryptographic solutions on resource-constrained devices used in embedded systems. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will design, develop, and implement cryptographic algorithms that are suitable for small and resource-constrained devices employing hard and complex mathematical assumptions known to be classical- and quantum-safe. All post-quantum cryptography candidates need to be evaluated in terms of performance while the target applications are resource-constrained devices. Long-term and lightweight security are two main parameters that need to be considered while deploying quantum-safe cryptographic algorithms in these devices. We plan to employ a special class of quantum-safe algorithms based on maps on elliptic curves to achieve the required performance and security. Cryptosystems based on these maps on the elliptic curves are known to provide the smallest possible key sizes and their security level is determined by a simple choice of a single parameter in comparison to the other quantum-safe candidates. The hardware designs are taken through VLSI design flow to realize the integrated circuits that are evaluated for energy/power, area/performance, and security. The project will generate new insights and results about how to be safe and secure in the quantum era. This project will also contribute to the ongoing standardization effort by the US government and other international organizations.
Errata
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PROPER PIPE, INC.
SBIR Phase I: Wireless Leakage Monitoring System for Electrofusion Joints
Team