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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2000

Multimodality Instrument for Tissue Characterization

A system with multimodality instrument for tissue identification includes a computer-controlled motor driven heuristic probe with a multisensory tip is discussed. For neurosurgical applications, the instrument is mounted on a stereotactic frame for the probe to penetrate the brain in a precisely controlled fashion. The resistance of the brain tissue being penetrated is continually monitored by a miniaturized strain gauge attached to the probe tip. Other modality sensors may be mounted near the probe tip to provide real-time tissue characterizations and the ability to detect the proximity of blood vessels, thus eliminating errors normally associated with registration of pre-operative scans, tissue swelling, elastic tissue deformation, human judgement, etc., and rendering surgical procedures safer, more accurate, and efficient. A neural network, program adaptively learns the information on resistance and other characteristic features of normal brain tissue during the surgery and provides near real-time modeling. A fuzzy logic interface to the neural network program incorporates expert medical knowledge in the learning process. Identification of abnormal brain tissue is determined by the detection of change and comparison with previously learned models of abnormal brain tissues. The operation of the instrument is controlled through a user friendly graphical interface. Patient data is presented in a 3D stereographics display. Acoustic feedback of selected information may optionally be provided. Upon detection of the close proximity to blood vessels or abnormal brain tissue, the computer-controlled motor immediately stops probe penetration.

Mah, Robert W.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Infrared Fibers for Use in Space-Based Smart Structures

Infrared optical fibers are finding a number of applications including laser surgery, remote sensing, and nuclear radiation resistant links. Utilizing these fibers in space-based structures is another application, which can be exploited. Acoustic and thermal sensing are two areas in which these fibers could be utilized. In particular, fibers could be embedded in IM7/8552 toughened epoxy and incorporated into space structures both external and internal. ZBLAN optical fibers are a candidate, which have been studied extensively over the past 20 years for terrestrial applications. For the past seven years the effects of gravity on the crystallization behavior of ZBLAN optical fiber has been studied. It has been found that ZBLAN crystallization is suppressed in microgravity. This lack of crystallization leads to a fiber with better transmission characteristics than its terrestrial counterpart.

Tucker, Dennis S.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Mechanisms for the Crystallization of Zblan

The heavy metal fluoride glasses represent a class of reasonably good glass forming compositions with very unique infrared optical properties that have been of interest to researchers for 20 years. The most extensively studied glass with the most potential for practical applications is ZBLAN which contains the fluorides of zirconium, barium, lanthanum, aluminum, and sodium. It has a broad transmission range (0.3-6 um), low index of refraction (about 1.43), low dispersion, low Raleigh scattering, ultra-low thermal 2 dispersion, and potential ultra-low signal attenuation. Potential applications include fiber amplifiers, fiber optic gyroscopes, delivery systems for laser cutting, drilling and surgery, radiation resistant data links, nonlinear optical systems, and ultra-low-loss repeater-less transcontinental and transoceanic optical fiber. Potential markets for these materials are in the tens of billions of dollars per year. Optical fiber from this system possess excellent transmission characteristics in the IR, but the glass is somewhat susceptible to nucleation and crystallization. The theoretical intrinsic loss coefficient for ZBLAN at 2 microns is 0.00 1 dB/Km. Extrinsic losses, however, cause significant attenuation. The lowest loss coefficient measured is 0.7 dB/Km. This compares with the loss coefficient for fiber optic grade fused silica glass of 0.2 dB/Km. The extrinsic losses in ZBLAN have been attributed to 1) impurities which might be lowered by containerless processing and 2) to scattering from micro-crystallites that form during glass preform production or during fiber drawing.

Ethridge, Edwin C.↗
NASA NTRS1996

3-D Imaging In Virtual Environment: A Scientific Clinical and Teaching Tool

The advent of powerful graphics workstations and computers has led to the advancement of scientific knowledge through three-dimensional (3-D) reconstruction and imaging of biological cells and tissues. The Biocomputation Center at NASA Ames Research Center pioneered the effort to produce an entirely computerized method for reconstruction of objects from serial sections studied in a transmission electron microscope (TEM). The software developed, ROSS (Reconstruction of Serial Sections), is now being distributed to users across the United States through Space Act Agreements. The software is in widely disparate fields such as geology, botany, biology and medicine. In the Biocomputation Center, ROSS serves as the basis for development of virtual environment technologies for scientific and medical use. This report will describe the Virtual Surgery Workstation Project that is ongoing with clinicians at Stanford University Medical Center, and the role of the Visible Human data in the project.

Ross, Muriel D.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Information Systems for NASA's Aeronautics and Space Enterprises

The aerospace industry is being challenged to reduce costs and development time as well as utilize new technologies to improve product performance. Information technology (IT) is the key to providing revolutionary solutions to the challenges posed by the increasing complexity of NASA's aeronautics and space missions and the sophisticated nature of the systems that enable them. The NASA Ames vision is to develop technologies enabling the information age, expanding the frontiers of knowledge for aeronautics and space, improving America's competitive position, and inspiring future generations. Ames' missions to accomplish that vision include: 1) performing research to support the American aviation community through the unique integration of computation, experimentation, simulation and flight testing, 2) studying the health of our planet, understanding living systems in space and the origins of the universe, developing technologies for space flight, and 3) to research, develop and deliver information technologies and applications. Information technology may be defined as the use of advance computing systems to generate data, analyze data, transform data into knowledge and to use as an aid in the decision-making process. The knowledge from transformed data can be displayed in visual, virtual and multimedia environments. The decision-making process can be fully autonomous or aided by a cognitive processes, i.e., computational aids designed to leverage human capacities. IT Systems can learn as they go, developing the capability to make decisions or aid the decision making process on the basis of experiences gained using limited data inputs. In the future, information systems will be used to aid space mission synthesis, virtual aerospace system design, aid damaged aircraft during landing, perform robotic surgery, and monitor the health and status of spacecraft and planetary probes. NASA Ames through the Center of Excellence for Information Technology Office is leading the effort in pursuit of revolutionary, IT-based approaches to satisfying NASA's aeronautics and space requirements. The objective of the effort is to incorporate information technologies within each of the Agency's four Enterprises, i.e., Aeronautics and Space Transportation Technology, Earth, Science, Human Exploration and Development of Space and Space Sciences. The end results of these efforts for Enterprise programs and projects should be reduced cost, enhanced mission capability and expedited mission completion.

Kutler, Paul↗
NASA NTRS2002

Airline Chair-rest Deconditioning: Induction of Immobilization Thromboemboli?

Air passenger miles will likely double by year 2020. The altered and restrictive environment in an airliner cabin can influence hematological homeostasis in passengers and crew. Flight-related deep various thromboemboli (DVT) have been associated with at least 577 deaths on 42 of 120 airlines from 1977 to 1984 (25 deaths/million departures), whereas many such cases go unreported. However, there are four major factors that could influence formation of possible flight-induced DVT: sleeping accomodations (via sitting immobilization), travelers' medical history (via tissue injury), cabin environmental factors (via lower partial pressure of oxygen and lower relative humidity), and the more encompassing chair-rest deconditioning (C-RD) syndrome. There is ample evidence that recent injury and surgery (especially in deconditioned hospitalized patients) facilitate thrombophlebitis and formation of DVT that may be exacerbated by the immobilization of prolonged air travel. In the healthy flying population immobilization factors associated with prolonged (> 5 hr) C-RID such as total body dehydration, hypovolemia and increased blood viscosity, and reduced various blood flow (pooling) in the legs may facilitate formation of DVT. However, data from at least four case-controlled epidemiological studies did not confirm a direct causative relationship between air travel and DART, but factors such as history of vascular thromboemboli, various insufficiency, chronic heart failure, obesity, immobile standing position, more than 3 pregnancies, infectious disease, long-distance travel, muscular trauma and violent physical effort were significantly more frequent in DVT patients than in controls. Thus, there is no clear, direct evidence yet that prolonged sitting in airliner seats, or prolonged experimental chair-rest- or bed- rest-deconditioning treatments cause deep various thromboemboli in healthy people.

Greenleaf, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Super-Compact Laser

Microcosm, Inc. produced the portable Farfield-2 laser for field applications that require high power pulsed illumination. The compact design was conceived through research at Goddard Space Flight Center on laser instruments for space missions to carry out geoscience studies of Earth. An exclusive license to the key NASA patent for the compact laser design was assigned to Microcosm. The FarField-2 is ideal for field applications, has low power consumption, does not need water cooling or gas supplies, and produces nearly ideal beam quality. The properties of the laser also make it effective over long distances, which is one reason why NASA developed the technology for laser altimeters that can be toted aboard spacecraft. Applications for the FarField-2 include medicine, biology, and materials science and processing, as well as diamond marking, semiconductor line-cutting, chromosome surgery, and fluorescence microscopy.

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NASA NTRS1997

Spherical Camera

Developed largely through a Small Business Innovation Research contract through Langley Research Center, Interactive Picture Corporation's IPIX technology provides spherical photography, a panoramic 360-degrees. NASA found the technology appropriate for use in guiding space robots, in the space shuttle and space station programs, as well as research in cryogenic wind tunnels and for remote docking of spacecraft. Images of any location are captured in their entirety in a 360-degree immersive digital representation. The viewer can navigate to any desired direction within the image. Several car manufacturers already use IPIX to give viewers a look at their latest line-up of automobiles. Another application is for non-invasive surgeries. By using OmniScope, surgeons can look more closely at various parts of an organ with medical viewing instruments now in use. Potential applications of IPIX technology include viewing of homes for sale, hotel accommodations, museum sites, news events, and sports stadiums.

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NASA NTRS1995

Imaging System

The 1100C Virtual Window is based on technology developed under NASA Small Business Innovation (SBIR) contracts to Ames Research Center. For example, under one contract Dimension Technologies, Inc. developed a large autostereoscopic display for scientific visualization applications. The Virtual Window employs an innovative illumination system to deliver the depth and color of true 3D imaging. Its applications include surgery and Magnetic Resonance Imaging scans, viewing for teleoperated robots, training, and in aviation cockpit displays.

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NASA NTRS2002

Mirrors Steer NASA in the Right Direction

Left Hand Design completed the production of the fine-steering mirror technology through 1995 Phase I and 1996 Phase II SBIR contracts with JPL's Interferometric Astronomy group. Presently, the work resulting from the collaboration with NASA represents the company's main line of products for the commercial sector. Aerospace-related applications include: image motion compensation; interceptor seekers for the U.S. Army and Navy; Earth observation and resource monitoring from spacecraft and airborne platforms; space astronomy; helicopter-based surveillance; and interferometric metrology. Left Hand Design's fine-steering mirrors have also penetrated the commercial marketplace with non-aerospace applications, including laser communications, video cameras, infrared inspection, solar observatories, and bathymeters. These cost-effective, commercial mirrors perform a variety of functions, such as scanning, alignment, chopping, tracking, pointing, and beam stabilization. Potential future applications include laser surgery and photolithography.

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NASA NTRS2002

Speaking Volumes About 3-D

In 1999, Genex submitted a proposal to Stennis Space Center for a volumetric 3-D display technique that would provide multiple users with a 360-degree perspective to simultaneously view and analyze 3-D data. The futuristic capabilities of the VolumeViewer(R) have offered tremendous benefits to commercial users in the fields of medicine and surgery, air traffic control, pilot training and education, computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing, and military/battlefield management. The technology has also helped NASA to better analyze and assess the various data collected by its satellite and spacecraft sensors. Genex capitalized on its success with Stennis by introducing two separate products to the commercial market that incorporate key elements of the 3-D display technology designed under an SBIR contract. The company Rainbow 3D(R) imaging camera is a novel, three-dimensional surface profile measurement system that can obtain a full-frame 3-D image in less than 1 second. The third product is the 360-degree OmniEye(R) video system. Ideal for intrusion detection, surveillance, and situation management, this unique camera system offers a continuous, panoramic view of a scene in real time.

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NASA NTRS1991

Small Business Innovations (Crystal Components)

Scientific Materials Corporation, Bozeman, MT developed the SciMax line of improved Nd:Yag crystals under an Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract with Langley Research Center. They reduced the amount of water trapped in the crystals during growth to improve the optical quality and efficiency. Applications of the crystals include fiber optics, telecommunications, welding, drilling, eye surgery and medical instrumentation.

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NASA NTRS1988

Temperature Pill

Ingestible Thermal Monitoring System was developed at Johns Hopkins University as means of getting internal temperature readings for treatments of such emergency conditions as dangerously low (hypothermia) and dangerously high (hyperthermia) body temperatures. ITMS's accuracy is off no more than one hundredth of a degree and provides the only means of obtaining deep body temperature. System has additional applicability in fertility monitoring and some aspects of surgery, critical care obstetrics, metabolic disease treatment, gerontology (aging) and food processing research. Three-quarter inch silicone capsule contains telemetry system, micro battery, and a quartz crystal temperature sensor inserted vaginally, rectally, or swallowed.

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NASA NTRS1988

Balance System

TherEx Inc.'s AT-1 Computerized Ataxiameter precisely evaluates posture and balance disturbances that commonly accompany neurological and musculoskeletal disorders. Complete system includes two-strain gauged footplates, signal conditioning circuitry, a computer monitor, printer and a stand-alone tiltable balance platform. AT-1 serves as assessment tool, treatment monitor, and rehabilitation training device. It allows clinician to document quantitatively the outcome of treatment and analyze data over time to develop outcome standards for several classifications of patients. It can evaluate specifically the effects of surgery, drug treatment, physical therapy or prosthetic devices.

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NASA NTRS1990

Advanced Pacemaker

Synchrony, developed by St. Jude Medical's Cardiac Rhythm Management Division (formerly known as Pacesetter Systems, Inc.) is an advanced state-of-the-art implantable pacemaker that closely matches the natural rhythm of the heart. The companion element of the Synchrony Pacemaker System is the Programmer Analyzer APS-II which allows a doctor to reprogram and fine tune the pacemaker to each user's special requirements without surgery. The two-way communications capability that allows the physician to instruct and query the pacemaker is accomplished by bidirectional telemetry. APS-II features 28 pacing functions and thousands of programming combinations to accommodate diverse lifestyles. Microprocessor unit also records and stores pertinent patient data up to a year.

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NASA NTRS1984

New Help for the Handicapped

L & M Electronics, Inc.'s telemetry system is used to measure degree and location of abnormal muscle activity. This telemetry was originally used to monitor astronauts vital functions. Leg sensors send wireless signals to computer which develops pictures of gait patterns. System records, measures and analyzes muscle activities in limbs and spine. Computer developed pictures of gait patterns help physicians determine potential of corrective surgery, evaluate various types of braces, or decide whether physical therapy may improve motor functions.

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NASA NTRS2002

Irradiated HMEC from A-T Heterozygous Breast Tissue

Women who are heterozygous for ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) carry a single defective ATM gene in chromosome 11 q22-23, and have been statistically determined with high significance within a defined database to be approximately 5-fold more susceptible for developing breast cancer than their noma1 counterpart. Breast cancer susceptibility of these A-T heterozygotes has been hypothesized to include consequence of response to damage caused by low levels of ionizing radiation. Prophylactic mastectomy specimens were donated by a 41 year-old obligate A-T heterozygote who was located prior to her elective surgery through an existing pedigree. Harvest of that breast tissue provided an isolate of long-term growth human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC), designated WH612/3. An isolate of presumed normal long-term growth HMEC, designated 48R, was obtained from Dr. Martha Stampfer (Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California), and the A-T heterozygous HMEC were transformed with E6 and E7 oncogenes of human papilloma virus Type-16 in the laboratory of Dr. Ray White (Hunt- Cancer Institute, University of Utah) for use in this study. The objective of this study is to study the expression of end points that may bear on cancer outcome following irradiation of HMEC. Specific end points are cell survival, cell cycle, p53 expression, and apoptosis. Survival curves, immunostaining, and flow cytometery are used to examine these end points. Radiation-induced cell killing shows less shoulder development in the survival curve for WH61U3 compared to 48R HMEC, suggesting less repair of damage in the former HMEC. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Richmond, Robert↗
NASA NTRS1983

Medical Gas Analyzer

The Remote Monitoring System (RMS) is manufactured by Perkin Elmer Corporation. The principal component of the RMS was originally developed for spacecraft use to monitor astronaut's respiratory gases in NASA's Gemini and Apollo program. At Wishard Memorial Hospital in Indianapolis, IN, the RMS is used in operating rooms for analysis of anesthetic gases and measurement of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen concentrations. It assures that the patient undergoing surgery has the proper breathing environment.

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