A high-tech neutralization system that foils airborne
pathogens, tough-but-flexible body armor and a more
efficient quantum computing method are the
Applied Physics
Laboratory's top inventions for 2003, announced April
20 during APL's fifth annual Invention of the Year
ceremony.
An independent review panel selected the winners from
139 APL inventions — representing the work of 220
inventors — based on their potential benefit to
society, improvement over existing technology and
commercial potential. APL Director Richard T. Roca and
Wayne E. Swann, director of Technology Transfer,
congratulated researchers on their work and presented
trophies and cash awards to the three winning teams of
inventors, in the categories of Life Science, Physical
Science and Information Science.
Richard Potember and Wayne Bryden took top place in
the Life Science category for developing a system to
destroy airborne biological agents as they move through a
building's heating and air conditioning ducts. The
technology, which works without any special filtering that
might impede airflow, uses a reaction chamber attached to a
heating/ventilation/air-conditioning unit. The technology
has been licensed to the Bio-Defense Research Group of
Upper Marlboro, Md., which is using it in a system called
Path-Away, designed to protect commercial-size buildings
such as hospitals. Other prime candidates for the system
include "sick" buildings, cruise ships, airplanes and other
vulnerable settings.
In the category of Physical Science, the award went to
Jack Roberts and Paul Biermann, who teamed with Richard
Reidy of the University of North Texas to develop a soft
body-armor vest that is light enough to prevent fatigue
after considerable use and flexible enough to allow ease of
movement but also rigid enough to stop automatic assault
rifle bullets. The armor can be designed to fit the legs
and arms in addition to the torso.
Information Science honors went to James Franson,
Bryan Jacobs and Todd Pitman, who have discovered a way to
significantly reduce the number of errors in quantum
computing calculations. The invention is a significant step
toward developing practical quantum computers, whose
tremendous speed will make them invaluable in areas such as
encryption and modeling and simulation.
During its last fiscal year, the APL Office of
Technology Transfer completed 35 new license agreements and
created three start-up companies, and the Office of Patent
Counsel filed 216 patent applications and saw 22 patents
issued.
In its first four years, APL's technology transfer
program has executed 81 license agreements, licensed more
than 100 technologies, created 10 start-up companies and
secured more than $14 million in licensing and related
research and development income.
For more information about APL's technology transfer
initiatives, go to
www.jhuapl.edu/ott.
GO TO