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Highlights

NE researchers win two R&D 100 Awards

Jacqueline Johnson and Sami Gopalsami

Jacqueline Johnson (left) and Sami Gopalsami (right) are two of the NE researchers that won the prestigious R&D 100 Award in 2007.

ARGONNE, IL — (Jan. 12, 2007) NE researchers devised two of the world's top 100 scientific and technological innovations during 2006, as judged by R&D magazine:

  • A passive millimeter-wave spectrometer that can detect chemical signatures at distances of up to a few kilometers.
  • An ultra-high-resolution mammography system, which will provide a low-cost computerized alternative to current mammographic techniques.

Passive Millimeter-Wave Spectroscopy

Passive millimeter-wave spectroscopy (PmmWS) provides a new and potentially vital tool for fighting the war on terror. Unlike traditional chemical gas detectors, which operate by transmitting a signal and then processing the reflected response, PmmWS works similarly to an infrared camera, as it emits no signal but merely captures emitted radiation from a gas plume.

Using their spectroscope, the researchers were able to detect nitric oxide releases from the Nevada test site at a concentration of around one part per thousand from a distance of 600 m, with a potential for tenfold increase in sensitivity. No previous attempt at detecting terrestrial chemical gases had surpassed this measure of performance and with less susceptibility to cloud and other atmospheric interference. Nitric oxide is a common byproduct of nuclear fuel reprocessing operations.

Such remote-sensing capabilities will allow watchdog agencies or national security organizations to covertly or overtly monitor the signatures of chemicals emitted from “suspect” processing facilities, and may help to prevent additional nuclear proliferation. The technology also has environmental and biomedical applications.

Developers are:

  • Senior Electrical Engineer Sami Gopalsami,
  • Electrical Engineer Sasan Bakhtiari,
  • Department Manager Paul Raptis,
  • Special Term Appointee Thomas W. Elmer and
  • Senior Technician Ronald N. Lanham.

Ultra-High-Resolution Mammography System

The Ultra-High-Resolution Mammography System (UHRMS) equips doctors with a low-cost, high-quality alternative to digital radiography, which is now the most popular mammographic technology at leading hospitals. UHRMS represents a form of computed radiographic technology, which means that instead of using traditional X-ray film to capture images, doctors can use a glass-ceramic imaging plate, which then can be fed into a computer and digitized.

The Ultra-High Resolution Mammography System offers several notable improvements over common X-ray films and scintillating screens, including reusability, wide dynamic range and direct digitization.

Developers are NE scientist Jacqueline Anne Johnson, SUNY-Stony Brook Research Assistant Professor Anthony R. Lubinsky and University of Paderborn ( Germany ) Scientific Employee Stefan Schweizer.

NE congratulates the awardees for this distinguished achievement.

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Last Modified: Wed, April 20, 2016 9:33 AM

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