Argonne wins three R&D 100 awards
ARGONNE, Ill. (Aug. 7, 2007) – Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's
Argonne National Laboratory devised three of the world's top 100 scientific
and technological innovations during 2006, as judged by R&D magazine.
Argonne scientists are consistent winners of the R&D 100 awards, having
garnered 98 of the prizes since the magazine introduced them in 1964.
“Once again, DOE's labs are at the cutting edge of innovation with new technology
developments to enhance America's economic and national security,” said U.S.
Secretary of Energy Samuel Bodman. “My heartiest congratulations to the DOE
researchers and scientists that have won R&D Magazine's prestigious awards
this year.”
Argonne Director Bob Rosner also offered his congratulations to the winning
scientists. “These awards are a fitting tribute to scientific work of the highest
rank, and a testament to the quality of research that happens every day at
Argonne,” he said.
This year's winners from Argonne are:
- Access Grid, a piece of open-source teleconferencing software.
- 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.
Access Grid
Access Grid
3 software enables groups of people to collaborate using open-source
standards and Internet technology. The Access Grid is designed to provide a
natural virtual environment, where users can see and hear one another,
projected on a large display wall. More than just videoconferencing, the
Access Grid enables participants to share and interact with files and
applications. The open nature of the Access Grid software has attracted
thousands of users from around the world and has encouraged numerous commercial
and research institutions to adopt the software for their purposes.
Access Grid has been used by college professors to teach students in distant
locations, by international communities of scientists and experimental
facilities working on fusion power, and by groups of doctors and specialists
who want to examine patient scans
simultaneously at multiple sites, enriching diagnostics. For example,
a modified version of the Access Grid enabled epidemiologists and immunologists
to treat patients without exposing others to infection during the SARS
epidemic in 2003.
Developers are Argonne Senior Software Developers Ivan R. Judson and Thomas
D. Uram, Research Manager Michael E. Papka, Associate Laboratory Director
for Computer and Life Sciences Rick L. Stevens and University of Chicago
Software Developers Susanne Lefvert and Eric C. Olson.
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 Argonne Senior Electrical Engineer Sami Gopalsami, Electrical
Engineer Sasan Bakhtiari, Department Manager Paul Raptis, Special Term Appointee
Thomas W. Elmer and Chief 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 Argonne scientist Jacqueline Anne Johnson, SUNY-Stony Brook
Research Assistant Professor Anthony R. Lubinsky and University of Paderborn
( Germany ) Scientific Employee Stefan Schweizer.
Argonne National Laboratory brings
the world's brightest scientists and engineers together to find exciting and
creative new solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology.
The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic
and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne
researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities,
and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific
problems, advance America 's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for
a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed
by UChicago
Argonne, LLC for
the U.S.
Department of Energy's Office
of Science.
For more information, please
contact Eleanor Taylor (630/252-5510 or media@anl.gov)
at Argonne.
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