[Federal Register: February 12, 2002 (Volume 67, Number 29)]
[Notices]
[Page 6499-6500]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr12fe02-45]
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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Notice of Government Owned Inventions Available for Licensing
AGENCY: National Institute of Standards and Technology Commerce,
Commerce.
ACTION: Notice of government owned inventions available for licensing.
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SUMMARY: The inventions listed below are owned in whole or in part by
the U.S. Government, as represented by the Department of Commerce. The
Department of Commerce's interest in the inventions is available for
exclusive or non-exclusive licensing in accordance with 35 U.S.C. 207
and 37 CFR part 404 to achieve expeditious commercialization of results
of federally funded research and development.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Technical and licensing information on
these inventions may be obtained by writing to: Mary Clague, 301-975-
4188, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Office of
Technology Partnerships, Building 820, Room 213, Gaithersburg, MD
20899; Fax 301-869-2751. Any request for information should include the
NIST Docket number and title for the relevant invention as indicated
below.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NIST may enter into a Cooperative Research
and Development Agreement (``CRADA'') with the licensee to perform
further research on the inventions for purposes of commercialization.
The inventions available for licensing are:
[Docket No.: 97-017C-CIP]
Title: Domain Engineered Ferroelectric Optical Radiation Detector
Having Multiple Domain Regions For Acoustic Dampening.
Abstract: The invention comprises a pyroelectric detector with
significantly reduced microphonic noise sensitivity comprising a
pyroelectric detector element constructed from a z-cut
LiNbO3 electret. Selective domain reversal is accomplished
in the electret by applying an electric field. Electrodes are attached
to either surface of the electret spanning the domain reversed region
and a portion of the original domain region to create areas of equal
and opposite sensitivity. The detector is mounted in an electrically
grounded container or housing. The detector may also be constructed
having multiple detector regions to accommodate resonant frequencies of
the electret or to function as a position sensor.
[Docket No.: 00-005US]
Title: Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy System Using Differential
Heterodyne Detection.
Abstract: This invention is jointly owned by the University of
Colorado and the Department of Commerce. The Department's interest is
available for licensing. An ac technique for cavity ringdown
spectroscopy permits 1 x 10-10 absorption sensitivity with
microwatt light power. Two cavity modes are provided temporarily out of
phase such that when one mode is decaying, the other mode is rising.
When one of the modes probes intra-cavity absorption of a sample gas,
heterodyne detection between the two modes reveals dynamic time
constants associated with the cavity and the cavity plus intra-cavity
absorption. The system and method provides a quick comparison between
on-resonance and off-resonance modes and enables sensitivities that
approach the shot-noise limit.
[Docket No.: 01-001US]
Title: Sensitive and Selective Chemical Sensor with Nanostructured
Surfaces.
Abstract: The invention was made jointly by scientists from NIST
and Informed Diagnostics, Inc. under the auspices of a Cooperative
Research and Development agreement( CRADA). A novel chemical sensor is
described that utilizes an optical resonator with nanostructured
surfaces to permit highly sensitive and selective chemical detection by
absorption spectroscopy, typically in the visible spectral region. The
analyte is not required to possess a significant absorption cross
section at the probe wavelength. Instead, the absorption of one or more
nanoparticles that are bound to the resonator surface is detected.
These nanoparticles have an enormous absorption cross section, which is
highly sensitive to the dielectric properties of the particle or its
environment. The analyte is detected by combining the sensitive optical
response of the nanoparticle with selective chemical interactions that
modify the dielectric properties of the particle or its environment.
These selective interactions can occur by (1) a direct chemical
interaction between the nanoparticle and the analyte that alters the
nanoparticle optical constants, or (2) employing a coated nanoparticle
that selectively binds the analyte to produce an effective coating
refractive index change. The nanoparticles can be formed from gold,
silver, cadmium sulfide, zinc selenide, or other material and have a
spherical, spheroidal, tetrahedral, or other shape. Typically,
[[Page 6500]]
metal or semiconductor particles are employed which support a surface
plasmon polariton resonance (SPPR). The nanoparticles modify one or
more surfaces of an optical resonator where a light beam interrogates
the absorption change in response to the analyte. In one embodiment,
the nanoparticles modify one or more ultra-smooth surfaces of a high-
finesse resonator that employs intracavity total internal reflection,
allowing evanescent wave cavity ring-down spectroscopy (EW-CRDS) to be
employed for probing the absorbance change. Through proper choice of
nanoparticle density, size, shape, material, coating, and resonator
design, a miniature chemical sensor is achieved, permitting trace
detection of a wide range of absorbing or non-absorbing analytes in the
gas or liquid phase.
Dated: February 5, 2002.
Karen H. Brown,
Deputy Director.
[FR Doc. 02-3314 Filed 2-11-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3510-13-P