Technology Opportunities

Periodically, the Laboratory notifies the public of technologies and capabilities that may be of interest. These technologies may extend from recent inventions, technology opportunity or capabilities that may have utility outside the Laboratory.

If you are interested in any of the following capabilities, contact the Business Development Team.

Acoustic Methods to Support Biofuels Production 

Los Alamos is interested in partnering with companies to develop its ultrasonic capabilities for biofuels production applications. Los Alamos has developed ultrasonic methods for processes such as algae separation and concentration. A principal challenge in algal biofuel production is separating the hydrocarbon-bearing algae from the growth media in a cost-effective, energy efficient fashion. Current methods such as centrifugal methods are expensive and inefficient. Los Alamos has developed methods based on generation of ultrasonic standing waves that enable lower-energy separations. These acoustic methods can be used both to separate biological particles (algae) from a liquid suspensions and to isolate lipids from the algae.

Building on this technology, Los Alamos is seeking partners to mature these ultrasonic methods for algal biofuels applications. A short term opportunity in this area focuses on the recent Department of Energy (DOE) Technology Commercialization Fund (TCF) proposal call (see http://www.cleantechalliance.org/news/320238/DOE-Seeks-Technology-Commercialization-Fund-Proposals.htm), which has a proposal deadline of February 12, 2017. Los Alamos seeks expressions of interest in partnering with Los Alamos either in response to the TCF call or through other partnership vehicles.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Patent Applications

• Method and Apparatus for Acoustically Manipulating Biological Particles (U.S. 2013-0116459 Published 5/9/2013 DOE S-121345)
• Acoustic Manipulation of Fluids Based on Eigenfrequency (Provisional Patent Appl. No. 62/276,755 DOE S-133320)

Contact: Donald Hickmott

Date Posted: January 12, 2017

Autonomous Biosurveillance Systems

LANL is looking for opportunities to leverage our expertise in assay design, bioinformatic analysis, and genomics to develop future next-gen sequencing (NGS) technologies for applications in biosecurity and public health. These technologies should be cheaper, easier to use, and more flexible than current technologies. LANL may be interested in collaborative work on the application of NGS to autonomous biosurveillance systems, and is seeking partners or licensees to help develop, commercialize and/or deploy this technology.

Contact: Miranda Intrator

Date Posted: January 12, 2017

Flow Management Devices

Los Alamos scientists have developed novel microfluidic technologies and Los Alamos National Laboratory is seeking partners or licensees to help develop, commercialize and/or deploy this technology.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Patent Applications

• Reversibly bonded microfluidic devices and method of making the device (LANS Ref. No. S 133,381.000; U.S. App. No. 62/401,663)
• Magnetically Controlled Valves and Pumps (LANS Ref. No. S 133,380.000; U.S. App. No. 62/322,622)
• Microfluidic aspirator and methods of making and using the same (LANS Ref. No. S 133,379.000; U.S. App. No. 62/322,577)
• Devices for co-culture and methods of making and using the same (LANS Ref. No. S 133,382.000; U.S. App. No. 62/384,451)

Contact: Miranda Intrator

Date Posted: December 22, 2016

Small, Portable Nuclear Reactor

Los Alamos nuclear engineers have developed a small portable nuclear reactor that can meet the safety, reliability and other design attributes to provide decentralized electric power generation. Currently nuclear energy does not serve this market due to the current size of nuclear power generation plants, which currently offer baseload power for a centralized electrical grid system. Based on the Los Alamos design a reactor could be developed to meet the decentralized power market featuring a 15 year fuel cycle with no onsite refueling, inherent load following capability due to the proprietary integration of a novel heat pipe technology and minimal moving parts for inherent reliability. Los Alamos is seeking partners or licensees to help develop, commercialize and/or deploy this technology.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Patent Applications

• Heat Pipe Reactor Core and Heat Exchangers Formation and Deployment, (U.S. Provisional Patent Appl. No. 62/432,396 DOE S-133,464)
• Pump- Assisted Heat Pipe (DOE S-133,491)

Contact: Ross Muenchausen

Date Posted: December 15, 2016

Unattended Dual Current Monitor

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has developed a technology, the “Unattended Dual Current Monitor (UDCM)” that is an ideal solution for current measurement needs such as ion chamber gamma measurements. The UDCM has two independent inputs and each input detects currents in two user selectable ranges, -0.1nA to -20nA or -10nA to -2uA. Measurement results can be retrieved via an Ethernet connection or by monitoring the TTL output lines with a simple counter. Measurement data is also stored on a user accessible micro-SD card or a USB flash drive. A programmable negative High Voltage (HV) power supply provides detector bias voltages from 0 to -1,000V. The instrument is fully compatible with the IAEA Multi Instrument Collect (MIC) software and responds to the existing MiniGrand commands. The Ethernet port provides an IAEA RAINSTORM compliant data transfer and data security interface. This technology is available for nonexclusive licensing.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Patent Applications

• Unattended Dual Current Monitor (UDCM) - 62/384,360

Contact: Kathleen McDonald

Date Posted: October 20, 2016

Los Alamos is interested in partnering with companies to develop its laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) capabilities for agricultural applications. Los Alamos has developed applications of LIBS for a range of uses including mining, manufacturing, nuclear forensics, and, most notably, space applications. LIBS utilizes a laser spark to excite emission lines that are characteristic of the elemental composition of a material under interrogation; these materials can be solid, liquid or even gaseous. Elemental compositions can be determined with detection limits as low as parts-per-million levels. LIBS instruments can be small and portable and little sample preparation is required, so they are ideal for field applications. LIBS can also be implemented from distances up to several meters. A particular strength of LIBS, compared to other field analytical methods such as X-ray fluorescence, is its sensitivity to light elements such as nitrogen and carbon.

Los Alamos researchers have developed innovative methods to solve key LIBS technical challenges such as: 1) ensuring the safety of operators utilizing the lasers needed to excite emission through software/hardware controls and interlocks; and 2) accurately quantifying element compositions in complex matrices. Los Alamos has achieved success in deploying LIBS both to its government customers and industrial partners and has identified the agricultural sector as a potential market to further develop LIBS as a commercial tool. Building on this technology, Los Alamos is seeking partners to mature LIBS for sustainable agricultural applications. Such applications could include real-time soil analysis for nutrient compositions (e.g. C, N, P, K) in order to optimize fertilizer applications. Coupling such analyses with other agricultural technology may represent a key opportunity. Los Alamos seeks business plans that outlines potential partners’ strategies for such development.

Contact: Don Hickmott

Date posted: January 16, 2016