R & D articles from March 2003

R & D archives from March 2003

Fix Atlantis, endeavor, and discovery. (Editorial).(Editorial)
March 1, 2003... The investigation into the Columbia tragedy is charged with determining the contributing scientific reasons for the disaster. Those results will determine when and if the shuttle will again be used for manned space flight. President Bush...

Restart the innovation pipeline. (Innovation Insider).(Industry Overview)
March 1, 2003... Research and development has been a constant source of economic and social advancement for nearly a century. Its pathways and organizational structures have shifted with the times, but always have ensured that a sufficient number of inventions...

UI forges ahead to develop fastest transistor to date. (Micro/Nano Technology).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The marker has been set by a team of researchers from the Univ. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. The team, led by Milton Feng, has created the fastest transistor to date at a speed of 370 GHz, compared with the 350 GHz speed of the previous...

Lab on wheels. (Laboratory Design).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Scheer Partners Inc., a commercial real estate services firm, based in Rockville, Md., has joined MdBio, Inc., Frederick, Md., a private, not-for-profit organization to build MdBioLab, the nation's largest mobile bioscience laboratory. MdBioLab...

Updated polarimetry software launched. (Analytical Instruments).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Life and Analytical Sciences division of PerkinElmer, Boston, have developed an upgraded software package for its Series 341/343 polarimeters. The Pol WinLab ES provides technical compliance with the Food and Drug Administration's 21 EFR...

Upcoming conferences & events. (News & Developments).(Calendar)
March 1, 2003... The American Chemical Society (ACS) will be holding its 225th National Meeting from March 23-27, 2003 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The meeting will showcase a comprehensive symposium program, speeches from industry leaders, as well as career...

Supramolecular assembly. (Bulletin).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Researchers from the Univ. of Pennsylvania, Phila., led by Virgil Percec, along with a team from the Univ. of Sheffield, UK, report that they have created tree-like molecules, which can assemble themselves into precisely structured building...

South pole scope detects neutrinos. (Lasers & Optics).(Antarctic Muon and Neutrino Detector Array)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Whether it be optical, microwave, or radio telescopes each is designed to collect data from electromagnetic waves. However, a unique telescope buried in the Antarctic takes a new approach to data collection and may provide unprecedented "views"...

Screen saver may save lives. (Lab Equipment).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Your idling computer may find a new purpose in life by one day saving others. That's right, the folks from IBM, United Devices, and Accelrys are developing a project focused on the creation of new drugs that could potentially combat the...

Let the GAMESS begin. (Materials).(General Atomic and Molecular Electronic Structure Systems )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Scientists, engineers, as well as laymen, can now study objects on the molecular scale by using an updated version of GAMESS. GAMESS or General Atomic and Molecular Electronic Structure Systems is a computational chemistry code which supplies...

DMEMS device showcase enhancements. (Microscopy).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Veeco Metrology Group, Tuscon, Ariz., has developed a dynamic MEMS (DMEMS) measurement option for its Wyko NT1100 optical profilers. The added option allows scientists to characterize micro-devices in 3D as they actuate. The DMEMS-equipped...

Novel immunotherapy technique eradicates cancer in mice. (Life Science).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... As the race for a cancer cure continues, researchers at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York City, may have found a new targeted approach to kill cancer cells. The technique utilizes a genetically engineered antigen receptor, which...

Computer software may unlock secrets of the mind. (Test & Measurement).(quantitative cellular compartment analysis of temporal activity--fluorescence in-situ hybridization)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Engineers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, N.Y., led by Badri Roysam have developed a method to study brain function at the cellular level. The software called Quantative cat-FISH (quantitative cellular compartment analysis of...

Semiconductors find their way to neuroscience. (Vacuum/Thin Films).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... With support from the Max Planck Institute, Munich, Germany, engineers at Infineon Technologies, Munich, have succeeded in fusing a newly developed biosensor chip with living nerve cells. The "Neuro-Chip," as it is called, was tested on snail...

French team fully sequences Chromosome 14. (Pharmaceutical).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Genoscope, the only French member of the international consortium of researchers responsible for the Human Genome Project, has completed sequencing of human chromosome 14. The achievement was the culmination of five years of study and revealed...

Austin Scientific ... an Oxford Instruments company. (Corporate Profile: Advertisement).(Brief Article)(Company Profile)
March 1, 2003... Austin Scientific--a wholly owned unit of Oxford Instruments--is recognized as the value leader in the manufacture and supply of quality cryogenic equipment and services. Its line of cryopumps, helium compressors, helium lines, and adsorbers is...

Nanoscale magnetic sensors promise terabit data storage. (Data Management & Analysis).(created by Harsh Chopra and Susan Hua of State University of New York in Bffalo)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Supported by the NSF, Harsh Chopra and Susan Hua, from the Univ at Buffalo, N.Y., have created new nanoscale magnetic sensors that could enhance the storage capability of hard disk drives by a 1,000. The sensitivity of these sensors is 100...

Faster Internet resource sharing technology. (Data Management & Analysis).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... A researcher at Penn State, University Park, has developed a faster algorithm that permits more efficient Internet resource sharing, including high performance computers, databases and Web services. The new technology developed by Jonghun Park...

Booming broadband security. (Data Management & Analysis).(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
March 1, 2003... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] The market for consumer broadband security is expected to rise from $74 million in 2000 to $820 million by the end of 2004. The growth will be driven by business owners' and consumers' increased awareness of the present...

Semiconductor memory market tops $86.5 billion. (Data Management & Analysis).(Brief Article)(Industry Overview)
March 1, 2003... [GRAPHIC OMITTED] The semiconductor memory market is projected to compile a 13.1% average annual growth rate (AAGR) attaining its peak at $86.5 billion by 2007. The volatile market share will grow from 74% in 2002 to about 78% in 2007 as...

Simulation speeds design of microfluidic medical devices. (Data Management & Analysis).
March 1, 2003... Computer simulation has demonstrated the ability to accurately model a microfluidic device that conducts medical tests on a compact disc (CD), greatly reducing the time required to optimize the design. A new generation of CD-based laboratory...

New trends in research supercomputing worth watching. (Data Management & Analysis).(such as High Performance Computing Virutal laboratory)
March 1, 2003... There has been an explosive growth in the diversity of research disciplines emerging within the field of supercomputing. The new generation of high-performance computing uses promises to help deliver more powerful and accessible...

Modeling and simulation: recreating the real world: modeling and simulation techniques have taken over many aspects of the R&D environment. From modeling the very labs that we work in to simulating the multiphysical world we live in. .(Cover Story)
March 1, 2003... It's human nature to simplify the physical world, to break apart complex physical phenomena into simpler more understandable terms, and then break it down into even simpler discrete components. Modeling and simulation are primarily mathematical...

New instruments enhance proteomics R&D: the proteomics industry is forced to contend with huge amounts of data. Tools that connect the workflow from sample preparation to data processing are critical to successfully manage the information produced. As a result, technology providers are offering different devices to accelerate and facilitate the integration of protein study.(Industry Overview)
March 1, 2003... Pharmaceutical companies are always in search of potent drugs with fewer side effects. To achieve that goal, researchers are turning more than ever to proteomics, the quantitative and qualitative analysis of proteins expressed in a cell in...

Gas Chromatography gains new ground; up to the last decade there has not been any change in Gas Chromatography (GC) Systems--but the need for speed coupled with smaller units is pushing the market to new limits.(Industry Overview)
March 1, 2003... For the last 50 years, Gas Chromatography (GC) has developed as a primary tool in studying the particular components of mixtures of compounds. Although its main use has been in studying highly volatile compounds (particularly found in the...

How spectroscopy is setting a pace for innovation: from the vastness of space to the inner workings of the human body, spectroscopic techniques and devices are quickly becoming forefront technologies in a variety of fields.(Industry Overview)
March 1, 2003... It started out simple--two scientists, Gustav Robert Kirchoff and Robert Wilhelm Bunsen took a Bunsen burner (appropriately termed) and a prism-based device to filter the visible light emitted when substances were exposed to intense heat. What...

Improving current measurements on nanoelectronic and molecular electronic devices: enhancements in nanotechnology, particularly in nanoelectronics, are forcing scientists to develop efficient ways to deliver adequate current flow.(Industry Overview)
March 1, 2003... Moore's Law states that circuit density will double every 18 months. However, in order to maintain this rate of increase, there must be fundamental changes in the way circuits are formed. Over the past few years, there have been significant and...

NIST shows appreciation. (Regulatory Update).(National Institute of Standards and Technology )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... We take it for granted. Most of us go about our day not taking the time to stop and think "is that right?" We count on the accuracy and are willing to literally pay for it. We're talking about the neglected world of weights and measures. The...

Wireless LANS gain speed. (Regulatory Update).(www.ieee.org)(11Mbps to 54 Mbps)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The IEEE has upgraded the P802.11g standard for wireless local area networks (LANs), which will increase the data rate from 11Mbps to 54 Mbps. The upgrade, which has been approved by the IEEE 802.11 Working Group, will allow for increased speed...

Environmental policy comes under scrutiny. (Regulatory Update).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Competitive enterprise institute (CEI) a non-partisan public policy group from Washington D.C., have joined others in urging President Bush to drop a scheme to award credits for reductions in emissions of greenhouse gases in favor of...

Eat at your own risk. (Regulatory Update).(USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service report)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The USDAs Food Safety and Inspection Service have finished numerous risk assessment trials of known agents such as E Coli in eggs and Listeria in meat and poultry products. The studies, which are available on their website, are the products of...

Desktop printing of living tissue. (Academic: emerging technologies).(Medical Univ. of South Carolina)(Clemson Univ)
March 1, 2003... Thomas Boland at Clemson Univ., S.C., and Vladimir Mironov at the Medical Univ. of South Carolina, are using a desktop printer to generate 3D living tissue. "Instead of ink, we're substituting components such as a growth medium and cells,...

Peering inside the eye. (Academic: emerging technologies).(Indiana Univ. School of Optometry)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Indiana Univ. School of Optometry, Bloomington, scientists have modified the adaptive optics technique used in astronomy to study vision disorders. The technology could aid in the discovery of eye diseases at an early enough stage as to be able...

Naturally disappearing bandages. (Academic: emerging technologies).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The novel technology of electrospinning has been used by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth Univ., Richmond, to produce a bandage that halts bleeding instantaneously before being absorbed by the body. The bandage consists of small fibers of...

Lasting alumina-nanotube ceramics. (Academic: emerging technologies).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Scientists at the Univ. of California, Davis, have almost tripled the breaking resistance of ceramics through the addition of carbon nanotubes. This was accomplished through the use of single-wall alumina carbon nanotubes (with alumina at 90%...

Futuristic OLED gadgets. (Industrial: emerging technologies).(organic light emitting diodes )(Company Profile)
March 1, 2003... As the threat of war looms, a group of researchers at Universal Display Corp., Ewing, N.J., is attempting to outfit soldiers with sophisticated display devices. Having been granted a two-year, Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II...

Alzheimer visualizations. (Industrial: emerging technologies).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Using a technique to produce 3D time-lapse videos, researchers at the Univ. of California, Los Angeles, have demonstrated how Alzheimer's spreads through the brain. A computer examines individual brain scans obtained at different time...

Cardiac monitoring. (Industrial: emerging technologies).(Biotronik, Inc. )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Biotronik, Inc., based in Lake Oswego, Ore., has developed a dual-chamber, rate-responsive, implantable cardioverter defibrillator called Belos DRT. The completely automated device has a wireless remote monitoring system capable of immediately...

Safer winter roads. (Industrial: emerging technologies).(Maintenance Decision Support System )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) is a web-based venture being assessed for the prediction of weather and maintenance of winter roads. Funded by the Federal Highway Administration and the National Center for Atmospheric Research,...

The switch to smart surfaces. (Eureka: emerging technologies).
March 1, 2003... A research team led by Robert Langer, Germeshausen professor of chemical and biomedical engineering at MIT, has designed "smart surfaces" that can reversibly adapt their characteristics in response to external stimuli. The work conducted by...

The Library of antibodies. (Eureka: emerging technologies).(Dept. of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Through the removal of a portion of the human immune system and its reconstruction in brewer's yeast, researchers at the Dept. of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Wash., have allowed instruments to quickly recognize new...

Electrical lines of communication. (Eureka: emerging technologies).(Ameren)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2003... Ameren of St. Louis, Mo., is testing technology that could enable homes and businesses to access the Internet over power lines. If successful, the venture would make the Web available to more people since electricity is more predominant in...

Intelligent drill pipes. (Eureka: emerging technologies).(IntelliPipe)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... IntelliPipe developed by Grand Prideco of Houston, Texas, and Novatek Engineering of Prove, Utah, is a drill pipe equipped with a high-speed data system. This smart pipe, which transmits data from the depth of a well up to 100, 000 times faster...

Bench top stylus profilometer. (New Products).(Ambios Technology, Inc.)
March 1, 2003... The XP-1 Surface Profiler is a low cost, high performance stylus profilometer designed for precision step height, thin film stress, film thickness, and surface roughness measurements. The XP-1 features a Windows XP user interface for program...

Hydraulic Universal Testing Systems. (New Products).(Instron)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2003... The new SATEC Series of single footprint Hydraulic Universal Testing Systems are designed to evaluate mechanical properties of materials and components. Available in DX and LX models, these uniquely designed testers combine the frame, hydraulic...

Groundwater sampling. (New Products).(Millipore)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2003... Millipore has made available disposable groundwater sampling capsules that collect groundwater prior to dissolved metal analysis. Designed with the membrane filter in place, these disposable capsules eliminate assembly and cleanup, as well as...

Individual Vial Retrieval system. (New Products).(BIOPHILE, Inc. )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The BIOPHILE Individual Vial Retriever (IVR) system provides automated access to vials stored at ultra-low temperatures. The IVR performs storage, retrieval, sorting, cataloging, volume estimation (weighing), barcode reading, and re-racking....

Expanded line of sputtering targets. (New Products).(Goodfellow Corp. )(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2003... Goodfellow Corporation presents its extensive line of sputtering targets. These targets can be heat-treated, remelted, or alloyed using a continuous thermal process and are available in 62 different metals and alloys, as well as compounds such...

Photomultiplier tube. (New Products).(Hanmmatsu Corp.)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2003... The R7400U-20 subminiature photomultiplier tube produces excellent radiant sensitivity in the near-IR. Its unique design incorporates a precision-engineered 8-stage electron multiplier composed of metal channel dynodes into the TO-8 package;...

Fluoroptic Laboratory Kit. (New Products).(Luxtron Corp.)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The Fluoroptic Thermometry (FOT) Lab Kit is an easy-to-use and affordable fiber optic temperature measurement tool which allows scientists and engineers to easily and accurately measure temperature in hostile environments involving high...

Modular alignment system for photonics packaging. (New Products).(AutoAlign MODAL - Newport Corp. )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... AutoAlign MODAL is a modular system for performing alignment and metrology of fiber optic components, including planar waveguides, AWGs, fiber collimators and various other devices. The AutoAlign MODAL offers a direct upward migration path as...

Nano-Focus Device. (New Products).(objective nanopositioner)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The P-721.CLQ PIFOC Nano-Focus Device is based on the successful PIFOC series of high-speed, piezo-driven, objective nanopositioners and is used for applications such as scanning microscopy, cell tracking and surface profiling. The device...

Miniature mass flow controller. (New Products).(Pneucleus Technologies LLC )(Advertisement)
March 1, 2003... The ultra small MicroFlo mass flow controller is ideal for tight areas and mobile units. The MicroFlo's exceptional performance is largely due to its InSitu-Sense sensin technology that incorporates a microchip-sized, in-line flow transducer to...

New SGE 2003 Analytical Science catalog. (New Products).(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... SGE, an international science based manufacturer of supplies and accessory equipment for chromatography and analytical instrumentation, has published a new edition of their SGE `Analytical Science' catalog. The catalog includes SGE's...

40 ton AutoPellet Press.(Carver)(Advertisement)
March 1, 2003... Carver's new AutoPellet Press with 40 ton :clamping capacity is uniquely suited to the larger pellets used in X-ray spectroscopy. The press features rigid slab side construction for precise alignment, an integral safety shield, an electrically...

Free 2003 NI catalog.(National Instruments)(www.ni.com/info; ras546)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... The National Instruments catalog is the leading virtual instrumentation resource for. engineers and scientists seeking the most productive customer-defined software and hardware tools. You will find everything you need from product...

Automatic Particle Sizer.
March 1, 2003... The AccuSizer APS Automatic Particle Sizer from Particle Sizing is a fully automated single particle optical sizer (SPOS) designed for the research and/or quality control laboratory. An automated sample injection system and easy-to-use windows...

PX5500 Series high performance pressure transducer.
March 1, 2003... The OMEGADYNE[R] Transducer Series PX5500 from Omega provide high performance in demanding industrial and research applications where accuracy, reliability, stability, and price are important. These transducers have a 10 year MTBF rate and are...

Process management software.
March 1, 2003... Minitab Quality Companion integrates the soft tools needed for any process improvement project--such as brainstorming, consensus building, and process mapping--into one easy-to-use software package. Completely customizable, Quality Companion...

GPCmax.
March 1, 2003... Introducing the world's first integrated pump, auto sampler and degasser module specifically designed for GPC/ SEC applications. It mates seamlessly with Viscotek's Triple Detector Array, Dual Detector or a simple concentration detector to form...

New Axioskop 40 Pol polarization microscope.(Zeiss MicroImaging )(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Ergonomically designed for ease-of-use and simplicity, Axioskop 40 Pol from Zeiss MicroImaging is built to maximize your performance in routine and research microscopy. It is equipped with many innovative Ieatures as well as all standard...

DAQ and signal conditioning brochure.
March 1, 2003... National Instruments new product guide depicts the optimal software and hardware components for measurement application. It describes NI hardware devices and platforms: Measurement Ready data acquisition, signal conditioning, modular...

Real-time product section guide.(from National Instruments)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Learn to quickly build real-time measurement and control systems with National Instruments Real-Time software and hardware. The Real-Time Product Selection Guide illustrates how to create reliable, deterministic solutions by integrating...

New user interface makes FEA easy.(Algor's Fempro)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... FEMPRO, ALGOR's single user interface with full finite element modeling, results evaluation and presentation environments, is available for all analysis, types and features: multiple view windows; a tree view of model parts and associated data;...

Origin 7.(from OriginLab)(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... OriginLab presents Origin 7, which combines presentation-quality graphics, the C language, and the NAG numerical library in a single package. Easy-to-use point-and-click interfaces are provided for data visualization, exploration, and analysis....

IMT.(Brief Article)
March 1, 2003... Innovative Micro Technology is your strategic MEMS manufacturing partner with the expertise to take your design or specification from prototyping through high-volume manufacturing. With the largest independent MEMS fab in the world and a highly...