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JULY 11, 2002, 11:00EDT
WAKEFIELD, Mass.--Implant Sciences Corporation has been awarded a U.S. Air Force contract to develop an instrument to detect aging and/or defective electrical wiring in military and commercial aircraft. The instrument, which is based upon the Company's explosives detection technology, will be designed to sense the vapors from overheated wire insulation long before the insulation starts to smoke.
The award covers the first phase in the contract and provides funding of approximately $100,000. Upon completion of the Phase I project, Implant Sciences has the potential to receive an additional $750,000 award.
Preliminary experiments have shown that gases emitted from overheated wires at temperatures as low as 50 degrees C can be identified by analyzing the spectrum produced by the laser Ion Mobility Spectrometer (IMS) system that the Company is now developing for the explosives detection market.
The Company expects that this system when installed on-board an aircraft can then alert the pilot or maintenance personnel to a problem before it becomes an emergency situation.
"We are very pleased that the U.S. Air Force has recognized the potential of our laser ion mobility spectrometers," stated Anthony J. Armini, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Implant Sciences. "This contract is consistent with our growth strategy to leverage our core technologies into novel medical and ion detection devices and illustrates that our capabilities go far beyond explosives and toxic substances detection."
The company is now developing two laser IMS explosive trace detection ("ETD") units for the Aviation Security marketplace. The first is a portable unit to be used to find bombs in buildings, aircraft and vehicles. The second unit is a bench-top unit to be used at security checkpoints in airports and also to resolve positive indications when cargo hold baggage is inspected by the large EDS systems.
The Company expects that both systems should be available for the government evaluation and approval process during the next two fiscal quarters. Dr. Armini also noted that the Company has submitted grant proposals for various public health applications for the laser IMS technology and is currently awaiting award decisions.
Implant Sciences Corporation develops products for the medical device industry using ion implantation and thin film coatings of radioactive and non-radioactive materials. The Company, in conjunction with its exclusive U.S. distributor, MED-TEC, Inc., is marketing its I-Plant(TM) Iodine-125 radioactive seeds for the treatment of prostate cancer. Implant Sciences also has under development interventional cardiology devices for the prevention of restenosis (reclosure of arteries after balloon angioplasty).
The Company currently uses its technology to apply radiopaque (visible by x-ray) coatings on stents, guidewires, catheters and other devices used in interventional cardiology procedures. In addition, the Company modifies the surface characteristics of orthopedic joint implants to reduce polyethylene wear and thereby increase the life of the implants, and it is developing products for the toxic substances and explosives detection markets.
For additional information, visit www.implantsciences.com.
Military & Aerospace Electronics
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