From: dye@edison.llumc.edu (Leonard Dye)
Newsgroups: sci.med,ca.general
Subject: 'Super Lab'
Date: 9 Oct 92 20:25:05 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: LLUMC Radiation Research Lab


The following article was in yesterdays San Bernardino (California) Sun
newspaper, written by Marilyn Leary Sun Medical Editor.
 
        Project may mean 1,500 jobs by '97
 
A 'Super Lab' at Loma Linda University Medical Center will combine defense and
aerospace industries to create medical devices.
 
        Loma Linda University Medical Center and Southland defense and
aerospace industries have agreed to cooperate in developing high-tech medical
devices, Congressman Jerry Lewis announced Wednesday.
 
        Up to 1,500 jobs could be created over the next five years by products
developed at the National Medical Technology TestBed, a collection of sixresearch laboratoies to be located on or around the Loma Linda campus.
 
        Already nickname Super Lab, the center will be a prototype for similar
institutions across the nation, demostrating ways companies can convert from
defense-related devices to non-defense products, Lewis said.
 
        Defense industry and medical scientists and researchers will use their
expertise to invent needed health-care devices and perfect others, such as
making artificial joints more efficient.
 
        An important goal will be to convert existing military devices tomedical uses. For instance, a military headband sensor that can follow eye
movement, then focus and fire a gun, already exists. The same sensor, adapted
for a quadriplegic, can be used to send the patient's commands to a computer.
 
        Lewis said the medical center was chosen to lead the Super Lab because
it is well known for developing and adapting high technology to medical uses.
Medical center officials, who worked for years to establish the unique Proton
Beam Cancer Treatment Center, the world's only hospital based atomic particle
accelerator, are pleased that the federal grant will allow them to continue
treatment innovations.
 
        "When we get the resources to explore new modalities of treatment for
our patients we are truly excited about that opportunity," said Dr. David B.
Hinshaw Sr., medical center president.
 
        Lewis said that the TestBed Super Lab, with federal start-up funding
of $5 million for 1993, its first year, will revitalize Southern California.
"It will create and sustain jobs in Southern California by utilizing displaced
and laid-off defense and aerospace industry employees, including many of the
best research scientists."
 
        Lewis estimated that as many as 10 new health-care products a year will
be developed, then sold around the world. "The end of the "Cold War is creating
not only opportunies for peace, but for peaceful applications of high-technology
that  will benefit mankind for years to come," he said.
 
        Areas to be explored include robotics, biotechnology and advancedcommunications devices.
 
        Companies already in consortium include TRW, Hughes Aircraft and
Canon/DEC. Lewis said General Dynamics, Lockheed, McDonnell Douglas, Rockwell
International, Texas Instuments and Northrup also are expected to participate.

===============================================================================

Leonard Dye
dye@proton.llumc.edu