Technology Transfer/Commercialization Report

a Technology Commercialization Office publication

N A S A’ s G o d d a r d S p a c e F l i g h t C e n t e r

2001

N A S A’ s G o d d a r d S p a c e F l i g h t C e n t e r

Technology

Transfer/Commercialization

R E P O R T

2 0 0 1

 Table

of Contents

Who We Are ______ 2

Activities in 2001 _____ 6

Encouraging Researcher

 Involvement ___________ 7

Inventorying New Technologies __ 8

Patenting Goddard Technologies ______ 14

Promoting Goddard Technologies __________ 15

Seeking and Bestowing Awards _________________ 20

Establishing New Agreements ________________________ 23

How to Reach Goddard’s Technology Commercialization Office ____ 24

Since its inception, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center has pursued a commitment to

technology transfer and commercialization. For every space technology developed, Goddard strives

to identify new ways it can be used. Goddard then makes these technologies, as well as its facilities and

expertise, available to U.S. companies, universities, and government agencies. These efforts are based in

Goddard’s Technology Commercialization Office (TCO).

This report presents TCO’s activities and accomplishments during calendar year 2001.
4 NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Who We Are

Technology transfer and commercialization are

an important part of Goddard Space Flight Center’s

mission. They enable Goddard’s technology,

facilities, and expertise—all of which are national

assets—to be used in developing new products

and processes that benefit the United States. These

benefits include enriching the lives of the citizenry,

creating new jobs, increasing the Nation’s competitiveness in the global market, and improving

the balance of trade. To ensure that these

benefits are achieved, Goddard

established the Technology

Commercialization

Office.

4 NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
20 01 Techn o l o gy Tra nsfe r/Commercialization Report 5

TCO helps Goddard achieve its technology transfer/commercialization goals by

◗ Seeking out new Goddard technologies that might meet

industry and national needs

◗ Inventorying these newly developed technologies

◗ Patenting Goddard-developed technologies

◗ Promoting Goddard technologies, facilities, and capabilities to

potential partners

◗ Negotiating license agreements and partnerships with industry,

academia, or government agencies

◗ Promoting successful transfer and commercialization efforts

These key activities are performed by four teams that work together to facilitate technology transfer and commercialization.

20 01 Techn o l o gy Tra nsfe r/Commercialization Report 5
6 NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Commercial Technology Staff

The commercial technology staff works with industry, academia, and other government agencies to transfer Goddard technologies and to help these organizations

solve their technical problems within the six areas of Goddard’s technology commercialization expertise:

◗ Environmental systems

◗ Guidance, navigation, and control

◗ Information systems

◗ Optics

◗ Sensors and detectors

◗ Thermal and cryogenics

The staff also negotiates licensing or partnership agreements.

Outreach and Integration Staff

The outreach and integration staff markets Goddard-developed technologies that

are available for commercialization and publicizes successful commercialization

efforts. These outreach efforts are conducted using Technology Opportunity Sheets;

NASA Tech Briefs; Commerce Business Daily; the Internet; press releases; articles

in trade and news journals; and presentations at conferences, technology briefings,

and trade shows with industry. For more information on these efforts, see pages

15–19.

The staff also works to integrate Goddard researchers into the commercialization

process. For more information on these efforts, see pages 7 and 20–22.
20 01 Techn o l o gy Tra nsfe r/Commercialization Report 7

Small Business Innovation

Research Staff

Extra efforts to involve smaller businesses are made under

the auspices of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR)

and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs:

◗ The SBIR program was established by Congress in 1982

to provide increased opportunities for small businesses

to participate in research and development (R&D), to

increase employment, and to improve U.S. competitiveness. The program’s specific objectives are to stimulate U.S. technological innovation, use small businesses

to meet federal R&D needs, increase private-sector commercialization of innovations derived from federal R&D, and foster and encourage participation by socially

disadvantaged businesses.

◗ The STTR program awards contracts to small business concerns for cooperative

research and development with a nonprofit research institution, such as a university. The goal of the STTR program is to facilitate the transfer of technology developed by research institutions through the entrepreneurship of small businesses.

The small business and its partnering institution are required to sign an agreement

on how intellectual property will be shared between them.

Patent Counsel

Goddard’s Office of Patent Counsel prepares patent applications and other

patent-related documents, and it reviews

Space Act, license, and nondisclosure

agreements. Patent counsel also helps

determine the patent potential of new

Goddard technologies and oversees intellectual property issues.
Activities in 2001

◗ Encouraging researcher involvement in the technology

commercialization process

◗ Inventorying new technologies developed at Goddard

◗ Patenting Goddard technologies

◗ Promoting available technologies and facilities

◗ Seeking and bestowing awards for Goddard technologies

◗ Establishing new agreements with industry, academia,

and other government agencies

8 NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

The Technology Commercialization

Office’s mission is to introduce

Goddard technologies, capabilities, and

facilities into the commercial, academic,

and government communities. To achieve

this mission, TCO undertakes

many activities:
Wes Alexander

Steven Bailey

Jeannette Benavides

Geoffrey Bland

Gregory Boegner

Gregory Clarke

Michael Comberiate

Julie Crooke

Jeff de La Beaujardiere

Michael Delmont

Julie Deutschmann

Jeffrey Didion

Michael Dipirro

Nga Doan

John Donohue

Warren Dufrene

Chris Durachka

Bernard Edwards

Howard Eiserike

Wayne Esaias

Nelson Ferragut

Thomas Flatley

Bo-Cai Gao

Regina Gernatt

Dorothy Hall

Prasad Hanagud

Richard Harman

Amri Hernandez-Pellerano

Ellen Herring

Frank Hoge

Norden Huang

Jeremy Jones

Yoram Kaufman

Michael King

Todd King

Semion Kizhner

John Kolasinski

Brook Lakew

Jim Lanzi

Michael Lee

Henning Leidecker

Jesse Leitner

Donald Lokerson

Philip Luers

Mark Lupisella

Richard Luquette

Christopher Lynnes

Lori Maks

Ted Miles

Dwayne Morgan

Steve Naus

Brian Ottens

Barbara Pfarr

Robin Pfister

Jay Pittman

William Potter

Charles Powers

Lloyd Purves

Glenn Rakow

Lorraine Remer

John Riley

Aaron Roberts

David Robinson

Adan Rodriguez-Arroyo

Kurt Rush

Angela Russo

Vincent Salomonson

Peter Shirron

Joel Simpson

James Tilton

David Tracewell

Tina Tsui

Dana Uehling

John VanSant

John Vranish

Eugene Waluschka

Evan Webb

Miriam Wennersten

David Whiteman

Edward Wollack

Eve Wooldridge

Pen-Shu Yeh

Technology transfer and commercialization would not be possible without the participation

of Goddard’s scientific and technical staff. Throughout the year, the Technology Commercialization Office encourages researcher participation. For example, in June TCO organized the

Goddard Technology Showcase 2001, which featured Goddard-developed inventions (see page

18). Events such as this and other TCO efforts encourage civil servant researchers to disclose

their new inventions to TCO (see pages 8–13) and to participate in commercialization efforts.

As a result of TCO’s efforts, the following civil servant researchers participated in the technology transfer/commercialization process:

Encouraging Researcher Involvement

20 01 Techn o l o gy Tra nsfe r/Commercialization Report 9
10 NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

One of the primary ways that Goddard researchers participate in the

technology transfer process is by identifying, documenting, and reporting

their new technologies to the Technology Commercialization Office. TCO

then maintains an inventory of these reported technologies. Pages 8–13

list all of the technologies reported in 2001, categorized according to

Goddard’s areas of technical expertise. For more information about these

technologies, please contact the commercial technology staff member for

the corresponding technical area (see page 24).

Sensors and Detectors

A Very Low Power, Highly Integrated Multichannel Scaler (USB)

Area of Interest Selection Circuit for Image Sensor and/or

Position Sensing Detector

C8051 Resynthesis

Electrical Resistivity Measurements on Conductive Spacecraft Films

Field-Programmable Analog Array (FPAA) Architecture

Generic High Side Solid-State Switch

Germanium Strip Detector System for X-ray and Gamma Ray

Spectrometry and Imaging

High-Density Passive Component Arrays

Improved Reducing Gas Detector for Carbon Monoxide and Other

 Reducing Gases

Instrument Synthesis and Analysis Laboratory (ISAL)

Magnetohydrodynamic Stable Reference (MSTAR)

Micro Sun Sensor Using Hologram

Resynthesis

Self-Assembled Silicon Nanostructures by Magnetron Sputtering

VLF Lightning Location System

X-Band Solid State Power Amplifier (SSPA)

Inventorying New Technologies
20 01 Techn o l o gy Tra nsfe r/Commercialization Report 11

Environmental Systems

Ancillary Data Preprocessing Software for Moderate Resolution Imaging

Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Ocean Product Generation

Anemometer for Low Velocity Wind Measurements

Digital Earth Web Map Viewer

Enhanced Land Cover and Land Cover Change Products from MODIS

Estimating Global Vegetation Production: Algorithms MOD17A1 and

MOD17A2

Flight Modem

Large Format X-Ray Magnetic Calorimeters with Multiplexed SQUID

 Readouts

Level 1A and Geolocation Software for MODIS

Level 1B (Calibrated Radiances) Software for MODIS Data Processing

Level 2G Gridding Software for MODIS Land Product Generation

Method for Efficient Parallel Execution of Finite Element Analyses

MODIS Aerosols Over Land And Ocean

MODIS Atmosphere Level-3 Algorithm Software

MODIS Cloud Optical Properties Algorithm (MOD_PR06OD)

MODIS Near-IR Water Vapor Algorithm, and MODIS Thin Cirrus

Reflectance Algorithm

MODIS Ocean Primary Production

MODIS Reprojection Tool

MODIS Snow and Ice Maps

MODIS Vegetation Index Algorithms

Multi-Application Gbit/sec Real-Time Data Recording/Playback System

Ocean Processing Software for NASA’s MODIS

Product Distribution System (PDS) Integration with Earth Observing

System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Core System (ECS)

Sea Surface Salinity for Autonomous Systems

Simple Scalable Script-Based Science Processor

 for Direct Broadcast (S4P-DB)

Skymap Sky2000 Master Star Catalog Dump Utility MCDUMP

Software for Atmospheric Correction of MODIS Visible:

Shortwave Infrared Data

Software for Fire Monitoring from MODIS

Software to Calculate Phytoplankton Fluorescence Properties

from MODIS Data

Software to Estimate Vegetation Canopy Leaf Index (LAI)

Surface Albedo, Bidirectional Reflectance, and Land Cover Type

Derived from MODIS Data

Ultrastable Radiometer for Sea Surface Salinity Sensing

Wireless Information Peer Relay System
12 NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Information Systems

Action Item System

Adaptation of Ethernet Network Technology for Low-Power,

Radiation Tolerant Spaceborne Use

Analog Artificial Neural Network

Anomaly Reporting and Tracking Tool

CHDL

Computer Program for Automatic Code Generation and

 Documentation of Dynamic System Models

Depletion Mux

Distributed Beowulf System for Low-Cost, Massively

Parallel Processing

Hazard Free Standard Cell Pass Transistor Networks

High Bandwidth Network Router for Local Area Network

Using SpaceWire

Huang-Hilbert Transform Data Processing System

Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Tools Including

the TestManager 2000 (TM2000), Project Issue Tracking

System (PITTS), and Risk Management

Infrared for Intra-Satellite Communications for Space Applications

Kernel Cell Layouts for Assembly into Standard Cells

Knowledge System for COTS/GOTS Ground System

Knowledge-Based Architecture for Distributed Modeling and

Simulation of Spacecraft

Mercury-A Web-Based Metadata Search and Data Retrieval System

Method for Lossless Compression of Real or Complex Valued

Scientific Data

Method for Recursive Hierarchical Segmentation Combining Greedy

and Hierarchical Stepwise Optimal Approaches and Region Splitting

Mux-Based Logic Optimization Programs

Mux-based ROM Using N-Bit Subfunction Encoding

Mux-Based Standard Cell Library Assembly Program

MyISC/My Goddard

NASA Property Disposal Management System

Partitioned VLSI Layout

Prototype Video-Indexing System

QDoc: A Documentation and Presentation Tool for the FORTRAN

 Programming Language

REACH: Realtime Evaluation and Analysis of Consolidated Health

Satellite Supported Voting System (SVS)

Software for the 3-D Display of Spacecraft and Other Time Series

Data, Using Java3D

SWARM: Sensor Web Adaptive Resource Management

Synthesizable VHDL Modules

Time-Modulated Ultra-Wideband Interspacecraft Communication
20 01 Techn o l o gy Tra nsfe r/Commercialization Report 13

Guidance, Navigation, and Control

Adaptive Beamforming on Spacecraft to Improve Global

Positioning System (GPS)

Autonomous Low-Power Datalogger Package with 24 Bit A/D’s,

GPS, Rate Sensors, 12 Bit A/D, Serial Lines and Sensor

Integration Capability

Autonomous Navigation System Based on GPS and Magnetometer

Data (GPS-MAGNAV)

Bistatic Delay Doppler Radar Altimeter

Closed-Loop Automated Ground Data System for Support of the

MMS (STP) Constellations

Compact Scalable Navigation and Stabilization System for Spectral Imagers

Crosslink Transceiver for Integrated Navigation and Communication

among Multiple, Distributed Spacecraft

Distributed Spacecraft Modeling and Simulation Testbed

FlightLinux Software

Formation Flying Testbed System Architecture

Global Positioning System Software Receiver

Hardware and Software Implementation of Noncoherent Navigation

for Low Frame Rate Telemetry Applications

Low-Power Balloon-Gondola Solar Pointing System

Multimission Attitude Determination System (ADS-MATLAB)

Open GIS Consortium (OGC) Catalog Prototype

Radiation Hard CMOS APS Circuits for Star Tracker

Single Event Latchup Mitigation in Commercial Microelectronics

 ST-5 Quadrifiler Helical Antenna

X-Band Transponder For Microsatellites

U8 Layouts

Universal Logic Gate Algebra

Universal Logic Gate Library

User Interface Component Broker Software

Visual Observation Layout Tool (VOLT)

Wearable Voice-Activated Computers
14 NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Thermal and Cryogenics

Cryogenic Advanced Loop Heat Pipe in Temperature Range of 20–30K

Electrohydrodyanamic Microscale Pump

Mixed Conductor Electrodes for Alkali Metal Thermal-to-Electric Converters

Oxide Conversion Joints for Alkali Metal Thermal-to-Electric Converters

Passive Gas-Gap Heat Switches for Use with Adiabatic Demagnetization

Refrigerators

Rare-Earth Garnets for Space-Based ADR Cooling at High Temperature

(4K <T <30K) and Low Magnetic Fields (H <4T)

Switched Emissivity Changes via Electrostatic Attraction

Using Incremetal Vacuum Lifts Payloads

Optics

A Novel Pupil for Detecting Faint Objects in the Presence

of a Bright Source

Bragg Mirrors for Long Wavelength VCSEL A

Eye Safety Camera Attached to Theodolite to Obtain Boresight Pointing of

High Intensity Visible Lasers and/or Invisible Infrared Lasers

Group-Velocity Mismatching Compensation for Optical Signal Processing

High-Resolution X-ray Collimators

Holographic Plossl Retroreflector

In Situ Monitoring Method and Apparatus for Fabricating Doubly

Mult-plexed Holograms in the Same Photopolymer Films

Laser Power Stabilization Feedback System

Multi-Point In Situ Profiler for Large Aspheric Optics

Multispot Beam Steering System and Applications Thereof

Rugged Iris Mechanism

Scientific Method to Coat High Magnesium Aluminum Alloys

Simple

Structure with High Number Density of Carbon Nanotubes

 and 3-Dimensional Distribution

Stripping Fixture for Wire Ribbon Cables

Waveguide Structure for Efficient Difference-Frequency Generation

X-ray Mirror Replicas from Structural Nanolaminate Composites
20 01 Techn o l o gy Tra nsfe r/Commercialization Report 15

Other Technologies

Anti-Backlash Gear-Bearings

Finite Rotation Analysis of Highly Thin and Flexible Structures

Half-Tooth Gear Bearings

Magnetic Bearing Structure and Control for Low Power Consumption,

Low Weight and Fault Detection and Tolerant Operation

Membrane Technology for Gossamer Spacecraft Structures

Method of Making Multi-Stub Data Busses Such as the

MIL-STD-1553B Very Compact and Other Embodiments

That Can Use This New Perspective

Method for Manufacturing High-Quality Carbon Nanotubes

Methods to Maximize Microgravity Time on Parabolic

Aircraft Flights

Miniature Sample Acquisition and Handling Mechanism

New Method for Synthesizing Cubic Boron Nitride Films

Nitrous Oxide/Organic Liquid Monopropellant (NOMR)

Oxide Barrier Varactor

Phase-Tuned Gears

Rotating Pair Programming Desk

Screw-Locking Wrench

Shaftless Maglev Flywheel Energy Storage System

Stepping Flexures

Use of a Scanning Probe Microscopy (SPM) Height Assay to Detect

Protein:DNA and Protein:Protein Interactions on Compositionally

Patterned Surfaces
16 NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

A key activity of the Technology Commercialization Office’s Patent Counsel team is

protecting Goddard’s intellectual property (IP). Because filing for and maintaining a

patent can be costly, counsel carefully evaluate new technologies to ensure that filing

for a patent is appropriate. During 2001, the Patent Counsel team filed 23 patent applications, 16 of which were provisional patents. Provisional patents provide temporary

patent protection for 1 year. They are useful for protecting patent rights while decisions

are made about whether to file for full patent protection. They also are useful for

protecting IP rights while allowing the inventors to disclose the technology at a conference or other event.

In addition to the patent filings, 12 Goddard technologies received patents in 2001:

 U.S. Patent No. Technology Name

6,287,404 Adhesive Bubble Removal Technique and Fixture

for Fiber Optic Applications

6,178,470 Chip for CCSDS-Compatible Serial Data Streams

6,188,705 Fiber Grating Couple Light Source Capable of

Tunable Single Frequency Operations

6,278,404 Global Positioning System Satellite Selection Method

6,313,908 Holographic Circle-to-Point Converter

6,313,555 Low Loss Pole Configuration for Multi-Pole

Homopolar Magnetic Bearings

6,182,011 Method and Apparatus for Determining Position

Using Global Positioning Satellites

6,177,835 Method and Apparatus for High Data Rate Demodulation

6,223,143 Quantitative Risk Assessment Software (QRAS) System

6,177,997 Shaft Position Optical Sensor

6,211,822 Spaceborne Global Positioning System for Spacecraft

6,311,130 Two-Dimensional Empirical Mode Decomposition

and Hilbert Spectral Analysis for Image Processing

Patenting Goddard

 Technologies
20 01 Techn o l o gy Tra nsfe r/Commercialization Report 17

Promoting Goddard

 Technologies

Technology

Opportunity Sheets

These one-page announcements succinctly

summarize a Goddard-developed technology, focusing on its potential commercial

applications and benefits. The Technology

Commercialization Office prepares these

sheets and distributes them through targeted mailings, at trade shows, and via

TCO’s Web site.

The Technology Commercialization Office promotes Goddard’s innovative

technologies and unique facilities through publications and conferences,

briefings, and trade shows with industry.

http://techtransfer.gsfc.nasa.gov
18 NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

NASA Tech Briefs

This monthly periodical helps NASA achieve its technology transfer goals by reporting new, commercially significant NASA technologies. NASA Tech Briefs subscribers—industry engineers, managers, and scientists—thus learn about opportunities to

license, transfer, and/or commercialize NASA technologies or to partner with NASA

on joint research. Goddard’s Technology Commercialization Office wrote 15 articles

for NASA Tech Briefs in 2001:

NASA Tech Briefs is available on the Internet.

http://www.nasatech.com Reprinted with permission from NASA

Tech Briefs, Volume #25, Nos. 1, 6, 7, & 9.

◗ Broad-Band, Noninvasive Radio-Frequency Current Probe (GSC-13985): This

circuit responds in approximately constant proportion to current over a wide

frequency range.

◗ Double-Parallelogram Carriage for Spectrometer Mirrors (GSC-14297): Linear

motion is derived from motions of coupled, pivoted arms.

◗ Flex Wedges (GSC-14006): Brakes and clutches could perform more reliably and

predictably.

◗ Fourth-Generation Software for SEU Testing (GSC-14399): This computer

program tests electronic components for single-event upsets.

◗ Holographic Circle-to-Point Converter (GSC-13869): Fabry-Perot interference

fringes are focused to points for efficient detection.

◗ Improved Automated System for Transferring Liquid Helium (GSC-14106):

Consumption of liquid helium would be reduced by optimizing use of vapor for

precooling.

◗ Improving Thin Foil X-Ray Mirrors (GSC-14043): Resolution and diameter would

be increased.

◗ Low-Power Shutter Mechanism for a Cryogenic Infrared Camera (GSC-14341):

The time-averaged power dissipation is less than 5 megawatts.

◗ Miniature Proportional Temperature Controllers (GSC-14315): These would be

smaller and lighter than their commercial predecessors.

◗ Process for Polishing Bare Aluminum to High Optical Quality (GSC-14147):

India-ink polishing following single-point diamond turning yields superior

aluminum optics.

◗ Shared-Aperture Multiplexed Holographic Scanning Telescopes (GSC-14240):

This technology achieves full-aperture scanning without moving parts.

◗ Software for Rapid Processing and Display of Earth Data (GSC-14263): This

program facilitates retrieval and viewing of Earth-related imagery on computer

screens or virtual-reality displays.

◗ Spin Bearings (GSC-13679): These bearings offer advantages with respect to

load-bearing capacity, retention of alignment, and size.

◗ Tailoring Cores of Optical Fibers by a Sol-Gel Method (GSC-13913): Core

dopants can be tailored for specific photonic applications.

◗ Thermal-Stress Technique for Cutting Thin Glass Sheets (GSC-14364): Highly

localized heating generates highly localized stresses.
20 01 Techn o l o gy Tra nsfe r/Commercialization Report 19

The Technology Commercialization Office also disseminates

information about its inventions and their potential commercial applications by hosting and attending conferences, briefings, and trade shows with industry. At these events, staff

demonstrate technologies, distribute informative literature,

and offer one-on-one counseling to industry about partnership and commercialization opportunities at Goddard.

Through these events, TCO successfully reached many small

and large companies, academic institutions, and trade and

professional organizations during 2001.

Conferences, Briefings, and

Trade Shows with Industry

Air and Space

International Space Symposium

Education and Environment

Association of University Technology

Managers Annual Meeting

NASA Awareness Days at Cheyney and

Lincoln Universities

Steamtown Memorial Day Celebration

Engineering and Manufacturing

National Design and Engineering Show

Medicine

New Partnerships in Medical Diagnostic

Imaging Workshop: A NASA Advanced

Technology Workshop (see page 19)

Sensors

Instrumentation, Systems, and Automation

Conference and Exhibition

Sensors Expo

Small Business and Economic

Development

Emerging Business Forum

Goddard’s Annual Small and Small

Disadvantaged Business Conference

Technology in the Zone Commercialization Training

Technology Expos and

Conferences

Goddard Technology Showcase 2001

(see page 18)

Nanotechnology Research in Maryland

(Maryland Technology Showcase)

NASA’s 10th Annual Business and

Technology Conference

Prince George’s County (Maryland)

Chamber of Commerce Showcase 2001

Tech Trends 2001

Technology Council of Maryland Annual

Dinner and Technology Awards
20 NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Held June 14–15, Goddard Technology Showcase 2001 focused on expanding

scientific discovery through innovation:

◗ Discussion forums focusing on Earth sciences, space sciences, and working

with NASA in creative teaming arrangements

◗ SBIR presentations from the federal and state perspective

◗ An exploration of Goddard and industry

R&D business-to-business opportunities

◗ A keynote address by Michael Clayton, chief

technology officer for the commercial and

government systems division of Eastman

Kodak Company

◗ A session with industry leaders focusing on

technology trends related to space travel,

including miniaturization, reduced weight,

and increased power

◗ Exhibitions of more than 100 Goddard technologies in a variety of scientific areas

◗ Presentations of Goddard’s award-winning

technologies

— Dr. Norden Huang’s Hilbert-Huang Transform Technology, which won

the 2000 Excellence in Technology Transfer Award from the Federal Laboratory Consortium and an R&D 100 Award for 2001 from R&D Magazine

(see page 21)

— Dr. Murzy Jhabvala’s Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors technology,

which was inducted into the U.S. Space Foundation’s Space Technology

Hall of Fame in 2001 (see page 20)

— Mr. John Kolasinski’s Fiber Optic Stripping Technology, which won the

2000 NASA Government Invention of the Year Award (see page 21)

— Mr. Douglas Leviton’s Absolute Optical Encoders Technology, which won

the 1999 NASA Government Invention of the Year Award

Spotlight:

Goddard Technology Showcase 2001
20 01 Techn o l o gy Tra nsfe r/Commercialization Report 21

Spotlight:

NASA’s Commercial Technology Program launched its Medical Imaging Initiative to

create partnerships between NASA and companies in the medical imaging industry.

The goals of the initiative are to identify opportunities for product development under

licensing or other partnership agreements, leverage resources through cofunding and

cooperative development, and gain insight into new projects and approaches to solve

challenging problems.

The “New Partnerships in Medical Diagnostic Imaging” workshop, which was held

July 17–18, 2001, provided a forum for companies to learn about opportunities for

partnership and the latest NASA technologies related to medical imaging:

◗ Hard X-ray detectors based on cadmium-zinc-telluride (CdZnTe)*

◗ Imaging micro-well detectors for X-ray and gamma-ray applications*

◗ Thin foil multilayer X-ray mirror assemblies for hard X-ray imaging*

◗ Recursive hierarchical image segmentation and its potential application to medical

imagery*

◗ Specialty high-performance computing using Beowulf-distributed computing and

field programmable gate-arrays (FPGAs)

◗ A low-complexity adaptable entropy coding technique that improves data compression encoding and decoding speeds

◗ Retinex image enhancement

Nearly 100 people attended, including industry leaders and large and small innovative

medical imaging companies. Follow-up discussions with potential industry partners are

ongoing. Similar activities are planned for the upcoming year.

* Technology developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

More information about this

initiative is available online.

http://tco.gsfc.nasa.gov/estci

New Partnerships in

Medical Diagnostic Imaging:

A NASA Advanced Technology Workshop
22 NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Awards provide an excellent medium for promoting

Goddard technologies to the public and potential partners and for encouraging researcher participation in commercialization. The Technology Commercialization Office

submits Goddard inventions for awards bestowed by outside organizations such as the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer (FLC), U.S. Space Technology, and R&D Magazine. NASA also has established

yearly awards to recognize innovations developed by researchers at the various Field Centers. TCO identifies promising technologies and submits them for these awards.

The U.S. Space Foundation created its Space Technology Hall of Fame to honor innovators who have transformed technology originally developed for space use into commercial products. In 2001, Goddard’s Dr. Murzy Jhabvala was inducted into the Hall of

Fame for his Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors (QWIP) technology. QWIP is a

complicated solid-state detector that sandwiches gallium-arsenide chips between silicon wafers and connects them with indium connectors. These photodetectors are superior to any existing technology because they can operate at longer infrared wavelengths

and can be produced at lower costs.

 Seeking and

Bestowing Awards

Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors Wins U.S. Space Foundation’s

Space Technology Hall of Fame Award

Pictured left to right. Dr. Norden E. Huang, Mr. John R. Kolasinski,

and Dr. Murzy D. Jhabvala
20 01 Techn o l o gy Tra nsfe r/Commercialization Report 23

Hilbert-Huang Transform

Technology Wins Two Awards

Optical Fiber Cable Chemical Stripping Fixture Wins

NASA Government Invention of the Year Award

Goddard’s Dr. Norden E. Huang won the Federal Laboratory Consortium for Technology Transfer Award for

Excellence in Technology Transfer and R&D Magazine’s

R&D 100 Award for his Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT)

technology. HHT allows users to conduct more precise

analysis of signal data that can be obtained from conventional Fourier-based methods. Designed specifically for

processing nonlinear and nonstationary signals, HHT also

can be used to analyze linear and stationary signals.

The FLC Award recognizes individuals within federal laboratories who have done outstanding work in transferring technology. The annual R&D 100 Award recognizes the

100 most technologically significant new products of the year and their inventors.

Goddard’s John Kolasinski and Alexander Coleman were honored with the prestigious

NASA Government Invention of the Year Award for their Optical Fiber Cable Chemical

Stripping Fixture. This technology consists of a method and apparatus for chemically

stripping an optical fiber cable of its coating without damaging

the glass fibers inside. This is particularly useful for removing the hard, thin polyimide coatings that cannot be removed mechanically or thermally.

The NASA Government Invention of the Year

Award recognizes a technology that has provided

a significant and identifiable benefit to a NASA

project or program, such as improving mission

safety or saving significant time and money.

Dr. Norden E. Huang accepts the R&D 100 Award from

Al Diaz, Director, Goddard Space Flight Center.
24 NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Scientist’s Expert Assistant

Receives Honorable Mention

for NASA Software of the

Year Award

In 2001, Goddard’s Scientist’s Expert

Assistant (SEA) earned an honorable mention

for the NASA Software Invention of the Year

Award. SEA enables scientists to develop valid

observation proposals for use with the Hubble Space

Telescope (HST). Using cutting-edge software technologies, SEA provides astronomers with an enormous increase in

capability—both for specifying observations and for general science

exploration. SEA provides these capabilities within a generic infrastructure

that can be easily applied to any observatory. SEA

is already demonstrating its significance to the

astronomical community in several areas, and it

has potential for substantially greater impact.

The NASA Software Invention of the Year

Award honors NASA-developed software that

has significantly enhanced the agency’s performance of its mission and helped American industry maintain its world-class technology status.
20 01 Techn o l o gy Tra nsfe r/Commercialization Report 25

All of these efforts by the Technology Commercialization Office

lead to the signing of various agreements. License agreements allow

an outside organization to use a Goddard technology, often while

paying a licensing fee and/or a royalty. Space Act Agreements are

established to jointly develop Goddard technologies while sharing

costs.

During 2001, TCO established 12 licenses or other agreements for

11 technologies:

 Establishing

New Agreements

Technology Licenses

Three-Dimensional Roller Locking Sprags Honeybee Robotics (New York, New York)

IntelliTECH (Westminister, Maryland)

Capaciflector Honeybee Robotics (New York, New York)

Three-Dimensional Sprag Honeybee Robotics (New York, New York)

Sprag Ratcheting Tool IntelliTECH (Westminister, Maryland)

Technology Space Act or Other Agreements

Optical Fiber Cable Chemical Stripping Fixture Harris Corporation (Palm Bay, Florida)

Adhesive Bubble Removal Technique and Fixture Harris Corporation (Palm Bay, Florida)

Universal Fiber Optic Connector Polishing Fixture Harris Corporation (Palm Bay, Florida)

Continuous-Duty Multi-Stage Adiabatic Janis Research (Wilmington, Massachusetts)

 Demagnetization Refrigerator

Holographic Circle-to-Point Converter Sigma Research and Engineering Corp.

(Lanham, Maryland)

Acousto-Optic Imaging Spectropolarimetry Swales Aerospace (Beltsville, Maryland)

Rotary and Linear Optical Encoding Private company (Idaho)
The staff of the Technology Commercialization Office welcomes calls and e-mails

from industry, academia, government, and the general public interested in learning

more about Goddard technologies and partnership opportunities.

Internet Addresses

Goddard’s Technology

Commercialization Office

http://techtransfer.gsfc.nasa.gov

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

http://www.gsfc.nasa.gov

NASA’s Commercial

Technology Network

http://nctn.hq.nasa.gov

Commercial

Technology Staff

For information on Goddard inventions in a specific technical field, please

contact the staff member in your area of

interest:

Environmental Systems

(301) 286-1098

environment@STAAC-mail.gsfc.nasa.gov

Guidance, Navigation, and Control

(301) 286-2198

navigation@STAAC-mail.gsfc.nasa.gov

Information Systems

(301) 286-0561

information@STAAC-mail.gsfc.nasa.gov

Optics

(301) 286-2642

optics@STAAC-mail.gsfc.nasa.gov

Sensors and Detectors

(301) 286-5979

sensors@STAAC-mail.gsfc.nasa.gov

Thermal and Cryogenics

(301) 286-5169

thermal@STAAC-mail.gsfc.nasa.gov

 How to Reach

Goddard’s Technology

Commercialization

 Office

26

Outreach and Integration Staff

For information about how to partner with

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, contact:

(301) 286-5810

outreach@STAAC-mail.gsfc.nasa.gov

Patent Counsel

For information about patents associated

with Goddard technologies, contact:

(301) 286-7351

patent@STAAC-mail.gsfc.nasa.gov

Small Business Innovative Research Staff

For information about opportunities for small and

disadvantaged businesses, contact:

(301) 286-5836

sbir@STAAC-mail.gsfc.nasa.gov

General Inquiries

For general information about the

Technology Commercialization Office,

contact:

(301) 286-5810

techtransfer@STAAC-mail.gsfc.nasa.gov

N A S A’ s G o d d a r d S p a c e F l i g h t C e n t e r

Technology Commercialization Office

Mail Stop 713

Greenbelt, MD 20771

Phone: (301) 286-5810

Fax: (301) 286-0301

E-mail: techtransfer@STAAC-mail.gsfc.nasa.gov

Internet: http://techtransfer.gsfc.nasa.gov

NP-2002-01-417-GSFC