TO ADDRESS NASA'S NEED FOR A METHOD TO PRESERVE BLOOD AND URINE SAMPLES FROM ASTRONAUTS COLLECTED DURING FL…

Public award description

TO ADDRESS NASA'S NEED FOR A METHOD TO PRESERVE BLOOD AND URINE SAMPLES FROM ASTRONAUTS COLLECTED DURING FLIGHT, CHROMOLOGIC (CL) PROPOSES TO DEVELOP A NOVEL FLUID PRESERVATION SYSTEM (FPS). FPS IS BASED ON COLLECTING AND SEALING FLUIDS IN A STERILE, HERMETICALLY SEALED VOLUME, WITH AUTOMATIC SEPARATION OF SUPERNATANT FLUID WHERE NECESSARY. THE UNIQUE MICROFLUIDIC AND MEDICAL EXPERTISE OF CL SCIENTISTS WILL RESULT IN AN INNOVATIVE AND LIGHTWEIGHT FLUID STORAGE SYSTEM THAT UTILIZES COMPACT AND RUGGED STERILE MICROFLUIDIC CHIPS. FPS CHIPS WILL BE ABLE TO COLLECT AND EFFECTIVELY STORE BLOOD AND URINE FOR TIME SPANS OF YEARS IF NECESSARY. IN PHASE I CL WILL DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF THE FPS TECHNOLOGY BY BUILDING PROTOTYPE CHIPS AND DEMONSTRATING THE PROOF OF CONCEPT OF PUMPING, SEPARATION, STORAGE AND PRESERVATION. IN PHASE II CL WILL DEVELOP A FULLY FUNCTIONAL SYSTEM INCLUDING COMPACT PROCESSING DEVICES AND MINIATURIZATION OF THE CHIPS.