Acoustic Pulsed Phase Locking Energy Sensor (APPLES)

Luna Innovations has developed for NIST a low-cost, yet high resolution acoustic sensor system capable of determining ten micro-degree changes in a water path caused by clinical medical radiation devices. A system will be delivered to NIST for their evaluation and testing. The sensors are external to the water and play a negligible role in error sources from thermal transfer in contrast to current thermocouple devices in use today. Luna has identified a commercialization path and a partner (Varian) who has voiced product support if we are successful in the Phase II. This breakthrough technology can result in the ability to image the three dimensional thermal dose absorbed in the tissue phantom, a critical pre-treatment parameter that could alter medical protocols. The product from this technology has an important role for both economics and health care. COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: There are two major products that will come from this research breakthrough. The first is calibration device that can become a secondary standard in place at all 1800 treatment facilities in the US. A second device will be launched as a research instrument for radiotherapy research centers that will permit the characterization of thermal distribution in 3-D in a tissue phantom for beam profile absorbed dose assessment. The second device can become a system built in place on treatment facilities for pre-treatment set-up. Such a system could see nearly a million uses a year in the US alone.