Acoustic Pulsed Phase Locking Energy Sensor (APPLES)

Luna Innovations proposes to develop for NIST a low-cost, yet high resolution acoustic sensor system capable of determining micro-degree changes in a water path caused by clinical medical radiation devices. The sensors are external to the water and play a negligible role in thermal transfer in contrast to current thermocouple devices in use today. An exciting element in this proposal is APPLES' ability to resolve parts per ten million parameter change through resonance feedback and phase locking. Multiple external sensors can also be used to determine the spatial uniformity of the absorbed clinical energy. APPLES will be built and tested in Phase I with close interactions with NIST to ensure the project achieves the desired outcomes. Luna has already successfully applied this physics to diverse diagnostic measurement science needs including fastener tension, medical compartment syndrome, railroad rail stiffness sensor, and adhesive bond strength. Based on preliminary tests, Luna believes this to be an ideal application of this award-winning acoustic system. COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS: APPLES can become a secondary standard for measurement of small changes in temperature for medical calibration. The potential low-cost of this technique may open the commercial door to on-site calibration for medical radiation systems including other high-power radiation devices such as ultrasound. Other applications include industrial process control monitoring.