Licensing Information
Nucsafe holds the exclusive technology transfer license for the
commercial production of fibers and the manufacture of derivative products in
nuclear and industrial applications from the U.S. DOE
and Battelle's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory facilities in Richland, Washington.
PNNL initially developed these neutron-sensitive scintillating fibers. Moreover,
they solved those problems related to commercial production.
The intellectual property has been patented (U.S. Patent 5,680,423). The
invention report covers both equipment and procedures used to produce high optical quality
neutron sensitive glass wave guides.
Licensed from the U.S. Department
Of Energy
and
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (Operated by Battelle).
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank the following PNNL and Battelle staff for their
assistance in this technology transfer. Dr. Ron Brodzinski, Dr. Ned Wogman, Ms.
Barbara Hayes and Ms. Meg Soldat for their administrative assistance in navigating the
sometimes treacherous waters of technology transfer.
We would also like to express our special gratitude to Dr. Mary Bliss,
Dr. Dick Craig, Ms. Debra Burnett, Mr. Bob Thompson and Dr. Walt Hensley for their
technical and scientific help and expertise. Their initial work, market insight and
encouragement is a testimony to the many fine people working on Safeguards technology.
We also wish to acknowledge Oxford Instruments plc
for providing
the initial
funding for the commercialization of this technology. Their support and encouragement allowed for the continued
development of the technology. A special thanks to George Serrano, former
President of Canberra who encouraged and enabled the license transfer from PBSC
and the early startup of Nucsafe.
In addition, there have been
many individuals who have provided encouragement, guidance and counsel to
Nucsafe. Many thanks to Jan Haerer, Technology Transfer Director for UT/Battelle,
David Beale, former Asst. Director of ORNL, Steve Heiner and Bob Wilson from
Tech 2020 Oak Ridge, Mike Blumenthal C.P.A., Herb Rosedale and Mike Shef of
Jenkens and Gilchrest, Parker, Chapin. For financial assistance, thanks to Dick
Craig, Jimmy and Teddy Lellos, Joe Fitzgerald and Chris Economu. A very special
thanks to Regina Murray who helped us bring our products and technology to the
attention of our legislators and who contributed selflessly to our transition
from startup to production.
We wish to thank our many customers,
colleagues and friends in the nuclear instruments industry who evaluated our
products, purchased our first systems and help us to continually improve our
products. In particular, Max Aparo and Rolf Arlt of the IAEA; Susan Pepper, Joe
Carelli and Mike Farnatano of the International Safeguards Project Office
Brookhaven National Labortory who gave a startup company the chance to prove
themselves. Also to Peter Beck, Chris Schmitzer and the staff of the Austrian
Research Center who worked with us in the ITRAP program.
Finally,
thanks to the NN-20 of the U.S. DOE who funded the development of this
technology and to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency who funded Nucsafe
technology development.
