SBIR-STTR Award

Due to current threats against the United States, there is a very real need for an efficient, effective and portable method to neutralize or defeat unknown chemical and biological warfare agents (CBWAs). In the event of toxic agent attack on civilian targets, a rapid and intelligent response by civilian authorities is required to minimize the spread and scope of the attack. It has been suggested that microwave exposure can be used to kill anthrax bacteria when used in conjunction with diazoluminomelanin (DALM) chemical solution. Currently, there is a need for a portable microwave source that provides the required radiation intensity. Fiore Industries Inc has previously designed, built and tested a working portable microwave source that meets the requirements for this process. A Fiore team, that includes Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute proposes to optimize this method and to demonstrate through testing and analysis that Fiore’s existing microwave source can be used to kill or neutralize a variety of biological and chemical agents.

Benefits:
Due to current threats against the United States, there is a very real need for a generic method of destroying unknown chemical and biological warfare agents. In the event of toxic agent attack on civilian targets, a rapid and intelligent response by civilian authorities is required to minimize the spread and scope of the attack. The ability to respond with one standard protocol in all cases allows for a rapid response. Having a generic way of neutralizing multiple agents also minimizes the consequences of a failure to rapidly and correctly diagnose the agents involved, and further minimizes the risk in a multiple-agent attack. The potential customers for a novel and effective decontamination system include community hospitals, fire departments, city emergency response teams, and countless other entities. The number of Community hospitals in the United States is ~4900, with another ~3000 not-for-profit hospitals and another ~1100 state and local government hospitals. There are over 600 cities in the United States that posted populations greater than 50,000 in the 2000 census. Interest in bio/chemical decontamination is very high right now. At the end of the successful Phase II effort, the Fiore team foresees forming a limited-liability corporation with commercial rights to this technology, whose purpose is to take that technology to market.

Keywords:
Diazoluminomelanin, DALM, High Power Micorwaves, Portable Microwave Emitter, Anthrax Neutralization, Chemical Weapon Decontamination, Biological Weapon Neutralization

Fiore Industries has concluded Phase I tests of a biological decontamination process to counter chemical/biological weapon terrorist attacks. The process combines the use of a diazoluminomelanin (DALM) solution with high power microwave exposure (called the mDALM process). The process has been validated by Fiore scientists working in conjunction with the Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute against an Anthrax surrogate, Bacillus Thuringiensis var. Kurstaki (BT), using an existing Fiore pulse power source, the Mobile Compact Magnetron Modulator (MCMM). In Phase II, Fiore proposes to design, fabricate and conduct developmental testing of a higher-power microwave source configured as the major component of a prototype of a compact, fieldable mDALM system that could be commercialized and brought to the marketplace. Fiore proposes to validate the operation of the system using contaminated samples of materials found in a typical office, and confirm the efficacy of the process by conducting limited tests against Anthrax spores in a BioLevel 3 facility