CNS, UT chemical sensing technology wins R&D 100 Award

Posted at 11:50 am November 22, 2015
By Oak Ridge Today Staff Leave a Comment

The ChIMES team’s investigators each brought unique expertise to the project. (Photo courtesy CNS)

An inexpensive, small, and portable chemical sensor developed by Consolidated Nuclear Security researchers at the Y-12 National Security Complex and the University of Tennessee received a prestigious R&D 100 Award.

ChIMES, which is short for Chemical Identification by Magneto-Elastic Sensing, was selected as a revolutionary technology by a panel of 70 independent judges. This low-cost sensor has virtually limitless applications, including detection of chemical and biological warfare agents, toxic industrial chemicals, explosives, and illegal drugs, a press release said.

The sensor is the product of a three-year collaborative effort between CNS and scientists from the University of Tennessee. Y-12 researcher Vincent Lamberti, who managed the project, said: “The R&D 100 award reflects the importance in having strong partners in the advancement of a new technology. ChIMES surely would not have succeeded without the steady stream of innovations that were created in our collaboration with UT.”

“The receipt of this award is truly an honor and a way to show everyone, from the taxpayers to the research community, the broad-ranging, world-class expertise that exists within CNS,” CNS Technology Transfer Manager Jeremy Benton said in the press release. “The far-reaching applications of this technology demonstrates how the CNS expertise was magnified and enhanced through our partnership with University of Tennessee. It also demonstrates how that expertise is magnified and brought into a technology with far-reaching applications through our partnership with the University of Tennessee.”

CNS Development Director Randolph Dziendziel said the health of the nuclear security enterprise is dependent on these types of partnerships.

“CNS considers university collaborations essential to the vitality of our future-focused technology,” Dziendziel said. Collaboration with critical partners like UTK helps us to multiply the efforts of our internal staff with a goal of accelerating technology insertion and making a difference in how efficiently we accomplish our mission.”

To learn more about the 2015 R&D 100 Awards & Technology Conference, go to http://www.rd100awards.com/.

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