Richland, Wash. – The Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has been recognized with five 2006 R&D 100 awards.
The R&D 100 Awards are presented annually by R&D Magazine to honor the world's 100 most important scientific and technical innovations. PNNL has now won 72 R&D 100 Awards since the magazine implemented the contest in 1963 – 65 of those have been won since 1988.
PNNL received the awards for the following technologies:
Cesium-131 Brachytherapy Seed – one of the most significant advancements in brachytherapy for cancer treatment in nearly 20 years. It is used for the treatment of prostate and other cancers, and delivers a highly targeted therapeutic dose of radiation to the tumor quickly and with potentially fewer side effects than other treatment options. PNNL shares this award with IsoRay Medical, Inc. of Richland, Wash. The technology also won a 2005 Federal Laboratory Consortium award for technology transfer.
e-RESS - a technology that improves the process for using nanoparticles in coating medical devices - such as cardiovascular stents - allowing for more consistent delivery of pharmaceutical agents and potentially reducing the need for replacement surgeries caused by the build-up of tissue. PNNL shares this award with Micell Technologies of Raleigh, N.C.
The MilliWave Thermal Analyzer – a thermal analysis instrument that uses millimeter-wave electromagnetic radiation to measure the temperature, amount of energy emitted, and physical change of materials, processes, and systems. This technology can function under extreme environments (such as very high temperatures) because contact is not required between the instrumentation and the materials; therefore, sampling of the materials is not required and the measurements can be made in real-time. PNNL shares this award with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., and the Savannah River National Laboratory in Aiken, S.C.
SIM - a surface-induced mineralization technique that allows calcium-phosphate coatings enhanced with therapeutic agents to be deposited on orthopedic implants and medical devices, enhancing bone-bonding and reducing or eliminating the growth of bacteria and thereby reducing the rate of post-surgical infection. This technology also won a 2005 Federal Laboratory Consortium award for technology transfer.
Ti MIM - a technique for titanium metal injection molding that enables production of high-quality titanium metal parts for biomedical, aviation and automotive industries at lower cost, higher production rates, and better quality than existing production processes. Ti MIM is expected to be a boon for biomedical, aerospace and automotive industries.
Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman noted the achievements. "I congratulate the researchers who have won these awards, which highlight the power and promise of DOE's investments in science and technology," Bodman said. "Through the efforts of dedicated and innovative scientists and engineers at our national laboratories, DOE is helping to enhance our nation's energy, economic and national security."
Members of each award-winning team will be honored in Chicago in October, at R&D Magazine's 44th annual awards banquet.
PNNL is a DOE Office of Science laboratory that solves complex problems in energy, national security, the environment and life sciences by advancing the understanding of physics, chemistry, biology and computation. PNNL employs 4,200 staff, has an annual budget of more than $725 million, and has been managed by Ohio-based Battelle since the lab's inception in 1965.