TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

Berkeley Lab is seeking a qualified partner(s) to work with us in the development of a Biohazard Control Station (BCS) which we see as a furniture-like piece of equipment fitting into the modern office setting. A BCS will be employed to safely open potentially contaminated mail at various distribution points and at VIP offices. Conceptually, the BCS will be about the size of a desk; it will have controlled airflow around the workspace, UV treatment, and a silent fan connected to two changeable HEPA filters. We expect the BCS to be 99.99% effective against harmful pathogens including anthrax. This will be a fast track project of no more than a few months. At project completion, we expect to have performance specifications, a prototype close to a manufacturing model, intellectual property suitable for licensing, and test criteria.

The Berkeley Lab Principal Investigator leading this research project is Dr. Ashok Gadgil, who is a Senior Staff Scientist in the Indoor Environment Dept. at Berkeley Lab. Dr. Gadgil was recently featured on Michael Apted's film, "Me and Issac Newton." He holds more than ten U.S. Patents and is also the inventor of the UV Waterworks, a reliable, affordable, water disinfection unit that has been licensed to industry and is currently on the market. Dr. Gadgil's website is http://eetd.lbl.gov/staff/GadgilAJ.html (click on more information under the picture).

In addition to Berkeley Lab's multi disciplinary research capabilities and our ability to produce physical prototypes, we bring essential and extensive expertise to the partnership in the following areas:

o Room airflow, indoor aerodynamics, and aerosol dispersion
o Aerosol physics
o Research capabilities to measure indoor aerosols

We believe that partnering with a furniture manufacturer will greatly enhance many factors including: time to market, manufacturing cost, material selection, ergonomics, and aesthetic design. The ideal partner will be positioned and capable of bringing all or some of the following to the partnership.

o Keen interest and capabilities in the project
o Leader in the field
o Successful track record in new product development
o Willingness to bring funds to the project and potentially form a CRADA (Cooperative Research and Development Agreement) with Berkeley Lab
o Qualified personnel to carry out mutually developed work plans

Berkeley Lab is a U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory managed by the University of California. Our mission includes partnering with industry to commercialize our inventions.

For general questions about working with Berkeley Lab on this proposal, please contact: Chris Kniel Technology Transfer - Partnerships (510 486 5566). For specific technical questions on this proposal please contact: Dr. Ashok Gadgil (510 486 4651).

We believe this project may present a significant market opportunity and substantial benefit to the public.

Sincerely,

Chris R. Kniel
Technology Transfer Department
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
University of California
Mail Stop 90-1070
Berkeley, CA 94720
Tel: 510-486-5566
Fax: 510-486-6457
email: crkniel@LBL.gov