Abshire, Gupta, Liu receive MIPS grants

Pharad's portable system for detecting concealed weapons can be used in environments where crowds of people are present.

ISR faculty are associated with three new Maryland Industrial Partnerships (MIPS) contract awards. The MIPS program provides matching funding for university-based research projects that help companies develop new products. MIPS projects deal with innovative technological or scientific concepts and have direct commercial applications.

Assistant Professor Pamela Abshire (ECE/ISR) is working with Quantum Molecular Pharmaceuticals in Bethesda, Md., on a new radiation sensor that could significantly reduce the size and cost of positron emission tomography (PET) scanners. PET is a nuclear medicine medical imaging technique that produces a three-dimensional image of functional processes in the body.

Associate Professor S.K. Gupta (ME/ISR) is working with Cardinal Scientific, Inc., in Clinton, Md. He is designing a web-based interface for manufacturing parts using a water-jet cutting machine.

Professor K.J. Ray Liu (ECE/ISR) is working with Pharad, LLC, in Glen Burnie, Md., optimizing its portable system for detecting concealed weapons on individuals from a distance. The system can be used in a variety of indoor and outdoor environments, including airport concourses and passenger train terminals, public buildings, shopping centers, stadiums, and retail centers.

Published August 16, 2006