Stellarray Wins $1.1 Mn Grant for Blood Safety Device to Replace Cesium 137
Austin, TX (PRWEB) March 11, 2014 -- Stellarray, Inc., an Austin developer of novel x-ray sources, announced today it has been awarded a $1.1 Mn grant by the Department of Energy to develop and bring to market a new generation of irradiators to ensure the safety of blood transfusions. Stellarray’s Self-Contained Blood Irradiator (SCBI) will provide blood banks, hospitals, oncology centers and other blood transfusion practices a reliable alternative to the radioactive isotope irradiators now used to inactivate leukocytes for the prevention of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). These irradiators use cesium 137, which has been identified as a national security hazard since it is the most likely material for a radioactive dispersal device (dirty bomb). The grant has been awarded under the DoE Small Business Innovation Research Program as a combined Phase I and Phase II Fast-Track project and will be administered by the National Nuclear Security Administration.
The heart of SCBI is Stellarray’s patented Flat Panel X-ray Source (FPXS), which uses a specially engineered array of cathodes, instead of the single cathode in an x-ray tube, to make x-rays across a broad anode target which can be externally cooled. FPXS is several times more efficient than an x-ray tube in this kind of application and can be made in various sizes and formats. SCBI uses pairs of FPXS above and below the blood bags, transported into the irradiator on a tray or conveyer belt, to deliver the FDA recommended dose for GVHD in approximately four minutes. SCBI is designed for low-cost, reliable operation in a shielded cabinet about one third the size and one fifth the weight of alternative irradiators. No special electrical power or cooling connections are required, and, since it is not radioactive, there is no need for the elaborate security measures (truck barriers at entrances, retinal scan devices, full background checks) that burden users of isotope irradiators.
Mark Eaton, CEO of Stellarray, said “We are excited to win this support from DoE to help complete the development of SCBI and bring it to market. We have designed SCBI with extensive input from potential customers in blood transfusion practices. Their response to the small footprint, ease of use and elimination of security concerns continues to be very positive. Our market research shows that in addition to the current operators of isotope irradiators who would like to replace them, there are even more transfusion practices that would like an irradiator but have not bought one because of the security concerns." Stellarray plans to offer SCBI in three sizes to suit the needs of different blood establishments. The small model will be best suited to smaller or more remote practices, while the large model will be able to accommodate the needs of oncology centers, which irradiate all their blood, and metropolitan hospitals.
Stellarray began operations in 2008 to make novel radiation sources and systems using them. The company has developed manufacturing systems for FPXS and SCBI according to ISO 13485 medical device standards in a fully-equipped laboratory and manufacturing facility in north Austin. Apart from FPXS and SCBI, the company is developing digital versions of its x-ray sources that can be used in next generation stationary computed tomography systems and in phase contrast imaging. Stellarray has been funded by the SBIR and ARRA programs of the National Institutes of Health and received an early investment form the Texas Emerging Technology Fund. For further information please contact eaton(at)stellar-ray(dot)com.
Mark Eaton, Stellarray, http://www.stellar-ray.com, +1 512-997-7781, [email protected]
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