In 1996, Dr. Wayne Clark and a team of engineers were asked by the U.S. Army to examine the potential of creating a system that could protect personnel in Army tanks against airborne biological threats such as microbes and viruses. The Army was specifically interested in utilizing intense UV rays to prevent these external biological agents from infiltrating the interior of the tank. Clark and his team carried out a series of experiments completed in 1998 that proved that the technology was successful in killing microorganisms in blowing air.
In April 2000, Clark started his own company, Novatron, Inc., and in December 2000, the new company received its first contract to develop and test technology for a pulsing UV device to be used in conjunction with a building's ventilation system to kill biological terrorism agents such as anthrax spores, ricin and smallpox, or even cold and flu viruses.
The device, first called the Advanced UV System (AUVS) could protect the interior of a building against biological attacks and/or create safe zones within the building. The technology concept involved installing intense UV air sterilization equipment in the building's heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system. The San Diego-based Novatron kicked off the project by submitting a proposal to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) who eventually provided the company with $4.5 million in funding.
While the funding was in place, the substantial energy consumption was an issue for the AUVS. The Novatron team had some ideas on how to remedy the energy requirements and they began the testing their "cavity" technology theory in the spring of 2001.
Novatron realized that they had the right technology design, but they needed assistance in building their business strategy in order to bring the system to the marketplace. A consultant who worked with the Novatron team had advised the company's management that help might be obtained through the Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology (CCAT).
In the fall of 2002, Novatron submitted their application to CCAT and was awarded a market study. CCAT confirmed the market for the government applications, but also determined there was a need for AUVS technology in other markets. CCAT would play a greater role with the company in the months to come.
Now armed with the knowledge that they were on the right track from both a business standpoint and a product design standpoint, the company continued developing a prototype using "cavity technology". Although the Novatron team found out how to intensify the UV, there were still "tricks" to having the cavity technique work effectively, including controlling the air flow and finding the right reflective materials within the cavity.
These "tricks" were developed over a period of months and the design for the cavity system was engineered in early 2003. For the next year, Novatron engaged in extensive testing of the technology as part of the DARPA Immune Building Program. These tests included small-scale laboratory tests and larger field experiments. Work on the AUVS prototype had begun.
It was during the prototype development that Novatron renewed their interest in the CCAT program when it was learned that CCAT was offering "Follow On" awards. This time, Novatron requested funding and CCAT awarded the company $75,000 to assist in the completion of the AUVS prototype in late 2003. The prototype was completed in late 2004.
The AUVS had impressive features, among them being high reliability at a low cost. The cavity design allowed the system to consume far less power that the pulsing technology. In fact, the new design consumed only about 1500 watts of operating power for 2000 cubic square feet per minute air flow capacity, which was about the same amount as a standard hair dryer.
In early June, 2005, a representative from the Pentagon Force Protection Agency called Clark to discuss having Novatron install an AUVS (later called the BioProtector™) unit. They were conducting tests and implementing equipment for protecting personnel in the Pentagon, explained Clark. On June 30, 2005, a representative from the Pentagon paid a visit to Novatron to review the technology.
Clark submitted a bid and shortly thereafter, he was notified that he had won the contract which was finalized in July. "But we had to move quickly," said Clark. "They were on very tight time schedule." In fact, the system had to be built and sent to the Pentagon in September - less than three months after the contract was signed. Installation was completed on December 2, 2005.
For more information, please contact:
Tom Sheffer, CCAT Program Director
SDSU Research Foundation
E-mail: tsheffer@foundation.sdsu.edu
Phone: (619) 594-4135 / Fax: (619) 594-5774