Company licenses Purdue innovation that could detect radiation, thwart nuclear terrorism

October 29, 2014  


FORSUGO

FORSUGO Hi-Cell Inc. officials Lisa Jeff, vice president for manufacturing, and Ron Jones, president, review software that could help prevent terrorist attacks with radiological "dirty bombs" and nuclear weapons by tracking such attacks through smartphones. The Purdue innovation is licensed to FORSUGO. (Purdue Research Foundation photo/Oren Darling)
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. and MARRERO, La. – A Purdue innovation that could help thwart terrorist attacks from radiological "dirty bombs" and nuclear weapons by tracking potential attacks through smartphones and other devices has been licensed to a Marrero, Louisiana-based startup.

FORSUGO Hi-Cell Inc. founder and president Ron Jones said he licensed the technology because it is an important tool in protecting society and holds strong commercialization potential.

"People around the globe are concerned about terrorism, and this technology promises to be one of the strongest preventative weapons we can use to protect ourselves," Jones said.

The technology also can be retrofitted to identify chemicals and biological contaminants should they appear in unusual amounts in a particular environment or whose concentration exceeds what would be found naturally in an environment. The company will verify, by research, this application and use of the technology.

"When an alert occurs a signal is sent to local, state and federal law enforcement or Homeland Security officials so they can appropriately respond," Jones said. "The technology can be embedded in traffic signals and street lights, law enforcement vehicles, air and maritime ports and many other applications. For example, someone walking through an area with a backpack-size nuclear device could set off detectors in smartphones or other electronic equipment, and officials could use the GPS data to identify the approximate location and threat of the device.

"The response procedure for alerting officials about the presence of chemical or biological dangers can be implemented in the same manner as radiological dangers."

The technology was licensed through the Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization. FORSUGO Hi-Cell is one of 24 startups based on Purdue intellectual property that were launched in the 2014 fiscal year. A video about FORSUGO is available at http://youtu.be/pa395B8tzI0.

For information on other Purdue intellectual property ready for licensing and commercialization, visit http://www.otc-prf.org. For more information about available leadership positions, investing in a Purdue startup or licensing a Purdue innovation, visit http://www.purduefoundry.com.

About FORSUGO Hi-Cell

FORSUGO Hi-Cell, Inc. will initially develop technologies that detect nuclear threats using a smart phone as a simple gamma detector. The technology uses GPS to identify the geographical location and a cellular data connection to relay real-time gamma measurements to a central hub. This technology promises to detect nuclear weapons more quickly, more reliably and at a lower cost compared to other detection processes.

About Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization

The Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization operates one of the most comprehensive technology-transfer programs among leading research universities in the United States. Services provided by this office support the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university's academic activities. The office is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2014 Incubator Network of the Year from the National Business Incubation Association for its work in entrepreneurship. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org   

Purdue Research Foundation contact: Cynthia Sequin, 765-588-3340, casequin@prf.org

Source: Ron Jones, 504-250-2128, jhitec@aol.com 

Note to Journalist:  A video about FORSUGO is available at http://youtu.be/pa395B8tzI0

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