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FROZEN SECTIONS FROM TISSUE BIOPSY HAVE BEEN ROUTINELY USED FOR DIAGNOSTIC PURPOSES FOR MANY YEARS, BUT PATHOLOGISTS REPORT DIFFICULTY IN ANALYZING ANY TYPE OF FROZEN SECTIONS FROM TISSUES CONTAINING VESICLES, SUCH AS EPIDERMAL, LIVER, LYMPH NODAL,

Award Information
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Branch: N/A
Contract: N/A
Agency Tracking Number: 3185
Amount: $50,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 1985
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
8561 Atlas Drive
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
United States
DUNS: N/A
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 JOSEPH M. BERTONCINI
 PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
 (301) 948-6506
Business Contact
Phone: () -
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

FROZEN SECTIONS FROM TISSUE BIOPSY HAVE BEEN ROUTINELY USED FOR DIAGNOSTIC PURPOSES FOR MANY YEARS, BUT PATHOLOGISTS REPORT DIFFICULTY IN ANALYZING ANY TYPE OF FROZEN SECTIONS FROM TISSUES CONTAINING VESICLES, SUCH AS EPIDERMAL, LIVER, LYMPH NODAL, TESTICULAR, OR INTESTINAL TISSUE, BECAUSE OF ARTIFACTS CREATED BY EXISTING FREEZING TECHNIQUES. IT IS THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT TO DEVELOP AN INSTRUMENT WHICH WILL ELIMINATE THESE ARTIFACTS USING HIGH HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE. DURING PHASE I IT IS EXPECTED THAT THE BASIC INSTRUMENT AND TECHNIQUES FOR FREEZING THE TISSUE WILL BE DEVELOPED. USING HIGH PRESSURE WHILE DECREASING THE TEMPERATURE WILL CAUSE A FREEZING POINT DEPRESSION TO OCCUR; THUS AT LOW TEMPERATURE, WHEN PRESSURE IS RELEASED, FREEZING WILL OCCUR SPONTANEOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE SAMPLE. FREEZING UNDER THESE CONDITIONS WILL RESULT IN THE FORMATION OF EXTREMELY SMALL CRYSTALS AND AVOID THE LARGE CRYSTALS WHICH GIVE RISE TO FREEZING ARTIFACTS. SUCH TISSUE WILL THEN BE SECTIONED IN THE CRYOSTAT AND EVALUATED MICROSCOPICALLY. PHASE I WILL BE CONCLUDED WHEN THE PROTOTYPE HAS BEEN BUILT AND TESTED AND RESULTANT FROZEN SECTIONS EVALUATED. PHASE II WILL INVOLVE THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTOMATED INSTRUMENT BASED ON THE PROTYPE TO MARKET A UNIT FOR THE MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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