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Medical Sensor Applications of Tunnel Magnetoresistance (TMR)

Award Information
Agency: Department of Health and Human Services
Branch: National Institutes of Health
Contract: 1R41DC012725-01
Agency Tracking Number: R41DC012725
Amount: $239,530.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: STTR
Solicitation Topic Code: NIDCD
Solicitation Number: PA11-097
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2012
Award Year: 2012
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
6901 E. Fish Lake Road
Maple Grove, MN -
United States
DUNS: 140696332
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 ROBERT KNUESEL
 (763) 515-5321
 rknuesel@koronisbiotech.com
Business Contact
 PATRICK LICHTER
Phone: (763) 515-5321
Email: plichter@koronisbiotech.com
Research Institution
 UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
 
UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA 100 CHURCH ST SE MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55455
MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55455-
United States

 () -
 Nonprofit College or University
Abstract

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Koronis Biomedical Technologies (KBT) proposes to develop a novel tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) sensor for use in medical devices. TMR technology delivers improvements in magnetic sensor size, sensitivity, and noiserejection that represent an opportunity to significantly enhance the performance of a variety of medical devices that currently rely on traditional magnetic sensors. These products include pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, neurostimulators, and drugpumps. Further applications include probe localization, audio transmission, and telemetry. Integrating TMR sensors into medical devices will result in smaller, more powerful, and more efficient systems. This is evidenced by TMR's adoption in the magneticrecording industry, which has increased magnetic data storage densities by three orders of magnitude through the development of TMR read heads. KBT will design, fabricate, and test an optimized TMR sensor, adapting this technology for use in medical applications. A hearing aid telecoil replacement testbed application that will demonstrate the ability of TMR sensors to receive magnetic audio signals will be developed and tested. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The development of tunneling magnetoresistance(TMR) technology has had a transformative impact on the magnetic recording industry by dramatically increasing storage density using smaller, more sensitive, and more noise resistant magnetic sensors. This technology can be applied to similarly improve medical devices, including hearing aid telecoils. The adaption of TMR sensors for these devices will place sensors with superior performance in very small and previously inaccessible locations.

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

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