NASA has selected 108 research and technology proposals from small businesses and is now negotiating contract awards as part of Phase II of the SBIR program. The selected aerospace technology and innovation projects have a total value of $87 million supporting 99 U.S firms in 26 states.
One of the companies selected through the SBIR process is Real-Time Analyzers Inc. located in Middletown Connecticut. They plan to build a space-worthy Drug Stability Analyzer to determine the extent of drug degradation.
About 3,000 medication errors occur each year due mostly to administering incorrect drugs and/or doses. Pharmacies are considered the last line of defense to minimize such errors. The analyzer will be of great value to pharmacies to help them confirm drug identities and dosages in ten seconds.
The proposed analyzer would be designed to monitor degradation of pharmaceutical drugs to be used by astronauts. This will enable drugs and packaging to be improved so that supplies will match the mission’s length. The analyzer will be able to monitor the drug’s active pharmaceutical ingredients and degradation product concentrations and then determine if the drug is suitable for use.
The device will be designed to be rugged, small, low mass, low power, easy to use, and be able to identify and quantify API and degradation products with little or no sample handling in just one minute
The analyzer will also have great value in its ability to identify counterfeit drugs. According to the World Health Organization, ten percent of all drugs sold worldwide are counterfeit and sold largely through the internet which resulting in 200,000 deaths per year.
For more information email Stuart Farquharson at stu@rta.biz or call 869-635-9800.