News Release
May 1, 1996
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

University Releases SQUID To Maryland Company

Neocera manufactures high-temperature superconductor instruments and is the fourth fastest growing company in the Greater Baltimore region, according to a 1995 ranking by the Greater Baltimore Committee's Technology Council. The company is a success of the university's Technology Advancement Program (TAP), which helps launch small businesses that develop technology-oriented products and contribute to the long-term economic strength of the state of Maryland.

"The microscope has many possible applications that will be developed by Neocera to benefit a variety of businesses, from aviation to health care, locally and throughout the nation," said George Gillespie, OTL's assistant director for physical science.

Dr. Frederick Wellstood led a group of researchers from the university's Department of Physics in the development of the microscope in 1992. The instrument can view features as small as 40 microns (or half the diameter of a piece of human hair). Neocera became interested in the project and worked with Wellstood's group to produce a version that can scan objects at room temperature. This means samples, such as biological tissues and organisms, can be viewed in vivo or "live" rather than frozen, which often is the case with objects used with superconducting instruments.

Among its potential uses, the microscope can help detect cracks in airplane wings and other metal structures upon which alternating magnetic fields can be applied. The microscope also can be used to analyze current flow in circuit boards and chips. In addition, human nerve cells and muscles produce magnetic fields that can be detected by the microscope to assist in medical diagnostic work.

The SQUID is scanned near the surface of a sample, taking a microscopic picture of the magnetic fields. A computer then converts the data into an image, which is used to analyze the information. The process is non-intrusive and does not harm the sample. One U.S. patent already has been issued for the microscope and another one is pending. The instrument also received OTL's 1992 Physical Science Invention of the Year award.

"This project demonstrates the success of programs bringing together the university and industry, allowing for collaborative research and development that results in cutting-edge products," said Dr. Steven Green, Neocera's principle investigator for the project.

The Office of Technology Liaison at the University of Maryland at College Park was established in 1986 to facilitate the transfer of life, information and physical science inventions developed at the university to business and industry.