Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization(OLETC), 316 Washington Ave, Wheeling, WV 26003

A -- SOURCES SOUGHT SOL 0989-091 DUE 041598 POC James A. Ball, OLETC, 703-866-4740 WEB: OLETC information and INEL's web site for the rear seat restraint device, http://www.nttc.edu/oletc.html, http://www.inel.gov/capabilities/brochures/law/airbag.html. E-MAIL: Project Manager, OLETC, jball@erols.com. Description: Licensing Opportunity for Law Enforcement Product -- Rear Seat Restraint System. The Office of Law Enforcement Technology Commercialization (OLETC) was established by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) to assist in the identification, assessment, and commercialization of technology into affordable products for use by the Law Enforcement and Corrections (LEC)community. OLETC is a non-profit organization located on the campus of Wheeling Jesuit University, Wheeling WV. OLETC is seeking a licensing partner to commercialize the Rear Seat Restraint System. The Rear Seat Restraint System is a restraining device designed to be mounted in a police cruiser and deployed by the driver to restrain suspects in custody being transported when they become violent or attempts to escape. This device is not a safety air bag and differs considerably in design and requirements. Requirement: The innovation addresses a recognized need as identified by the Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Advisory Committee (LECTAC) Systems Committee as a High Priority in the protective equipment category. Stage of the Innovation:This innovation is in the technical feasibility phase. A prototype has been built and safety tested by Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), managed by the Lockheed-Martin Corporation for the Department of Energy. A patent has been issued. A licensee is being sought. Program History: NIJ funded INEEL to develope a prototype device that could be evaluated for field testing. INEEL delivered its prototype of this technology to NIJ in March 1995 for field evaluation. The restraint system prototype was submitted to the Naval Air Warfare Center in Pennsylvania for a health and safety risk assesment to evaluate such areas as the amount of pressure exerted on the body and potential suffocation factor. The preliminary reports suggest that the restraint system poses minimal health and safety concerns. Concept Description: A patrol vehicle rear seat air bag restraint system should prevent an individual from continuing violent actions while being transported, without requiring immediate physical contact by the law enforcement officer. The air bag, rapidly but not explosively deployed by an officer from the front seat, should exert sufficient pressure to restrict the physical activity of the rear seat occupant(s) of the vehicle, allowing the officer to safely stop the vehicle and to have additionsl time to get backup personnel if necessary before subduing the occupant(s). The officer should have control of the pressure and could deflate the bag as desired. Air permeable sections of the bag and pressure control should minimize the risk of suffocation. A modular design would permit easy removal of the bag for cleaning and replacement of a new unit, minimizing vehicle down time The device should be designed for installation in existing vehicles. Design considerations and suggested perfromance, specifications and goals: The following are suggested performance criteria. They will be subject to cost and performance tradeoffs and will be coordinated with the user community by OLETC. 1. Inflates to a pressure capable of restraining the passenger within 5 seconds for periods up to 5 minutes. "Restraining" means that the restrainee cannot have sufficient mobility to damage any part of the vehicle, or cause injury to self or others. Time of restraint will affect complexity and cost. 2.Deflates quickly at the control of the driver, and can be re-inflated agian up to 5 times. Alternative designs for inflation are blower or pressurized bottles. Re-inflation criteria will affect complexity and cost. 3.Is constructed of a porus material that permits positive airflow to ensure that the restrainee is not suffocated. 4.Is either disposable or easily removed for inexpensive cleaning and repackaging. 5.Is compatible with existing patrol car power (12v). 6.Is designed for both initial installations and aftermartket applications and is compatible with existing patrol car seating /barrier configurations (several models or adapter kits may be necessary). 7.Does not take up excessive passenger compartment room. 8.Bag material should enable driver to see the restrainee when the bag is inflated. 9.Bag material should withstand ripping or tearing from restrainee's teeth. 10.The system shoul be affordably priced for state and local law enforcement use. A photograph of the prototype device may be seen at the INEL web site listed below. Offering: The Lockheed Idaho Technologies Company, manager of the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, is seeking a qualified manufacturer who is willing to invest the production engineering effort to transform this prototype into an affordable product for law enforcement use nationally and internationally. Funding in an amount of up to $100,000 is available from OLETC to assist in this commercialization effort. As a minimum, the licensee must provide matching funds(which may include in-kind effort) to be considered for this license. The objective is to produce at least two devices for demonstration to law enforcement organizations nationwide, to attract market interest and additional sales. OLETC will assist in the marketing of the initial products and in coordinating demonstrations through the National Law Enforcment and Corrections Technology Centers. (0070)

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