DEVELOPMENTS AT NIST Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a number of new devices and methods involving a variety of technologies. In certain cases, other parties have participated in the development of these technologies. NIST may enter into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with interested parties to perform further research on the invention for purposes of commercialization. NIST may grant CRADA Partners an option to negotiate for exclusive licenses to any jointly owned inventions which arise from the CRADA as well as an option to negotiate for exclusive royalty-bearing licenses for NIST employee inventions which arise from the CRADA. Anyone interested in the further development of any of these technologies or in applying for a license to commercialize these technologies should send a written request for further information, referencing the NIST Docket Number and Title, to: National Institute of Standards and Technology, Industrial Partnerships Program, Building 820, Room 213, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899; Telecopy: 301-869-2751. This is not an announcement of a contract action of a grant. NIST DOCKET NUMBER 97-049PA Title: A Compact Compressor For Polarized Gas Description: The invention compresses polarized gas, i.e., gas for which some fraction of the nuclear spins are aligned with an external magnetic field, to pressures in the range of about 1 bar or higher. Polarized gas is used in a variety of scientific fields, most recently for magnetic resonance imaging of lungs. The invention uses cryogenic techniques for compression and maintains the polarization of the gas. WEB: NIST Contracts Homepage, http://www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/contract.htm. E-MAIL: NIST Contracts Office, Contract@nist.gov.

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