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 shall 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 or a grant. NIST DOCKET NUMBER : 98-008PA, TITLE: Non-Destructive Method For Determining The Extent of Cure of a Polymerizing Material and the Solidification of a Thermoplastic Polymer Based on Quenching of Fluorescence, Description: The invention is jointly owned by the U. S. Government, as represented by the Secretary of Commerce, and Deborah Gibbs Sauder. By dissolving a small amount of a fluorescent compound in a polymerizing material that contains a quencher and subsequently measuring the fluorescence intensity of the fluorophore, the reduction in quenching of fluorescence is used to determine the extent of cure (or degree of solidification in a thermoplastic). Fiber optics technology may be used to launch excitation light and to collect the fluorescence. The fluorophores may be immobolized on the fiber optic probe. The invention is available for use without a license. WEB: NIST Contracts Homepage, http://www.nist.gov/admin/od/contract/contract.htm. E-MAIL: NIST Contracts Office, Contract@nist.gov. Posted 09/01/98 (W-SN244302).

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