March 2021 - Physical Sciences Inc.

Press Release

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) has been awarded a research program from the Department of Energy (DOE) to leverage recent advances in microfabrication technology to deliver chips that researchers will use to study engineered materials at the atomic scale in realistic operating environments.

Accelerator-based x-ray spectroscopy and aberration-corrected electron microscopy are workhorse, high-resolution tools for the visualizing the structure and chemistry of materials. The incredible resolving power of these techniques has historically been utilized only to study static structures because of the ultra-high vacuum requirements of the instrumentation. However, development of battery anodes and catalytic materials requires real-time characterization of liquid and gas-phase chemical dynamics. Liquid cell experiments at x-ray sources or in electron microscopes require that samples be transparent to probe beams, leak tight, and fit in transfer arms for interfacing with the ultra-high vacuum instrument chamber. Moreover, general lack of standardized interfacing with these instruments poses considerable barriers to entry for researchers seeking access to these valuable techniques because of the high capital and labor costs associated with fabricating custom sample holders for each experiment.

PSI is developing chips with electron and x-ray-transparent membrane windows, integrated electrodes, and microfluidic channels with standardized interfacing to be compatible with sample holders. By relegating any experimental complexity to a consumable and customizable chip, researchers will only need to procure inexpensive chips to perform their experiments, rather than both chips and custom sample holders.

Technology advances in electron and x-ray science have helped lower the capital costs associated with these historically challenging and complex experimental techniques. As these techniques become more widely adopted, there will be a growing need to supply researchers with consumable supplies that facilitate in-situ studies of materials in environmental scenarios. PSI’s technology will accelerate the feedback loop between capital cost reductions and widespread adoption of these tools and techniques.

For more information, contact:

Dr. Joel Hensley
Vice President, Photonics Enterprise

hensley@psicorp.com
Physical Sciences Inc.
Telephone: (978) 689-0003

Press Release

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) has been awarded a research program from the Department of Energy to develop a turn-key, portable, living cell volumetric spectro-microscopic imager that will provide in vivo, time-resolved three-dimensional infrared absorption (chemical) and visible (structural) imaging, with nanoscale lateral and axial spatial resolutions in both modalities.

Plant biologists currently lack viable, non-destructive, high-resolution microscopic imaging tools that are necessary for investigating the real-time metabolism and biochemistry of plant and microbial cells. Existing methods are typically invasive and destructive, and require large and heavy instrumentation or access to national user facilities. Such instruments cannot be readily deployed in either public or private research settings, and are thus not accessible to the larger scientific community. This severely limits the understanding of complex plant and microbial sub-cellular processes, critical to the development of bioenergy and biofuels.

PSI’s solution – a 5D infrared nanoscope – is based on a novel technique where localized transient photothermal changes in a specimen, induced by chemically-specific infrared absorption, are probed with exquisite sensitivity using visible-light digital holographic microscopy. The instrument’s compact form factor and user extensibility will enable its wide-scale deployment in the scientific community and provide researchers with the ability to visualize and understand complex inter- and intracellular biochemistries and interactions in living plant and microbial cells in the time domain.

The imager will introduce a currently non-existent capability to the scientific community; a time-resolved volumetric infrared spectro-microscopic imaging capability for plant biology research in government, commercial and academic sectors, directly benefiting and facilitating the advancement of bioenergy and biofuel development. The imager is also applicable to the wider array of life science, materials and biomedical research. Applications include development of therapeutics and drug discovery.

For more information, contact:

Dr. Julia Dupuis
Vice President, Tactical Systems
jdupuis@psicorp.com
Physical Sciences Inc.
Telephone: (978) 689-0003

Press Release

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) has been awarded a program from the U.S. Marine Corps to provide a lightweight, compact, deployable litter to meet the challenges of emergency evacuation and transport of injured Marines.

Current litter technology does not meet the strength requirements associated with high-g loading during a vehicle crash scenario. PSI previously demonstrated a new litter architecture that not only meets the Joint Enroute Care Equipment Test Standard (JECETS) loading, but also is half the weight and volume of current litter systems.
The PSI litter is light weight and stows into a compact volume. This development for the Marines will provide improved patient safety and comfort during medical transport, and its durable design will provide operational capability in the extremely demanding Marine military environment. The resultant product will have broad applicability with civilian first responders as well as other branches of the military.

For more information, contact:

Dr. Sean Torrez
Group Leader, Deployable Technologies
storrez@psicorp.com
Physical Sciences Inc.
Telephone: (978) 689-0003