StemRad

StemRad is an Israeli-American start-up company that develops and manufactures personal protective equipment (PPE) against ionizing radiation. Its first product was the 360 Gamma, a device that protects the user's pelvic bone marrow from gamma radiation.[1] Its second product, AstroRad, is currently being tested at the International Space Station.[2]

StemRad Ltd. / StemRad Inc.
IndustryPersonal protective equipment
Founded2011
FoundersOren Milstein and Daniel Levitt
Headquarters
Tampa, Florida, United States
Tel Aviv, Israel
Websitewww.stemrad.com

History

StemRad was founded in December 2011 by Oren Milstein and Daniel Levitt. They were inspired to create the company by the Chernobyl disaster where many of the firemen and engineers, who were first on the scene, died from high doses of gamma radiation in an illness known as Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS), also known as radiation sickness. This idea was fueled by a sense of urgency due to the growing nuclear threat on the state of Israel. Following the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in March 2011, the two partnered with Roger Kornberg, Aaron Ciechanover and Michael Levitt.[3]

Products

360 Gamma

The 360 Gamma is a 14 kg (31 lb) belt designed to protect the pelvic area against gamma radiation. It is meant to be worn by first responders (fire fighters, paramedics, police and the military), that would be exposed to radiation in the event of a nuclear emergency.[4][5][6][7] It does not attempt to protect the whole body of the wearer, but rather selectively protects the bone marrow-rich pelvic region.[6] It is offered as a solution for acute radiation syndrome (ARS)[8], a major component of which is bone marrow failure[9].

AstroRad
AstroRad vest on ISS
AstroRad exhibit at the Israel National Museum of Science, Technology, and Space

AstroRad is personal protective equipment for astronauts to be worn beyond low Earth orbit which was co-developed by StemRad and Lockheed Martin.[10] AstroRad protects bone marrow to prevent acute radiation sickness but is further expanded to also protect the lungs, stomach, colon, breast and ovaries – organs that are particularly sensitive to the development of cancer due to chronic exposure to radiation.[11] In April 2018 it was announced that the Israeli Space Agency signed an agreement with NASA[12] and the German Aerospace Center[13] to test AstroRad aboard an uncrewed flight of NASA's Orion, on a mission named Artemis 1.[14][15]

As a test before its planned use in deep space, an AstroRad vest launched to the International Space Station in low Earth orbit on November 2nd, 2019 aboard Cygnus NG-12.[16] The functional shielding material is made of high-density polyethylene or HDPE.[17][18]

References
  1. "The Belt That Protects Against Gamma Radiation". www.popularmechanics.com. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  2. "Israeli radiation protection vest blasts off to Int'l Space Station". The Jerusalem Post. November 3, 2019.
  3. "Dismantling the Bomb: meet the scientists that will cause humanity to stop worrying about nuclear threats". The Marker.
  4. "Stemrad Makes Belt to Protect Users From Radiation Exposure". Jewish Business News.
  5. "Israeli Company Invents Nuclear Proof Vest That Protects Against Toxic Radiation". The Algemeiner.
  6. Radiation belt a new line of defence in nuclear emergency. Reuters
  7. "'Anti-radiation belt' developed by Israeli firm for nuclear emergencies". RT.
  8. "StemRad: Innovation in Radiation Protection". Israel Innovation Authority. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  9. "Acute Radiation Syndrome: A Fact Sheet for Clinicians". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  10. "Space Florida, Israel Innovation Authority Announce Sixth Round Winners of Innovation Partner Funding". Space Florida. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  11. "Tissue weighting factors according to ICRP 103 (ICRP 2007)". European Commission. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  12. "NASA Acting Administrator and Israel Space Agency Director General Sign Agreement". nasa.gov. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  13. "Tracking cosmic radiation – To the Moon and back with ISA and NASA". dlr.de. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  14. Anti Radiation Vest to Get Deep-Space Test Next Year. Leonard Davis, Space. 15 May 2018.
  15. New Israeli radiation protection development to be launched into space. www.embassies.gov.il
  16. "AstroRad on the ISS". The Embassy of Israel to the United States. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  17. AstroRad. European Space Agency]]. 25 January 2019.
  18. Gaza, Razvan. "International Science Aboard Orion EM-1: The Matroshka AstroRad Radiation Experiment (MARE) Payload" (PDF). nasa.gov. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
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