LUNA INNOVATIONS INCORPORATED — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: CBD203-001

Description

The proliferation of weapons of mass destruction presents a serious security threat to U.S. and allied personnel around the world. Military personnel and first responders must be prepared to operate under a wide range of chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) threats and rapidly counter these hazards. Similar to Class 1 protective ensembles, current CBRN gloves offer excellent durability and protection from CBRN threats but are bulky, resulting in poor dexterity and elevated thermal burden. Furthermore, capacitive-based touch screen systems cannot be used with currently approved hand wear. Since protective gloves offer a first line of defense for personnel performing dexterous tasks in high risk environments, the comfort and utility of the gloves are critical to ensure efficient operations at sites where CBRN terrorism agents (both liquid and vapor) are present. Luna Innovations is addressing the need for state-of-the-art solutions for the design of a protective, durable, and conformal glove that can be integrated into novel Class 1 CBRN protective ensembles (NFPA 1994 Class 1 protection standard), while allowing higher tactility and touch screen capabilities.