Notice of Special Interest in X-ray-based Devices for Trauma Care

Notice Number: NOT-EB-19-015

Key Dates
Release Date: August 29, 2019
First Available Due Date: October 5, 2019
Expiration Date: January 8, 2022

Related Announcements

PA-18-418 "NIBIB Research Project Grant (R01 Clinical Trial Required)"
PA-19-056 "NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)"

Issued by
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)

Purpose

The purpose of this Notice is to inform potential applicants to the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) of an area of special interest in developing portable x-ray imaging devices for application in trauma care.

Background

Trauma care focuses on the critical time immediately after an injury or acute shock, in an event that may affect one person or many. Termed “the golden hour,” the exact window of time depends on many variables, including the patient’s underlying health, the nature of the traumatic occurrence, the scale of casualties, and the equipment and expertise at hand. The trauma environment is constantly changing due to ongoing injury, the possible involvement of multiple tissue types, modulation by the immune system, and/or infection. To broadly address trauma care the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cosponsored a workshop on March 21 22, 2019 to link the needs of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Defense with nascent bioimaging and bioengineering solutions. Among the biotechnological gaps identified at the meeting, portable imaging devices (including x-ray based devices) are sought to address the complex spectrum of needs associated with trauma care.

Research Objectives

This Notice invites research projects that seek to fill gaps in trauma care through the development of x-ray imaging devices capable of operating in dynamic environments and the application of those devices for diagnostics and image-guided procedures. Applications should involve expertise across multiple disciplines as relevant to the proposed research. Applications can address different technology development stages, from early technology development to testing in animal models and human subject research.

NIBIB Statement of Interest

The NIBIB is interested in projects focused on developing new acquisition and interpretation hardware and software for portable imaging techniques to be used in the dynamic trauma environment. Topics identified as high interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • New x-ray source and detector technology applicable to x-ray imaging outside the hospital/imaging-center use
  • New x-ray imaging camera design including flexible image display of the transmission images through the body
  • Advance algorithm and deep learning techniques for image interpretation, trauma localization, and increased spatial resolution
  • Small, portable, rugged devices capable of autonomous operation with limited human interaction/training

Application and Submission Information:

This Notice applies to due dates on or after October 5, 2019 and subsequent receipt dates through January 8, 2022.

Applications for this Notice must submit an application through NIH Parent Announcement PA-19-056: NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) or, if you are proposing a clinical trial, to PA-18-418: NIBIB Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Required). Note that applications to PA-18-418 should propose early-stage clinical trials through Phase I, first-in-human, safety, feasibility or other small clinical trials that inform early-stage technology development. NIBIB will not support applications proposing Phase II, III, IV or pivotal clinical trials or trials in which the primary outcome is efficacy, effectiveness or a post-market concern.

All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and the listed funding opportunity announcements must be followed, with the following additions:

  • For funding consideration, applicants must include “NOT-EB-19-015” (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF424 R&R form. Applications without this information in box 4B will not be considered for this initiative.

Applications nonresponsive to terms of this NOSI will be withdrawn from consideration for this initiative.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to the contacts in Section VII of the listed funding opportunity announcements with the following additions/substitutions:

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

I. George Zubal, Ph.D.
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB)
Telephone: 301-827-5168
Email: igeorge.zubal@nih.gov