Research on Non-Lethal Stunning/Immobilizing Weapons

Abstract

The overall goal of the research is to lay the foundation for developing non-lethal stunning/immobilizing weaponry based on radiofrequency (RF)/microwave(MW) radiation. Our approach is to identify RF/MW parameters that can selectively, and without producing heating of tissue, alter processes underlying neurotransmitter release and contraction of skeletal muscle. Major accomplishments included 1) completing the design, construction, characterization and testing of a temperature control setup for studying effects of rapid increases in temperature so that we can distinguish thermal versus non-thermal effects of the exposures; 2) completing thermal modeling of the cell perfusion system used for on-line monitoring of catecholamine release from chromaffin cells during RF/MW exposure; and 3) designing, fabricating and characterizing an exposure system for real-time imaging of intracellular effects on chromaffin cells and skeletal muscle fibers in response to high electric field RF/MW pulse modulated radiation. The research has been presented at four international meetings, culminated in two peer-reviewed papers, and involved a neurobiologist and an electrical engineer as principal investigators, an associate engineer, four research assistants and four graduate students.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 2007
Accession Number
ADA470768

Entities

People

  • Gale L. Craviso
  • Indira Chatterjee

Organizations

  • University of Nevada, Reno

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Construction
  • Control Systems
  • Electric Fields
  • Electrical Engineering
  • Electromagnetic Fields
  • Engineering
  • Engineers
  • Finite Difference Time Domain
  • Frequency
  • Frequency Bands
  • Glass Fibers
  • Muscles
  • Radiation
  • Radio Frequency
  • Skeletal Muscle
  • Temperature Control
  • Temperature Gradients

Readers

  • Aviation Safety Risk Assessment.
  • Neuroscience
  • Systems Analysis and Design