Nuclear radiation-blocking, anti-chemical, biological-protection fabric granted Australian patent

May 6 2008

Ronald DeMeo, MD, MBA, president and chief executive officer with Radiation Shield Technologies (RST), today announced the company has been granted a new Australian patent for Demron, the world's first nuclear radiation-blocking, anti-chemical and biological-protection material.

Demron, which also has other Australian, United States, Singaporean and Russian patents, is an advanced radiopaque nano-polymeric compound fused between layers of fabric and manufactured into several lightweight, nuclear-radiation blocking garments. Its new Australian patent secures all its applications, including full-body nuclear, biological, and nuclear-biological chemical (NBC) suits, tactical anti-nuclear vests, high-energy suppression blankets, medical X-ray vests and aprons. Its first Australian patent concerns the Demron compound and its manufacturing processes.

“The global demand and deployment of Demron exceeds our expectations and reaffirms its leadership as the only nuclear radiation-blocking material that also provides anti-chemical and biological protection,” said DeMeo, the surgeon who developed Demron. “Demron’s patents will help us expand its market potential, and we will continue to secure patents worldwide.”

Recent deployments include a NATO-funded purchase of a record number of Demron suits for use by the Ministry for Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus. Demron also is deployed worldwide by NATO, NASA, the National Guard, US Navy, UAE and the governments of South Korea, China, Saudi Arabia and Australia, among others. Scientists have selected it for space suits for future Mars and other space travel.

“Demron is a liquid metal that feels like fabric, and the suits are cool, lightweight and flexible,” DeMeo said. “Demron helps individuals more comfortably perform a broader range of duties and with the confidence of knowing they’re well-protected.”

Demron suits are made from a unique nanotechnology that surpasses the current NBC suits, which provide limited protection against radioactive sources. It is a lead-free, toxin-free, and PVC-free material that allows heat dissipation and resists chemical penetration and cracks. Demron has proved to block gamma rays and X-rays, as well as other nuclear emissions, by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, part of the National Nuclear Security Administration within the U.S. Department of Energy, as well as the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Radiation Shield Technologies (RST), with headquarters in Miami, is a world leader in the research, design and production of personal-protection systems for ionizing and nuclear radiation. The company's core technology, Demron, is specifically engineered to combine radiation protection with ease of use to maximize radiological defense.