The technology behind KNOSIS has its origins in one of the most important medical discoveries of the 1990s, which is that the simple diatomic molecule, nitric oxide (NO), can be used to control local blood flow. During that decade, work in this crucial area grew considerably, culminating in 1998 when three researchers shared the Nobel Prize for the actual discovery. In that same year, NO also was declared the "Molecule of the Year" by the journal Science.