Smart Separations - a novel microfiltration system with a wide range of uses

智能分离正在开发一种专有的微过滤器技术，可以很容易地定制，以适应许多不同的需求，通过改变孔径的控制方式。在许多不同的市场和应用中，孔径的规整性是一个独特的卖点。基于该技术的新型过滤器具有高度创新性，并且具有潜在的商业破坏性。在获得非常成功的TSB智能市场证明奖之后，该公司已经确定了该技术在分离血细胞方面的初步应用，该技术比目前的方法更有效、更经济。捐献的每一单位血液都需要经过过滤，以去除与白细胞相关的潜在疾病，因为白细胞在供者/受者之间的兼容性有限。因此，全球每年有价值超过4亿英镑的“白细胞还原”过滤器的巨大成熟市场。智能分离公司突破性的新技术既能降低白细胞减少的成本（从而减轻NHS和其他卫生组织的负担），又能提高效率和细胞回收率——估计每年仅NHS就能节省约2500万英镑。最终，新的过滤器可以更容易地将血液单位分成主要成分：血浆、血小板、红细胞和白细胞。智能分离现在希望证明过滤的概念。因此，这项概念验证拨款将允许开发一系列初始的、基本的预原型过滤产品，然后使用通常被丢弃的血液进行专业实验室测试，这些血液通常与NHS血液与移植相关的实验室合作。现阶段的拨款将有助于利用市场验证研究的积极结果，并允许概念演示以提供技术可行性的基本证明。

Smart Separations is developing a proprietary microfilter technology that can be easilytailored to suit many different needs by varying the pore size in a controlled manner. Theregularity of the pore size is a unique selling point in many different markets and applications.New filters based on this technology are highly innovative and potentially highlycommercially disruptive.Following a very successful TSB Smart Proof of Market award, the company has identified aninitial application of the technology in separating blood cells more efficiently and affordablythan current methods. Every unit of blood donated needs to be filtered in order to removepotential diseases associated with the white blood cells (leukocytes) which have limitedcompatibility amongst donors/receivers. There is thus a large established market for‘leukoreduction’ filters worth annually more than £400million globally. Smart Separations’ground-breaking new technology would both reduce the costs of leukoreduction (hencereducing the burden to the NHS and other health organisations) and improve efficiency andcell recovery - allowing estimated annual savings to the NHS alone of around £25million.Ultimately the new filters make it easier to fraction blood units into their main components:plasma, platelets, red blood cells (RBCs) and leukocytes.Smart separations now wishes to prove the filtration concept. This Proof of Concept grant willthus allow the development of a series of initial, basic pre-prototype filtration products,followed by specialist laboratory testing using blood that is usually discarded in collaborationwith a laboratory associated with the NHS – Blood & Transplant. The grant at this stagewould help leverage the positive results from the Proof of Market study and allow for conceptdemonstration to provide basic proof of technical feasibility.