In situ Lab on a chip chemical sensor technology

南安普顿国家海洋学中心和南安普顿大学电子与计算机科学学院的研究人员合作生产了新型的芯片实验室化学传感器。这些封装的器件使用的微加工技术类似于用半导体材料制造集成电路的技术。这实现了非常紧凑的设计。这些装置含有流体通道，使海水能够与化学试剂混合，产生颜色变化（或荧光），其强度与海水的化学成分成比例。可以改变添加的试剂来测量在环境研究中重要的许多化学物质。这些包括营养物质（如磷酸盐）和污染物。虽然基于该技术的测量系统确实存在，但目前可用的技术是大的、昂贵的并且难以操作。小型化使传感器更便宜、更坚固、更易于使用并适合大规模生产。我们目前的原型是1.5升饮料瓶的大小，但下一代将是软饮料罐的大小。拟议的活动将评估这项技术是否具有商业潜力（即工业界能否从中赚钱），并将确定计划的第一步，以最大限度地提高这一想法产生的收入。这将包括对传感器技术的市场进行评估;审查专利和保护这一想法的机会;评估可能的合作伙伴并与他们建立联系。许多行业（例如农业，水产养殖，水处理行业，近海工业）和科学家（例如海洋学，淡水系统研究和植物研究）都需要化学传感。因此，我们希望这一想法能够具有巨大的市场潜力，并有助于提高英国工业的竞争力。

Researchers at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, and at the School of Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton have collaborated to produce novel Lab-on-a-chip chemical sensors. These miniaturised devices use microfabrication techniques similar to those used to manufacture integrated circuits out of semiconductor materials. This enables very compact design. The devices contain fluid channels that enable seawater to be mixed with chemical reagents that produce a colour change (or fluorescence) with intensity proportional to the chemical content of the seawater. It is possible to change the reagent added to measure a number of chemicals that are important in the study of the environment. These include nutrients (such as phosphate) and pollutants. Whilst measurement systems based on this technique do exist, currently available technology is large, expensive, and difficult to operate. Miniaturisation enables cheaper more robust sensors that are easier to use and suitable for mass production. Our current prototype is the size of a 1.5l drinks bottle, but the next generation will be the size of a soft drinks can. The proposed activity will evaluate if this technology has commercial potential (i.e. can industry make money out of this) and will identify the first steps of a plan to maximise the income generated by this idea. This will include an evaluation of the market for the sensor technology; a review of patents and opportunities for protection of the idea; and evaluating possible partners and initiating contacts with them. Chemical sensing is required by a number of industries (e.g. agriculture, aquaculture , water treatment industries, offshore industries) and by scientists (e.g. in oceanography, in the study of fresh water systems, and in plant research). We are therefore, hopeful that this idea could have significant market potential and could contribute to the competitiveness of UK industry.