Towards licensing of lab on chip technologies for water quality and environmental metrology markets

该项目将开发由南安普顿国家海洋学中心和南安普顿大学开发的芯片化学传感器技术实验室的商业潜力。芯片传感器上的实验室工作原理是将样品水与一种试剂混合，该试剂反应形成颜色强度与目标化学物质成正比的彩色产物。例如，亚硝酸盐与格里斯试剂混合形成独特的粉红色。这种混合是在聚合物“芯片”中进行的，其中形成了直径约为0.15 mm的通道。样品和试剂通过注射泵通过这些通道移动，并由电磁螺线管操作的微型阀控制，所有这些都在定制电子设备的软件控制下。颜色的强度和化学物质的浓度也可以通过粘在“芯片”上的led和探测器来测量。整个系统非常坚固，因为它是为深海作业而设计的。这些系统现在例行部署，以支持NERC科学（例如，在宏营养素循环计划）。鲁棒性和优异的性能意味着，寻求制造和销售传感器的公司有相当大的商业兴趣。我们和我们的商业联系人估计，潜在市场，包括海洋部门以外的应用，大约是6400万英镑/年。为了最大限度地发挥商业潜力，并实现这一潜力，我们正在寻求通过许可协议与公司合作。为了签署这一协议，我们需要与潜在的被许可方一起在现场试验和演示中证明该技术，改进我们的文件，并对海洋传感器进行一些调整，使其更适合所有目标市场应用。这些适应包括允许在更大的温度范围内工作，在淡水但更浑浊（泥泞）或生物污染更严重的地方。为了招募潜在的授权商，我们将首先与我们已经有联系的公司合作，但也将通过在现有的行业会议或展览、会议上的研讨会以及在行业和主要用户群体阅读的期刊上发表文章来宣传产品。

This project will develop the commercial potential of lab on chip chemical sensor technologies developed by the National Oceanography Centre Southampton, and the University of Southampton. The lab on a chip sensors work by mixing sample water with a reagent that reacts to form a coloured product with intensity of colour proportional to the target chemical. For example Nitrite mixed with the Griess reagent forms a distinctive pink colour. This mixing is performed in a polymer "chip" in which channels approximately 0.15 mm in diameter are formed. Sample and reagent are moved through these channels with syringe pumps and controlled by miniature valves operated by electromagnetic solenoids, all under software control from bespoke electronics. The intensity of colour and hence the concentration of the chemical is also measured on the "chip" using LEDs and detectors glued into it. The whole system is extremely robust as it has been designed for operation in the deep sea. The systems are now routinely deployed to support NERC science (e.g. in the Macronutrient Cycles Programme). The robustness and excellent performance achieved mean there has been considerable commercial interest from companies looking to manufacture and sell the sensors. We and our commercial contacts estimate that the addressable market, which includes applications outside the marine sector, is approximately £64M/yr. To maximise the commercial potential, and to realise this potential we are seeking to partner with a company via a license agreement. For this to be signed, we need to prove the technology in field trials and demonstrations with the potential licensee(s), improve our documentation, and make some adaptations to the marine sensors so they are more suitable for all the target market applications. These adaptations include allowing function in a wider range of temperatures, where waters are fresh but more turbid (muddy) or where biological fouling is more significant. To recruit potential licensees we will initially work with companies with which we are already in contact but will also publicise the product through workshops at existing industry meetings or exhibitions, at conferences and through publishing in journals read by industry and key user groups.