Microfluidic Viscometer Technology - Enabling the Measurement of the Viscosity of Microliter-Volume Liquids

粘度计和流变仪市场在2021年产生了6.486亿美元，预计到2029年将达到10亿美元，复合年增长率为6.79%。微流体粘度计用于制药应用，其中药物应具有与血液相似的粘度，以便其可以容易地与血液混溶。一种这样的应用是单克隆抗体（mAb）的“免疫化”，单克隆抗体是工程化的分子，用作替代抗体，可以恢复、增强、修改或模拟免疫系统对不需要的细胞（如癌细胞）的攻击。这些药物通常以高浓度（<100 mg/ml）配制，导致高粘度，从而对药物配制和制造提出挑战。现有技术的微流体粘度计存在样品体积（例如，锥形/板式流变仪）、成本（运行测试或购买装置）和剪切速率范围，最终导致产品损失或高质量控制/研发成本。 该研究团队开发了一种新颖、经济实惠、可扩展且高效的微流体粘度计，以解决这些缺点和权衡困境。 其核心技术是一种可消耗的微流体芯片，通过使用摄像头监测其受控运动来测量牛顿和非牛顿液体的微小体积的粘度。外部合作伙伴（包括Advanced Electrophoresis Solutions Ltd.（剑桥，ON）和Bijoy Bera博士（德尔夫特大学，荷兰））的反馈将用于开发mAb溶液的合适表面涂层。 这将导致均匀的通道表面性质，从而减少样品粘附，并提高所测量的剪切应力的精度，最终提高UW发明的性能。 将与我们的合作伙伴/潜在客户合作，在有前景的应用（mAb流变学表征）中对这些拟议的改进进行初步测试。计划中的beta测试和应用程序测试的结果将有助于建立垂直目标市场，可能的初创公司创建的时间以及进入市场的战略。

The viscometer & rheometer market generated US $648.6 million in 2021 and is expected to reach 1 billion by 2029 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 6.79%. Microfluidic viscometers are used in pharmaceutical applications, where drugs should have a viscosity similar to blood so that it can be easily miscible with the blood. One such application is the 'syringeability' of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which are engineered molecules to serve as substitute antibodies that can restore, enhance, modify or mimic the immune system's attack on undesired cells such as cancer cells. These drugs are typically formulated at high concentrations (<100 mg/ml) resulting in high viscosities and thereby posing challenges for syringeability and manufacturing. The state-of-the-art microfluidic viscometers present trade-offs between the sample volume (e.g., cone/plate rheometers), cost (to run a test or purchase a unit) and sheer rate ranges, ultimately resulting in either lost product or high-quality control/research & development costs. This research team has developed a novel, affordable, scalable and efficient microfluidic viscometer that addresses these shortcomings and trade-off dilemmas. The core technology is a consumable microfluidic chip that allows the viscosity of minuscule volumes of Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids to be measured by monitoring their controlled motion using a camera. Feedback from the external partners including Advanced Electrophoresis Solutions Ltd. (Cambridge, ON) and Dr. Bijoy Bera (Delft University of Technology, Netherlands) will be used to develop a suitable surface coating for mAb solution. This will result in a uniform channel surface property reducing sample adhesion, and improving the accuracy of the measured shear stress, ultimately improving the performance of the UW invention. Preliminary testing of these proposed improvements in promising applications (mAb rheological characterization) will be performed in collaboration with our partners/potential customers. The results of the planned beta trials and application testing will help establish target market vertical(s), timing of a possible startup company's creation, and a go-to-market strategy.