Design, prototype and testing of equipment for applying flock onto swab sticks for collection of biological specimens

2020年2月2日，美国疾病控制和预防中心（CDC）发布了当怀疑人类受试者感染新型冠状病毒时收集临床标本的指南;这些指南包括使用带有塑料轴的合成纤维拭子：这些被称为“植绒”拭子。全球范围内冠状病毒检测延迟的主要原因之一是对检测拭子的巨大需求远远超过了只有极少数制造商的现有产能，英国没有生产能力。坎贝尔库茨有限公司（CCL）是英国领先且历史最悠久的植绒设备和耗材供应商;我们设计和制造小型和大型设备，用于将植绒纤维应用到各种基材上，用于许多工业用途。在该项目完成后，CCL将设计，概念测试和创造了一个创新设备的工作原型，该设备能够将植绒纤维静电施加到拭子棒上，为生物标本的采集和释放创造有效的诊断测试拭子。我们将开发技术和设计机器我们将在3个月内完成原型的设计和概念测试。随后，我们可以在10周内为希望生产和销售用于医疗检测的植绒拭子的组织生产成品，我们还可以提供所需的粘合剂和植绒纤维。影响力资金的扩展将扩大项目的积极影响，并通过允许我们在以下两个领域与专业服务提供商签约来加快市场速度：1.将简要介绍并聘请一名营销顾问进行市场研究，并编写一份关于鼻咽植绒拭子和拭子生产设备国际市场的报告，确定关键参与者（潜在竞争对手、客户和影响者）、市场途径、市场特征、规模和增长预测。这将使公司能够制定营销计划，以结构化的方式利用市场机会。到目前为止，我们一直忙于回应来自许多新前景的拭子植绒设备的询问（以及设计机器和履行订单），而没有深入了解这个特定的市场。我们没有内部营销专业知识，也没有时间进行这项研究。我们意识到，英国的植绒拭子生产能力很小，严重依赖非英国供应商的进口拭子;作为优先事项，随着英国市场情报的获得，我们计划通过与主要生物医学检测设备供应商，制药公司和公共卫生影响者合作，专注于在英国建立更大的生产能力。作为研究项目的一部分，我们还打算购买最近发表的报告，题为：全球一次性植绒拭子市场报告2020年的主要参与者，类型，应用，国家，市场规模，预测到2026年。我们将咨询一位知识产权专家，以协助确定知识产权保护机会（专利、商标和外观设计），并就知识产权申请所涉及的费用和程序提供建议，如果我们认为这是未来商业计划的一部分。

On February 2nd, 2020, the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidelines for collecting clinical specimens when novel coronavirus infection is suspected in human subjects; these guidelines include the use of synthetic fibre swabs, with plastic shafts: these are know as "flocked" swabs. One of the major causes of the delays in coronavirus testing throughout the world is the huge demand for testing swabs far outstripping the existing production capacity available from only a very few manufacturers, with no production capacity in the UK.Campbell Coutts Ltd (CCL) is the UK's leading and longest established supplier of flocking equipment and consumables; we design and manufacture small and large scale equipment for the application of flock fibres onto a variety of substrates, for numerous industrial uses.On completion of this project CCL will have designed, concept tested and created a working prototype of an innovative piece of equipment capable of electrostatically applying flock fibres to swab sticks, creating effective diagnostic testing swabs for the collection and release of biological specimens.We will develop the technology and design the machine capability for bulk-loaded test swab sticks to have nylon flock fibres applied and cured, at a production rate of 6,000 to 10,000 per hour in a clean environment,We will complete the design and concept testing of a prototype within 3 months. Subsequently, finished production units can be produced within 10 weeks, for organisations who wish to produce and distribute flocked swabs for medical testing.We will also be able to supply the adhesive and flock fibres required.The EXTENSION FOR IMPACT FUNDING will extend the positive impacts of the project and increase speed to market by allowing us to contract professional service providers in the following 2 areas:1. A marketing consultant will be briefed and engaged to carry out market research and produce a report into the international market for nasopharyngeal flocked swabs and swab production equipment, identifying key players (potential competitors, customers and influencers), routes to market, market characteristics, size and growth projections. This will allow the company to develop a marketing plan to take advantage of market opportunities in a structured manner. To date, we have been fully occupied responding reactively to enquiries for swab-flocking equipment from numerous new prospects (and designing the machinery and fulfilling orders) without in-depth knowledge of this particular market. We do not have internal marketing expertise, nor the time to carry out this research. We are aware that flocked-swab production capacity in the UK is minimal, with a huge reliance on imported swabs from non-UK suppliers; as a priority, with the UK market intelligence obtained, we plan to focus on playing a part in establishing greater production capacity in the UK through collaboration with key biomedical testing equipment suppliers, pharmaceutical companies and public health influencers. As part of the research project we also intend to purchase a recently published report entitled: Global Disposable Flocking Swab Market Report 2020 by Key Players, Types, Applications, Countries, Market Size, Forecast to 2026.2. An intellectual property expert will be consulted to assist in identifying IP protection opportunities (patents, trademarks and designs) and advice on the costs and procedures involved in making IP applications, should we determine it worthwhile as part of the future business plan.