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

该项目将开发由南安普敦国家海洋学中心和南安普敦大学开发的芯片上实验室化学传感器技术的商业潜力。芯片上的实验室传感器的工作原理是将样品水与试剂混合，试剂发生反应形成有色产品，颜色强度与目标化学物质成正比。例如，亚硝酸盐与Griess试剂混合形成一种独特的粉红色。这种混合在聚合物“芯片”中进行，其中形成直径约0.15 mm的通道。样品和试剂通过注射器泵通过这些通道，并由电磁螺线管操作的微型阀门控制，所有这些都是在定制电子设备的软件控制下进行的。颜色的强度和化学物质的浓度也是用LED和粘在芯片上的探测器在芯片上测量的。整个系统非常坚固，因为它是为深海作业而设计的。这些系统现在被例行部署，以支持国家环境研究中心的科学(例如，在常量营养素循环方案中)。所获得的坚固性和出色的性能意味着希望制造和销售传感器的公司已经有了相当大的商业兴趣。我们和我们的商业联系人估计，包括海洋领域以外的应用程序在内的潜在市场大约为6400万GB/年。为了最大限度地发挥商业潜力，并实现这一潜力，我们正寻求通过许可协议与一家公司合作。为了签署这份协议，我们需要在现场试验和演示中向潜在的许可方(S)证明这项技术，改进我们的文档，并对海洋传感器进行一些调整，使它们更适合所有目标市场应用。这些适应包括允许在更宽的温度范围内工作，那里的水很新鲜，但更浑浊(浑浊)，或者生物污垢更严重。为了招募潜在的许可证获得者，我们首先将与我们已经接触的公司合作，但也将通过在现有行业会议或展览上的研讨会、会议上以及通过在行业和关键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.