After a wonderful sunny week-end, I’m leaving to Houston to attend TechConnect Summit 2009. This year, 5 of Univalor’s technologies have been accepted.
In case you are attending, I’ll be at Univalor’s booth (# 1029). I’ll also be sending updates on Twitter #TechConnect.
Developed by Pr. Mohamad Sawan and his team at the Polystim neurotechnologies Laboratory , this electrical platform allows blinds to recover vision. This system consists of a miniaturized implant connected to the cortex and communicating to a camera (which acts as an eye prosthesis). Pr. Sawan’s visual prosthesis project passed the stage of perfecting a first generation functional prototype (proof of concept). Now, in view of confirming complete validation, elaborated in vivo tests must be made in collaboration with medical research institutes in Montreal.
Because of the high number of patients diagnosed with cancer, tumor targeting, target chemotherapy and chemoembolization are of special interest for modern medicine. Nevertheless, many tumors are still out of reach to catheterization (in particular the ones that must be targeted in regions only accessible through smaller diameter vessels). Some 40 years after the release of the “Fantastic Voyage”, Prof. Martel came up with the solution. He developed a MRI based platform which enables to reach targets usually inaccessible to catheterization. Its applications include cells targeting, chemo-embolization and local hyperthermia.
“Smart textiles” are already everywhere. Essentially used for their technical performances and their functional properties, they are forecasted to represent 80 % of textiles by 2020. Current photonic textiles, usually made from conventional optical fibers (fiberglasses, usually used in telecommunications), have been shown to be limited in terms of applications since they cannot be woven and don’t provide a uniform coloration in time. Prof. Skorobogatiy proposes to use plastic fibers constituted by successive layers of polymers. From a single light source, Pr. Skorobogatiy’s fibers naturally emit a homogenous color which is controllable in real-time. Furthermore, since they are made of polymers, they can be easily woven using a common loom.
In the past decades, the flow cytometry technologies became a routine test for counting, and discriminating microscopic particles in a stream of fluid. To better discriminate each cell type, these techniques require a first step of fluorescence labeling. This step makes difficult to reuse the sample for further experimentations. Using a refractometer as a detector permits to skip this step. The Prof. Yves-Alain Peter and his team introduce a low cost and high resolution refractometer. Due to its organization, it is capable to characterize a particle in a volume. All its components are fabricated simultaneously in one conventional microfabrication process.
Many methods allow the fabrication of microscopic pieces. However, because of technological limitations, they have been confined to relatively thin device architectures (a few layers) and are limited by materials constraints. To overcome these limitations, Prof. Therriault proposes a radiation-assisted direct-writing approach which allows manufacturing in a straightforward manner and in ambient conditions 3D functionalized microstructures.
In 1966, a microscopic submarine entered a diplomat’s bloodstream to remove a blood clot in his brain and thus save the world from certain nuclear annihilation.
Some 40 years after the release of this movie “Fantastic Voyage”, this extraordinary vision from Hollywood becomes a reality with MR-SUB, a MRI-based platform for medical target interventions developed by a team led by Dr. Sylvain Martel from Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal.
From October 3rd to October 10th were held in Montreal the Entretiens Jacques Cartier 2008.
We participated in the “Healthcare technologies Seminar” and presented four of our projects.
1 – Fast, Low Temp Sterilization
We propose a set of technologies of know-how enabling the development of fast, effective and low temperature sterilization equipments for medical instruments (heat sensitive, catheters, etc.). We are seeking financing and industry partners to support commercial deployment of these uniques patented technologies and expertise.
2 – Spasticity measurement device
Resent clinical scales used to estimate spasticity, a neurogical symptom, have questionable validity, inconsistent reliability and are subjective. We offer the first clinical device for a valid, reliable, and objective measurement of spasticity. The technology is currently available for exclusive or non-exclusive licensing to a medical/rehabilitation technology company that will develop the technology into a marketable device or integrate it into an existing one.
3 – Vascular phantom
There is a need for anthropomorphic flow phantoms that allow in vitro investigation of vascular diseases such as stenoses and abdominal aortic aneurysms. We offer a patent pending multimodality imaging phantom with superior caracteristics that fill this need. Univalor is seeking an exclusive or an non-exclusive license agreement with a company in the medical imaging market.
4 – Visual Cortical Implant
For the first time worldwide, we present a miniaturized electronic device providing all sightless people, with hope of functional vision.
One of our patent application has just been successfully reviewed by the USPTO and is now allowed for issuance as a patent: a new SPR biosensor developed by Prof. Skorobogatiy at Ecole Polytechnique de Montréal.
Prof. Skorobogatiy proposes the miniaturization of waveguide-based SPR biosensors. This miniature biosensors operate from IR to visible wavelengths while providing comparable sensitivity to its laboratory predecessors.
The first challenge overcome to achieve portability was to satisfy phase matching condition between waveguide mode and plasmon by employing a multilayer photonic crystal waveguide with a low refractive index core. This enables tuning of the effective refractive index of the Gaussian-like core mode anywhere from zero to the core dielectric. Phase matching with plasmon at any desirable wavelength is achieved using any material combination for the waveguide.
About Univalor’s IP Portfolio:
Between 2001 and 2008, about 520 discoveries arising from Université de Montréal and its affiliated institutions have been evaluated by Univalor and more than 900 patents applications have been filed. Univalor currently has approximately 265 patents and patents pending in its portfolio.
The June edition of Vector is now available! Everything you want to now about Protein tagging, Dry AMD, Filterless Image Sensor and Treatmen of Celiac disease is inside. Come and take a look.
Didier, Morgan and myself are working on new projects:
- Process to build 3D microstructures in real time and in the ambiant condition
- Optical Fiber Structure for Laser Cooling of Solids
- Real-time File transfert monitoring system over a network (Internet, Wireless, etc…)
- Optimized Nanocalorimeter
- Optical device for RBG generation (application targeted: digital projector)
Feel free to contact us if you’re interested in one of them.
The April 2008 edition of the Vector newsletter is now available.
Featuring this month:
1 – Signature of a license agreement with South Korean company Dungil
Rubber Belt Co. Ltd regarding an earthquake-resistant bracing technology.
2 – A real-time image processing technogy
3 – A new vaccine for “Streptococcus suis”, an infectious bacterial pathogen in porks
To read this edition, click here
As usual your comments are very welcome!
Prof. Yves-Alain Peter, École Polytechnique de Montréal, developed a tunable fiber laser able to tune over the C-Band.
This system uses a Fabry-Perot cavity actuated by an electrostatic comb drive, developed by Yves-Alain as well, to tune the fiber laser.
This allows a very compact integration, as well as large and fast tuning of wavelength.
This fiber laser finds applications in telecommunication, laser machining and bio-mechanical sensor using high quality integrated tunable fiber lasers.
Yves-Alain’s system is now protected by a US provisional patent application and we’re seeking an industrial partner interested in commercializing it. Further info is available on Flintbox. Interested in learning more?
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