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Nanoscale 3D printed optical elements are the next-generation security features in physical products to combat the globally evolving problem of counterfeiting. Due to the design of complex structures with ultra-high resolution, nanoscale 3D printed optical elements are extremely difficult to copy by other means, while producing special optical effects for authentication. This technology involves the design and fabrication of nanoscale 3D structures by two-photon polymerization lithography. These structures have ultra-high resolution of up to 100,000 dots per inch (dpi) and are used to control the various properties (amplitude, phase, colour, orbital angular momentum) of visible light to achieve special optical effects. For example, a wide range of colours are directly produced by varying the geometry of the nanostructures, and do not require any additional processing steps.  The optical effects serve as security features that can be verified by naked eye, lasers, and optical microscope setups. This technology can be used as product authentication labels in high-value goods such as medicine, jewellery, and watches to prevent counterfeiting. Nanoscale 3D printing enables the fabrication of complex optical elements with ultra-high resolution. The key advantages of the technology are given below - Resolution of up to 100,000 dpi compared to conventional technologies which work at ~ 1000 dpi. Optically stable elements. Environment friendly and non toxic. The fabricated nanostructures are made of polymers and compared to technologies in this domain like quantum dots, are potentially more stable and with a lower risk of toxicity. This technology promises new and improved capabilities for security applications. nanomaterials, optics, anti counterfeiting Materials, Nano Materials, Electronics, Lasers, Optics & Photonics, Manufacturing, Additive Manufacturing, Moulding, Sintering, Casting & Nanoimprinting

Corrosion of metal structures is often addressed as one of the main prevailing problems in aerospace, petrochemical, marine, automobile and aeronautical industries. Most of the currently existing technologies for corrosion detection lack sensitivity and focus on direct viewing, which restricts defect detection in difficult to access areas such small channels, technical cavities, pipelines, tunnels, oil wells and others. A flexible ultraspectral imaging-based probe, capable of providing more than hundreds of spectral bands would be the best choice in case of sensitive and early stages detection of defects and corrosion in human inaccessible area. This invention discloses a portable specialised imaging probe that uses fast (snapshot) and non-destructive imaging technology for early detection of stresses, contamination, and corrosion.   The ultraspectral probe presented here consists of bundles of lighting and imaging fibres in a small diameter flexible configuration. The main features of the probe are - Integrated wideband lighting source. Flexible with a diameter of less than 5mm. Optical NDT capability in multiple spectral bands. Early corrosion detection capability. Real-time remote monitoring capability Applicable to any metal inspection. Paired with a reference library specific to the material under inspection, the probe can potentially automate the corrosion inspection process.  The probe essentially offers ultraspectral imaging capability in difficult to access area. There are multiple use cases that can benefit from this – Corrosion monitoring in technical cavities and slots of aircrafts, automobiles and gas pipelines. Bond pad corrosion detection in semiconductor industry. Characterisation and detection in areas such as biomedical imaging, metrology, agriculture etc. The flexible integrated ultraspectral probe allows inspection in previously inaccessible areas for visual NDT inspections. The inherent digitization of the data in multiple spectral bands further adds to the possibility of using the probe for early detection of corrosion and for automating the inspection task. The probe also simplifies inspection in small cavities and pipes and facilitates efficient and early remedial actions.   Corrosion, Non Destructive Imaging, Non Destructive Testing, Probe, Ultraspectral, Technical Cavity Inspection Electronics, Sensors & Instrumentation, Lasers, Optics & Photonics

The technology presented here is a software stack (Agile Framework) for autonomous system development and deployment. This agile framework serves as a software container/launchpad for various autonomous technology related software modules. This includes localization and mapping, navigation and control, planning, perception, sensor fusion, HMI and others. The agile framework also provides a suite of digital-twin simulation and modelling tools for developers to test and validate algorithms prior to deployment on real hardware. It is dockerized for quick and seamless deployment. Developers can quickly build up an autonomous system using this stack, like assembling a set of LEGOS. Simulation models can be used to carry out different experiments while the actual deployment can be done using docker. Agile Framework: A software “container” that serves as a launchpad for various autonomous system/ technology software modules, including but not limited to robot/ sensor driver interface, robot platform control module, localization and mapping, navigation and path planning, perception, mission planning, etc.   Extensible and reconfigurable: The stack uses *.yaml file for configuration changes.  Process management (spawn and kill) and monitoring in one view  Resource management: memory usage, CPU loading, etc.   Dockerized  The software stack can be used for different use cases including - Autonomous system/robot development. Autonomous system software deployment.  Engineering education: Robotics, autonomous system, drone, etc.    Though there is a high demand for autonomous systems from different sectors, developers often face challenges in transitioning the innovative use cases to an autonomous system product. These challenges include but are not limited to - long product development cycle, high R&D cost, resource-intensive testing and deployment process, and decoupled user-developer development process. The agile framework presented here offers following advantages – Reduced entry point requirement by applying a LEGO like approach to autonomous system development. Easier testing and deployment with a GUI interface and yaml based configuration. Reduced R&D cost and development time.   Autonomous Systems, Autonomous Rovot, Software Stack, Docker Manufacturing, Assembly, Automation & Robotics, Infocomm, Robotics & Automation, Logistics, Inventory Management

A challenge faced by many chemical processing plants is the high process temperature and high energy consumption. For example, in the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) production process, one of the commonly used approaches of concentrating the medicine is by evaporation. This process operates at 100°C and aims to remove 2/3 of the total amount of water from the feed solution. The main issues are: High operating temperature causing irreversible damage to the active ingredients. Taking up 75% of the overall energy consumed. 2-3 days to process one batch of the extracted liquid. Labour-intensive and hard to scale up. Furthermore, as the production is operated in batch mode, the boiler needs to be turned off and on (heating and cooling) frequently. To overcome these challenges, the membrane – pervaporation system has been developed. The operating principles have been tested at laboratory scale using actual TCM products. The operating temperature can be lowered so that the risk of damage to the active ingredients is reduced. It was computed that an energy saving of 39% can be achieved. The team that designed and developed the system is well-versed with membrane technology and is ready to transfer the know-how and knowledge. They are seeking partners to collaborate and further develop this proof-of-concept for commercial deployment, targeting applications where thermal damage to high value active ingredients are of concern.      The integrated membrane – pervaporation system provides an attractive alternative for the purification and concentration of water-based extracts. The system makes use of proven technologies that are widely deployed in the industry to help reduce implementation risk and cost. It uses widely available commercial hollow fibre ultrafiltration membranes (operating at a low pressure of a few bar) from the water treatment industry to directly process the filtrate and then further concentrate the permeate using pervaporation technique which uses widely available polymeric hollow fibre membranes. With such a system, a lower operating temperature can be used on the feed solution thereby reducing energy footprint and also reducing the risk to thermal damage on the active ingredients in the permeate. The system produces water vapour from the condenser that is downstream to the pervaporate, which can be condensed into distilled water for other applications. The system’s operating parameters can be customised to meet the specific requirements needed to preserve the active ingredients’ functional properties and at the same time balance the overall processing time and energy consumption. Potential applications include: Purification and concentration of liquid extract (e.g. TCM) Purification and concentration of liquid food and beverage products Recycling of alcohol solvent in semiconductor industry Separation, purification and concentration of liquid chemical products in chemical industry Separation, purification and concentration of intermediate and final products in pharmaceutical industry Water treatment and seawater desalination Operating at a lower temperature to minimise the damage to active ingredients The system has the potential to significantly reduce the energy consumption by 39% Increase purity of the end products It can be automated for continuous production Pervaporation, TCM, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Concentration, Active Ingredient, Evaporation, Boiling, Membrane filtration, Filtration Manufacturing, Chemical Processes, Foods, Ingredients, Sustainability, Low Carbon Economy

Routine monitoring of water quality is paramount in aquaculture operations such as Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) to ensure high productivity and high produce quality. Currently, the monitoring of microbial content in water is mostly based on visualisation of water turbidity and observation of fish behaviour. Some RAS operations use the bacterial culture-based approach for surveillance of microbial quality of water. However, this approach is laborious, requires microbiological testing expertise, and test results are obtainable only after a long incubation period.  Bioluminescent ATP assay is another method that can be used to monitor microbial content. However, it requires lysis of bacteria to release the ATP contained inside the bacteria, and enzymatic reaction of luciferase on ATP to produce the luminescence. While it provides results within a short time, the cost of luciferase, lysis reagents and luminometer could be prohibitive for routine and extensive testing of water samples.   The technology owner has developed a non-enzymatic test reagent which gives a rapid colour change in the presence of Gram-negative bacteria. The technology owner is keen to collaborate with manufacturers of analytical instruments and diagnostic test kits, as well as partners from the aquaculture, biomedical and water quality control industries, to further develop and commercialise this technology. Features of this novel test reagent include: Fast reaction, any colour change is visible within 15-20 seconds Specific detection of Gram-negative bacteria, e.g. Vibrio spp., which contribute to many of the bacterial diseases in aquaculture Does not require samples to be treated with lysis buffer prior to adding the test reagent Can be prepared easily by simple mixing of a formulated solution with a powder Environmentally benign and not corrosive This test reagent is efficient in detecting aquatic bacteria in aquaculture farms. It is a convenient, instrument-free, and economical alternative to detect presence of Gram-negative bacteria, enabling more farmers to monitor the microbial content more regularly and frequently to avoid the disease outbreaks.  It may also be applied in other sectors which require routine monitoring of bacteria, such as environmental water testing laboratories, biomedical and pharmaceutical industries. Rapid colour change and can be visualised without the use of any electronic devices Quick and simple preparation and testing method without involving special equipment or personnel with advanced microbiological testing expertise  Ingredients of the test reagent are commercially available at low cost Environmentally benign and do not require special treatment for disposal  Unlike ATP reagents that require storage at low temperatures, this test reagent is stable at 25-30°C for at least 8 months Rapid, Colorimetric, Detection, Non-Enzymatic, Aquatic, Bacteria Life Sciences, Agriculture & Aquaculture, Chemicals, Analysis, Environment, Clean Air & Water, Sensor, Network, Monitoring & Quality Control Systems, Sustainability, Food Security

Thin film composite (TFC) membranes are the main membrane types for reverse osmosis (RO) and nanofiltration (NF) membranes. RO membranes can be used for desalination, utility water treatment, wastewater treatment and reuse as well as process water treatment. NF membranes can allow monovalent ions, such as sodium chloride, to pass through the membrane, while rejecting divalent and multivalent ions, such as sodium sulfate. It has applications in the diary, food, dye, biotech, pharmaceutical and industrial processes for concentrating targeted streams. Boosting membrane permeability without a decrease in their rejection to target ions has been the objective of many membrane producers. Many methods have been proposed in literature to achieve the target, such as incorporating nanoparticles or surfactants. However, the synthesis of uniform nanoparticles in large scale is a problem and the long-term stability of nanoparticles in the polyamide layer is of concern. The process of adding surfactants is also not controllable, leading to a potential concern for quality control in the final membrane product. This invention relates to a simple method to increase the water permeability of thin film composite membranes for nanofiltration and reverse osmosis by 2 to 5 times. The chemicals involved are readily commercially available and the method is simple without the need to change the existing production line. In this technology, the researchers have identified additives that are thermodynamically stable and can be synthesised with a narrow size distribution. Compared to surfactants, the additives have controllable size, which can help fabricate nanofiltration membrane with precise rejection to target ions. These features can facilitate future large scale production of the improved TFC membrane. This invention can be applied to all types of TFC membranes, including NF and RO membranes, which can be used for desalination, utility water treatment, wastewater treatment, etc.  According to MarketsandMarkets, the global membranes market is projected to reach USD10.1 billion by 2027. NF membranes are expected to grow the fastest with multiple end users. The water and wastewater treatment segment is the main driver for the RO membrane market. The global RO membrane market size is expected to reach about USD5 billion by 2026.  Water permeability can be increased by 2-5 times with minimal trade-off of salt rejection of the membrane Does not require changes to the existing production line Works on support with different chemistries (e.g. PES, PSF) Works on both flat sheet and hollow fiber supports   Nanofiltration, reverse osmosis, Thin film composite (TFC) membranes, nanofiltration (NF) membranes Materials, Composites, Environment, Clean Air & Water, Filter Membrane & Absorption Material

Thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membranes are a promising technology for desalination to increase water permeability of thin-film composite (TFC) membranes without compromising selectivity. However, their widespread use has been limited by the time and resources required to synthesise the necessary nanomaterials.  This invention relates to a methodology to form TFN membranes directly on TFC membranes, resulting in membranes with enhanced water permeability with little compromise on salt rejection.  By optimising the preparation process and adjusting the concentrations of nanomaterial precursors, an optimal TFN membrane was achieved with a water permeance of 3.36 LMH/bar and a salt rejection of 98.22%. This represents an 84% improvement in water permeance compared to the pristine membrane, without sacrificing salt rejection performance. This new method simplifies the process of integrating nanomaterials into TFN membranes, removing the need for tedious and resource-intensive nanomaterial synthesis, and allowing for practical scaling-up and even modification of commercial membranes. This technology may be applied in wastewater reclamation and saline water desalination using reverse osmosis (RO) technology due to the improved water permeability and salt rejection properties. According to a MarketsandMarkets report, the global membrane market was valued at USD 6.4 billion in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 10.1 billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 9.7% from 2022 to 2027. Reduces TFN membrane fabrication time as nanoparticles do not need to be synthesised in advance Enhances water permeability of TFC membranes without much compromise in salt rejection Method can be applied onto TFC membranes which have already been formed Thin-Film Composite membranes, reverse osmosis, wastewater reclamation, brackish water desalination Materials, Composites, Environment, Clean Air & Water, Filter Membrane & Absorption Material

One-fifth of all local and imported food in Singapore and about 15% of all food globally is spoiled during the supply chain due to inadequate food transport facilities. To overcome this, the startup offers a patented technology in the form of a hardware device that emits a magnetic interference field. It can be used throughout the supply chain starting immediately after harvest and all the way to storage and display. In particular, this technology has great potential to be applied during the food transportation when the chance of spoilage is highest due to reasons such as overripening caused by supply chain delays. The startup is looking to collaborate with food logistics and storage companies, as well as retailers, to integrate their solution. This technology locks the water inside fresh food, minimises bacteria and mold growth, thus extending the food shelf life by at least 30%. Each small semi-circular device can cover a region of 24 inches in diameter and 15 inches in height. The device is completely passive and requires no energy or maintenance. The useful life of the device is 3 years and the energy field emission conforms to WHO safety guidelines. This technology can be applied to slow down food spoilage in: Cold chain containers Non-cold chain containers Food transport trucks Food storage baskets Refrigerators (Domestic and Commercial) Supermarket shelves It may also be applied during farming process to enhance plant growth and reduce water requirements.  The unique value proposition of this technology lies in the following areas: Extends food shelf life in fluctuating ambient conditions No energy or maintenance required  Effective and economical in reducing food waste by up to 40% food preservation, supply chain, food storage, fresh food Materials, Nano Materials, Foods, Packaging & Storage

Lipid nanoparticles have undergone significant advancements in biomedicine, evolving into a sophisticated platform for delivering therapeutic agents and imaging agents. Their biocompatibility, tuneable properties, and successful translation into clinical applications signify their maturity as a versatile and effective technology. This technology is a patented lipid nanoparticle technology platform, designed to harness unique synergies from a combination of: (1) novel core fluorescence materials with tuneable wavelengths; (2) biocompatible lipid encapsulation matrix, delivering challenging materials in water-based environment; (3) surface functionalisation on nanoparticles, allowing for tailored targeting functionalities. The technology is a key enabling solution for advanced fluorescence imaging and detection, with characteristics of high brightness, sensitivity, and biocompatibility. The high sensitivity and specificity of the technology allow researchers to obtain accurate and conclusive experimental data, whereas outstanding photostability eliminates concerns of signal loss, enabling precise visualization and long-term monitoring of cellular processes for both in-vitro and in-vivo studies. The introduction of this technology opens new possibilities in accelerating biomedical breakthroughs, empowering studies in long-term in-vivo cell fate determination, drug development utilizing advanced 3D organoids, monitoring stem cell differentiation, transplantation, and potential for precision medicine and early diagnostic platforms, driving personalized therapeutic approaches, and leading to significant advancements in biomedicine and other similar applications. The technology owner is seeking partners for research and application development projects, with the goal of integrating this technology into existing workflows and protocol for biotech companies and contract research organisations. This technology is a patented water-soluble fluorescence lipid nanoparticles that exhibits the following characteristics: Strong brightness – 10 times higher than quantum dots of similar size Increased sensitivity with lower limit of detection (LOD) of targeted biomarkers Biocompatible and photostable platform with minimal cell toxicity and exceptional signal retention >95% cell viability after 48 hours Compatible with cancer cells, bone marrow stem cells, induced-pluripotent stem cells etc Choice of novel core fluorescence materials with emission signal from visible to NIR-I/II spectral range Visible range: 540 nm, 670 nm or others NIR range: 800 nm, 1000 nm or others Configurable surface functionalisation with different conjugation chemistry Thiol and maleimide Amine and NHS ester Streptavidin and biotin Click chemistry This technology can be used in biomedical applications that require high biocompatibility and high flexibility for customisation to meet the different end users’ unmet requirements. Potential biomedical applications include (but are not limited to): Conjugation services Translational research Stem cell studies Immune-oncology development Drug development utilizing advanced 3D organoids Cell and gene therapies Personalised medicine Early disease detection and point-of-care diagnostics The presented technology is designed for easy integration into the above applications, accelerating breakthroughs in biomedical development by allowing end users to collect higher quality experimental data and information, through the benefits of highly compatibility and efficient materials with enhanced brightness, monitoring duration, sensitivity and specificity of detection. The market for advanced fluorescence imaging and detection is witnessing significant growth the demand for innovative biomedical solutions increases worldwide. This technology is designed to accelerate the advanced biomedical field, with focus on bio-imaging and disease detection related markets, such as global tumour profiling, personalised medicine, and Point-Of-Care diagnostics market. Total Addressable Market (TAM) is defined by the global market of fluorescence biomarker applications, including bio-imaging, flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence assays. In overall terms, the fluorescence label market is worth $8.64 billion in 2022. Selecting the materials-based market from the above gives the global fluorophores market valued at $869.3M. Biocompatibility and stability:  The fluorescence nanoprobes are biocompatible and can be delivered to cells and tissues without worry of toxicity issues, maintaining high stability in the biological environment. High sensitivity and specificity: The fluorescence nanoprobes are ultra-bright even at low concentrations, capable of detecting targets when used in nanomolar level, enabling better visualisation and lower limit of detections (LOD) for targeted biomarkers. Highly customisable and configurable: The fluorescence nanoprobes are designed to be highly tuneable in wavelength, size, as well as surface functionalities, unlocking customization works for specific applications, including new fluorescence reporters, change of encapsulation materials, and surface bioconjugation, allowing fast turnaround development and production to address end users’ unmet application needs. The technology owner is seeking partners for research and application development projects, with the goal of integrating this technology into existing workflows and protocol for biotech companies and contract research organisations. biocompatible, fluorescence, lipid nanoparticles, functional targeting, imaging, diagnostics, photostability, biomedical, nanomaterials, dyes, functional materials, surface functionalisation, cells, detection, water-soluble, encapsulation Materials, Nano Materials, Bio Materials, Healthcare, Diagnostics, Pharmaceuticals & Therapeutics, Life Sciences, Biotech Research Reagents & Tools