I-Corps: Development of Novel Technology for Nanoparticle Characterization

University Of California-San Diego Scripps Inst Of Oceanography, La Jolla CA

Investigators

Abstract

The PI and his group have developed an innovative technology named Multi-spectral Apparatus for Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis (MANTA) for accurate characterization of nanoparticle concentrations and sizes in an unperturbed state, which is relevant for many applications and research areas; for instance medical, pharmaceutical, biochemical, physical and environmental. Tests with nanoparticle standards demonstrate that MANTA outperforms existing commercial technologies. The superior performance of MANTA is due to novel approaches including sample illumination and video recording of nanoparticle Brownian motion and to proprietary algorithms and software for analysis of video data. MANTA is capable of providing information on nanoparticles meeting outstanding needs not currently met by the existing technologies and that affects a broad variety of industrial sectors/applications which utilize nanotechnology, such as manufacturing diagnostics, the printing, drilling, and milling industries, and the production of cosmetics, pigments, inks, catalysts, and textiles. Because measurements of concentration and size distribution of nanoparticles are essential to many applications as stated above, a range of potential customers for MANTA technology is large and diverse with no single typical customer profile. MANTA ensures that the concentration and size of nanoparticles are accurately determined over a broad range of nanoparticle sizes. The innovative solutions of MANTA thus represent a transformative advancement in the area of nanoparticle analysis and a major competitive advantage over existing technologies. The team expects that MANTA will have transformative effects in a broad range of health and environmental applications, including the diagnosis of disease and pathological conditions, development of efficient and specific therapies, environmental risk assessment, food safety, and occupational health and safety risk management strategies.