Research and Development

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Research and Development

• Discussion Topics
• What is it ?
• Who pays, who does it ?
• Why do it ?
• How to do it ?
• Case Study
• Start up company based on university research (
  Technology transfer)

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NASA Technology Readiness Levels
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Percentage of Budget by Agency

• Source AAAS

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Why Do It?

• Innovation drives new technologies /products
• Technology Push vs. Product Need
• Better mouse trap?
• Answer may depend on TRL
• Basic vs. applied research

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How To Do It ?

• Specific technical answer depends on field.
• Good reference for new methods and tools
• R D magazine (www.rdmag.com)
• IP/Patent Search as important as literature
  review
• See www.scientific.thomson.com for patent
  management

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Case Study Startup Company from UB Research

• Buffalo BioBlower Technologies startup based on
  research project in MAE Dept.
• Research on compressive heating of gases led to
  Air Purification device.
• Application to destruction of airborne biological
  hazards demonstrated.
• Funding obtained from DOD for Collective
  Protection system development.
• NYSTAR funding obtain to study transition to
  healthcare

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Steps in Buffalo BioBlower (B3) Startup

• Seed money from UB for POC experiments
• Brief DOD and Congressional Staffers
• DOD COLPRO funds further experiments
• Receive WNY BDF investment funds
• Participate in COLPRO Technology Readiness
  Evaluation
• Congressional appropriation received in 2006 DOD
  budget for further development

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BioBlower concept

• -uniform, instantaneous volumetric heating
  (25oC 300oC)
• one-step mechanism, same pump moves the airstream
  kills the pathogens

contaminated air inlet
Compressive heating of an airstream with a rotary
mechanical pump can be used to destroy ANY ALL
airborne biotoxins
sterilized hot air exhaust
adapting conventional Roots Blower technology
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History of MultiRecompressive Heating
MRH based on compressive heating of gases using
Roots-type mechanism
67-69 MRH concept developed for Calspan
Hypersonic Test Facility 76-81 LLNL
Project 94 Calspan IRD on Applications 96-0
2 CUBRC funded studies 02-present BioBlower
Extended Operation of Roots Blower
Temperature ratio (abs)
Pressure ratio
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University Experimental Protocol
9 x 108 CFU/mL
computer interface controls process parameters
sampling of .35 of total air flow out of
Bio-Blower
injection of constant flow of test spores,
Bacillus globigii, aerosol by nebulization into
the Bio-Blower
impinger traps spores in growth media for
culture analysis
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Initial Proof of Concept Testing, 04
- experiments performed _at_
- biotesting supported by
heat treated Bacillus globigii (Bg) spores are
continuously injected upstream of blower, then
sampled downstream
SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy) of biomaterial
which passed through the BioBlower at room
temperature, 20oC
at gt200oC temperature 3-4 orders log kill, 99.9
dead in a single pass through BioBlower
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How it works ! (we think)
5 ms
pressure oscillations temperature kill
pathogens -pathogens are in device on ms time
scale -achieve kills at much lower
temperatures -SEMs show little or no debris,
spores exploded
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DOD interest in BioBlower

• existing systems use passive filtration for
  biological agent protection, a logistic
  nightmare!

Over 400 suppliers of HEPA filter systems to the
military
BioBlower offers improvements in effectiveness,
logistics, operations and power consumption. Kill
pathogens on site! No replaceables needed
BioBlower does NOT use filters/UV lights/toxic
chemicals
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ST Funded BioBlower Testing, 05

• Objectives
• Develop Collection System to Obtain More
  Quantitative Measure of Kill Effectiveness
• Obtain data at 240o, 270o and 300oC
• Assess effects of organic bioload and dry spores
• Further objective
• Demonstrate blower operation at 300oC and 50 CFM

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Observe 6.5 log kill, in a single pass

• Filter Collection System Developed to
  Significantly Increase Spore Count
• Glass fiber filters difficult to use in flow
  environment
• Experiments run at 240o, 270o and 300o C
• Successful data collection at 240o C

99.9999 killed in single pass
25oC , 1,000,000 spores collected
glass fiber filter housing
240oC , 1 spore collected
Bst spores
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Current Status of Company

• University files patent application based on POC
  results
• B3 formed and obtained exclusive IP rights from
  university
• First generation prototype tested in TRE, device
  performed well
• DOD 2006 funding being used to build and test
  next generation prototype
• Advanced development/ technology demonstration
  funding being sought for 2008

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Key Steps in Start-Up Process

• Proof of Concept
• IP Protection
• Patent application
• Licensing agreement
• Securing Investment
• BDF investment (200K for 20 share)
• DOD ST funding (200K 50K UB match)
• Congressional DOD appropriation (1.5M)