In perspective: the role of technology licensing in new product development at Spectris
At Spectris we place great emphasis on the ability to understand customers’ needs and convert this knowledge into innovation in products and processes. We look for new technologies not only within our own businesses, but also those developed elsewhere which we can apply in specific environments. The outcome is a number of new products which have resulted from collaboration and licensing agreements with universities, other institutions and industry. Malvern and PANalytical are good examples of companies which have benefited from recent collaboration projects, resulting in new products being introduced, but a number of other Spectris companies have also taken advantage of technologies developed by third parties which are already in production and which they can incorporate into their own systems to create appropriate solutions for their customers. This mixture of in-house development, combined with the licensing of third-party technology where appropriate, has helped us to significantly improve our competitive positions in many markets.
Malvern Instruments has recently entered into an agreement with ImageTherm Engineering of the USA, whereby ImageTherm will manufacture and supply its SprayVIEW® NSx nasal spray actuation system for the Malvern Spraytec particle size analyzer. This is in addition to an existing relationship with InnovaSystems Inc that allows Malvern to offer the InnovaSystems Nasal Spray Product Enhanced Actuation Station integrated with the Malvern Spraytec. The Spraytec system uses the technique of laser diffraction for high speed droplet size measurements in concentrated sprays and aerosols. It is being widely adopted within the pharmaceutical industry for the characterisation of nasal sprays, inhalers and nebulisers. ImageTherm and InnovaSystems' technologies enhance the ability of manufacturers to meet the requirements set out by the US Food & Drug Administration's draft guidance covering the testing of nasal aerosols and sprays.
A number of licensed technologies are used in PANalytical’s range of X-ray analysis products. An X-ray laboratory system that combines both small-angle and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS and WAXS) in one experiment has been developed in partnership with Austrian instrument manufacturer Anton Paar GmbH and Prof. O. Glatter from the Karl-Franzens University, Graz, Austria. The result of this cooperation is a modern analytical tool, consisting of a high-performance SAXS instrument, a compact X-ray generator and versatile software for data acquisition, evaluation and simulation. Using the benefits of modern focusing multilayer optics, the instrumentation is used to measure particle size distribution, shape and internal structure, molecular weight, porosity and degree of crystallinity. These parameters are particularly of interest for the study of nanomaterials, proteins, viruses and DNA complexes in nanoscience and technology, life science and biotechnology applications.
Microscan has recently launched its LightRay Optics product which makes the reading of 2-D (data matrix) bar codes easier. The design and intellectual property (including two patents) for this product was acquired from InData Systems. LightRay Optics can be attached to Microscan's hand-held bar code reader, improving the lighting and therefore the reading performance. Many data matrix codes are not readable under standard lighting, but the LightRay Optics attachment makes even low contrast codes and codes marked on textured surfaces quick and easy to read.
At Loma, a license was obtained from Glasgow University for the use of their radio frequency reception and analysis for use in temperature measurement in food and pharmaceuticals. This was incorporated into the Celsius product, a unique patented system for measuring the temperature of chilled foods. Microwave thermal sensing technology measures the energy emitted by food products, translates this to a temperature reading and records the temperature electronically. As well as being more accurate than conventional temperature testing methods, the microwave technology is non-invasive and enables samples to be tested without destroying them, eliminating product wastage.
Particle Measuring Systems uses Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) technology to monitor molecular contamination as it interacts with critical surfaces. SAW technology enables ultra-sensitive measurement of molecular depositions on surfaces such as silicon dioxide, copper and silver caused by hydrocarbons, acidic gases and inorganic contaminants. It offers real-time sampling and sub-ppb sensitivity which allows quantitative measurements to be made for optics and wafer contamination, chemical filter efficiency, and cleanroom monitoring, identifying contamination events which can be investigated and corrected to give improved yields. Using licensed SAW technology, Particle Measuring Systems' AiM range of products are used in ultra-clean environments for the production of semiconductors, aerospace optics and the manufacture of electronic devices such as hard disk drives and flat panel displays.
These are just some examples of how we continue to use our market and customer knowledge to develop new products, working with other partners to provide the necessary technology expertise where appropriate. In addition to ensuring that our products utilise the best available technology, this approach also enables us to bring new products to market faster.