Research and Development
 Discussion
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What is it ?
Who pays, who does it ?
Why do it ?
How to do it ?
 Case
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Topics
Study
Start up company based on university
research ( Technology transfer)
NASA
Technology
Readiness
Levels
Percentage of Budget by
Agency
Government Percent
Agency
DOD
55.5
HHS (NIH)
21.1
NASA
8.2
DOE
6.3
NSF
3.0
DHS
0.7
DOT
0.6
Source: AAAS
Why Do It?
 Innovation
drives new technologies
/products
 Technology Push vs. Product Need
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Better mouse trap?
 Answer
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may depend on TRL
Basic vs. applied research
How To Do It ?
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Specific technical answer depends on field.
 Good reference for new methods and tools:
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R & D magazine (www.rdmag.com)
IP/Patent Search as important as literature
review
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See www.scientific.thomson.com for patent
management
Case Study: Startup Company from
UB Research
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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
Steps in Buffalo BioBlower
(B3) Startup
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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
BioBlower concept
-uniform, instantaneous volumetric heating (25oC 300oC)
-one-step mechanism, same pump moves the airstream & kills the pathogens
Compressive heating of
an airstream with a
rotary mechanical
pump can be used to
destroy ANY & ALL
airborne biotoxins
adapting conventional Roots Blower technology
History of
MultiRecompressive Heating
MRH based on compressive heating of gases using Roots-type mechanism
’76-’81: LLNL Project
’94: Calspan IR&D on Applications
’96-’02: CUBRC funded studies
Temperature ratio (abs)
’67-69: MRH concept developed for
Calspan Hypersonic Test Facility Extended Operation of Roots Blower
Pressure ratio
’02-present: BioBlower
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
Initial Proof of Concept
Testing, ‘04
- experiments performed @
- 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 >200oC temperature
3-4 orders log kill, 99.9% dead
in a single pass through BioBlower
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
-SEM’s show little or no debris, spores exploded
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
S&T Funded BioBlower Testing, ‘05
 Objectives
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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
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objective
Demonstrate blower operation at 300oC and
50 CFM
Observe 6.5 log kill, in a single
pass
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Filter Collection System Developed to Significantly Increase Spore
Count
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Glass fiber filters difficult to use in flow environment
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Experiments run at 240o, 270o and 300o C
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Successful data collection at 240o C
99.9999% killed in single pass
25oC , 1,000,000 spores collected
glass fiber
240oC , 1 spore collected
Bst
spores
filter housing
Current Status of Company
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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
Key Steps in Start-Up Process
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Proof of Concept
 IP Protection
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Patent application
Licensing agreement
Securing Investment
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BDF investment ($200K for 20% share)
DOD S&T funding ($200K + $50K UB match)
Congressional DOD appropriation ($1.5M)