Applied Nanodetectors has won an esteemed award as part of a Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) investment in innovation to develop a product that raises awareness and monitors the indoor pollutants found in homes. Funded by Innovate UK, the award is an acknowledgment of Applied Nanodetector’s success in nanosensor development in support to various direct and indirect healthcare issues.
Road to Success
Applied Nanodetectors has received funding to develop an indoor air quality (IAQ) unit that monitors the quality of the air while allowing the user to visualise the pollution around them so they can make a conscious effort to improve it. IAQ is one of the leading environmental risks, which affects people’s comfort, health and well-being. People spend around 90% of their time indoors, and daily exposure to indoor air pollutants may occasionally be more than 10 times higher than outdoor pollutants. It is estimated, for instance, that up to 20% of the population suffers from asthma and other allergic diseases caused by substances typically present in indoor environments. In addition, indoor pollutants such as tobacco smoke, radon, asbestos and formaldehyde may substantially contribute to the increase of cancer incidents in the population. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 700,000 people per year die from poor breathing conditions. Clearly, IAQ has a significant impact on people’s comfort and health.
Dr Victor Higgs, Founder and CEO of Applied Nanodetectors said: “We are really delighted and honoured to be awarded the SBRI contact. We plan to develop a smart home device to monitor indoor quality. We will utlise Applied Nanodetectors sensors and unique software technologies to create a healthier living environment”
“In this proposal, we plan to develop an ultrasensitive home-based IAQ sensing system that can detect adverse levels of pollution, predict and identify the pollution sources, and provide actionable suggestions to help people improve IAQ. Using this new system will enable users to correlate household tasks to pollution events and take action to reduce them. We believe this will lead to a behaviour change and positive action to reduce IAQ that affects their health”
The SBRI Phase 2 program continues from the achievement of completing a SBRI Phase 1 contract where Applied Nanodetectors demonstrated how they could provide an innovative and affordable solution to provide timely and appropriate information so households can make effective choices to protect themselves and those around them. This success will carry on in Phase 2 as the device is brought to fruition in aims to achieve the targets set.
If you would like to find out more information about the innovation project, please do get in touch.
About Applied Nanodetectors
We are currently developing a new point of care breath analysis device to diagnose and self-manage respiratory disease such as asthma and COPD. Our solution will not only lead to more accurate diagnosis but also empower users to manage their condition more effectively, improve their quality of life and reduce life threatening exacerbations.
About Innovate UK, the UK's Innovation Agency
Innovate UK drives productivity and economic growth by supporting businesses to develop and realise the potential of new ideas. We connect businesses to the partners, customers and investors that can help them turn ideas into commercially successful products and services and business growth. We fund business and research collaborations to accelerate innovation and drive business investment into R&D. Our support is available to businesses across all economic sectors, value chains and UK regions.
Innovate UK is part of UK research and Innovation. For more information, please visit www.innovateuk.ukri.org
About SBRI
SBRI provides innovative solutions to challenges faced by the public sector. This can lead to better public services and improved efficiency and effectiveness.
The SBRI programme:
- supports economic growth and enables the development of innovative products and services through the public procurement of R&D
- generates new business opportunities for companies
- provides a route to market for their ideas
- bridges the seed funding gap experienced by many early-stage companies
SBRI competitions are open to all organisations that can demonstrate a route to market for their solution. The SBRI scheme is particularly suited to small and medium-sized businesses, as the contracts are of relatively small value and operate on short timescales. Developments are 100% funded and focused on specific identified needs, increasing the chance of exploitation.
For more information, please visit www.gov.uk/government/collections/sbri-the-small-business-research-initiative
