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A UK-based client offering custom-designed vacuum systems and time-of-flight mass spectrometers for characterisation of client experiments and processes.

Summary

Profile Type
  • Technology offer
POD Reference
TOGB20240814014
Term of Validity
16 August 2024 - 16 August 2025
Company's Country
  • United Kingdom
Type of partnership
  • Research and development cooperation agreement
  • Commercial agreement with technical assistance
Targeted Countries
  • Germany
  • France
  • Poland
  • Switzerland
  • Austria
  • Ukraine
  • Denmark
  • Czechia
  • Romania
  • Portugal
  • Hungary
  • Spain
  • Bulgaria
  • Belgium
  • Sweden
  • Italy
  • Netherlands
  • Greece
  • Slovenia
  • Luxembourg
  • Montenegro
  • Moldova
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Ireland
  • Estonia
  • Lithuania
  • Albania
  • Latvia
  • Finland
  • Malta
  • Croatia
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General information

Short Summary
This UK-based client designs and manufactures time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) and ultra-high vacuum (UHV) systems. They offer technology for:
-Gas, liquid and solid chemical TOF-MS analysis.
-Secondary ion TOF-MS (TOF-SIMS) surface analysis.
-Bespoke design of UHV systems.
-Customised software to optimise the user interface and experimental design.
The client seeks opportunities to partner on R&D projects, to design and manufacture bespoke instrumentation, and to supply consultancy.
Full Description
The client is a UK-registered company located in Cambridgeshire. They are a small-to-medium-sized enterprise, formed in 1991. Their team designs and manufactures time-of-flight mass spectrometers (TOF-MS) and customised ultra-high vacuum (UHV) systems, either as stand-alone projects or to integrate with existing equipment. They have a global client base of academic and industrial institutions across the high-tech, environmental, energy, and defence sectors.
They offer instrumentation and consultancy services for:
-Gas, liquid and solid chemical analysis, using proton-transfer reaction (PTR) and electron impact (EI) TOF-MS.
-Surface chemistry analysis, using TOF secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS).
-Customised software, to optimise the user interface of their mass spectrometers.
-Bespoke design projects involving UHV.
The client seeks opportunities to partner on R&D projects, to design and manufacture bespoke instrumentation, and to supply consultancy.
Their goal is to meet new collaborators, advance the field in TOF-MS R&D, open opportunities in emerging sectors, and use relevant networks for effective knowledge translation.
Advantages and Innovations
Time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOF-MS) offers the clear advantage of parallel ion detection. All ions present in the source can be analysed at once (rather than filtering and scanning a range of masses), giving TOF analyser systems a very high overall sensitivity.
The suitability of TOF-MS for analysing fast, transient signals makes it ideal not only for laboratory experiments but also for real-time analysis in the field, such as:
Environment — water, soil, atmosphere and air quality.
Real-time measurements of pollutants, hazardous and nuisance emissions.
Industry and Process — quality control, health and safety, production line, food/drinks flavour analysis.
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) analysis in biological processes, breath analysis.
Forensics — arson, explosives, chemical warfare agents, drugs of abuse.
The advent of high speed electronics and high stability voltage supplies in the late 1980s allowed physicists to harness the potential of TOF-MS. Members of the client’s team have been involved in most aspects of this development.
Their personnel have an outstanding skillset combining physics, chemistry, electronics and software.
Their longstanding expertise in custom TOF-MS, large repository of components, and extensive back catalogue of existing designs, combined with any one-off engineering that is required, allows them to rapidly prototype and create reasonably priced instruments tailored to specific requirements.
The client provides installation, application support, remote/in-person training, maintenance and servicing contracts by their UK team and global representatives.
The client seeks opportunities to partner on R&D projects, to design and manufacture bespoke instrumentation, and to supply consultancy.
Stage of Development
  • Already on the market
Sustainable Development Goals
  • Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
  • Goal 14: Life Below Water
  • Goal 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
  • Goal 13: Climate Action
  • Goal 3: Good Health and Well-being
  • Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
  • Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
  • Goal 15: Life on Land
  • Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

Partner Sought

Expected Role of a Partner
The Client is offering to partner on TOF-MS and UHV R&D projects, to design and manufacture bespoke instrumentation, and to provide consultancy. The seek partnerships that will provide new commercial opportunities for their company, either directly by increasing their sales funnel, or indirectly by raising their company profile.
Type and Size of Partner
  • SME 11-49
  • Big company
  • SME 50 - 249
  • University
  • R&D Institution
Type of partnership
  • Research and development cooperation agreement
  • Commercial agreement with technical assistance

Dissemination

Technology keywords
  • 09001002 - Analyses / Test Facilities and Methods
  • 08002001 - Detection and Analysis methods
  • 05001001 - Analytical Chemistry
Market keywords
  • 03007003 - Other analytical and scientific instrumentation
Sector Groups Involved
  • Health
Targeted countries
  • Germany
  • France
  • Poland
  • Switzerland
  • Austria
  • Ukraine
  • Denmark
  • Czechia
  • Romania
  • Portugal
  • Hungary
  • Spain
  • Bulgaria
  • Belgium
  • Sweden
  • Italy
  • Netherlands
  • Greece
  • Slovenia
  • Luxembourg
  • Montenegro
  • Moldova
  • Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Ireland
  • Estonia
  • Lithuania
  • Albania
  • Latvia
  • Finland
  • Malta
  • Croatia