Company info:
Name: NanoTech Analysis S.r.l
Date founded: 2013
Number of employees: 4
Location: Turin
Operating in the field of fluid and chemical analysis measurements. Company’s vision is to laid the ground for instruments operating at molecular (nano)‐scale.
Partners:
Innovation Management Partner:
Development of a smart sampling device based on NANOhole LEAKs for analytical instrumentation
Challenge
To miniaturize and to digitalize the gas sampling using combination of Nano Electro Mechanichal System (NEMS) and computing power that will lead to high resolution gas analyzer, multigas detectors, innovative GC-MS portable with electronic control and management signal that can be fully integrated on a chip structure.
Solution
The solution is based on an advanced fabrication technology that uses e-beam or stepper patterning to create the pores and then reduces the pore size in a controlled fashion. The pores an be closed off by a current-carrying beam, placed in a strong magnetic field, that moves driven by the Lorentz force.
FED4SAE Support
The NEMS device has been fabricated using CSEM advanced manufacturing/packaging technology platform: an array of submicronic hole is etched in a membrane and flexible beams are created to be able to close each hole individually.
Managing the gas flow is done by controlling currents applied on the beam array, using the STM32 platform. This resulted in realizing and implementing a complete smart management of the inlet gas flows’ control as a function of the sensor signal.
Blumorpho is supporting NanoTech Analysis in building business.
Impact
Gas analysis systems based on the membranes with the small pores are now available but the valves have, however, not demonstrated yet their ability to control the gas flow. Two analysis systems are available and are in almost continuous operation to demonstrate the abilities of the equipment to interested parties.
Simultaneously NanoTech Analysis has been able to build strong partnerships with two important Italian medical research institutions for the launch of two different programs aimed at detecting markers and signatures of specific diseases. The final scope is to realize an innovative scientific instrument able to join the compactness, mobility and high sensitivity resulting from the combination of nano and micro devices defined in the context of this program with more standard analytical techniques.
