The Purdue Research Foundation Office of Technology Commercialization updates the innovations on its Available Technologies page on a regular basis. Over the course of a month, the hundreds of innovations already on the page are joined by dozens of others; all are available for licensing and other commercialization activities.
These are 10 of the newest technologies listed on the OTC website:
Additive Manufacturing of Functional Materials. 2022-NEWE-69857
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a new method for additive manufacturing (3-D printing) of functional materials. No methods that combine additive manufacturing and electric poling currently exist, significantly limiting the range of materials that can be electrically polarized. The Purdue researchers’ method allows for electric poling of complex geometric structures.
Automated BIM Analysis to Support Automation in Offsite Construction. 2022-ZHAN-69629
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a methodology for the automated analysis of industry foundation classes (IFC)-based building information modeling (BIM) design models. This analysis method is intended to help designers, engineers and manufacturers of wood-framed construction who need further analysis of the building components during the lifecycle of the building.
Continuous Flow Synthesis of A2E. 2022-THOM-69651
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a set of reaction conditions to optimize production of N-Retinylidene-N-retinylethanolamine (A2E). Synthetic A2E is often used to simulate vision impairment in vitro, providing insights into the mechanisms of eye conditions. In a continuous flow reactor, the researchers obtained an 87-fold reduction in reaction time, from 48 hours to 33 minutes, with an accompanying yield improvement from 49% to 78%.
Device for Rapid Detection of Bacterial and Viral RNA in Biological Fluids. 2022-STAN-69553
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a new method to detect enveloped bacteria and viruses. The technology rapidly detects small amounts of the RNA released when the viral/bacterial envelope is compromised under high-temperature conditions. This device can be used as a platform of point-of-care testing for enveloped bacteria and viruses.
Higher Binding Strength of Surgical Sealant. 2018-LIU-68335
Researchers at Purdue University have modified their first-generation surgical sealant to improve its adhesive strength. The adhesive strength was also measured on aluminum, and it was found that the second generation was 130% stronger than first generation adhesive and 14,000% stronger than Tisseel, a commercially available surgical sealant from Baxter.
Ionic Wind for Vacuum Generation. 2020-COOK-69111
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a new method for generating ionic wind in mass spectrometers. Traditionally, a gas is moved through a container by conventional pumps, which can exhaust the gas. Purdue researchers introduce ionic wind moves directionally from high to low voltage at speed between 0.1-1.5 m/s, a uniquely noninvasive approach. This setup allows for smaller vacuum pumps and power supply units in mass spectrometers and similar equipment.
MySmartE: An Eco-feedback and Gaming Platform for Residential Energy Management. 2023-KARA-69985
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a platform to promote energy-conserving, thermostat adjustment behaviors. The system consists of a wall-mounted, digital thermostat connected with the MySmartE energy management app. The app provides custom action recommendations based on each household’s energy usage and promotes energy conservation through a collaborative, community-level game among residents.
N95 Filter/Mask Combination for Mitigation of Respiratory Disease Transmission. 2020-CAST-69030
Purdue University researchers have developed a pocket containing mask/interchangeable filter combination that when used together provide more protection than cotton masks alone. The pocket functions as an insert location for the filter placed over the mouth of the wearer. The filter is made of antibacterial and superhydrophobic N95 material and provides a simple alternative to the N95 masks while using fewer resources to produce.
A Novel Variable Stiffness Robotic Gripper. 2022-GAN-69770
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a robotic gripper that adapts its stiffness in response to material property. Robotic grippers function like arms for robots and are key in enhancing automation and understanding human-robot interaction. However, many robotic grippers have not struck a cost-effective balance between strength and flexibility. While traditional rigid grippers lack flexibility, recent soft grippers struggle with load bearing. Purdue researchers developed a gripper mechanism that changes the filling ratio of the cavity between the two parallel beams, allowing flexible grasping. This technology can rapidly alter its stiffness independent of the fingers, reducing cost and device complexity while improving grasping ability of the robotic arm.
Treatment of Lowe Syndrome with Repurposed Drugs. 2017-AGUI-67722
Researchers at Purdue University have developed a therapeutic strategy for Lowe Syndrome, a currently untreatable genetic disorder characterized by cognitive deficiencies, bilateral congenital cataracts and renal dysfunction that leads to the early death of those affected, often from kidney failure. The Purdue treatment method has the potential to reverse symptoms and offer patients a higher quality of life.