2140-11

Workshop on Entrepreneurship for Physicists and Engineers from Developing Countries

Regina Luttge

3 - 7 May 2010

University of Twente Netherlands

University-based innovation: from promises to products

University-based innovation:from promises to products

Regina Luttge

Mesoscale Chemical SystemsScience & Technology

MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology

Contact: r.luttge @ utwente.nl

Technicians22%

Permanent scientists

18%

Temporary scientists

57%

Support3%

MESA+

Combines nanotechnology, microsystems and materials sciences

60% from external sources (STW, NWO, FOM, EU, industry)

Staff distribution: ~500 people, 25 research groups

Focus areas:

- NanoStructured Materials,

- NanoFluidics,

- BioNanotechnology,

- NanoPhotonics,

- NanoElectronics,

- Technology Assessment

Partners in NanoLab NL

MESA+, University of TwenteKavli Institute of Nanoscience, Delft University of TechnologyZernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Groningen UniversityTNO Science & Industry (Delft)Philips Research Laboratories (Eindhoven)*

* associate partner

Facilities

− 1250 m2 cleanroom(class 10,000 / locally 100)

− Materials analysis laboratory(XPS, HR-SEM, TEM, XRD)

− Specialized group laboratories

at University of Twente

Commercialisation

Cooperative environment− ~40 spin-off companies− joint projects

MESA+ Technology Accelerator

MESA+ Tech Park− co-location (offices)− facility sharing (cleanroom & lab)− High Tech Factory (production)

Why am I (as a Scientist) interested ?

Ø 20 micrometer

Cells in circulation and tissue

My research area today

X 100

Image adapted: http://nanopedia.case.edu/NWPage.php?page=nanoscale

X 100

Drug delivery market

Mauro Ferrari, Nature Reviews, 2005

Case: Inquiry for devices crossing the skin boundary

Evaluation of the State-of-the-Art:Existing solutions/ drawbacks

Can we makemicroneedles based on

silicon technology ?

Minimally invasive breaking of the skin boundary?

?Year ~1999

Can we makemicroneedles based on

silicon technology ?

YES, we can.

?

≈ 10 k€ cash

Contract research: silicon micromachiningHan J. G. E. Gardeniers, Regina Luttge, Erwin J. W. Berenschot, Meint J. de Boer, Shuki Y. Yeshurun, Meir Hefetz, Ronny van’t Oever, and Albert van den Berg, JMEMS (2003)

Contract research

~ 1999

Individualuser

10 k€

Ø 70 micrometer

Standard versus “microneedle array”

www.nanopass.com

Getting pro-activeCan we squeeze more out of our expensive learning curve?

Every new product starts with a vision

Research team at UT presents the idea of microneedle-integrated electrolyte sensor.Nanopass Technologies, Ltd. places more contract research (2001).Can we make microneedlesfrom plastic?

Technologypush

Marketpull

Combining expertise

UT/MESA+ develops new technology, here Laboratory on a Chip Technology (LoaC) for healthcare.

Promise Product (1) – Analysis at the point-of-care

Concept

Micro hollow needles

Diagnostic sensor: ‘Microfluidic CE-on-a-Chip’

Method to measure ions in electrolyte

Capillary electrophoresis on chip

ResultsJ.G.E. Gardeniers et al./ JMEMS, 2003, vol. 12, iss.6, 848-862

Sample

PDMS

High Voltage

Injector Chamber to Separation Buffer

CE “ Sensor Chip”

Si-needle array chip clamped on top of sample vial “Blood Sampler”

Complexity of blood sample

Strong collaboration Hospital Group Enschede (MST)

Cations (mM) Anions (mM)Na+ 142 Cl- 103K+ 4 HCO3

- 27Ca2+ 5 HPO4

2- 2Mg2+ 2 SO4

2- 1Trace 1 Organic acids- 5

Proteins- 16

Therapeutic concentration lithium 0.4-1.2 mM Courtesy: I.Vermes (MST)

E.X. Vrouwe et al./ Electrophoresis 2004, 25, 1660

OptimisationCalibration

Whole blood (spiked)

Plasma from patient

Blood diluted (1:225)

Blood diluted throughmicroneedles

E.Vrouwe et al. / μTAS 2004

Streamline of knowledge, time, space

Dutch Technology FoundationLab-on-a-Chip

2001- 2005Contract research2001 – 2002

Dutch Technology FoundationMicroneedle array in transdermal delivery

2003- 2007

DC

''I came to thinkof vaccination as taking part

in a traumatic nightmare'', saysexperienced vaccinee Britt, ''but

with this painless MINAI feel very relaxed!''

2002 HaRe Productions©

Individualuser

Usercommittee

Usercommittee

220 k€ ≈ 600 k€ ≈ 900 k€

Following the concept of Open Innovation

The spontaneous business diamond

Young busin

ess m

anag

ers

Young investigator

Post-doc taking the role of

innovation manager

Experi

ence

d advis

ory

board

First spin-off

Application: Lithium analysis.Incentives:

Extension of research grant (utilization)Kolthoff prize,Leverhulme Trust Award for Technology Transfer.

Sample-to-chip interfaceInitiate STW valorisation

Business case feasibility (phase 1)Proof of concept (phase 2)

Published in nrc●next 02 / 2007

Lab-on-a-Chip project finalized ( 04 / 2005)

E.X. Vrouwe, PhD

www.medimate.nl

How about microneedle arrays ?

Nanopass Technologies Ltd.:Silicon technology SU-8 technology

Value proposition ofmicroneedle array technology

SamplingDelivery

?

Using microneedles in therapy

Do we need yet another array ?G

I

D

E

F

A

B

C

H

Knowledge, time, space

Idea,

Knowledge building,

Knowledge documentation,

Knowledge transfer,

Knowledge utilization,

Knowledge valorisation,

Business.http://www.callmyadagency.com/media/Brain-collage-w--box.gif

http://www.infoworld.com/richmedia/upload/UI/image/2007/2/12CrackpotIdeas2.jpg

Microneedles exist, what next?

http://www.telewaarde.nl/uploads/Communication_People%5B1%5D.jpg

Idea + communication

http://www.psych.northwestern.edu/~mjungbee/images/bright_idea.jpg

Building Intellectual Property (IP)

http://www.telewaarde.nl/uploads/Communication_People%5B1%5D.jpg

Make best use of internal & external ideas

http://www.psych.northwestern.edu/~mjungbee/images/bright_idea.jpg

Start(claiming IP)

Show(demonstrate & promote)

Seed(contracting)

Getting into the value chain

Technology push or opportunity ?2003- 2006

2001 – 2002SU-8Lithographytechnology

Researchdeliverableclaimed byNanopass Claiming

new IP

Kno

wle

dge

Advancedreplicationtechnology

Time

Learning curve

Plastic microneeldes

Porous microneedle array - “Loading cargo”

Absorption of 45 kDa fluorescent ovalbumin (array cross-section)

A

A

A-A

SEM photo of a single needle tip

New material

Drug loading and packaging

IntegrationDrug gradients (different compounds)

300 μm

Ø 2-10 mm

MNA

Ø 100 μm

Ink-loaded MyLife Technologies’microneedle arrays

“The Patch”

Naturally unfolding business diamond

Investo

rs/ s

upporters

Business managers

Advisory board

Team of in

vesti

gators

F.J. VerbaanD.J. van den BergP.W.H. LoetersR. DuwelJ.A. BouwstraA. van den BergM.J de BoerJ.W. BerenschotJ.G.E. GardeniersM. DomanskiJ.G. van BennekomR.G.H. LammertinkA.J.A. Winnubst

S.N. Bystrova

O. van Donselaar

R. Luttge

Paul BoontjeUser committee

C.J.M. EijkelM. LuizinkF. Groot

www.mylifetechnologies.nl

Second spin-off

ConclusionAugmentation of public knowledge

Partneringfor investment

Build IP portfolio

Getting a team together

Public money

RefiningBusiness Model

Seed

Start

Show

Sustain

Share

Return ofinvestment

Societal growth

Academic research

Acknowledgement

Transducer Science and TechnologyBIOS Lab-on-a-Chip GroupMesoscale Chemical SystemsSkin Research Group, Leiden University VUmc, Amsterdam

Dinja Oosterhoff;Dr. Tanja de Gruijl;Prof. Rik Schepper

MyLife Technologies’ teamOtto van DonselaarDr. Michel VerhoevenHarrie van Baars, MD

Supporting and financingMESA+ NanonedSTW