Current Commercial Opportunities
and technologies available for licensing:
Oral, Nasal & Pulmonary Delivery of drugs and vaccines WO 2000056362 (P1221); WO 2001070200 (P1264); WO 2004062651 (P1349); WO 2006092607 (P1410); WO 2006095176 (P1413) Full Details>>
These patents detail immune stimulation and adjuvant technologies, together with delivery methods, developed by Dstl to facilitate oral, nasal & pulmonary administration of drugs and vaccines.
Collimation X-ray Explosives Detection WO 199624863 (P2228) Full Details>>
Dstl X-ray detection system for detecting explosive threats and other drug or contraband materials utilising a novel technique based on diffraction of X-ray beams by crystalline materials.
The system offers an improved method of detecting materials with crystalline constituents, especially explosives, but also drugs, which are often difficult to detect with conventional dual-scan X-ray systems. By matching the diffraction spectra of a target object with a pre-defined database of spectra it would be possible to identify a whole range of ‘suspect’ items in baggage.
Adsorbent Media Technology GB 2002327048 (P1178); WO 1999011358 (P1179); WO 2001066223 (P1262) Full Details>>
This technology bundle comprises a suite of novel absorbent media technologies for use in air purification (respirators) to provide enhanced protection against toxic chemical and bacterial agents.
Novel Activated Carbon For Hydrogen Cynanide Removal WO 1999011358 (P1179) Full Details>>
Dstl has developed a novel activated carbon production process for filters aimed at the catalytic removal of toxic substances from air. Removal of toxic hydrogen cyanide vapour goes beyond military applications and has relevance in fields as diverse as the filtration of tobacco smoke to the manufacturing of cyanide based chemicals e.g. nylon and acrylates.
Gas Dilution Apparatus WO 2007/031772 (P1420) Full Details>>
The patent describes a self-calibrating gas dilution apparatus and method for the dilution of a gas/vapur or aerosol incorporating a novel venturi pump. Accurate dilution has application in fields as diverse as anaesthesia (medical gases and vapours), instrumentation (trace calibration gases), olfactometry and industrial lasers (assisting and lasing gases.
Global Positioning Correction WO 2004095055 (P1360) Full Details>>
Research conducted by Dstl for the British National Space Centre (BNSC) indicates that tropospheric errors can be minimised by accounting for weather variations using Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP) fields. The invention relates to the process of using pseudo real-time NWPs that are transmitted to the satellites for re-transmission.
Bacillus subtilis expression system WO 2003006649 (P1300) Full Details>>
Dstl owns patents on an invention describing recombinant Bacillus subtilis which has been mutated to make it more useful as an in vivo protein expression system. The changes, reducing sporulation, are anticipated to make the B. subtilis strain more efficient at producing proteins.
Single Sided X-ray Technology WO 2002012923 (P2982) Full Details>>
The Dstl Single Sided X-ray detection system offers a screening apparatus that images objects from a remote position without the need for X-ray detectors on the other side of the object. The system provides a high resolution imaging apparatus to produce high quality images in short exposure times.
Clostridium perfringens Vaccines WO 1993023543 (P1102) WO 1997034001 (P1171) Full Details>>
Dstl owns patents on inventions providing recombinant peptides for use as vaccines against both Clostridium perfringens alpha and epsilon toxins, thereby providing prophylaxis or therapy against infections caused by either toxin. C. perfringens is found in soil, dust, faeces, feed and litter. It has been associated with gas gangrene and food poisoning in man, necrotic enteritis (NE) in poultry and various forms of acute enteritis and fatal enterotoxemias in other livestock.
Carbon Polymer Adhesive (P1457) Full Details>>
The addition of graphitised carbon (Carbon Black) to polyethylene provides novel adhesive properties for binding to steel and other metals. Unlike other carbon polymer composites it is also non-conducting.
Acoustic Cat’s Eyes Reflector WO 2006075167 (P1396) Full Details>>
The Dstl “Acoustic Cat’s Eye” provides an innovative solution to current underwater acoustic reflectors. The novelty of the design of the “Cat’s Eye” lies within its materials and dimensions of construction which geometrically focus an acoustic plane wave that is reflected off an internal surface of the device. These reflected acoustic signals are complemented with the propagation of the acoustic waves through the outer shell of the device, which provides constructive interference with the reflected waves, that boost the returned signal, to the extent that the passive acoustic reflector can, mathematically, almost match the performance of active transponders, when ‘pinged’ by an active sonar.
Working prototypes of the “Cat’s Eye” are currently being tested in collaboration with an industrial partner.
Remote Monitoring System WO 2001093754 (P1252) Full Details>>
The invention relates to a system for monitoring a live population, with data collected from the population being transmitted to a remote station for analysis. The population, which can be human, animal or plant, is physiologically monitored over time along with the location of its members.
The physical condition and location data are sent to a remote data collection computer via telecoms, where they are analysed for unusual events. The data can be reinforced by data from other sources, to predict and highlight unusual events, enabling appropriate action to be taken. The predictive analysis algorithms behind the population/event monitoring system perform more efficiently than manual systems. The system has been field-tested in a military context.
PepGel Biological & Chemical Barrier Material WO 2003062321 (P1308) Full Details>>
“Pepgel” is Dstl’s novel Biochemical Agent Barrier product which has been licensed into Dstl’s spin out company Barrier Materials. Using a blend of poly(vinyl alcohol) and polyethyleneimine dissolved in water (PVOH–PEI), Dstl has developed a breathable, water vapour permeable, chemically hard product which provides a very effective barrier to chemicals and biological agents, including organic agents like petrol and diesel in their gaseous or liquid states.
Respirator Technologies WO 2002011816 (P1272); WO 2003068318 (P1314); WO 2004028639 (P1326); WO 2004028640 (P1350) Full Details>>
This technology bundle comprises a suite of novel designs for components of full face respirator mask for enhanced protection against toxic chemical and bacterial agents.
Compact Optical Scanning Enhanced (COSE) camera system (P1428 & P1450) Full Details>>
The technology relates to a novel design of a compact pin-hole camera that has the ability to focus on objects in a field of view of up to 180 degrees. The COSE camera is capable of focusing on an object anywhere in the field of view and then zooming onto it providing a much higher resolution of the target object.
Ion Mobility Spectrometry based Fire Detection WO 20045354 (P2352) Full Details>>
The loss of vital equipment, such as computer systems, through fire is a cost that few companies can bear with equanimity. Dstl has developed a cost-effective method for detecting gases or vapours emitted from overheating materials, such as electrical components, which precede the onset of fire. Detecting the characteristic “high-risk” volatile features of thermal degradation minimises false positives.
The technology, based upon ion mobility spectrometry (IMS), provides rapid detection with high sensitivity and high selectivity to minimise false alarms. The signal from the detector can be used to determine a fire risk and trigger either alarms or automatic shutdown procedures.
Stabilisation of Photosensitive Materials (Liposome Technology) WO 1995033448 (P1135) Full Details>>
Drug delivery is an important aspect of the effectiveness of any pharmaceutical. Liposomes can be used to drugs to improve the pharmacokinetics of their delivery within the body. This technology offers a method for stabilising a photosensitive material within a liposome by the inclusion of a photostabilising compound.
The technology offers the added benefit of a lengthened shelf-life, as the photostabilised material may be freeze-dried until required when it can be rehydrated.
Cleaning & Decontamination Fluids WO 2007104971(P1461) Full Details>>
A concentrated cleaning formulation comprising commercially available, biodegradable or environmentally benign constituents has been developed and tested to military decontamination standards. The concentrated “base” fluid provides a phase stabilised microemulsion upon dilution with water (pure or impure) and is ideal for emulsifying water insoluble materials, such as oils, grease, permanent markers and materials thickened with acrylic polymers (such as chemical and biological warfare agents). The diluted fluid solves the problem of effectively removing both water soluble and water insoluble material concurrently from diverse hard surfaces and some porous surfaces. The particular advantage of the product is its ability to have utility across a large array of different applications reducing inventory, logistics and environmental impacts.
