平特五不中

Production of High-Quality Spinel Nanoparticles
Professor Jeffrey Bergthorson, Kartik Mangalvedhe, PhD Candidate, both from Mechanical Engineering

Executive Summary

Spinel nanoparticles play a big role in today鈥檚 world with applications ranging from electronic industry to medical field due to their excellent properties associated with conduction, magnetism, catalysis, etc. (1). The production of high-quality nanoparticle spinel, a compound with the form AB₂O₄ where A and B are metals and O is oxygen, is an expensive and time-consuming process with current technologies. Furthermore, these processes lead to carbon emissions responsible for the global climate change. We have developed a technology that enables a cheap, quick, and carbon-free production of spinel. Currently, we have developed one type of nanoferrite spinel called Hercynite. Through the support of the grant, we would like to explore other spinels and study their properties for different applications.

A Cost Effective Infectable Lung Organoid for Drug Testing and Toxicological Studies
Professor Luc Mongeau, Dr. Malvika Nagrath, both from Mechanical Engineering, and Alicia Reyes Valenzuela, PhD Candidate, from Biological and Biomedical Engineering

Executive Summary

Lower respiratory tract (LRT) infections are the fourth leading cause of death worldwide and the available antiviral therapies do not effectively combat most of these viral infections. The existing models are inefficient to develop antiviral drugs. We have developed a unique 3D lung organoid (3DLO) model using a novel process that recapitulates complex morphological and biological aspects of the lung in a single dish providing an ideal model for the antiviral drug development. Next proof of principle experiment is to show 3DLOs鈥� capability to assess antiviral drug screening (ongoing), and that 3DLOs can be cryopreserved. With this grant, we aim to optimize the cryopreservation process. In parallel, we are working on automizing the 3DLO manufacturing using robotic device. Ultimately, automatically fabricated, and cryopreserved 3DLOs will be sold frozen, ready to use 鈥榦ff the shelf鈥�, providing a high throughput invention enhancing the drug testing, especially in pandemics and epidemics.

3D Printed Ferroelectric Spinodoid Metamaterials
Professor Agus Sasmito, from Mining and Materials Engineering and Professor Hamid Akbarzadeh, from Bioresource Engineering

Executive Summary

With their intensified sensitivity to mechanical, electrical, and thermal stimuli, ferroelectric materials are widely utilized in sensors, actuators, and energy-harvesting devices. Introducing porosity has been a common method to enhance their sensitivity, while keeping them lightweight. However, existing fabrication techniques often constrain the improvement potential by limiting control over pore topology in ferroelectric materials. In this innovation, we introduce a specialized 3D printing platform capable of creating ferroelectric ceramics with customizable topologies, offering unprecedented design freedom. Moreover, we develop a systematic approach for designing ferroelectric metamaterials, leading to remarkable enhancements in piezoelectric (electromechanical coupling) and pyroelectric (thermoelectric coupling) properties.

Shared Autonomy Framework for Articulated Machines Operating in Field Conditions
Professor Inna Sharf, Ehsan Yousefi, PhD Candidate, both from Mechanical Engineering

Executive Summary

We are developing end-to-end shared autonomy solutions for optimized human-in-the-loop operation of heavy machinery. We achieve this through a safe integration of advanced AI and robotics tools. The key unique features of our shared autonomy framework are: (i) a variable (sliding) level of autonomy which, by design, adjusts to the operator skills and operation needs; (ii) a safe and mutually understandable human-robot cooperation and interaction. Thus, the autonomy is designed for a safe cooperation with the human operator and more broadly, to allow the human to operate the machine jointly with AI. The safety aspect is particularly critical to operation of heavy field machinery, under uncertain environmental and task conditions. Our technology, backed fundamental research and experimentation in the lab, will offer the following advantages: a) optimized decision-making by providing advanced planning solutions; b) increased productivity and lower costs through end-to-end control and less reliance on human operator; c) reduction of accidents, operator mental load and operator training time. As well, the technology will provide access to a wide range of data on the operator and their interaction with the machine. As discussed next, we have conducted preliminary market analysis, explored potential partnership and commercialization routes.

Nanowire-Based Substrate Release Layer for Mass-Transfer of 渭LEDs
Professor Songrui Zhao, from Electrical and Computer Engineering

Executive Summary

This project is to establish a technology related to the mass-transfer of micro/nano-scale light emitting diodes (渭LEDs) using a nanowire-based substrate release layer. The success of this project will have a profound impact on semiconductor device industries, e.g., display, flexible electronics, to just name a few.

A high-throughput microfluidic setup for rapid, automated and multiplexed antibiotic susceptibility testing

Professor Sara Mahshid, Sripadh Guptha Yedire, PhD Candidate, Seyed Imman Isaac Hosseini, PhD Candidate, and Tamer AbdelFatah, PhD Candidate, all from Bioengineering

Executive Summary

As antibiotic-resistant infections continue to rise, they are projected to become the second leading cause of death by 2050. Current antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) methods suffer from prolonged turnaround times, high costs, and labor-intensive processes, often leading to either overprescription or conjectural prescriptions. Consequently, the timely initiation of effective antibiotic treatments is of paramount importance, as each hour of delay increases mortality by 7%, especially in cases of severe sepsis. Here, we propose to develop a multiplex ultra-rapid AST device that reports on effective antibiotic regimes within just 20 minutes without any delay for clinical culture and user involvement. Our technology leverages additive manufacturing to advance multiplexing capacity of microfluidics to 96 parallel tests for measuring minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of antibiotics in an all-in-one device. This grant will provide the necessary resources to optimize the design and fabrication of the device and conduct proof-of-concept testing for preclinical validation. We aim to deliver a cost-effective, fast, and user-friendly AST solution, on par with 96-well plates in microbiology labs to reduce over-prescription and contribute to mitigating the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) crisis.

Artificial intelligence powered optimization and automation toolkit for atomic-precision molecular-beam epitaxy material synthesis

Professor Jun Song, Mining & Materials Engineering, and Professor Songrui Zhao, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Executive Summary

Molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) is an advanced technology for high-precision material synthesis, but suffers from being highly cost and time intensive. This invention aims to develop an artificial intelligence (AI) powered automation apparatus to achieve automated, real-time material quality assessment and optimization of growth conditions, to provide drastic productivity/material quality enhancement and cost reduction for MBE growth of thin films, quantum dots and nanostructures. With this grant, we aim to accomplish the first proof of concept with validation, a well-informed go-to-market assessment, and to bring our technology from TRL3 to TRL5 level to prepare us for next stage of innovation.

Simple and portable time-delineated water sampling system

Professor Viviane Yargeau, Chemical Engineering

Executive Summary

There are currently no simple and affordable samplers for time-delineated water sampling on the market. The technology we developed will fill this need for environmental sampling and wastewater surveillance.

Highly Accurate and User-Friendly Contact Angle Analysis

Professor Anne-Marie Kietzig, Damon Aboud, PhD, Michael Wood, PhD, Mohammad Bagher Asadi, PhD and Gianluca Zeppetelli, all from Chemical Engineering

Executive Summary

Contact angle measurements (CAM), which are widely used in industry and academia alike, have the reputation of being a seemingly low cost and simple surface analysis technique owing to rather simple infrastructure requirements. However, literature showcases many examples of wrongly executed analysis and accordingly false conclusions being drawn on surface characteristics. Our novel software eliminates user error by automating key steps such as contact point determination and the identification of advancing and receding contact angles (CAs) and improves measurement accuracy by employing a novel curve fitting method. This grant will be mainly used to cover HQP salary expenses to advance our patent-pending invention from the laboratory to the market

Commercialization of a Universal, Multi-Functional Platform for Covalent and Oriented Antibody Immobilization for Cell Capture

Professor Corinne Hoesli, Hugo Level, PhD Candidate and Marc-Antoine Campeau, Postdoctoral researcher, all from Chemical Engineering

Executive Summary

Strategies to recruit high-potential regenerative cells is one of the pillars for emerging cell-based therapies. When it comes to implantable devices for instance, those cells could promote better healing and reduce the risks of critical implant failure. In the last decade, there has been an increasing academic and industrial effort to create surfaces that could take advantage of such cells, by capturing them directly from the blood flow. To this end, we patented a biofunctional surface treatment that could not only capture cells but also enhance their proliferative properties. Part of our technology relies on antibodies, as they have been largely studied for their specificity and flexibility. However, grafting antibodies is not trivial: getting a proper orientation is key to preserve the antibody target-binding efficiency. Current strategies often rely on random reactive moieties which can drastically hinder their efficiency. The use of larger binding protein fragments which usually provide a better orientation is also problematic for in vivo applications. To solve these issues, our strategy has been to use specific small peptide sequences that specifically anchor at the bottom of the fragment crystallizable (Fc) region of antibodies, ensuring the right orientation for maximum target-binding efficiency. Unfortunately, this approach is currently limited to only one isotype of antibody and relies on weak interaction bonds. The grant will be used to model a library of different peptides and antibody isotypes and explore the possible matches. Subsequent efficiency and stability of those interactions will be studied in vitro, so that we can further optimize the cell-binding capacities of our surface. This project will be of critical help to increase the relevance and readiness level of our invention before moving forward with industrial partners.

PreFab: Prediction and Correction of Fabrication-Process-Induced Structural Variations in Nanophotonic Devices

Professor Odile Liboiron-Ladouceur and Dr. Dusan Gostimirovic, Post-Doctoral Researcher, both from Electrical and Computer Engineering

Executive Summary

The project consists of developing machine learning models of different fabrication facilities. Up to now, the models are based on the fabrication done at Applied NanoTools Inc. (ANT), which is an electron-beam lithography process used for low-volume production. Most commercial silicon photonics prototyping is fabricated in an optical lithography process which allows for more volume from the nature of its parallel patterning process. There are a few places in the world offering such fabrication. For research, my team has fabricated devices through AMF in Singapore, IMEC in Belgium, and IHP in Germany. The project would consist of developing models for AMF through the collaboration of CMC Microsystems. The technology has been validated and is currently at a technology readiness level 5. It requires software development, some product polishing for production and commercialization.

鈥楳ultimeter鈥� of the nano-age: a cost-effective system for multi-physics characterizations of ultrathin structures

, Mechanical Engineering

Executive Summary

As silicon-based electronics have almost reached their physical limitations, the class of ultra-thin structures (i.e., atomically thin two-dimensional materials (2DM)) is one of the most promising alternative building blocks due to their superior physical properties for next-generation electronics (e.g., photodetectors, field-effect transistors, solar cells). The market size of 2DM-based devices is projected to $203 billion by 2028. While exotic lab-scale 2DM electronics have been demonstrated with unprecedented performance, a critical step before they can be transferred to the marketplace is to assure their consistent performance (e.g., mechanical, electrical, etc.), which determines the long-term sustainability of this new generation of electronics. However, it is much more challenging to do quality check of 2DM-based than silicon-based devices because of their ultra-thin and delicate nature (nanometers thick). Our patent-pending technology, a single-chip micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) has significant advantages over the one product currently on the market. With the support from TechAccelR Grant, we will develop additional functionalities to make our system a 鈥榤ulti-meter鈥� for ultrathin structures on top of its existing mechanical characterization capability. The commercialization of our development will significantly accelerate the transfer of thin/ultra-thin structure-based applications to the marketplace to support a range of disruptive technologies including augmented reality (AR), autonomous vehicles (AV) and Internet of Things (IoT).

A feasibility study of the effect of high-frequency vibration on mandibular posture through hyoid bone-anchoring

Professor Natalie Reznikov, Bioengineering, Professor Julia Cohen Levy, Orthodontics, Professor Joyce Fung, School of Physical & Occupational Therapy, Dr. Alexei Morozov

Executive Summary

Sedentary lifestyle is a new reality of modern times, and it is harmful to human health in many ways 鈥�"sitting is the new smoking." In particular, habitual stooping posture of the neck and the abnormally tucked-in position of the lower jaw lie at the root of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders and obstructive sleep apnea. While these conditions are not life-threatening, they are painful, and reduce quality of life in 1 person out of 10. We have designed a non-invasive physiotherapy device for the correction of a habitually poor posture of the mandible to alleviate dental clenching, TMJ disorders and neck pain, and to improve airway patency. By focally applying mechanical vibration to the attachment sites of certain muscles, this oscillating device will equilibrate muscle tone to restore the mandible to its normal, physiological resting position. We propose a preclinical feasibility study to test our patent pending device as an essential step towards clinical trials and commercialization.

On-Chip Chemiluminescence Biosensor for Food Safety

and Dr. Juanjuan Liu, research associate, both from Bioengineering

Executive Summary

Pathogenic contamination of food is one of the major issues for foodborne illness. Hence, food safety inspection and quality control with food pathogen detection is of significance. Commonly used techniques for food pathogen detection include culture-based methods and nucleic acid-based methods such as PCR. These techniques are time-consuming, tedious, and are highly demanding for laboratory consumables and equipment. Our proposal is aimed at the identification and quantitation of food pathogens using our novel chemiluminescence technology.
We anticipate that our approach will overall speed up the cleanliness assessment and increase the uptime for the processing facility or kitchens. Successful validation will lead to a robust tool for food safety inspection and quality control.

Vascularized bioartificial pancreas for the treatment of diabetes

, Chemical Engineering, Jonathan Brassard, PhD candidate, Biological and Biomedical Engineering, Professor Richard Leask, Chemical Engineering, Professor Steven Paraskevas, Surgery

Executive Summary

Insulin injections is the current treatment for diabetes but fails to eliminate the related health risks associated with periods of hypo and hyperglycemia. In the last decades, transplantation of cadaveric islets has shown major glycemic control improvement compared to insulin treatment, drastically ameliorating the life of patients. Islet transplantation, however, is currently limited to a minuscule proportion of patient suffering from diabetes (<1%), for whom the lifelong immunosuppression needed to avoid graft rejection outweighs the health complications linked to their uncontrolled glycemia. We have developed an encapsulation device that can both protect the cells from the immune system and allow the graft to regulate blood glucose through insulin secretion, opening the market to the 100 million people needing insulin worldwide ($30 billion annual market). The TechAccelR Grant will help us validate our device in an ex vivo perfusion system, enabling us to prepare for a future pilot study in large animals.

Optimizing Sequential Decision-Making (A/B Testing)

Professor Daniel Varro, Sebastian Pilarski, PhD candidate, both from Electrical and Computer Engineering; and Slawomir Pilarski (Versyn)
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Executive Summary

Sequential decision-making such as A/B testing is commonly required across many modern industries. Optimizing such decisions is often at the core of business success. Today, most businesses rely upon time-consuming and suboptimal manual processes. More sophisticated businesses make use of existing optimization solutions such as reinforcement learning multi-armed bandit algorithms. However, A/B-style sequential decision-making may exhibit delayed information response (e.g., a retailer does not sell all products immediately after stocking; there is a time delay between the stocking decision and the products being purchased). Such delays make optimization via manual decision-making extremely labor intensive. They also result in tremendously sub-optimal decisions. Moreover, existing automated solutions provide very poor decisions when decision feedback is delayed. We have developed state-of-the-art multi-armed bandit methodologies for optimizing sequential decision-making in the presence of delay. These methodologies significantly outperform existing solutions. The TechAccelR Grant will enable us to build prototypes of our technology for specific industrial retail business cases. In doing so, it would empower us to shift our focus from academic research to commercialization-focused research and development. Our technology has the power to transform businesses into more competitive, high-efficiency operations by improving required core decision-making.

Additive that Prevents Surface Defects in PVC Films

Professor Milan Maric, Professor Richard Leask, both Chemical Engineering and Professor Jim Nicell, Civil Engineering

Executive Summary

Gas checks are visible fleck-shaped defects that occur on the surface of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) films during industrial calendering. Films containing these surface defects often do not meet minimum product specifications and therefore must be disposed of or recycled, resulting in increased cost and material waste. Currently, gas checks are controlled by keeping film gauge low and through trial-and-error modifications of processing parameters by calender operators. We found that a series of poly(caprolactone) (PCL)鈥恇ased compounds with diester linkers and alkyl chain cappers were all effective at preventing the formation of gas checks during calendering, with additive concentrations as low as 8 phr producing films with no gas checks.

High Temperature Te-Based Solder Alloys

Professor Mathieu Brochu and Dr. Sunyong Kwon, postdoctoral fellow, Materials Engineering

Executive Summary

High-temperature solders require solidus temperature at least 270 掳C and the liquidus temperature at most 350 掳C. Small solidification ranges are preferred to avoid solidification defects. The conventional high-temperature solders mainly comprise of Pb, which include Pb-5Sn, Pb-10Sn, Pb-5Ag, Pb-2Ag-8Sn, etc. Sn-based solder alloys are currently used for lead-free solders; but they suffer from high temperature properties due to their low solidus temperature (<260 掳C). Alternatively, Bi-based solder alloys were invented (e.g. Bi-Ag), but their solidus temperature (262 掳C) is still considered relatively low. For this reason, Pb-based alloys for HT solder applications have been exempted from the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS), but this exemption will not be permanent. The present invention provides four alloy compositions, whose eutectic temperatures ranging from 300 to 350 掳C depending upon compositions. The alloys contain over 50 atomic percent Te, and an effective amount of Ag and Cu, optionally with Sn. Although Te is mildly toxic for humans, it is not hazardous for the environment. As such, Te is not listed in RoHS. Te has been used as an essential element for photovoltaic solar cell and thermoelectric materials. The technological limitation to be addressed is to develop lead-free, high solidus temperature, high service temperature alloys. The main advantage of the invention is the ideal eutectic temperatures (small solidification range) for high-temperature solder applications. In addition, Te is less reactive to oxygen than Bi and Sn, as such, oxidation during soldering can be reduced.

Accelerated Alloy Discovery Through Machine Learning: The KASSANDRA Method

Professor Mihriban O. Pekguleryuz and Dr. Luis Angel Villegas-Armenta, postdoctoral researcher, Materials Engineering

Executive Summary

Designing new materials is crucial to face the ever-increasing engineering challenges of the future. Particularly for metals, the light-alloy design is a process that involves great time and expenses to perfect a proposed material. This is traditionally done by incrementally adding elements to an alloy and testing various heat treatments until the desired properties are obtained, which involves substantial work at each iteration. The KASSANDRA method is a novel solution to design light alloys that relies on artificial intelligence to dramatically accelerate the design process. It is a flexible approach that can be applied to a wide range of challenges: mechanical resistance, corrosion resistance, ductility improvement, cost reduction and more. It has the potential to reduce the development process from years to weeks, reducing costs and giving companies a competitive edge over others traditional approaches.

Specifically, a CMOS imaging sensor is coupled with a sample microfluidic system. Samples swabbed from regions with high fluorescence will be placed on the microfluidic channels/wells on top of the CMOS sensor. Light will be generated during the ATP-mediated chemiluminescence reaction from the samples containing aerobic microorganisms, and the emitted light will be recorded and further analyzed for quantitatitation. We anticipate that a combined fluorescence and chemiluminescence approach will overall speed up the cleanliness assessment and increase the uptime for the processing facility or kitchens. Within the frame of this proposal, we will work on the adaptation and validation of the ATP chemiluminescence detection on a CMOS sensor and evaluate its use in conjunction with the CSI-D fluorescence device. Successful validation of this combined approach will lead to a robust tool for food safety inspection and quality control.

One-Step Cell Isolation and Expansion on Multi-Functional Microcarriers

Professor Corinne Hoesli (Chemical Engineering), Omar Bashth, Master鈥檚 student (Chemical Engineering), and Mohamed Elkhodiry, PhD candidate (Chemical Engineering)

Executive Summary

Emerging cell-based therapies for cancer, diabetes and other diseases have been hailed as the next revolution in medicine. The high cost-of-goods of these therapies is prohibitive for publicly funded health care systems such as Canada. We propose to develop a technology for cell separation and expansion in bioreactors that could reduce costs by reducing the number of steps required during bioprocessing.

Recycling Phosphorus by Upgrading Municipal Biosolids

Professor Sidney Omelon (Mining and Materials Engineering)

Executive Summary

We are approaching peak phosphorus (P). Similar to oil, P-fertilizer is extracted from a non-renewable resource called 鈥減hosphate rock鈥� (PR) that is concentrated in few geographical locations. Due to PR value and future outlook, Europe recently placed PR on its critical materials list. Germany and Switzerland have mandated future P-recovery from municipal wastewater treatment plants. Canada has no operating PR mines, and no P-recovery strategy. The only P-fertilizer production facility in Canada will soon close. We are addressing this challenge of an impending PR, and therefore P-fertilizer availability problem, by simply and inexpensively upgrading municipal biosolids to increase their P-fertilizer value.

Efficient Convolutional-Neural-Network (CNN) Processing System

Professor Zeljko Zilic (Electrical and Computer Engineering-ECE) and Pavel Sinha, PhD candidate (ECE)

Executive Summary

To further develop an efficient computing platform technology in silicon that provides industry best in class performance in throughput, low-power and achievable depth of the deep-learning network in real-time. We have re-defined the computation platform by introducing a highly scalable architecture to accommodate any order deep-learning architecture as desired by the developer.

Physiological Confirmation of Stimulus Reception

Professor Jeremy Cooperstock (ECE) and Pascal Fortin, PhD student (ECE)

Executive Summary

Today鈥檚 electronic handheld devices are incredibly sophisticated, but they all lack the ability to assess if a signal presented to a user was effectively perceived. Using an off-the-shelf wearable skin conductance sensor, this new concept can accurately detect if a stimulus was perceived by a receiver. It operates by measuring the galvanic skin response, characterized by modifications in the skin鈥檚 resistance due to activation of the sweat glands. This invention has the potential to drastically modify current mobile communication technologies.

Thanks to the generous gift from Fonex Systems Inc. founder Pasquale Di Pierro, BEng'76, MBA'80, with support from Alizeti Microtechnologies Inc. President Louis Viglione, BEng'78, and Meade Willis Inc. President Michael Barski, BEng '68, we have been able to provide three new Innovation Awards of $7,000 each to the following three researchers in Engineering to go towards their projects:

A Sustainable Iron Nanoparticle-Based Technology for Degradation of Toxic Chlorinated Organic Compounds in Water Treatment

Professor Subhasis Ghoshal and Sai C. R. Rajajayavel, PhD student (both from Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics)

Executive Summary

Need: A non-toxic, more cost-effective water treatment technology to restore groundwater resources polluted by chlorinated solvents.
Solution: A sustainable water treatment process that uses ubiquitous, non-toxic elements such as iron and sulfur to effectively treat a wide range of pollutants鈥昿articularly persistent, organic pollutants of emerging concern that are used in industrial processes.

Solar Water Splitting Devices

Professor Zetian Mi (Electrical and Computer Engineering)

Executive Summary

Need: Design a hydrogen-producing technology that does not require the use of fossil fuels.
Solution: Produce hydrogen by using water splitting under direct solar irradiation.

Graphene Oxide Headphones: High Definition Sound from Low Dimensional Materials

Professor Thomas Szkopek (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Peter Gaskell, PhD student (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Robert-Eric Gaskell, PhD student (Schulich School of Music) and Jung Wook Hong, PhD student (Schulich School of Music)

Executive Summary

Need: Develop a high-fidelity headphone diaphragm with professional sound without the cost for use in the manufacture of hundreds of millions of over-ear headphones produced annually across the globe.
Solution: Replace currently used carbon based diaphragms with graphene oxide diaphragms prepared at the 平特五不中 Faculty of Engineering and tested at the Music Multimedia Room at 平特五不中鈥檚 Schulich School of Music.