2. TTP Ventus: The ideal pump for breath biopsy
TTP Ventus (Melbourn, U.K.) has an unusual micropump that’s enabling such innovations as Owlstone Medical‘s breath biopsy technology, which is designed to detect early lung or bowel cancers through volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
The Technology Partnership spun out TTP Ventus to help commercialize the second generation of its signature product Disc Pump.
The pump is a portable, light-weight disc featuring ultra-low pulsatility for smooth flow with millisecond response times to set-point changes. Rather than changing the volume of a chamber, the micropump excites a high-frequency acoustic standing wave in a fixed-volume cavity. It offers silent operation and flexibility to meet product needs for wearables.
The Disc Pump is a great example of the medical device industry taking advantage of technologies initially developed for other markets. The Disc Pump technology was initially developed to address a need in the micro fuel cell market, but it now has proven applications in sectors including medical devices, healthcare and scientific research.
William K. says
Most of the innovations shown look like good advances. BUT the oxygen feed system shown in #7 is far more obvious than the devices available here for at least the past 20 years. So unless it offers a real benefit beyond what has existed for many years, what it provides is “not much.”
Now as to the places where innovation is done, what I have observed is that innovation happens where ever it is not discouraged very much. Some companies work diligently to prevent any innovation anywhere except in their R&D departments, while some, such as 3M and a few others, seek to reward and encourage all their employees to innovate. And some companies, while wanting and needing innovation, have embraced cultures that press deliberately at preventing everything that assists creativity.
Chris Newmarker says
Thanks for the insights William. It truly is amazing—the number of ways a company can kill innovation.
Chris Newmarker says
Also, anything else we should have included in this list?