- A Knowledge Transfer Partnership will help BG Research to further develop technology to rapidly diagnose serious and high-risk infectious diseases
- With results delivered in 30 minutes, the CENOS instrument can help triage infections rapidly and minimise transmission of infection
- The partnership will open the path to technology commercialisation by providing a blueprint for low-cost, high-volume manufacture.
Technology that can rapidly diagnose high consequence infectious diseases will take a major step forward towards commercialisation, thanks to a partnership between BG Research and Aston University.
CENOS, developed by Kimbolton-based BG Research Ltd, uses a portable and robust instrument that can deliver fast RT-PCR (Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction) tests direct from unprocessed samples of blood, swab, saliva or urine. The platform is designed for use in remote locations, as it does not require specialist personnel or laboratory equipment and can be easily scalable in the event of an outbreak.
PCR tests, used during the Covid-19 pandemic, usually require analysis in a laboratory, taking a day or more to get a result. CENOS can deliver results in around 30 minutes, enabling infected patients to be quickly isolated and treated. It can also be used for early detection of those infected but without symptoms, helping to minimise transmission, and contain outbreaks. The technology is currently being piloted in veterinary settings, testing livestock for avian influenza, foot and mouth disease, Newcastle disease and African swine fever.
The Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between Aston University and BG Research will take the company’s existing prototype and optimise its design for low-cost and high-volume manufacturing while enhancing key characteristics such as robustness, reliability and ease of operation, assembly and servicing.
The research will draw on expertise in the design for manufacture of medical devices from Aston University’s Engineering 4 Health (E4H) Research Centre and use the University’s advanced facilities in prototyping, materials engineering and manufacturing processes.
The KTP will provide BG Research with a clear path towards high-volume manufacture, enabling the company to launch the CENOS instrument commercially, initially for veterinary use but, once the necessary regulations are obtained, for use in human diagnostics worldwide.
Nelson Nazareth, managing director and chief technology officer of BG Research Ltd, said: “We met with six university teams around the country, but were highly impressed with Aston University and chose them as our KTP partner,100% on merit. The University has the reach, interest and facilities to help us get to where we need to be.”
Dr Patrick Geoghegan, senior lecturer in mechatronics and biomedical engineering and a member of the Engineering 4 Health Research Centre (E4H) at Aston University, said: “This KTP offers us an opportunity to be involved in something with the potential to have a major impact on managing the progression of infectious diseases in countries where their burdens are most strongly felt. We hope it’s the start of a long relationship with BG Research, where we can work together to achieve their goals.”
E4H combines research in all fields of engineering (biomedical, mechanical, chemical, electrical, and computer sciences) with health disciplines to translate innovative and emerging engineering technologies into healthcare.
Both Dr Geoghegan and his colleague on the project, Dr Antonio Fratini, Director of E4H, have extensive experience in helping companies optimise their medical device designs, having worked on several successful KTP projects in the past. They will be joined in the project by Dr Timothy Whitehead, a specialist in human factors, who leads Aston University's 'Design Factory Birmingham', an advanced facility created to inspire and facilitate innovation and design from pre-discovery through to commercialisation.
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, funded by Innovate UK, are collaborations between a business, a university and a highly qualified research associate. The UK-wide programme helps businesses to improve their competitiveness and productivity through the better use of knowledge, technology and skills. Aston University is a sector-leading KTP provider, ranked first for project quality, and joint first for the volume of active projects.
For more information on the KTP visit the webpage.
CEO for BG Research Nelson Nazareth with the CENOS instrument
- Notes to editors
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This project is co-funded by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK.
Watch our short film to see how it works and visit our website for examples of KTP in action at Aston.
To find out more about how your business can benefit from working with Aston University, please email ktp@aston.ac.uk
Dr Antonio Fratini, Director of the Engineering 4 Health (E4H) Research Centre at Aston University, is a biomedical engineer with a particular interest in medical instrumentation and physiological data processing. He has many years’ experience in the design, development and testing of cutting-edge medical devices both nationally and internationally. Dr Fratini is also the Aston University lead for the West Midlands Health Tech Innovation Accelerator, which helps health tech companies to commercialise their products.
Dr Patrick Geoghegan, senior lecturer in mechanical, biomedical and design engineering, has extensive expertise in rapid prototyping, fabrication, moulds, casting, 3D printing, computational models, computerised tomography and optical measurements.
About Aston University
For over a century, Aston University’s enduring purpose has been to make our world a better place through education, research and innovation, by enabling our students to succeed in work and life, and by supporting our communities to thrive economically, socially and culturally.Aston University’s history has been intertwined with the history of Birmingham, a remarkable city that once was the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and the manufacturing powerhouse of the world.
Born out of the First Industrial Revolution, Aston University has a proud and distinct heritage dating back to our formation as the School of Metallurgy in 1875, the first UK College of Technology in 1951, gaining university status by Royal Charter in 1966, and becoming The Guardian University of the Year in 2020.
Building on our outstanding past, we are now defining our place and role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Nicola Jones, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44) 7825 342091 or email: n.jones6@aston.ac.uk