Grant: Idea to Innovation

The viscometer & rheometer market generated US $648.6 million in 2021 and is expected to reach 1 billion by 2029 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 6.79%. Microfluidic viscometers are used in pharmaceutical applications, where drugs should have a viscosity similar to blood so that it can be easily miscible with the blood. One such application is the 'syringeability' of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which are engineered molecules to serve as substitute antibodies that can restore, enhance, modify or mimic the immune system's attack on undesired cells such as cancer cells. These drugs are typically formulated at high concentrations (<100 mg/ml) resulting in high viscosities and thereby posing challenges for syringeability and manufacturing. The state-of-the-art microfluidic viscometers present trade-offs between the sample volume (e.g., cone/plate rheometers), cost (to run a test or purchase a unit) and sheer rate ranges, ultimately resulting in either lost product or high-quality control/research & development costs. This research team has developed a novel, affordable, scalable and efficient microfluidic viscometer that addresses these shortcomings and trade-off dilemmas. The core technology is a consumable microfluidic chip that allows the viscosity of minuscule volumes of Newtonian and non-Newtonian liquids to be measured by monitoring their controlled motion using a camera. Feedback from the external partners including Advanced Electrophoresis Solutions Ltd. (Cambridge, ON) and Dr. Bijoy Bera (Delft University of Technology, Netherlands) will be used to develop a suitable surface coating for mAb solution. This will result in a uniform channel surface property reducing sample adhesion, and improving the accuracy of the measured shear stress, ultimately improving the performance of the UW invention. Preliminary testing of these proposed improvements in promising applications (mAb rheological characterization) will be performed in collaboration with our partners/potential customers. The results of the planned beta trials and application testing will help establish target market vertical(s), timing of a possible startup company's creation, and a go-to-market strategy.