Description of impact
Collaborative research between the Unit of Assessment at ECIT and Andor Technology, a world leading UK based SME specialising in high performance scientific imaging, has led to:(i) An improvement in Andor’s international market share in confocal microscopy, by creating a new low-cost entry point into the market for customers. The new entry point required the development of a new affordable, faster confocal microscope (the Revolution DSD), enabled by digital imaging software developed at ECIT. Andor has now sold 40 Revolution DSD microscopes (generating £0.7M in sales), in addition to its other products.
(ii) Transfer of research capability to Andor. For example, the competitiveness of Andor’s new microscope has been enhanced by the QUB team by accelerating the imaging software using Graphical Processing Units (GPUs). This in turn has led to the establishment of an in-house capability in GPU-based high performance biomedical image analysis in Andor. This has involved an increase in employment by Andor, and led to the imminent release of an even newer version, the Revolution DSD2. This demonstrates ECIT’s capability in technology insertion.
(iii) Financial savings for Andor potentially of £360k over three years through discontinuing the purchase of third party software, enabled by the QUB-developed software.
(iv) By reducing the cost from ~£250K to less than £30K, Andor is bringing this powerful technique to a wider group of medical researchers. An indirect impact therefore, is the insight gained from this research on developing future medical treatments for cancer, aging, multiple sclerosis and other brain-related illness.
| Impact status | Completed |
|---|---|
| Impact date | 2009 → 2012 |
| Category of impact | Economic Impact |
| Impact level | Benefit |