Commercialization of the Phase Change Incubator

Amy SmithSarah Bird

12 September 2006

Incubator Overview

• Keeps things warm• Does not require electricity– Thermally charged in water bath or by

solar heating• Portable • Affordable– 24 hour incubator ~ $100

• Incubates at one temperature only

How It Works…• Utilizes the latent heat of fusion of a phase

change material

Incubator History• Invented in the early 1990’s by Amy Smith as

part of a vaccine project.• In late 1990’s, began using the incubator for

water quality testing in Uganda, Nicaragua and Nepal.

• Further developed the incubator and won the BF Goodrich Collegiate Inventors Competition in 1999

• Current “final” design has been in use since 2003.

Applications

• Microbiology– Water quality testing– Incubation of samples during transport– Remote / resource-poor clinics

• Packaging• Infant care• Other...

Potential Industries: Microbiology• International organizations• Governments– water– health

• Hospitals, clinics, district laboratories • Universities• Clinical researchers• Non-governmental organizations• Community-based organizations

Landscape• Traditional competition– Laboratory equipment manufacturers • Becton, Dickinson and Company • 3M, Hach, Millipore, Delagua ...

– Phase-change specialists

• Non traditional competition (partners?)– Non-profit groups involved in public health• One Health, IDE, AQUATEST

Status

• State of technology– “Ready”– Further tailor product design, branding,

refine manufacturing process, etc...

• Intellectual Property– No patent available in current state– Potential for further manufacturing

advancements which could be protected – Necessary?

Current Outreach• People involved with the development of the

incubator– Amy Smith– Sarah Bird

• Collaborators– IRD/AKU/JHU– CDC – IDE– MIT – Susan Murcott, D-Lab, PSC Fellows– Dartmouth, DIT, Fort Lewis College

Short term goals

• Branding / Marketing• Short term / long term manufacturing

strategy• Fund raising for next stage research

($50K by Dec)• Commercialization strategy

Skills• Marketing / Sales• Manufacturing• Supply Chain • Developing country experience• Health / Microbiology / Lab work• Fund raising (non-profit and for-profit)

Expectations

• Commitment to ethos of the project and the team

• Creativity• Develop a relationship with us• Hard work and fun