Innovations Realized

Explore thousands of successful projects resulting from collaboration between organizations and post-secondary talent.

13270 Completed Projects

1072
AB
2795
BC
430
MB
106
NF
348
SK
4184
ON
2671
QC
43
PE
209
NB
474
NS

Projects by Category

10%
Computer science
9%
Engineering
1%
Engineering - biomedical
4%
Engineering - chemical / biological

Portable Colorectal Screening Colorimetric Metabolite Biosensor

This project involves designing a portable biosensor that measures the concentration of multiple metabolites in a person’s urine. The device measures the colour of the urine after reacting with the developed reactions to get metabolite concentrations. These concentrations are input to an algorithm to get a diagnosis. The first test will screen for colorectal cancer. Tricca Technologies Inc. will use this technology to make metabolomic diagnosis affordable and accessible to everyone and this project is the first step.

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Faculty Supervisor:

David S Wishart;Jie Chen;David Coltman

Student:

Pablo Gonzalez-Vasquez

Partner:

Tricca

Discipline:

Engineering - computer / electrical

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Accelerate

Spinning Multi-Beam LiDAR (VLP-16) new mapping scheme and the effect on the generated 3D point cloud : Point density and Thin features extraction in a Mobile mode of operation

Maps are vital in our life. Three-dimensional (3D) maps are essential in traditional and new applications, such as smart cities, autonomous vehicles and augmented reality. The number of end-users who require 3D maps has expanded exponentially in recent years and is anticipated to expand even more in the future. LiDAR scanners are the main sensors in 3D mapping systems. The commercially available 3D LiDAR-based mapping systems tend to be bulky, expensive and thus out of the reach of many end-users. Recently a relatively low-cost LiDAR scanner has been introduced for autonomous vehicles. This LiDAR scanner has been integrated to develop a unique LiDAR-based 3D mapping system. The developed 3D mapping system has a substantial cost reduction compared to the commercially available. This project proposes and validate a novel setup for the system in the data collection process maximising the benefits of its usage despite using relatively low-cost sensors.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Ahmed Shaker Abdelrahman

Student:

Ashraf Elshorbagy

Partner:

I-INC Foundation for Business Development

Discipline:

Engineering - civil

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Ryerson University

Program:

Accelerate

Optical device for accurate and real-time assessment of liver fat content in human subjects

A novel technology that will allow transplant surgeons to obtain accurate measurements of liver fat content during donor surgeries has been developed. These results will be immediate and will guide the transplant surgeon in deciding whether the liver is acceptable for transplantation. This will lead to fewer discarded livers, reduced waitlists for liver transplantation and improved quality of life for many individuals with end-stage liver disease. Our alpha prototype has been proved to detect fat at concentrations greater than 5%. Further research aims at reliable detection of the more clinically relevant low concentrations of fat (<5%). Our intention is to license to a local NS company, led by intern Hao Guo.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Kevin Hewitt

Student:

Hao Guo

Partner:

I-INC Foundation for Business Development

Discipline:

Geography / Geology / Earth science

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Dalhousie University

Program:

Accelerate

In-clinic wearable sensors for total knee replacement recovery analysis

Total knee replacement is the only viable solution for end-stage knee osteoarthritis causing pain and impairment for millions of people. Commonality of the surgery is increasing with an aging population and is being performed on younger patients due to improvements in implant longevity but a high self-reported dissatisfaction rate of up to 20% persists. Dissatisfied patients require more recovery resources, straining an already burdened healthcare system, and preventing allocation of resources new patients. A strong predictor of satisfaction is preoperative function, which can also predict the amount of improvement experienced post-operation, however we do not currently have the tools to measure patient function efficiently in the clinic. This project outlines the development of a wearable sensor system designed to measure patient function and make predictions about functional recovery following surgery.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Matthew Teeter

Student:

Riley Bloomfield

Partner:

I-INC Foundation for Business Development

Discipline:

Engineering - computer / electrical

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Western University

Program:

Accelerate

Engineered Biofilms for Detection & Degradation of Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater

The presence of newly identified or emerging contaminants (ECs) in bodies of water is of growing concern for the health and safety of humans and the environment. These undesirable organic compounds range from endocrine disruptors and pharmaceuticals to personal care products, pesticides, and fertilizers. The existing wastewater treatment plants lack adequate infrastructure for removing these pollutants. Synthetic biology, or the engineering of biological systems for useful applications, is well-suited to address the challenge of ECs. Bacteria, which already play an integral role in conventional wastewater treatment infrastructure, can be equipped with synthetic DNA encoding genes to efficiently sense and degrade a wide variety of contaminants. In this project, we propose the use of a synthetic biology approach to develop a self-assembling catalytic bacterial biofilm capable of degrading and detecting ECs. This modular biofilm strategy can provide an inexpensive, low-maintenance, and precise solution for quantifying and degrading ECs in real-time with the potential for seamlessly integrating into existing wastewater treatment infrastructure.

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Faculty Supervisor:

David Edgell

Student:

Luana Langlois

Partner:

I-INC Foundation for Business Development

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Western University

Program:

Accelerate

Portable Thermo-Photonic Device for On-Site Detection and Quantification of Cannabis Consumption

With recent changes in legalization of cannabis around the world, there is an urgent need for rapid, yet sensitive, screening devices for testing drivers and employees under the influence of cannabis at roadside and workplace, respectively. Oral fluid test strips have recently been explored for such application. While these strips offer simple and non-invasive detection of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), their detection threshold is about 25 ng/ml which is well above the 1-5 ng/ml per se limits set by regulations. We have recently developed a thermo-photonic measurement system which utilizes the commercially-available low-cost saliva strips but offers detection of THC at unprecedented low concentrations down to 2 ng/ml with 96% accuracy. In this project, we will package our low-cost, but accurate, technology into a hand held device which can be used at roadside or workplace for rapid, but reliable, detection of THC at legally relevant concentrations to enable proper enforcement of driving and workplace safety regulations.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Nima Tabatabaei

Student:

Nakisa Samadi

Partner:

I-INC Foundation for Business Development

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

York University

Program:

Accelerate

Development and Commercialization of Photoresponsive Red-Shifted Gene-Silencing Agents

We have a technology that can potentially inactivate a class of pharmaceuticals. Pharmaceutical side-effects can have a detrimental effect on the health and wellbeing of individuals. Pharmaceutical companies can suffer significant monetary loss when drug candidates do not pass clinical trials. Given that the pharmaceutical industry is a multibillion-dollar industry, we believe there is significant interest in utilizing a technology that can control the activity of a pharmaceutical. We will use the Lab2Market initiative to learn start-up methodologies and take a scientific approach to entrepreneurship for our start-up company, AzoSolutions. We will continue primary market research and speak with stakeholders to validate or reject our hypothesis. We anticipate scaling up our product for commercialization and will learn to contact potential clients.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Jean-Paul Desaulniers

Student:

Matthew Hammill

Partner:

I-INC Foundation for Business Development

Discipline:

Other

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Ontario Tech University

Program:

Accelerate

Precision Phosphene Control Through Non-invasive Cutaneous Stimulation

Through safely, painlessly, and non-invasively electrically shocking the facial skin, flashes of perceived light
(called phosphenes) can be induced into one’s visual a field. This phenomenon being fully electronically
controllable and reproducible, can be used to communicate visual information to a blind person. The intended
device will use sensors such as cameras to observe the user’s surrounding and then communicate the observed
to the user in the form of phosphenes. At the current state, eight prototypes have been developed and human
trials are being conducted to allow for the better development of future prototypes. This technology offers a safer
and cheaper solution to neuro-degenerative visual decline compared to the current state-of-the-art prosthesis that
requires surgical intervention. This technology also works on healthy individuals and can provide additional visual
intelligence to the user. Few speculated applications can be to silently notify a user about emerging threats, states,
and events.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Alexandre Douplik

Student:

Faraz Sadrzadeh-Afsharazar

Partner:

I-INC Foundation for Business Development

Discipline:

Engineering - biomedical

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Ryerson University

Program:

Accelerate

Monitoring System for “Flushable” Consumer Products in Urban Wastewater Collection Systems

This research project explores the application of an artificial intelligence-based monitoring system comprised of image-based sensors and processing algorithms to detect, identify, and monitor the incoming presence of wet wipes and nonwovens in urban drainage systems in near real-time to pre-empt the effects of the damages caused by users’ disposal of these products in toilets. The AI-based system, to be employed in a number of monitoring locations simultaneously, will be used to establish a library of detected materials to identify and categorize incoming products (e.g. baby wipes, paper towel).
By running the Lab2Market program and participating in Mitacs E-Accelerate, the partner organizations are driving innovation and technology development in Canada. The work conducted by each intern will inform the broader community about industry trends, the impact of different present and emerging technologies on various industries, as well as foster the growth of innovative technologies within the Canadian economy.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Darko Joksimovic

Student:

Anum Khan

Partner:

I-INC Foundation for Business Development

Discipline:

Engineering - civil

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Ryerson University

Program:

Accelerate

MULTI-LEVEL CONCUSSION MITIGATING FOOTBALL HELMET: A NOVEL DESIGN

A novel design of football helmet to mitigate the concussion is proposed here. The jerk transferred to brain, due to the collisions between players and due to falling on the field, will be reduced, attenuated, decomposed, and directed away from reaching the brain. Multi-shell made of composite materials, along with speed-dependent padding between head and inner shell will be used. Relative motion between shells will be attained though a specially designed structure made of strong material bars. Therefore, the force of collisions will be controlled by a number of safety layers. It is, therefore, intended that highest level of safety against concussion will be achieved with cost-effective, reliable and long-life football helmet.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Seyed M. Hashemi

Student:

Faisal Mahmood

Partner:

I-INC Foundation for Business Development

Discipline:

Aerospace studies

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Ryerson University

Program:

Accelerate

Product Development of 65W Digital PD Adapter

USB Type-C Power Delivery (PD) is a universal fast-charging protocol for powering cell phones, tablets and laptop computers with the same power supply. It has been promoted as the next generation of charging technology by industry leading companies such as Google and Apple. This all-in-one charging solution will allow customers to carry only one charger for all their portable devices. It is anticipated that PD adapter will gain an exponentially increase of market share of the whopping 1.7 billion shipment market in the coming few years. Existing PD products are not satisfactory from the point view of size and weight, because their switching frequency is limited. The circuit and control strategy developed in this project can achieve 10 times higher switching frequency to allow significant size reduction of the adapter. As compared to the industry benchmark, the developed 65W prototype is 70% smaller than Apple’s 61W PD adapter. Besides, the proposed technology achieves higher power conversion efficiency than the best product available on market to facilitate the energy conservation goals.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Yan-Fei Liu

Student:

Yang Chen

Partner:

I-INC Foundation for Business Development

Discipline:

Engineering - computer / electrical

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Queen's University

Program:

Accelerate

A Window into the Future: Dye?Sensitized Solar Cells in Buildings

Solar cells are an incredible source of renewable energy. As with all technologies, though, they should be cheap,
easy to adopt, and smart. Dye-Sensitized Solar cells are solar cells that are not only highly effective at creating
energy from the sun but are also capable of being adopted into homes in new and unique ways. We are developing
a method of converting existing windows into solar cells. Throug this technology a window would still act as a
window, except it would also be capable of harvesting energy from the sun and powering a home.

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Faculty Supervisor:

Bryan Koivisto

Student:

Reeda Mahmood

Partner:

I-INC Foundation for Business Development

Discipline:

Biology

Sector:

Professional, scientific and technical services

University:

Ryerson University

Program:

Accelerate