NanoSight

NanoSight was a United Kingdom scientific-instrument company established in 2003 by Bob Carr and John Knowles. The company was formed to develop and commercialize a method Carr had invented for observing nanoparticles suspended in liquid. That work became Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis, generally abbreviated NTA, a measurement approach that uses laser illumination, microscopy and a scientific camera to record the movement of individual particles. Software then tracks the particles' Brownian motion and uses the Stokes–Einstein relationship to estimate their sphere-equivalent hydrodynamic size. The resulting data can be used to determine particle-size distributions and concentrations, while optional fluorescence capability can help distinguish labeled particle populations. NanoSight's instruments were designed for particles broadly ranging from about 10 nanometers to 1 micrometer, although the practical lower limit depends on the material's optical properties and concentration. The systems could analyze particles in water and other non-corrosive solvents, with suitable seals available for some solvent applications. Their measurement capabilities included particle size, concentration, aggregation and, in relevant configurations, zeta-potential analysis. The core instrument architecture combined a laser-illuminated sample-viewing unit, microscope optics, a scientific camera and a computer running the company's NTA software. Earlier systems generally required more manual sample handling, while later models incorporated automated fluidics, stage positioning, sample dilution, cleaning, temperature control and higher-throughput workflows. The product family included the LM10, LM10-HS, LM20, NS200 and NS500 systems. The LM10 was a flexible microscope-based platform offered with different laser wavelengths and camera configurations. The higher-sensitivity LM10-HS was intended particularly for weakly scattering biological samples, including viruses and vaccines. The enclosed LM20 provided the functionality of an LM10 in a format intended to be easier to operate in industrial environments. The NS200 combined an enclosed design with high camera sensitivity for applications involving small or weakly scattering particles. The NS500 added extensive automation, including computer-controlled pumps, sample handling, stage movement and programmable measurement routines, making it suitable for more reproducible and higher-throughput work. NanoSight's application range covered both industrial and life-science research. Users applied the technology to metallic and ceramic nanoparticles, pigments, paints, sunscreens, cosmetics, food materials, polymer and colloidal suspensions, fuels and oils, lubricant wear debris, chemical-mechanical-polishing slurries and carbon nanotubes. Biological and pharmaceutical uses included exosomes, microvesicles, outer-membrane vesicles, viruses, phages, liposomes, vaccine-related particles, drug-delivery nanoparticles and protein aggregates. The technology was also relevant to nanotoxicology and to emerging regulatory requirements concerning the reporting of nanomaterial quantities and particle sizes. The company received recognition including a Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2012 and a Queen's Award for Enterprise in Innovation in 2013. It also received a Technology World Business Innovation Award and was listed among the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 in 2011. The reference material reports that NanoSight had approximately 25 employees in the UK, had sold more than 450 instruments by 2012 and that its technology had been cited in more than 1,300 publications, presentations and reports. On 30 September 2013, NanoSight was acquired by Malvern Instruments. The acquisition ended NanoSight's status as an independent company, while the NanoSight name and NTA technology became associated with Malvern's particle-characterization portfolio. The current independent corporate status and present brand availability are not established by the supplied sources.

NanoSight originated from work by Bob Carr on a technique for visualizing nanoparticles suspended in liquid. In 2003, Carr and John Knowles founded NanoSight to develop that technique into a commercial scientific-analysis platform. The resulting method, Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis, records the light scattered by individual particles as they undergo Brownian motion. By tracking their movement in video and applying the Stokes–Einstein relationship, the system estimates particle size and constructs particle-size and concentration distributions. The company developed an instrument architecture built around a laser diode, microscope optics, a scientific camera, a sample-viewing chamber and specialized analysis software. Depending on the model, the systems could use different laser wavelengths, camera sensitivities and viewing configurations. Fluorescence accessories enabled the analysis of fluorescently labeled particles, supporting the differentiation of selected biological or chemically tagged populations. NanoSight's stated analytical range was typically approximately 10 to 1,000 nanometers, although performance depended on particle composition, refractive properties and sample conditions. Its early LM-series products established the basic platform. The LM10 used a conventional microscope arrangement with a scientific camera and interchangeable viewing units. The LM10-HS added a more sensitive camera for weakly scattering particles, making it particularly relevant to viruses, vaccines and other biological materials. The LM20 placed similar functionality in an enclosed housing intended for industrial users and operators who did not routinely work with microscopes. Later NS-series products increased automation. The NS200 paired an enclosed form factor with high-sensitivity detection, while the NS500 introduced computer-controlled fluidics, pumps, stage positioning, sample dilution, cleaning and drying routines, programmable temperature control and options for sample changing and flow measurement. NanoSight's customer applications spanned nanomaterials, manufacturing, environmental and life-science research. The systems were used for pigments, paints, coatings, cosmetics, foodstuffs, fuels, oils, polishing slurries, polymers, ceramic and metallic particles, carbon nanotubes and lubricant debris. In biological and pharmaceutical work, applications included exosomes, microvesicles, outer-membrane vesicles, viruses, phages, liposomes, drug-delivery particles, vaccines and protein aggregates. The company also promoted the technology as useful for measuring nanomaterials in connection with possible reporting and regulatory requirements. By 2011, NanoSight had received recognition through the Technology World Business Innovation Award and the Deloitte Technology Fast 50. The company received the Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade in 2012 and the Queen's Award for Enterprise in Innovation in 2013. The supplied reference material describes a UK workforce of approximately 25 employees, more than 450 instruments sold by 2012 and more than 1,300 scientific publications, presentations and reports citing the technology. On 30 September 2013, Malvern Instruments acquired NanoSight. This transaction marked the transition of NanoSight from an independent company to an acquired technology and product business within Malvern's particle-characterization activities. The supplied sources do not establish whether NanoSight continues as a separately incorporated company, the precise post-acquisition executive structure, or the current commercial status of each named instrument model.

• 2013

  Innovation Queen's Award

  [1]NanoSighten.wikipedia.org

  NanoSight received a Queen's Award for Enterprise in Innovation.

• 2013

  Acquisition by Malvern Instruments

  [1]NanoSighten.wikipedia.org

  Malvern Instruments acquired NanoSight on 30 September 2013.

• 2012

  International Trade Queen's Award

  [1]NanoSighten.wikipedia.org

  The company received a Queen's Award for Enterprise in International Trade.

• 2011

  Technology and growth recognition

  [1]NanoSighten.wikipedia.org

  NanoSight received a Technology World Business Innovation Award and Deloitte Technology Fast 50 recognition.

• 2003

  NanoSight is founded

  [1]NanoSighten.wikipedia.org

  Bob Carr and John Knowles founded NanoSight to further develop and commercialize Carr's nanoparticle-visualization technique.

A specialist scientific-instrument brand focused on direct visualization and measurement of nanoparticles in liquid suspension, combining optical detection with particle-by-particle tracking rather than relying only on ensemble measurements.

• Nanoparticle tracking analysis instrument

  LM10

  The LM10 was a microscope-based nanoparticle analysis system using a scientific camera, laser illumination and an LM12 or LM14 viewing unit. It could be configured with blue, green or red laser wavelengths and used NTA software to track particles, estimate their sizes and generate particle-count and size-distribution results. The platform was designed for a broad range of nanoparticle classes and solvents, subject to particle visibility and sample conditions.

• High-sensitivity nanoparticle tracking analysis instrument

  LM10-HS

  The LM10-HS was a higher-sensitivity version of the LM10, using a more sensitive camera configuration to detect smaller or lower-refractive-index particles. It was especially associated with biological applications such as virus and vaccine analysis, where samples may scatter less light than many inorganic or industrial particles.

• Enclosed nanoparticle analysis instrument

  LM20

  The LM20 packaged the LM10's core measurement approach in an enclosed housing intended to make operation easier for industrial users and people less familiar with microscope systems. It used the LM12 viewing unit and was positioned for applications involving paints, pigments, cosmetics, food materials and related industrial suspensions.

• High-sensitivity enclosed nanoparticle analysis instrument

  NS200

  The NS200 combined an enclosed industrial-style housing with a high-sensitivity camera. Its configuration was intended for small or weakly scattering particles, including viruses, phages, liposomes, drug-delivery nanoparticles and protein aggregates. It could also be used in industrial environments by operators who did not routinely use conventional microscopes.

• Automated nanoparticle tracking analysis system

  NS500

  The NS500 added automation to the NTA workflow through computer-controlled pumps, stage positioning and fluidics. The system could support sample injection, dilution, flushing, cleaning, drying, temperature control and programmable optical or fluorescence measurements. Optional sample-changing and syringe-pump capabilities supported static and flow measurements and higher-throughput workflows.

• Scientific analysis software

  Nanoparticle Tracking Analysis software

  NanoSight's software analyzed videos captured from illuminated liquid samples. It tracked individual particles through their Brownian motion, calculated particle-size distributions using the Stokes–Einstein relationship and produced particle-count results. The software also supported data export and archiving of video material for later review or alternative analysis.

• 2013

  NanoSight accepts acquisition by Malvern InstrumentsM&A

  Background

  NanoSight had developed a specialized nanoparticle-tracking platform and an associated instrument range for scientific, pharmaceutical and industrial applications.

  Action taken

  Malvern Instruments acquired NanoSight on 30 September 2013, integrating the business and its technology into Malvern's particle-characterization activities.

  Aftermath

  The acquisition ended NanoSight's operation as an independent company. The supplied sources do not specify the transaction value, detailed integration plan or the continuing status of each NanoSight model.

  Source

1. 1NanoSighten.wikipedia.org