Smart Separations - Tailor-made Filters

Smart Separations has developed a proprietary filter technology that can be easily tailored to
suit many different needs by varying the pore size in a controlled manner. The regularity of
the pore size is a unique selling point in many different markets and applications. New filters
based on this technology are highly innovative and potentially commercially disruptive.
The company has identified an application in separating blood cells more efficiently and
affordably than current methods. Every unit of blood donated needs to be filtered in order to
remove the white blood cells (leukocytes) that have limited compatibility amongst
donors/receivers. There is thus a large established market for ‘leukoreduction’ filters worth
annually, we estimate, more than £400million. The new technology would both reduce the
costs of leukoreduction (hence reducing the burden to the NHS) and improve efficiency and
cell recovery. Ultimately the new filters make it easier to fraction blood units into their main
components: plasma, platelets, red blood cells (RBCs) and leukocytes.
Towards proving the concept sooner, without the need for the costly clinical trials that will
eventually be required for these applications, Smart Separations has planned a market entry
strategy that involves offering a tailored product to research groups that investigate the
manufacture of RBCs from human stem cells (SC). These researchers currently separate
mature cells from their progenitors using conventional leukoreduction filters, but over 50% of
the cells are lost on the filter because of adsorption. The company’s technology will address
this issue. The proof of market study will survey potential early adopters among SC research
groups. Later, the company will collaborate with other research groups, tailoring further
products to address niche markets, while working towards the long term goals of establishing
a novel leukoreduction filter and developing a system for the fractionation of blood by
filtration