Smart Separations - a novel microfiltration system with a wide range of uses

Smart Separations is developing a proprietary microfilter 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 highly
commercially disruptive.
Following a very successful TSB Smart Proof of Market award, the company has identified an
initial application of the technology in separating blood cells more efficiently and affordably
than current methods. Every unit of blood donated needs to be filtered in order to remove
potential diseases associated with the white blood cells (leukocytes) which have limited
compatibility amongst donors/receivers. There is thus a large established market for
‘leukoreduction’ filters worth annually more than £400million globally. Smart Separations’
ground-breaking new technology would both reduce the costs of leukoreduction (hence
reducing the burden to the NHS and other health organisations) and improve efficiency and
cell recovery - allowing estimated annual savings to the NHS alone of around £25million.
Ultimately the new filters make it easier to fraction blood units into their main components:
plasma, platelets, red blood cells (RBCs) and leukocytes.
Smart separations now wishes to prove the filtration concept. This Proof of Concept grant will
thus allow the development of a series of initial, basic pre-prototype filtration products,
followed by specialist laboratory testing using blood that is usually discarded in collaboration
with a laboratory associated with the NHS – Blood & Transplant. The grant at this stage
would help leverage the positive results from the Proof of Market study and allow for concept
demonstration to provide basic proof of technical feasibility.