Content

–          What is intelligent packaging?

–          How big is the problem of food waste?

–          The role of nanotechnology

–          Outlook

What is intelligent packaging? [i]

Intelligent packaging can monitor the state of a product and communicate this to a consumer without interacting with the product itself. Examples of technologies used to accomplish this include time-temperature indicators (TTI), gas-indicators and -sensors, as well as various other sensors to monitor bacterial growth. Using these indicators and sensors, a consumer can be notified whether a product is safe to eat by a simple visual indication such as a change in color or shape of a label on the package.

At present, various examples of intelligent packaging are already in use. One example is the Fresh-Check® indicator by Temptime Corporation which indicates if a food product is safe to eat by a change in color based on time and temperature exposure [ii]. The color change happens due to a chemical reaction that takes multiple days and can be adjusted to match the product’s lifetime. Since heat, in general, speeds up chemical reactions, the color change of the label happens faster if the product is not cooled down properly or heated.

However, because of differences in laws and regulations, intelligent packaging is more widespread in some countries than others. The regulations of food products set forth by the European Union has resulted in fewer intelligent packaging solutions/products.

How big is the problem of food waste?

Globally, it is estimated that 1.3 billion tons of food are lost or wasted every year [iii]. In the US, it is estimated that 31 % of food is wasted at a consumer and retail level [iv] which is like other countries [v].

Additionally, a study in Germany (2017) indicates that the biggest reason for discarding groceries in Germany is an expired shelf life (47 %). [i] Since the largest source of food waste in the supply chain happens at the end consumer, this area should be in focus when wanting to reduce waste.

The role of Nanotechnology [vi]

Nanotechnology can help intelligent packaging in coming up with cheaper sensor and indicator devices that enable more solutions to be used. These need not be on the nano scale but by incorporating nanomaterials the sensor can be improved. One example is TTIs based on Ag Overgrowth on Au Nanorods, which would greatly reduce the cost compared to current TTIs [vii]. While the applications of nanosensors are still few, the field is an emerging one and being researched heavily. Hence, nanosensors may at some point be applied in packaging.

Additionally, nanotechnology also offers other benefits to the packaging industry by creating antimicrobial materials through the incorporation of nanoparticles in plastics. These include silver and zinc oxide nanoparticles and others with similar effects.

Outlook

With the current focus on green tech, one should think that intelligent packaging would gain more focus and become more widely used. There are, however, some challenges for some of the applications. One being strict regulation which is the case for the EU which explains the low usage. Since nanomaterials and especially nanoparticles can be toxic, it will likely take some time to get packaging based on them approved. 

Another challenge is finding cheap sensors and indicators that contribute minimally to the cost of the final product. Finally, a challenge is that different food products need different sensors. TTI’s are for example good for frozen or cold food products, whereas other products may benefit more from having a gas sensor.

The market for intelligent packaging is mainly expected to be driven by North America and Southeast Asia [viii]. Apart from reducing food waste and improving safety, intelligent packaging could also be useful in other industries such as medicine and cosmetics to ensure product safety.

If you’d like to learn more about nanotechnology, please subscribe to our newsletter and stay tuned for upcoming posts.

Note: Featured image by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

References

[i] Patricia M. & Markus S., Intelligent Packaging in the Food Sector: A Brief Overview, 2019, accessed at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6352026/

[ii] Temptime Corporation, Fresh Check, 2018, accessed at http://fresh-check.com/

[iii] The World Counts, accessed Nov 1st, 2020 at https://www.theworldcounts.com/challenges/consumption/foods-and-beverages/food-waste-facts/story

[iv] U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, food waste FAQs, accessed at https://www.usda.gov/foodwaste/faqs

[v] Wrap, Food surplus and waste in the UK – key facts, 2020 accessed at https://wrap.org.uk/sites/files/wrap/Food_%20surplus_and_waste_in_the_UK_key_facts_Jan_2020.pdf

[vi] Trepti S., et al., Application of Nanotechnology in Food Science: Perception and Overview, 2017, accessed at https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2017.01501/full

[vii] Chao Z. et al., Time–Temperature Indicator for Perishable Products Based on Kinetically Programmable Ag Overgrowth on Au Nanorods, 2013, accessed at https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/nn401266u

[viii] Mordor Intelligence, Smart Packaging Market – Growth, Trends, and Forecast (2020 – 2025), accessed at https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/smart-packaging-market

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The Nitrogen Vacancy color center occurs when a carbon atom in the diamond lattice is replaced by a nitrogen atom which can form one less bond than carbon leaving a vacant space next to it. This has an interesting effect of making the emitted light from the diamond electron spin dependent, reversely making it possible to detect changes to its electron spin simply by measuring the light returning from it after the diamond is simultaneously exposed to laser light and microwaves of certain energies. The process has already demonstrated impressive sensitivities of 0.9 pT/Hz  [ii], which with the benefits of not needing a magnetically shielded room, non-cryogenic temperature range, and the biological compatibility of diamonds makes it more practical than existing high sensitivities such as the S.Q.U.I.D. The biggest limitation to this technology is how effectively we can produce these NV centers in the diamond crystal as well as the cost

Shows a simple ODMR setup. A green laser is hitting the diamond
and the emitted light from the diamond is collected by a photodiode.

What then are the applications of such a sensor? When most think of magnetism they think of Earth’s magnetic field with a north and a south pole which has been used for centuries to navigate the globe. While we think of this as somewhat antiquated, this old practice might once again become the way we navigate. Since the NV sensor gives a 3-dimensional vector of the magnetic signal (as opposed to the 2 dimensions of a normal compass) engineers at Lockheed Martin [iii] are developing a way to analyze small anomalies in Earth’s magnetic field to determine a position. This bypasses the need for any signals to be sent by satellites such as the GPS system making it operational in any type of weather anywhere on the earth’s surface as well as completely un-jammable.

A less apparent application comes from electromagnetism and how electrons in motions, such as a current through a wire, produces a magnetic field. This applies to everywhere electrons flow and is not limited to electronics making it a possibility to see the magnetic fields created by nerve signals as well [iv]. Using this method, it should be possible to create a 3-dimensional image of the nerve signals propagating through the organism. Such technology could undoubtedly be useful for procedures such as cardiograms to diagnose heart disease as well as in furthering our understanding of the brain and related diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Dementias, or Parkinson’s. These possibilities have piqued the interest of both Biologists and Physicists alike making the NV-center one of the more thoroughly researched and promising sensors to look out for in the future.

If you’d like to learn more about nanotechnology, please subscribe to our newsletter and stay tuned for upcoming posts.

References:

[i] Romana Schirhagl, Kevin Chang, Michael Loretz, Christian L. Degen, 2014, “Nitrogen-Vacancy Centers in Diamond: Nanoscale Sensors for Physics and Biology”, Annu.Rev.Phys.Chem.65: 83-105 (2013)

[ii] Wolf T., Neumann P., Nakamura K., Sumiya H., Ohshima T., Isoya J., Wrachtrup J., “Subpicotesla Diamond Magnetometry”, Phys. Rev.X5, 041001 (2015)

[iii] ‘Dark Ice’ magnetometer from Lockheed Martin
https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/news/features/2019-features/tech-thats-cool-as-dark-ice.html (19-10-2020)

[iv] Dale M. W., Morley G. W., “Medical applications of diamond magnetometry: commercial viability”, Cornell University.
arXiv:1705.01994 [physics.app-ph] (19-10-2020)

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Luckily, important steps are being taken to address these issues by the leading cloth-based nanosensing company, Nanowear Inc., tackling a major chronic disease that unfortunately is on the rise. Through their current product SimpleSENSE, they are able to help patients with chronic heart diseases using nanotechnology. Instead of having to use clumsy sensors and wires, SimpleSENSE is a simple undergarment able to pick up signals from the skin of the patients. The vast amount of data is then collected and analyzed in the cloud for the hospital and the patient to be warned weeks ahead in the case of needing medical treatment. This is possible as the signals picked up by SimpleSENSE are way more subtle and appear earlier than the otherwise visible symptoms that the patient would have in advance of heart failure.

The way it works is, explained by the company’s CEO, Venk Varadan, by having billions of tiny nanosensors embedded in the cloth. When zooming in, they simply look like upwards standing pillars which because of their shape and the material, are sensitive to electrical, hemodynamic, acoustic, and dynamic signals and can be picked up by a compact device embedded in the cloth. A large amount of data is then analyzed in the cloud by a machine learning algorithm, which looks for indications of the patient needing treatment and can transmit the results to the patient’s smartphone via Bluetooth.

The company’s monitoring system and its first product, SimplECG, have been approved by the US FDA which means that one of the big regulatory boundaries has been cleared. Currently, the undergarment, SimpleSENSE is being tested in a clinical study at Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Hackensack Meridian Health programs[ii] and is waiting for FDA approval.

It is obviously a revolutionizing product for patients with chronic heart failure, but the possibilities range even further with lots of other diseases that could be monitored this way to alleviate current pains for patients and save them and the society a lot of money. Recently, the company announced an expanded COVID-19 remote diagnostic research alliance with Hackensack Meridian Health Systems where the technology could be used to monitor COVID patients.[iii]

A future vision for products like SimpleSENSE would be in less serious conditions such as for minor sicknesses such as cold or fevers or even for athletes wanting to maximize their physical performance.

Challenges to the visionary applications of cloth-based sensors like this, nevertheless, exist. One main challenge that has already been mentioned is getting federal approval which naturally can be a barrier to these technologies as it can be both time- and cost-consuming. Nanowear Inc. has overcome some of these approval steps but there is still some way to go.

Another challenge is the power supply which at the moment is solved by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery attached to the garment. In the future, it would be interesting to see if innovative solutions could make it possible to avoid having to use a battery. Perhaps the power could someday come from Peltier materials (materials that can generate electricity from heat) integrated into the garment.

Presently, the company is not public, hence it is not possible to find all financial information about it. It might not be possible to invest right now, but it is an exciting journey to follow. They have a good intellectual property portfolio[iv] and as a first mover, the company is likely to possess large advantages over future competitors.

Short facts about Nanowear Inc. [v]:

• Founded in 2013 by CEO Venk Varadan, and inventor and CINO Dr. Vijay Varadan
• Seed investment: $3M
• Venture Capital Series A round[vi]: $3.6M
• No. of employees: 12
• Offices: HQ[vii]: New York City, NY. R&D: University Park, PA. Engineering: Berkeley, CA

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References

[i] https://www.nanowearinc.com/

[ii] https://www.nanowearinc.com/about.html

[iii] https://www.nanowearinc.com/press/covid-remote-diagnostics.html

[iv] https://www.nanowearinc.com/ip.html

[v] https://www.nanowearinc.com/about.html

[vi] https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/97352-38#overview

[vii] https://www.nanowearinc.com/contact.html

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Content

• Physical Nanosensors
• Chemical Nanosensors
• Nano-biosensors
• Electrical VS Optical Nanosensors
• Outlook on Market

Physical nanosensors

Physical nanosensors aim at measuring changes in physical quantities such as temperature, velocity, electric forces, etc. This has many applications in everyday life and in industries as these measurements, if analyzed by an algorithm, can tell whether a production line is working optimally, or a patient is sick or getting better. One company that uses physical nanosensors is Nanowear Inc., making wearable undergarments for finding a potential heart failure before it happens in chronically ill patients by looking at changes in the electric signals from our bodies.

Chemical nanosensors

Chemical nanosensors are used to detect different chemicals or chemical properties such as pH value. This is for instance useful when looking at environmental pollution or for pharmaceutical analysis. Typically, they are fabricated from different nanomaterials such as graphene or metal nanoparticles as these react to the presence of specific target chemicals that need to be measured[i].

An example of a chemical nanosensor is one used to detect the pH value of a liquid. By using polymer brushes coated with gold nanoparticles, a research group managed to build such a sensor that can detect the pH value using a spectroscopic method[ii].

Nano-biosensors

In medicine and healthcare, biosensors can precisely detect tumors, pathogens, toxins, and biomarkers. They do that by converting the reaction of molecules into electrical or optical signals and have the advantage of being able to target very specifically what is wanted to be measured[iii]. When shrinking the size of an object, its surface to volume ratio becomes bigger, which is why nano-biosensors have a big advantage to larger biosensors, offering better sensing as the reaction with the targeted molecules happen more frequently.

The Taiwanese start-up Instant NanoBiosensors Co., Ltd. is an example of one within this domain. They use an optical fiber coated with gold nanoparticles and antibodies to detect various biological compounds[iv].

Electrical Vs Optical Nanosensors

The signals from nanosensors are often either electrical as with Nanowear Inc. or optical as with Instant NanoBiosensors Co., Ltd. One measures changes in the current or voltage, whereas the other measures changes in the properties of light which is then converted to an electric signal.  

Optical nanosensors sometimes have the advantage of interacting little with samples as light of the ‘right’ wavelength can move more freely through them than a current can. This can reduce changes such as unwanted heating of what is being measured.

Many biosensors rely on optical signals such as biocompatible photoluminescent molecules for in vivo purposes which changes the light they send out when detecting an analyte. In addition, optical nanosensors have been developed to detect various ions such as oxygen, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, and more.[v]

On the contrary, a chemiresistor is an excellent electrical sensor, which works very well in detecting specific molecules by applying a current between two metallic electrodes to then observe changes in the current when a target molecule binds to organic ligands between the electrodes. This allows vast possibilities of engineering the sensor to target specific molecules as different properties such as the type of organic ligands can easily be changed.[vi]

Outlook on market Between physical, chemical, and biosensors, the market for biosensors is expected to experience the most growth within the next 6 years followed by the market for chemical nanosensors, according to AlliedMarketResearch[vii]. Based on that a lot of biosensors rely on using optical signals, it could be argued that optical sensors will experience more growth than electrical sensors. However, this will depend on many factors about the sensing abilities, price, and convenience of the sensor. The startup, Nanowear Inc., is a great example of where physical nanosensors using electrical signals offers great applications within a large sector in the market of healthcare.

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[i] Kurbanoglu et al., New Developments in Nanosensors for Pharmaceutical Analysis, 2019, Pages 141-170, accessed at:   https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128161449000055

[ii] Iryna Tokareva, Sergiy Minko, Janos H. Fendler, and Eliza Hutter, Journal of the American Chemical Society 2004 126 (49), 15950-15951, accessed at: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja044575y

[iii] Solaimuthu et al., Nano-biosensors and their relevance in tissue engineering, 2019, accessed at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2468451119300790

[iv] http://www.instantnano.com/

[v] Benjaminsen, Rikke Vicki, Design and application of optical nanosensors for pH imaging in cell compartments, 2012, accessed at:

https://backend.orbit.dtu.dk/ws/portalfiles/portal/20806246/Rikke_Vicki_Benjaminsen_phdthesis_16oktober_2012.pdf

[vi] Hossam Haick, Introduction to Nanotechnology, Isreal Institute of Technology

[vii] Nanosensors Market Outlook – 2026, accessed at: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/nanosensors-market

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