Opalux

Opalux Inc., a Toronto-based company focused on the development of nano-technology based applications, is pleased to announce the development of a low cost and highly effective battery charge indicator. The charge indicator will improve convenience, save money and lessen the environmental burden that batteries present.

Using their groundbreaking P-Ink Technology Platform, Opalux has invented a battery charge indicator that provides a constant reading of the charge and health of a battery in a bright, accurate, and easy-to-read colour display format. “There has never been a more user-friendly charge indicator on the market,” said Mr. Paul Chan, CEO of Opalux Inc. “We expect that this technology to be quickly adopted and preferred by consumers as well as by commercial and industrial users.”

In the case of a single-use battery, Opalux’s charge indicator changes colour as the charge decreases. In a rechargeable battery, the benefits of the Opalux technology are ever greater. Rechargeable batteries of all kinds degrade over time, reducing the total charge that the battery is capable of holding. The Opalux charge indicator not only shows clearly the current charge, but also displays information about the charge capacity of the battery. As illustrated in the picture below, the indicator is always on and displays state of charge and health at all times; it does this without requiring any action on the part of the user and without draining any charge from the battery.

With the integration of an effective charge indicator, consumers will be empowered to better manage their use of all kinds of batteries and save money in the process. Charge and capacity indicators can be used not only in traditional disposable and rechargeable batteries; but also in the batteries found in virtually any product. Applications include home electronics and personal communication devices, as well as industrial products such as automobiles and large UPS systems

The integration of a clear, reliable charge indicator on all kinds of batteries will also benefit the environment by discouraging their premature disposal. By getting the maximum use out of each battery, consumers will ultimately use fewer batteries and reduce the huge number of units going into landfills every year.

“This product offers ready and significant benefits to the consumer, the environment and battery manufacturers,” says Mr. Chan. “We are excited by its broad application and expects a speedy rollout and ready adoption wherever batteries of all kinds are used.”

Opalux Inc. develops and markets tunable photonic crystal systems that have exceptional and highly desirable properties across a virtually unlimited spectrum of potential end uses. The company’s vision is to make photonic crystal technology accessible for everyday applications. The Opalux technology platforms utilize structured materials called photonic crystals to produce pure colors that are tunable across the entire visible spectrum and beyond.

Prof. Geoffrey Ozin gave the 2007 Gerhard Herzberg Lecture at Carlton University in Ottawa. The lecture featured Opalux’s story of bringing P-Ink and Elastink technologies from laboratory to the market.

The NSERC ceremony tonight will also honour the winner and runners-up of the NSERC Innovation Challenge Award, a competition where graduate students are invited to demonstrate their spirit of entrepreneurship by identifying potential products or services that could be developed from their thesis research.

The first prize – worth $10,000 – goes to André Arsenault, a chemist at the University of Toronto.

Arsenault has conducted research into photonic crystals and developed a photonic “ink” that will change colour in response to a stimulus. He has set up his own company – Opalux Incorporated – to develop applications for this technology that include signage that can be modified electronically, colour-changing sensors for use in forensics, biometrics and security, and anti-counterfeiting measures.

“These awards encourage graduate students to consider real-world applications of their research, and I am very impressed with the high calibre of the proposals we received from universities across Canada,” said Dr. Fortier. “These young researchers understand well that the ability to translate new knowledge into innovative products and services is just as important as the talent needed to discover that knowledge in the first place.”

And the winner is…

André and Charlene Arsenault

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A U of T faculty member and a former student were among those honoured by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada Oct. 29 for their work in bringing university research to the marketplace.

André Arsenault, a recent PhD graduate of the Department of Chemistry, won first prize in the Innovation Challenge Awards, a competition designed to get graduate students thinking about products or services that could be developed from their thesis research.

Arsenault’s research on photonic crystals led to the development of a photonic “ink” that changes colour in response to stimuli. He created Opalux Incorporated to develop applications for his technology, which could include sensors for use in forensics, anti-counterfeiting measures and signage that could be modified electronically.

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