INNOVATION
The knowledge generated through basic science research at CePOF provides the foundation for numerous modern applications, both in basic industrial technologies and in engineering modernization. Studies involving mechatronics and the composition of optical sensors have enabled the development of advanced techniques for inspecting aircraft and ships, as well as novel applications in human rehabilitation through robotics. Atomic clocks and integration with GPS systems have fostered the first guided autonomous vehicle project in Brazil.
The biophotonics developed by the Center has led to the creation of over 15 new technologies that can be applied to health care. Of particular note, due to their major impact, are digital radiology techniques, where stabilized and spatially modulated lasers read metastable plates exposed to X-ray radiation by detecting the resulting fluorescence. With this technique, X-ray radiology (already over a century old) is expected to experience an unprecedented technological leap. Photodynamic therapy for cancer treatment has also produced a new technology that allows doctors to diagnose and treat skin cancer in a single patient visit using one integrated platform.
In the field of decontamination, new technological concepts for microbiological control have enabled the proposal of several infection control techniques. One notable innovation is the treatment of throat infections in children, where a lozenge dissolving in the mouth in under five minutes delivers a photosensitive substance to bacterial plaques, which are then illuminated, killing the microorganisms. Additionally, the inhalation of a photosensitizing substance allows impregnation of pulmonary infection plaques, which can later be eliminated through extracorporeal illumination.
Finally, one of the most impactful technological projects involves the development of photonic decontamination techniques for circulating liquids used to clean organs for transplantation. This new technology, already under international patent applications, is expected to revolutionize organ transplantation by enabling the use of donor organs that are currently discarded due to contamination.
The major technological impact of our research can be measured by the high number of patents generated (over 20 since 2013) and the strong interest from companies in our results. Our technological relevance is further evidenced by the recognition of CePOF as an EMBRAPII unit specializing in technological development in Biophotonics and Instrumentation.