Region

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes

Examples of partnerships with companies in the region

A new process that uses hydrated lime for preventing “bleeding” in overheating roads with a controlled impact on the environment.

Partnership Clim'adapt Carnot Institute - Lhoist

Heatwaves can inflict serious damage on roads. Lhoist has developed a new process that is both curative and preventative and easy to deploy. Clim’adapt – Carnot Cerema Institute – has helped to limit the technique’s environmental impact.

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Partnership Clim'adapt Carnot Institute - Lhoist

A new process that uses hydrated lime for preventing “bleeding” in overheating roads with a controlled impact on the environment.

Heatwaves can inflict serious damage on roads. Lhoist has developed a new process that is both curative and preventative and easy to deploy. Clim’adapt – Carnot Cerema Institute – has helped to limit the technique’s environmental impact.

Supporting Innovation

Successive heatwaves damage roads by causing “bleeding” in bituminous pavement where the asphalt and the aggregate become separated. The asphalt binder forces its way to the pavement surface, creating dangerous areas with very poor grip, especially for two-wheeled vehicles. To remedy this and avoid damaging roads during extreme weather, road maintenance departments if they are unable to use hydroblasting to eliminate the outermost layer, often spread sand or gravel. This creates loose chippings and cannot really prevent damage to the road surface. Lhoist has come up with a solution that is both curative and preventative and involves spreading a special slaked lime-based formulation using machinery equipped with a tank and a spray boom. The operation may be performed at any time of the day and does not require the deployment of special fixed signalling equipment. However, if this innovative technique is to be used on a widespread basis, its environmental impact must be limited. For example, if the thin layer of lime spread on the surface is washed away during a rainstorm, it should not pose a threat to nearby natural areas. It was Carnot Clim’adapt Institute that came up with a solution to this aspect of the innovation.

The client needs

Lhoist is an international group that operates around a hundred sites in 25 countries and has, over the course of a century, become a global leader in lime, dolime and minerals. Lime in various different forms is omnipresent in construction and civil engineering. It improves the driveability and mechanical performance of road and motorway subsurfaces, is used to blend hydraulic road binders and facilitates recycling of excavation waste. Hydrated or slaked lime enhances the durability of asphalt surfaces on roads. Lhoist has developed a specific slaked lime formulation designed to prevent “bleeding”. The Asphacal® BL range may be applied in a preventive manner and immediately restores a safe driving surface. However, part of the thin film of lime left on the surface may be washed away during the heavy rains common during hot weather and safety guidelines for using hydrated lime recommend that it should not be released into the environment.

Consequently, Lhoist really needed to be able to provide the local councils in charge of a large part of the road network with solutions in relation to the environmental impact of the process. Carnot Clim’adapt Institute designed and deployed a research protocol for assessing the impact of this technique on the surrounding environment, particularly on nearby wetlands. The initial findings helped to identify the areas where the product could be used without any risk and to adapt the quantity of the product to be applied to the most sensitive areas. A full-scale test conducted on a secondary road near Puy-de-Dôme in central France in 2020 made it possible to refine the conditions for using the technique.

Partnership

Cerema, Carnot Clim’adapt Institute, helps stakeholders to design and develop urban planning infrastructure. It helps them transition to a more frugal, carbon-light and environmentally friendly economy.

Lhoist was able to leverage Clim'adapt's expertise in hydraulics, infrastructure, the environment and environmental chemistry. It could also benefit of its equipment, which included a “rain generator” that can produce rainfall of controlled intensity and duration over several square metres. A three-phased experiment was conducted to assess the impact of lime leaching during a rain shower, by quantifying and evaluating the repercussions of lime flow into a watercourse near a treated surface. After some theoretical studies, the amount of lime that leached into water following different types of rainfall events was measured during the experimental phase. Physical and chemical analyses of the water collected were combined with hydrobiological tests performed on the aquatic environments of a life-size experimental site to develop findings concerning the long-term environmental impact. 

The initial results were used to develop guidelines for natural areas based on how sensitive they are and they convinced a number of local councils to experiment with Asphacal® BL during the summer of 2020. 
Clim’adapt provides Lhoist’s innovation with the guarantees expected by local councils who get a more sustainable solution for tackling the problem of “bleeding”. The partnership has demonstrated that this highly-affordable technical innovation is a real boon for local authorities both in terms of their budgets and their social responsibility.

March 2021

New high-tech vibration absorbers that boost the reliability of sensitive on-board equipment

Partnership Ingenierie@Lyon & Energies du Futur Carnot Institutes - AVNIR Engineering

AVNIR Engineering has carried out experiments to validate innovative vibration absorbers that cater to the needs of the aerospace industry. Mateis lab (Carnot Ingénierie @ Lyon) has developed and enhanced the technological readiness level of a new hybrid material that dampens vibrations when satellites are being put into orbit (a requirement of Ariane Group).

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Partnership Ingenierie@Lyon & Energies du Futur Carnot Institutes - AVNIR Engineering

New high-tech vibration absorbers that boost the reliability of sensitive on-board equipment

AVNIR Engineering has carried out experiments to validate innovative vibration absorbers that cater to the needs of the aerospace industry. Mateis lab (Carnot Ingénierie @ Lyon) has developed and enhanced the technological readiness level of a new hybrid material that dampens vibrations when satellites are being put into orbit (a requirement of Ariane Group).

Supporting Innovation

On-board equipment is very sensitive to vibrations and this tends to shorten its lifespan. To compensate for this and avoid having to design oversized structures, we need high-performance vibration isolators or — better still — to integrate the damping function into the structure itself. The INCAS collaborative project, coordinated by AVNIR Engineering, has come up with a hybrid composite that dampens vibrations in the upper stages of future Ariane Espace launchers. It consists of a stiff wire mesh obtained using additive metal manufacturing techniques and filled with a light polymer foam with a damping effect. Thanks to the foam, this material dampens vibrations by a factor of 10 compared with an equivalent module while limiting any increase in mass. Mateis lab, which is part of Carnot Ingénierie@Lyon, has managed to obtain TRL4 validation (on a nine-level technological readiness scale) based on multi-scale characterization of the composite and its constituent elements, and on small-scale, followed by larger-scale testing. The project also enabled AVNIR Engineering to design and build a scale 1 test bed for TRL6 experimental validation of innovative elastomeric and wire rope vibration isolators.

The client needs

The INCAS project has brought together four major groups, four SMEs (including AVNIR Engineering, which heads up the project), and two research labs — Mateis (Carnot Ingénierie@Lyon) and SiMaP (Carnot Energies du futur) — to devise solutions that cater to the needs of four major aerospace corporations especially those of Ariane Group by securing the low-frequency vibrational environments of satellites on future launchers. Dampening low-frequency vibrations (i.e. 5 Hz - 100 Hz) on satellite launchers is key to mission success and, in order to comply with all specifications and limit the number of iterations, structures have now become far too big. AVNIR Engineering, an SME with around fifty employees, tasked with experimentally validating the damper systems on an operational demo, devised and conducted validation testing of the vibration isolators developed in the frame of the project. Moreover, to ascertain the process engineering potential of the new hybrid composite material, characterization testing performed by Mateis indicated a technological readiness level of TRL4. This is the first step in the tricky process of integrating the vibration damping function into the components of satellite launchers themselves.

Partnership


Mateis (Carnot Ingénierie @ Lyon), part of INSA Lyon engineering school specialised in materials science, provided AVNIR Engineering with all of its expertise in analysing the microstructure and mechanical properties of composite materials. Mateis also modelled the innovative co-continuous hybrid material, composed of an open wire mesh structure filled with a lightweight polymer foam whose damping properties comply with Ariane Group technical specifications. Mateis came up with the materials for the wire mesh structure and foam while SIMaP (Carnot Energie du futur) harnessed all of its expertise in Electron Beam Melting 3D printing and in the architectural design of the metal structure.
Thanks in part to a joint thesis conducted by the two research labs, this fruitful venture has come up with a new material whose vibration damping performance has been validated (i.e., at TRL4 level) by larger-scale testing. Moreover, scale 1 benchmark testing has enabled AVNIR Engineering to demonstrate the TRL6-level damping properties of the vibration isolators. The results of all of these different tests have convinced Ariane Group programme managers of both the usefulness and the technological readiness of the solutions in question.

January 2021

Diabeloop and CEA LETI are perfecting insulin delivery by integrating AI into a closed-loop system that alleviates the decision-making burden on patients.

Partnership CEA LETI Carnot Institute - Diabeloop

Researchers and doctors working in a joint research lab have revolutionised the lives of people suffering from Type 1 diabetes. They have moved from one-shot blood sugar measurements and manual insulin injections, with all of the related decision-making and risks, to continuous measurement with personalised, secure insulin delivery.

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Partnership CEA LETI Carnot Institute - Diabeloop

Diabeloop and CEA LETI are perfecting insulin delivery by integrating AI into a closed-loop system that alleviates the decision-making burden on patients.

Researchers and doctors working in a joint research lab have revolutionised the lives of people suffering from Type 1 diabetes. They have moved from one-shot blood sugar measurements and manual insulin injections, with all of the related decision-making and risks, to continuous measurement with personalised, secure insulin delivery.

Supporting Innovation

Les conditions de vie des personnes atteintes de diabète insulinodépendant se sont régulièrement améliorées depuis ces 10 dernières années. Du stylo à insuline jusqu’à des dispositifs de mesure en continu de la glycémie avec pompe associée, le suivi de la glycémie et la délivrance d’insuline ont été simplifiés mais dépendent encore largement de multiples prises de décisions du malade. Le risque d’hypoglycémie, notamment nocturne ou consécutif à un effort physique, constitue un souci permanent pour la personne qui vit avec un diabète. Les « systèmes de délivrance automatisée d’insuline » permettent une réelle réduction de la charge mentale quotidienne en toute sécurité. Ainsi le dispositif DBLG1 de Diabeloop régule la délivrance d’insuline en fonction de la mesure continue de glycémie et communique directement avec la pompe via un algorithme hébergé dans un terminal dédié. Des algorithmes calculent en local la quantité d’insuline à injecter, le terminal étant relié par Bluetooth à une pompe patch miniature et à un capteur de glycémie. La charge mentale du patient est ainsi allégée, il lui faut simplement signaler au système ses repas et ses éventuelles activités sportives.

The client needs

Le dérèglement de la production d’insuline caractéristique du diabète de type 1 entraîne de lourdes complications thérapeutiques. Pour les malades souvent diagnostiqués avant 30 ans, c’est une vie de contrôle et suivi pluri-quotidien de la glycémie qui démarre. Dès 2011, l’équipe fondatrice de Diabeloop s’est intéressée à la prévention de l’hypoglycémie et au contrôle glycémique, ainsi qu’aux facteurs d’adoption, par le patient, d’un dispositif de boucle fermée à 3 composants. Constitué d’un système de mesure en continu de la glycémie, d’une pompe à insuline de type patch et d’un algorithme de pilotage, le système doit associer miniaturisation, fiabilisation des mesures, adaptation aux événements et sécurisation des données numériques. Le Carnot CEA LETI, très engagé sur la transition numérique à fort impact sociétal a apporté, dès l’origine, son soutien au projet. Les avancées du dispositif DBLG1 ont porté sur l’algorithme de régulation de l’insuline et pour plus de confidentialité et d’efficacité il fallait que l’algorithme tourne en local sans recourir au cloud mais tout en transmettant en parallèle les données à un service médical de suivi pendant la phase d’essais cliniques.  Le dispositif, déjà certifié CE depuis fin 2018, répond très bien à la réduction des hypoglycémies entre les repas et pendant le jeûne du sommeil. Mais, au-delà, il faut « apprendre » de la vie du malade pour mieux adapter la réponse aux besoins spécifiques du patient et disposer d’un système personnalisé de gestion automatisée de la glycémie ce qui nécessite d’améliorer l’étude de la variation sur 24h de la sensibilité à l’insuline, l’impact des repas, de l’activité physique, des émotions et du stress.

Partnership

Le Carnot CEA LETI s’attache à valoriser des innovations technologiques de rupture dans les domaines de la santé notamment. Par son investissement, dès 2011, dans la recherche d’une solution d’automatisation du traitement du diabète de type 1, avec le CERITD (Centre d'Études et de Recherches pour l'Intensification du Traitement du Diabète) il a permis de valider le projet qui a abouti à la création de l’entreprise Diabeloop avec laquelle il poursuit le partenariat dans le cadre d’un laboratoire commun dès 2015. Grâce à ses compétences en Data science, le Carnot CEA LETI a contribué à créer un algorithme de contrôle de la délivrance d’insuline en fonction de la mesure continue de glycémie (algorithme de bio-régulation). Il a également participé au développement de l’application qui sert d’interface avec le patient, bénéficiant de sa longue et forte expérience en technologies pour l’IoT.
A l’issue de tests cliniques concluants et de la certification CE, la commercialisation en France et en Europe démarre avec soumission du dossier à la Sécurité Sociale, un déploiement prévu en Allemagne et de premiers contacts avec la FDA aux Etats Unis. L’équipe Diabeloop, qui compte désormais plus de 80 salariés sur Grenoble, Paris et en Allemagne, poursuit l’objectif de gérer les pics glycémiques post-prandiaux, ce qui représente un défi important. L’entreprise a procédé en 2019 à la plus importante levée de fonds européenne en IA. Mais les retours des malades qui expriment par « vous avez changé ma vie » leur satisfaction d’avoir une charge mentale allégée marquent, plus que tout, la réussite d’un partenariat dans la durée.

November 2020

Using living organisms to improve water quality monitoring

Partnership Carnot Irstea - ViewPoint

ViewPoint has combined video-tracking of living organisms with Irstea’s ecotoxicology expertise to come up with a new solution for monitoring aquatic pollution.

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Partnership Carnot Irstea - ViewPoint

Using living organisms to improve water quality monitoring

ViewPoint has combined video-tracking of living organisms with Irstea’s ecotoxicology expertise to come up with a new solution for monitoring aquatic pollution.

Supporting Innovation

Maintaining water quality is a key environmental and health imperative. Viewpoint measures the behaviour of invertebrates whose mobility reflects the toxicity of a given environment. Irstea researches the use of living organisms to perform diagnostic testing of contamination and toxicity in aquatic environments. The partnership with Irstea has made it possible to develop and market ToxMate, a comprehensive solution for monitoring water contamination on line with a 30-day power reserve. ToxMate is particularly effective in measuring the quality of wastewater and sewage – the main pathways for chemical contaminants – in order to assess performance with regard to the treatment of micropollutants in wastewater for example, or phytosanitary intake in aquatic environments.

The client needs

ViewPoint, an SME based in Dombes, France, has been marketing innovative applications for analysing animal behaviour using video-tracking since 1990. In 2014, it began participating in developing new standards for detecting toxicity in water. As part of the joint FUI SMILE project, ViewPoint and Irstea approved the general principle of measuring the toxicity of an environment by analysing the behaviour of a group of organisms. This enabled Viewpoint to handle the technical requirements involved in monitoring aquatic environments and its workforce began to grow. The partners filed two patents, essential for protecting their findings and safeguarding the company’s development. The partnership with Carnot Irstea was extended in order to develop a standalone application designed for manufacturers.

Partnership

Carnot Institute Irstea is renowned for its research and expertise in the diagnostic testing of contamination and toxicity in aquatic environments. It used all of its know-how and field experience to design the device. It teamed up with ViewPoint to adapt the method and select a combination of invertebrates that would provide optimal sensitivity to a wide range of pollutants. Data is generated by analysing images produced by a camera placed inside a box containing the carefully calibrated organisms. Locomotor behaviour measurement, correlated to a specific toxicity threshold, is transmitted on line. The application was evaluated in situ at a waste water treatment plant where ToxMate was instrumental in identifying a deterioration in toxicity over a 12-week period of continuous monitoring.

September 2019

An infrared sensor that locates and counts people but respects their privacy

Partnership MICA Carnot Institute - Irlynx

By enhancing the thermal resistance of a polymer, MICA Carnot Institute has enabled Irlynx to come up with an infrared detector that helps create a more sustainable city.

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Partnership MICA Carnot Institute - Irlynx

An infrared sensor that locates and counts people but respects their privacy

By enhancing the thermal resistance of a polymer, MICA Carnot Institute has enabled Irlynx to come up with an infrared detector that helps create a more sustainable city.

Supporting Innovation

Infrared radiation (IR) has long been used to detect presence based on levels of heat emitted. Infrared technology frequently combines the use of a video camera to make up for the lack of detail. High-precision analysis is required to protect privacy and eliminate any possible misinterpretation of a situation. Irlynx has successfully developed a French-produced sensor to come up with an affordable solution that can distinguish an animal from a human being, locate and count individual people, determine whether they are moving or static, and even detect if they are having a fall. This customisable, camera-less system is easy to deploy either during the construction phase or when a building is up and running. It is aimed at the security market and at “smart buildings” that regulate power supply based on whether any users are actually around.

Illustration : exemple d’utilisation du capteur IrLynx pour une application de GTB

The client needs

Irlynx was created in 2012 to develop anonymous IR sensors for health and assisted-living facilities. From 2014 on, advances in research and the changing needs of property developers led this Grenoble-based SME into the broader-based markets of security and building facilities management. However, Irlynx needed to enhance the precision of its camera-less system to cover all situations: one of its insulating polymers proved to have poor heat resistance which affected the sensor’s precision. In 2015, the company entered into a partnership with MICA Carnot Institute and Charles Sadron Institute (Michel Bouquey) – which has specialised expertise in polymers – took charge of the project. This partnership culminated in an affordable product with remarkable technical features, brought to market in 2018. With a workforce of 20 people, Irlynx is now looking to tackle the international market.

Partnership

Carnot MICA Institute brings together 16 research laboratories and technical centres including ICS Strasbourg, all focused on materials, surfaces and interfaces and related processes. It has a multi-sector offering and develops projects for all markets. Following a six-month feasibility study and an 18-month R&D programme, MICA and Irlynx teams created an innovative, very thin polymer that is compatible with process engineering. The research lab focused on an original strategy of enhancing the polymer’s heat resistance by combining it with air – the best insulator currently known to man – through the use of a foam-like porous material. The composite material, consisting of resin filled with hollow silica microbeads and placed directly on the silicon semiconductor, optimizes the infrared radiation emitted by the detector. It has enabled the partners to greatly improve the quality of the analysis. MICA partnered the SME through to technology transfer needed for moving into the production phase, thus illustrating its capacity to participate fully in the company’s growth and development. Irlynx is now ideally positioned to meet the needs of the booming “smart city” market.

April 2019

The new portable spectrometric gamma imaging system NuVISION

Partnership Carnot Institute Leti - Nuvia

The NuVISION compact portable spectrometric gamma camera developed by a shared Nuvia-Leti lab, detects, locates and identifies sources of radiation in real time.

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Partnership Carnot Institute Leti - Nuvia

The new portable spectrometric gamma imaging system NuVISION

The NuVISION compact portable spectrometric gamma camera developed by a shared Nuvia-Leti lab, detects, locates and identifies sources of radiation in real time.

Supporting Innovation

NUVIA is a nuclear specialist and an expert in the security and safety of installations and people.
It has harnessed its on-site detection and mobility requirements to develop a light, compact and autonomous device that is capable of meeting the needs of the nuclear industry, the environment and security requirements.
This portable spectrometric gamma camera allows users to not only detect but also measure a dose rate,  localize the source and identify the radioisotope, thanks to excellent spectrometric ability on a wide energy range (20-1400keV). Additionally, the processing speed makes it possible to perform real-time imaging and to observe mobile sources.
The detector’s sensitivity to gamma rays makes it a highly reliable product accessible to a wide range of users, operators and experts. It is marketed under the NuVISION brand.

The client needs

NUVIA designs, manufactures and distributes both standard and specific radiation protection and measuring equipment for all stakeholders in the nuclear industry and sensitive sectors, under the NUVIATech instruments brand. Its R&D teams use state-of-the art technologies to design products of excellence in the nuclear safety and security arena.
Gamma imaging is used for homeland security, dismantling, safeguards and dose monitoring which covers conflicting requirements: sensitivity, high dose rate capability, energy resolution, field of view, angular resolution.
To satisfy all of these requirements, we need to combine coded aperture, which provides sensitive and accurate imaging but with limited field of view, and Compton imaging which allows all-directional imaging but with limited angular resolution.

NuVISION – which was unveiled at Millipol 2017 – takes up these challenges and is now part of the Nuviatech instruments catalogue.

Partnership

Carnot Institute Leti is a CEA Tech institute dedicated to micro and nanotechnologies and integrating these technologies into systems. Leti researchers worked in a shared lab alongside NUVIA R&D teams to reconcile the seemingly contradictory requirements of this portable gamma camera.
CZT (CdZnTe) semiconductor detectors are used and specific algorithms make it possible to combine Compton scattering with coded aperture to build multi-isotope images and cover wide angles.Rapid processing time also enables fast reconstruction and real time imaging, endowing the system with exceptional qualities.This joint lab is continuing its research to improve camera ergonomics and design and to ease camera operation for the end user as well as catering to the needs of experts. This makes the product even more effective and enables it to be used more extensively.

March 2019

While the dental implant market is bursting, Anthogyr, in co-operation with Ingénierie@Lyon, innovates to improve efficiency

Partnership Ingénierie@lyon - Anthogyr

With a better control of the behaviour of new zirconia-based composite features Anthogyr has been able to improve the stability of its ceramics and unlock innovation potential to gain a relevant position at an international level.

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Partnership Ingénierie@lyon - Anthogyr

While the dental implant market is bursting, Anthogyr, in co-operation with Ingénierie@Lyon, innovates to improve efficiency

With a better control of the behaviour of new zirconia-based composite features Anthogyr has been able to improve the stability of its ceramics and unlock innovation potential to gain a relevant position at an international level.

Supporting Innovation

Zirconium dioxide (ZrO2) known as zirconia has been actively used in biomedical contexts, notably the dental sector, for about 15 years, where its use effectively meets the needs of patients in terms of safety and aesthetics.
Through further improvements of both the composition and the manufacturing technique of zirconia-based ceramics, Anthogyr hope to gain more security and more market share.
The innovation consists in extending the implant’s behaviour over time without degradation products combined with a production on an industrial scale.
Already established in China and Russia, Anthogyr faces fierce competition. Its ability to offer a range of superior products at an affordable price corresponds to its ‘Prime Mover in Implantology’ strategy.

Copyright : Anthogyr

The client needs

Anthogyr, an intermediate-sized enterprise established in the French Alps, wants to effectively meet the challenge of ever-increasing demand in implants at a global level.
For that matter, Anthogyr has engaged in the design, manufacturing and distribution of an extensive range of products for the oral health professionals.
For some products, the enterprise uses zirconia recognised for its biocompatibility, toughness and whiteness properties.
By using a high-quality zirconia powder, Anthogyr possesses complete mastery of the entire production chain to provide supply of products well-suited to complex prostheses in different degrees of translucency and colour shades.
In 2015, the partnership with Ingenierie @ Lyon Carnot Institute is given concrete form with the launching of a common laboratory with Mateis, a Material Science Laboratory based in Lyon. The establishment of such common laboratory has triggered a considerable step towards increasing resistance to water and corrosion of implants (biofluids) through doped cerium rather than yttrium.
Research on the manufacturing process on an industrial scale was carried out in parallel with the development of this new range of composite ceramic.

Partnership

The MATEIS’ team is part of the Ingenierie@Lyon Carnot Institute, a Material Science specialist lab centred on a research approach that blends chemical, physical and mechanical simulations applied to medicine, transport and energy mechanisms.
The lab aims to reveal, through experimentation and modelling, the technical relationships between the recipe, the microstructure and the physical properties of both metals and polymer-derived ceramics and composites.
Internationally recognized for the commitment and high standard of the work of its researchers, it has been able to boost Anthogyr’s innovative capacity from a technological perspective as well as in terms of economics.
Within the context of the LEAD* common Lab, a Speciality Appliances Dental/Orthodontic Laboratory, Mateis and Anthogyr have pooled their expertise to acquire the knowledge and skills of information and technologies necessary, in additive manufacturing especially, and a renewed vision for the approach to dental implant therapies in the future.
Worth more than EUR 46 million, Anthogyr employs more than 330 people in France and 420 globally, and devotes 8% of its revenue to R&D. For Anthogyr the R&D partnership with the Carnot Institute has become a key component in stepping up growth through innovation of a complete range of associated products and services.

*LEAD = Laboratoire d’Excellence en Application Dentaire

March 2018

Iskn capitalises on current scientific research related to magnetic fields to streamline interface between traditional drawing and digital graphic design.

Partnership Leti - iskn

Three researchers have transformed more than 50 years of research on magnetoresistance by the Leti Carnot Institute into an app dedicated to raise public awareness of the arts, the design and education.

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Partnership Leti - iskn

Iskn capitalises on current scientific research related to magnetic fields to streamline interface between traditional drawing and digital graphic design.

Three researchers have transformed more than 50 years of research on magnetoresistance by the Leti Carnot Institute into an app dedicated to raise public awareness of the arts, the design and education.

Supporting Innovation

The production of a digital graphic usually requires the use of a graphic tablet or the scanning and editing of a paper drawing. The Slate system allows to use of a standard pad with  a simple drawing tool. It is equipped with a sheet of paper laid on an adjustable support and a pen fitted with a magnetic ring.
To record the drawing, each movement of the pen is sensed by the 32 tri-axial magnetometers embedded in the support. The data are sent over to a Smartphone or tablet in both real-time and off-line modes.
The associated software allows both the drawing to be manipulated, edited and exported for common formats.
Intended for the general public, the Slate system is distributed in more than 350 points of sales including the major French brands. After Belgium, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States, the Asian markets see in Slate a way to match the Art of Calligraphy with prospective digital teaching materials.

The client needs

In a highly competitive sector, iskn illustrates the need for further R&D to be carried on to turn such innovative project into an economic success.
Indeed, digital drawing software programs have been efficiently applied for nearly 30 years.
The Leti Engineers who have brought the research to where it stands today wanted to give back the right to determine what tools are needed as appropriate to any human operators. They, for the most part, were betting on the links between physical objects and digital world.
A crowdfunding campaign has allowed the gathering of an amount significantly higher than the level of financing needed. However, moving beyond the announcement effect and great deal of interest generated, the technological leadership had to be safeguarded. By constituting a common laboratory with Carnot CEA LETI, iskn has grown from 12 patents upon their establishment in 2014 to 20 today.
This type of multi-year collaboration is essential to make it possible for the SME of 38 employees to respond favourably to increasing public and professional expectations alike, while turning to the world of interactive entertainment products and applications of business functional practices.

Partnership

As part of the CEA Tech Institute, the Grenoble-based Carnot CEA LETI has taken a pioneering role in studying and facilitating the uptake of discoveries on antiferromagnetic (AFM) and ferromagnetic fluctuations. The work of 1970 Nobel Laureate French physicist Louis Néel has been very determining in this regard. The Leti Institute is a major player in terms of dynamic R&D in the area, thanks, in particular to the Grenoble Innovation for Advanced New Technologies (GIANT) campus.
The intelligent Slate pen tablet uses a matrix of ultra-sensitive magnetometers and signal-processing algorithms carried out under the partnership and protected by 22 valid and enforceable patents.
With 50.000 “Slate” sold since the beginning, a growth in revenue by almost 300% against 2017 and the doubling of the number of employees in 2018, the long-lasting collaboration and closeness of interactions with researchers provide iskn the means to strengthen an already solid case.

March 2018

Ingénierie@Lyon helps introduce a new set of tools to improve brake pad manufacturing quality

Partnership Ingénierie@Lyon Carnot Institute - Renault and SMW Autoblok

A piece of clamp jaw manufactured using direct metal additive processing increases existing machining productivity.

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Partnership Ingénierie@Lyon Carnot Institute - Renault and SMW Autoblok

Ingénierie@Lyon helps introduce a new set of tools to improve brake pad manufacturing quality

A piece of clamp jaw manufactured using direct metal additive processing increases existing machining productivity.

Supporting Innovation

The clamp jaw placed over the chuck must be as light as possible to avoid strong clamping centrifugal forces during machining operations. Indeed, a heavier clamp would exacerbate tightening of the workpiece with induced deformations. IPC*, as part of Ingénierie@Lyon Carnot Institute, worked to make the holding clamp, manufactured by chuck specialist SMW AUTOBLOCK, lighter. The combined topological optimisation/metal additive processing has reduced the clamp weight by 50%, allowing for a reduced tightening. Therefore eliminating the risk of distorted brake discs during the machining process. Renault thus managed to improve process capability while ensuring quality of the brake pads

*IPC = Innovation, Plastic Technology, Composites

3D image of the optimised chuck/clamp piece (shaded areas represent cut-outs only possible using  metal additive processing)

The client needs

Renault and SMW Autoblock have been faced with many obstacles in reducing the piece of clamp jaw, while maintaining its mechanical properties for a firm holding of the machined brakes. They subsequently turned to the IPC Technological  Centre as part of the Ingénierie@Lyon Carnot institute. Using the OptiStruct structural analysis solver from Altair Hyperworks, the teams first re-examined design topological optimisation, so as to respond to the main requirements of improving mass and resistance constraints. The geometrically complex series part was subsequently produced using metal additive processing. The lighter clamp jaw is enabling to hold the machined part with better gripping conditions and a lower torque in comparable quality. As a result, Renault could increase productivity and reduce reject rates in production making allowance for improved ecological and economic balance.

Partnership

The Ingénierie@Lyon Carnot institute brings together both the IPC and 13 other reseach laboratories. The objective of its R&D spectrum is to develop  new materials and technologies for applications in the field of transport, energy and health devices. In addition to multidisciplinarity the Institute’s research partnerships support innovation of very small companies and large international groups alike, .
The IPC Technological Centre, could dramatically contribute to Renault’s and chuck maker SMW Autoblock’s venture by combining two of its competences, i.e. topological optimisation and laser metal fusion. Such valuable work has been acknowledged and revered by the professionals. The project has been awarded the 3DPrint trophy for best applications for metal additive manufacturing in June 2017.

September 2017

Effidence innovation gets boosted thanks to Irstea

Partnership Irstea Carnot Institute - Effidence

Thanks to Agile methodology, the Irstea Carnot Institute multiplies prototypes. The SME is therefore exploiting research results to fulfil the farmers’ and military’s needs.

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Partnership Irstea Carnot Institute - Effidence

Effidence innovation gets boosted thanks to Irstea

Thanks to Agile methodology, the Irstea Carnot Institute multiplies prototypes. The SME is therefore exploiting research results to fulfil the farmers’ and military’s needs.

Supporting Innovation

Integrated innovation aims to find innovative solutions by integrating a variety of technological modules. Such approach has been applied to the agricultural robot EffiBOT, a fully automated trolley that follows the operator. Launched by Effidence, this robot has been honoured with the Integration Award at the National Robotics Competition supported by the French Ministry of Industry in March 2017. Beyond the development of a ground-breaking technology, the SME has strived to venture into new markets by optimising research and prototyping stages in co-operation with Irstea. Recognised for its expertise in the logistics sector, the 11-employee SME demonstrates as such its ability to tap into the military and agricultural markets. Considering that both are constantly seeking the most cost-effective solution to overcome not easily predictable all-around encounter situation-aware applications.

The client needs

The project starts in 2009 when Effidence is established to use research results of a data-fusion module with limited computational resources in the field of security and remote surveillance. The first collaborative robot was designed for logistics applications. The SME provided its very first robots to international logistics stakeholders in 2016. To be able to respond to the needs of  agricultural and military applications the trolley must position in regard to the operator’s position and act in complex and not easily predictable environments. Irstea’s capacity to apply Agile methodology in co-operation with the Institut Pascal’s teams allows for rapid prototyping and strongly-noted achievements while taking account of the constraints specific to such operating environments. Therefore making it easier for Effidence to convince with high-performance prototypes.

Partnership

The Irstea Carnot Institute responds to industrial issues and societal challenges in agricultural and environmental areas. Its dedicated co-operation has led to the development of an intelligent tracking system fitted with 3 UWB radio beacons (2 on the robot and 1 for the user followed by that robot). Such ultra-wideband tracking system covers environmental interference data transmission applications in a variety of significantly disrupted environments. The processing is driven with lesser resources used by the database data-fusion module and linked algorithms. One key feature of the partnership, which enables Effidence to be identified and recognised in the field of collaborative robots, is motivated by the use of agile iterative methods. Testing, assessing, abandoning, engaging into projects about new prototypes and developing applications to specific usage is made possible through the vital assets of the Institute. Irstea’s active support still continues during sales presentations.

May 2017

New MultiX X-ray spectrometer detects nitromethane from water

Partnership Leti Carnot Institute - MultiX

Thanks to Leti’s various skills, the combination of reduced stage security inspection process and travel safety is attracting both the airport authorities and other sector industries.

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Partnership Leti Carnot Institute - MultiX

New MultiX X-ray spectrometer detects nitromethane from water

Thanks to Leti’s various skills, the combination of reduced stage security inspection process and travel safety is attracting both the airport authorities and other sector industries.

Supporting Innovation

How can we differentiate water from nitromethane in liquids? While conducting R&D to resolve such delicate matter, a Grenoble Isère-based business realised that it was able to concretely fulfil the issue of heightened security checks at airports. The use of the MultiX X scanner is becoming routine procedure to discriminate liquids in baggage. The main innovation rationale behind such technology is to fast-scan via efficient photodetection all screened photons rather than just a fraction passing through the scanned item. The detection sensor is an unparalleled source of information which has driven the American Authorities at US airports to use such technology to improve detection of explosives in hand-held baggage.

The client needs

MultiX has been utilising X-ray spectrometric detection technology since 2010 for non-destructive inspection and security screening to identify substances.
Their teams, widely dedicated to R&D, have given themselves the objectives of providing a reliable solution with reference to baggage screening that can be directly integrated to industry. To succeed in this increasingly competitive market, MultiX needed a partner capable of providing a major technological advance to offset the competition. The SME with 18 employees was able to develop in concert with Leti Carnot institute (Cea Tech) the entire workflow for processing X-ray spectrometry data. Such guarantee ensures detection of explosive compounds while making easier the traveler’s experience.

Partnership

The CEA LETI Carnot Institute has strived to maintain world-class imaging, notably health care radiography, expertise. The teams’ ability for spectrometric measurement of gamma- and X-ray using high quality sensors paired with information extraction algorithms have consequently been shared with their MultiX counterparts. Spurred on by Leti regarding their patent management, the SME has the competitive advantage to deal with faster development while creating jobs to support international business. The ME100 detector easily integrates into the clients’ scanning systems. Thus benefiting key security operators at sensitive locations or places with industrial activity.

April 2017

SFH transforms machining sludge into valuable metal briquettes.

Partnership Cetim Carnot Institute - SFH

Both SFH and Cetim develop a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to minimising, even eliminating, waste landfill for the industry sector.

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Partnership Cetim Carnot Institute - SFH

SFH transforms machining sludge into valuable metal briquettes.

Both SFH and Cetim develop a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to minimising, even eliminating, waste landfill for the industry sector.

Supporting Innovation

As far as SFH is concerned, waste management must translate into an immediate financial gain. This is the real origin of a wide range of specially designed filter presses dedicated to machining sludge. Inside factories processing high value materials, particularly those used in aerospace, sludge produced from surface grinding contains large amount of high-quality metal particles. The disposal of which is in effect a burdensome and costly process. Thanks to the ancillary filter presses supplied, SFH allows for significant on-site waste compaction for the industrial partner. The waste are turned into briquettes for re-integration into the production cycle or marketed as a product. Such innovation is not only important to industrial users but to service partners as well.

The client needs

Founded in 1981, SFH experienced a shrinking economic activity in 2010. The SME contemplates at once the redirection of its operations and gradually focuses on recycling, in particular the valuable re-use of manufacturing waste. The Saint-Etienne-based SME turns to Cetim to blend its expertise and know-how in ultra high-pressure hydraulics with substantial multi-disciplinary resources, including the technical, legal and commercial aspects necessary to complete the project. Much closer than a partnership, such co-development and structured gain / risk sharing mechanism have resulted in the production of a series of several waste compactors since 2011.

Partnership

When SFH presents the idea, the Cetim Carnot Institute is already working toward the reprocessing of machining sludge. Cetim puts a proposal within the context of its ‘Innovation’ offer that focus on marketing and industrialisation studies by way of co-financing. Heavy investments to financing the venture are not required from SFH and the Cetim-managed project is progressing quickly. The range of machines manufactured by SFH for compacting sludge surface grinding, more generally manufacturing waste as well as sludge mixed with swarf, matches the various sectors of the industrial market segments. Sales increase dramatically, including through export, and hiring is on the rise for the start-up. In 2015, headcounts and revenue is double the 2009 figures.

March 2017

The French solution to treat obesity without surgery arises from a partnership Carnot

Partnership Cetim Carnot Institute - Horuscare

Start-up Horuscare considers clinical trials of alternative innovative solution to bariatric surgery for 2017 agenda.

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Partnership Cetim Carnot Institute - Horuscare

The French solution to treat obesity without surgery arises from a partnership Carnot

Start-up Horuscare considers clinical trials of alternative innovative solution to bariatric surgery for 2017 agenda.

Supporting Innovation

Slowing passage into the bloodstream of essential nutrients so as to facilitate significant weight loss! Such is the tenet of Horuscare’s ‘Reborn’ medical device. A 60-cm titanium / silicone tube that is inserted into the duodenum during an  endoscopic by high channel non-surgical procedure. Once the tube is in place, the outer membrane prevent fats and sugar from quickly seeping into the bloodstream. The system effectiveness in particular lies in its capacity to seal off the supply of nutrients, at the same time assess organic stability.

The client needs

Horuscare was born out of the conviction of Jean-Michel Verd, the founder of the company, that existing obesity treatment approaches needed to be re-thought. Both mechanical and medical expertises have been necessary to determine the relevant technical base to guarantee stability and reliability of the system after implementation. The first step required formalising a set of constraints in accordance with very strict specifications imposing that no hook cause wounds or infections.  The device placement was however recognised essential to avert migration and subsequent intestinal obstruction due to contractions. In view of such procedure, long-term simulator testing was performed to allow validation of the 60-cm tube length hypothesis based on the original anatomical shape of the intestine (anchoring the final 3D-position of the ligament of Treitz at 180 degrees)

Partnership

Assistance has been provided as needed to Horuscare by CETIM Carnot Institute at Saint-Étienne for the development of the medical device. After specifications were completed several alternatives assessments have been devised. Hence stent– which is already used in cardiology - as the chosen solution. The waterproof membrane structure is supported by the stent which is held in position without hooks. Consequently, the device and unique test bench were jointly developed by CETIM and Horuscare. Such bench is used by both Radwan Kassir, MD. at Saint-Étienne University College Hospital, and Horuscare to determine the proof-of-concept in vitro study with a prototype. Beyond the patenting, Horuscare is presently involved with animal-based (in vivo) testings, at the same time seeking adequate funding of clinical trials applied to the human body. This innovation enriches the offer of not surgical therapy and aims at a multi-million euro mainly export market.

October 2016

Regions

Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Bourgogne-Franche-Comté
Bretagne
Centre-Val de Loire
Grand Est
Hauts-de-France
Île-de-France
Normandie
Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Occitanie
Pays de la Loire
Région Sud
Implemented throughout France

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