US Patent Granted to Grolltex for Advanced Graphene 'Super' Sensor

One atom thick sensor can detect contraction strength of individual beating heart cells

SAN DIEGO - DECEMBER 07, 2017 - San Diego based Grolltex was granted a patent by the USPTO for a new multi-modal ‘super’ sensor design made of single layer graphene. The patent, titled “Graphene-based multi-modal sensor” describes a one atom thick architecture and utilizes several of Grolltex’ 2D materials technologies to produce what the company internally calls ‘The smallest, most sensitive sensor in the world’. The company is working on initial applications for these sensors that are targeting the bio-sensing and defense fields as leading-edge users of this technology.

“Our single atom thick sensor design, in the strain sensor configuration, is so sensitive that it captures a robust and repeatable signal on the contractility strength of individual ‘cardio myocytes’ or heart cells as they beat”, said Jeff Draa, company co-founder and CEO. “This can be a holy grail for fields such as cardiotoxicity testing as it has the capacity to be a significant time and money saver in the new drug testing and approval process”.

Additionally, the single layer graphene sensor covered by this patent has a very high threshold for thermal coefficient of resistance, meaning it experiences little to no signal drift when exposed to extreme levels of heat. This makes it an ideal sensor for measuring micro strain in high speed aeronautical vehicles. These sensors are so small and thin, they can be layered into the skins of airplanes, helicopters or other high stress vehicles to real-time measure and detect micro stress at architectures and levels not currently possible with today’s sensing technologies. These sensors could also be discreetly placed within critical structures such as bridges or buildings.

“We have had strong interest in this sensor design from several large, multi-national corporations and we are currently evaluating the possibility of development agreements with potential partners in strategic areas” said Draa. The company is currently producing samples of this sensor technology for selected strategic partners toward future collaboration. According to Draa, “The readings from our sensor are literally unbelievable, meaning that when we share our data with people in the sensing field, they don’t believe it and we have to show them”.

Grolltex, short for ‘graphene-rolling-technologies’, uses patented research and technologies initially developed at the University of California, San Diego, to produce high quality, single layer graphene and other 2D materials and products in a sustainable and manufacturable way.

About Grolltex:

Grolltex, Inc., is a nanotechnology materials, products and equipment company focusing on the optimization and advancement of the key material ‘graphene’ and related 2D materials, including hBN or ‘hexagonal boron nitride’. The company holds a number of strategic patents and technological advantages in areas relating to the manufacture of high quality, single layer ‘CVD’ graphene as well as on several advanced products made of graphene and 2D materials, such as hyper efficient solar cells, next generation sensors, advanced fuel cells and futuristic super-thin and flexible displays for use in wearables, smart phones and other electronics.

The company is a practitioner of, and specializes in, exclusively sustainable graphene production methods and is committed to advancing the field of graphene to improve the future of leading edge materials science and product design through the optimization of single atom thick materials.

For complete information, please visit: https://grolltex.com/