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The Technology Partnership
www.ttp.com
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The Technology Partnership (TTP) is building a bridge to the future. We create
new business based on intellectual property licensing and advances in technology,
working with some of the most well-known and successful companies in the world.
TTP employees are much like doctors in a hospital. Doctors get called upon to
solve difficult medical problems in the same way that TTP employees get called upon
to solve many interesting and difficult technical problems.
A physicist working somewhere like TTP can often have the fun and creativity of
starting from just a scientific curiosity, then come up with a bright idea and
bring a totally new product to the market. These "bright ideas" are often covered
by patents and can sometimes be extremely valuable.
The process of coming up with an idea and then taking it to commercial reality is
called "innovation" and is a very important part of the wealth generation process
of a company and for the UK as a whole.
Physicists at TTP can work on all sorts of things ranging from printing devices,
laser technology and sweet dispensers.
One major area at TTP is the development of electronic aerosol technology. This area
is looking at making better inhalers for people with asthma and other problems. A
normal inhaler produces an aerosol by letting a jet break up into a random stream of
droplets as it is squirted through a valve. Only a few of the right size droplets
manage to reach the lungs, so much of the drug isn't used effectively. On the other
hand the TTP electronic aerosol has the key advantage that it produces droplets that
are all very nearly the same size, which gives it much better performance in the
lungs.
TTP has considerable experience of working to the demanding requirements of the
medical technology sector. Along with the electronic aerosol mentioned above we
have also worked on a patented microchemistry platform that allows complex
applications of laboratory biochemistry to be undertaken on a low cost disposable
card. By harnessing cutting edge micro-fabrication methods and knowledge of fluidic
flow on a micron scale, such devices are becoming a reality and enable small,
handheld, portable diagnostic systems. Used in Ambulances and GP surgeries,
these devices will allow early detection of time-critical illnesses such as heart
disease.
TTP works in many consumer products fields. The main challenge here is to achieve
high quality at very low cost.
TTP has worked with Esselte (Dymo) to develop a complete range of electronic
handheld and desk label printers.
TTP has completed a number of projects for Black and Decker including the concept
development of the 'Superlok' feature for its range of consumer jigsaws. This
enables quick and easy blade changing on the go.
Physics at Work 2004 is sponsored by TTP.
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