AuC Sensing Ltd
Abington Partners was founded in 1982 and specialises in the development of datalogging and sensing equipment for Science research and education. AuC Sensing Ltd was set up by Abington Partners to exploit technology developed by Professor Clive Hahn at Oxford University.
Professor Clive Hahn has, while carrying out research at the Nuffield Department of Anaesthetics, identified a novel approach to sensing gas concentrations using gold microdisc electrodes. Oxford University holds patents in both Europe and the USA (US Number 5,720,870) for this technology. Abington Partners and Oxford University have set up AuC Sensing Ltd to exploit this technology and are now carrying out a research project (with the support of a SMART award from the DTI) to establish the viability of commercialising the concept and the practicalities of making the system work for a manufactured product.
In his researches Clive has shown that the technique can measure concentrations of O2, CO2 and N2O in a standard electrochemical cell. The project will concentrate in the first instance on applying the technique to a manufactured product which can measure concentrations of all three gasses. In addition, a manufacturing technique which can provide electrodes at low cost and which are safe will be established.