At Sensmet, the year 2022 has started with some significant progress. Since last autumn, we have optimised our water analyser’s automation software and advanced analytical algorithms. This week seems to have been the harvesting time for the fruits we have been meticulously growing: I sincerely believe that our R&D has gained the insight that will revolutionise water analytics.

A lot can happen in a single week at Sensmet’s R&D laboratory. We work hard to achieve common goals. Discovering previously unknown phenomena in the physics and chemistry of the micro-plasma created inside water paves the way for unprecedented analytical performance in real-time water analysis. Such discoveries feel like exploring new frontiers and continents. I do agree with our Team’s words,” we enjoy every single moment of discovery”.

We are a software company that happens to be in the water analysis business

We have been planning to implement more advanced routines in our automation software for quite some time. In 2021 we rolled up our sleeves and created the next-generation automation software. Behind the scenes, we have designed a new software architecture. Our unique software solutions work both on Linux and Windows operating systems exploiting the best features of Python and Java programming languages. I must thank our strengthened software team for the fantastic work. In the first days of 2022, we already had the MVP automation software ready for testing. The new software is currently in testing and validation in our R&D, and the customers will receive the first analysers with the latest software platform in Q2. The new automation software improves the reliability and performance of the analyser’s 24/7 operation.

Advanced analytical algorithms

In August last year, we were pleased to hear that Business Finland accepted our application for R&D research funding, and we became part of the EU Eureka ITEA Spectralligence research consortium. The European Spectralligence project collaborates with parties like Philips, Eindhoven University of Technology and Maastricht University to develop state of the art data analytics for products employing spectroscopic data. For us at Sensmet, the Spectralligence consortium allows us to implement the latest developments in analytical algorithms and artificial intelligence combined with our decade-long research on emission spectroscopy. We have already built an entirely new data analytics platform. Again, our great Team managed to realise an intelligent software solution, combining our competence in spectroscopy and the Team’s top skills, this all in just a couple of months. The new advanced way of spectroscopic data analytics is one of the key reasons we can make a quantitative analysis of sub-ppb, i.e., less than one µg/L metal concentrations in ultrapure water (UPW) matrices. Despite this massive improvement in the performance of our µDOES® technology, I am looking forward to seeing further progress because there are fascinating things in our pipeline as far as the state of the art real-time water analytics is considered.

Autocalibration

This week was personally especially rewarding because I have been involved in the development of a new autocalibration feature. Sensmet autocalibration feature means that the analyser can perform a calibration run, for example, both at ppm and ppb range metal concentrations in a fully automated fashion. In the past, such calibration runs required quite some working hours to prepare the different concentration levels by dilution manually, record the associated measurement data, and change different measurement settings between the measurements for R&D purposes. We finished the new autocalibration feature this week, contributing to significantly faster application development and data quality.

The past months have been the time of intense R&D at Sensmet. I am waiting for the coming weekend to relax for a couple of days with the family, and then we continue exploring for the new understanding in water analytics at full steam!

Toni Laurila, CEO