Regan Watts associate professor

Research Regan Watts

Research team

Expertise

Unique blend of skills: My unique expertise lie in translating fundamental scientific research towards the commercial reality. I have a PhD in physics and was a founding member of a photonics test & measurement instrumentation company, Southern Photonics Ltd, in New Zealand. Research: I have five years experience as a professional research fellow. I have more than 70 peer-reviewed publications and have bought in more than 2M EUR in research fundinng, including grants from FP7, H2020, ESA, FWO, imec and IOF and BOF funding. Consultancy: I have performed both industrial and governmental consultancy, covering topics like respirator masks, smart lighting, energy generation and solar modelling and undersea telecommunications.

INFLUXO. A fluidic module for high-throughput microscopy of intact organoids. 01/09/2024 - 31/08/2025

Abstract

Modern cell and developmental biology increasingly rely on 3D cell culture models such as organoids. However, the inability to characterize these specimens at the cellular level with high throughput hampers their integration in an industrial setting. To address this bottleneck, we have developed a module for imaging organoids in flow, based on a transparent agarose fluidic chip that enables efficient and consistent 3D recordings with theoretically unlimited throughput. The chip is cast from a custom-designed 3D-printed mold and is coupled to a mechanically controlled syringe pump to enable fast and precise sample positioning. We have benchmarked the setup on a commercial digitally scanned light sheet microscope using chemically cleared glioblastoma spheroids and found it to deliver consistent image quality at a throughput of 40 completely scanned samples per hour. By design, the fluidic chip offers a cost-effective, accessible, and efficient solution for organoid imaging on essentially any microscope, which makes it an attractive add-on for microscope vendors and users, in particular CROs and core facilities. To protect our IP, we have initiated a priority filing for the method and device design. Within this POC CREATE project, we intend to assess and extend its market potential by focusing on three main aspects: (i) testing compatibility with different commercial light sheet systems and organoid applications; (ii) automating sample positioning and selection; (iii) improving the image quality and speed through adaptive motion correction. This way, we intend to offer a robust and intuitive screening platform for biomedical and pharmaceutical R&D based on physiologically relevant model systems. While perfecting our product, we will investigate whether service, licensing, or direct sales is the preferred business trajectory.

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  • Research Project

REmedi for medical packaging 01/01/2024 - 31/12/2025

Abstract

The ambition of the living lab project "REmedi for medical packaging" is to gain insights and experiences into successful implementation of high-quality reusable packaging in healthcare through initial experiments. By combining the Green Deals "Anders Verpakt" and "Duurzame zorg", we want to support the realization of safe and high-quality reusable alternatives to single-use packaging in critical sectors such as the healthcare sector that, through their technological opportunities, create added value in the entire value chain. In the living lab project we start from a SCAN of a complex case of a single-use packaging for clinical testing, which is translated in a DESIGN of a reusable packaging. The implementation is tested during the CHANGE, followed by the REPEAT in a new reusable packaging for a new product for oncology. Through these cases, we will use a holistic approach with the full partnership (research, producers, suppliers, designers, social economy, etc.) to co-create sustainable, desired solutions for reusable packaging, the circular value chain, and quality assurance in the system.

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  • Research Project

Inspired to Integrate: Filtering Nature's Diversity for Nature-friendly Implementations (Nature4Nature). 01/03/2023 - 28/02/2027

Abstract

Nature provides an almost inexhaustible source of inspiration for innovative designs that may help to tackle many of the world's current social, economic and environmental challenges. In accordance, the potential of bioinspiration (including biomimetics and biomimicry) has become widely recognized in academia and industry. The main hurdle preventing the field of bioinspiration from delivering its promises, however, stems from differences in tools, practices and viewpoints of its practitioners, often obstructing further development towards successful products. Nature4Nature, a unique joint effort of biologists, engineers, designers and manufacturers, will immerse young doctoral researchers (DCs) in a learning environment that fully spans the inspiration, integration and implementation aspects of bioinspired design to tackle the conceptual, methodological and practical challenges. It will provide DCs (a) with a mindset and know-how to harness biodiversity into design; (b) with the theoretical background and practical skills for transferring biological model systems into engineering designs and applications; and (c) with an attitude and competence to implement bioinspired ideas in an explicit sustainable way. Nature4Nature will focus its research activities onto one model system: how to efficiently separate solid particles from liquids. Biological filtration systems have evolved repeatedly over the earth's living history. Nature4Nature will teach DCs to make the most of this rich heritage, using it as an inspiratory source for designing and manufacturing high-throughput, clog-resisting filtering systems that can help conserving and restoring the world's aquatic habitats. By fostering a new generation of researchers operating at the interface between scientific disciplines, sectors and societal actors, Nature4Nature sets out to spur innovative practices and will aid in overcoming the barriers to implementation of bioinspiration in the design process.

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  • Research Project

Femtosecond pulsed laser micromachining for engineering, materials, and catalysis research. 01/05/2022 - 30/04/2026

Abstract

Through femtosecond pulsed laser micromachining a wide variety of materials such as ceramics (e.g. glass), hard metals (e.g. Hastelloy), and polymers can be processed with microscale resolution, offering innovation and beyond state-of-the-art research opportunities. To name a few, the planned research infrastructure would allow to tune the catalytic properties of surfaces, to enhance flow distribution, heat transfer and mass transfer in chemical reactors, to increase detection limit of photoelectrochemical sensors, to facilitate flow chemistry, to tailor-make EPR and TEM measurement cells, and to allow machine learning for hybrid additive manufacturing. Currently, the University of Antwerp lacks the necessary research infrastructure capable of processing such materials and surfaces with microscale precision. Access to femtosecond pulsed laser micromachining would yield enormous impact on ongoing and planned research both for the thirteen involved professors and ten research groups as for industry, essential to conduct research at the highest international level.

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A roadmap to smart, reusable and qualitative healthcare (reCURE) 01/05/2022 - 30/04/2024

Abstract

The overall goal of reCURE is to provide suppliers of non-invasive medical textiles, with tools to successfully transition from disposable to reusable alternatives in the complex value chain of the healthcare sector. The actions in the project therefore focus on supporting the industrial value chain to effectively redesign and introduce their innovative reusable textile products for the healthcare sector, taking into account the strict requirements regarding safety, hygiene, sterility and accuracy as well as acceptance by medical staff and patients. Knowledge regarding the integration of functional textile properties and intelligence (UGent) and product acceptance (UAntwerpen) will be validated in relevant example cases. The results will be worked out in a roadmap to support the target group with the necessary knowledge to develop their products in such a way that their reusable character will be accepted by the care sector. In this way the desirability and acceptance of reuse is addressed. In addition, the focus is also on the possibility of further optimizing the reusable products in terms of functionality and intelligence, which is usually not feasible for disposable products that are mainly focused on price. This project has 2 target groups: the industrial suppliers in the value chain (material and textile producers, re-processors (cleaning, maintenance, repair, sterilization...), machine builders and recyclers) and the users from the healthcare sector.

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Sizing system for respirator masks. 01/01/2021 - 31/05/2022

Abstract

This project seeks to develop a novel sizing system specifically for filtering facepiece respirator masks. We will work from anthropometric databases and 3D scanning of face and head shapes of participants to build up the sizing system for adults and adolescents. The masks will be designed, fabricated and tested at the Antwerp Design Factory, and qualitative and quantitative studies of the masks to be performed with users to establish important factors like model comfort and performance.

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  • Research Project

PRINT-4-POCT: Rapid prototyping of millifluidic devices for Point-of-Care testing applications. 01/05/2020 - 30/04/2024

Abstract

This research programme evaluates the potential of using 3D-print platforms for rapid prototyping of millifluidic devices for point-of-care testing (POCT) applications. This rapid prototyping approach will be validated by performing two case studies with research partners from the UZA and also the Laboratory of Experimental Hematology (LEH) at UAntwerp.

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Technical and electronical solutions to mitigate risks for covid-19 infections 09/04/2020 - 12/05/2020

Abstract

During the covid-19 outbreak, intense caregiving was required in treating too many infected patients, compared to the capacity of personel and equipment. In particular, this pressure resulted in inter alia bottlenecks in power supply of active respiratory protectors as used in the intensive care unit of UZA. By using CAD, 3D printing and electronic components, our collaborators Sam Smedts and Jochen Vleugels resolved these bottlenecks. Their solution has significantly contributed to the fact that "not a single caregiver of the ICU was infected with covid", according to UZA, our client in this small but high impact fee-for-service project. In this project we delivered solutions that protect ehalth care providers at University hospitals

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  • Research Project

Fast track development FFP2-FFP3 face masks. 16/03/2020 - 15/03/2021

Abstract

This project started with anticipated shortages in respiratory protective equipment (RPE) at the beginning of the COVID crisis, March 2020, with the challenge to develop an emergency production line of FFP2 and FFP3. The aim was set to achieve local production, with documented and ensured quality. A design brief was drawn from existing respiratory equipment available at UZA and a protocol for emergency validation and quality control was derived from RPE regulations (EN149). Validation methods were constructed in consult with FAGG and FOD-economie. Our team at Antwerp Design Factory immediately started concurrent engineering both modeling, tooling, sourcing and validation. Results comprised validated models for industrial production (curved patterns), fully customizable production line with linear patterns including emergency quality control, with external validation by IFA and Mensura. The customizable line is extremely compact and produces 5000 FFP2 masks in one 38hour shift with 8 operators. Tooling can be realized by 3D prints and laser cutters. Our developments were supported by a scientific advisory board from policy makers, academic and industrial stakeholders. Masks were provided to UZA, ZNA to protect caregivers at COVID units and to the province of Antwerp, to initiated contact tracing.

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LoRaWan MuseumLogger. 01/01/2020 - 30/06/2020

Abstract

In partnership with the Antwerp Fashion Museum, this project aims to develop of an open source data logging system to monitor the climate conditions at the museum depots of MoMu (light, humidity and temperature (lux,% RH, ° C)) as well as visual inspection of insect traps. The LORA protocol is used to operate the remote data loggers for a long time. Because our museum objects are increasingly being kept outside the home, these data loggers must be accessible from an external location. With financial support from the Flemish government (Department of Culture, Youth and Media), the focus is on open hardware and software components in order to be able to build a data log system that delivers quality data tailored to the museum. Moreover, this open methodology makes the data logger modular and enables relatively inexpensive implementation of a similar setup at other museums. MoMu has already realized several prototypes that demonstrate the feasibility of this idea. In collaboration with the University of Antwerp (Product Development Department: the Antwerp Design Factory), we want to further develop these prototypes into a truly functioning product (Minimal Viable Product - MVP) that will be used effectively to take care of the climate control of MoMu's external depot.

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Development and validation of a user-friendly method to deploy immersive technologies in the process of product development. 01/11/2019 - 31/10/2023

Abstract

The goal of this research is to provide a user-friendly method for product developers to interact with Virtual, Augmented Reality and/or Mixed reality (MR, merging the real and the virtual world). We will define and validate a method to deploy MR in the process of product development. The project was defined by the observation that the product development process can be improved by revisiting interaction in mixed MR with design objects. For example, organic shapes (e.g. geometrical surfaces with non-trivial curvatures) can be directly handled in MR and then tuned to flexible manufacturing techniques such as 3D printing, bypassing the need for complex and cumbersome on-screen manipulations in digital drawing. The goal of this research is achieved by the development, implementation, testing and validation of a toolkit that incorporates latest advancements in MR in different stages of the design process: ideation, system design, concept design and prototyping/manufacturing. Envisioned improvements are: increased efficiency, more accurate communication, enhanced perception, faster verification, less iterations and faster decision making. Consequently, the toolkit will improve the outcome of the product development process and/or reduce efforts to achieve a non-inferior product. The toolkit focuses on products that directly interact with the human body.

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Mixed reality for mission-critical teamwork. 01/07/2019 - 31/12/2020

Abstract

We foresee that interactive augmented reality (AR) systems will be part of the professional of the future. The usability of such AR displays is key, even more in complex tasks. This proposal is deepening a specific aspect of augmented support, namely that of information display during mission-critical activities such as firefighting; in such cases, situational awareness needs to be improved, possibly by expanding the perception with additional sensors, spatial reasoning/mapping, and by remote support from a dispatcher. However, the current scientific body of knowledge only provides limited guidelines and case studies, but not true insights in optimal augmentation. We propose a human-factors approach in framing AR displays for mission-critical systems. The STRIMPRO will enable us to initiate comprehensive survey and a landmark experiment, published in a proper academic setting while engaging professionals and their supply chain for follow-up funding.

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Point-of-care testing for free bilirubin diagnosis (FREEBDX). 01/01/2019 - 31/12/2019

Abstract

This project seeks to develop a point-of-care test to measure free-bilirubin concentration in neonates. UA-PO and ams, an external partner, will translate a laboratory protocol to measure free bilirubin, developed at UA-UZA, into an appropriate setup for point-of-care testing. The setup will be benchmarked against the laboratory protocol in the UZA laboratory.

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  • Research Project

SmartGLAZ: head-mounted display for motorhelmets. 01/05/2018 - 30/04/2020

Abstract

See-through head-mounted displays (HMD) have the capability of superimposing a virtual image or information on the real world scene without impairing the view of the outside scene enabling a wide range of new applications, including smart personal protective equipment (firefighter helmets etc.), education and scientific research, assembly, military, medical treatment, safety and navigation. smartGLAZ specifically focusses on integrating such an HMD in a helmet to display context-based safety and navigation information. At first instance, the project targets helmets for electrical bicycle users, but the solution has also potential for integration in other types of helmets, e.g. for fire fighters.

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  • Research Project