## Health, Welfare and care services

## Life Sciences

## The Development of Convenient Stress Sensor

The result of biosensor technology, Obtaining patents for basic technology, The collaboration with the corporations which have strong marketing power

Organizations Involved

Masaki Yamaguchi, Associate Professor, the University of Toyama

○ Hiroshi Yoshida, General Manager,

NIPRO Corporation Research & Development Laboratory

## [Summary of the technology transfer]

## 【Abstract】

## Technological Impact

Masaki Yamaguchi, Associate Professor of the university of Toyama, has been studied on biometric sensor with bio marker. As a fruit of studies, he invented disposable saliva sampling / inspection chip containing test paper using dry chemical system, which measuring amylase in saliva varied according to stress level. Compared to the conventional method, this chip can measure stress level more instantly and conveniently even in outdoor. The corporations had interests on it. They developed portable device cooperatively, finally the stress sensor is released in market.

• It can be applied more widely than before. Because this developed noninvasive chip is available to measure stress level instantly on site.

• They will make the scheme of collaboration study with a university of USA based on this study result, and set out to spiral up the study entering research grant in the country.

## ●Market Impact

• It is available on domestic markets as a stress evaluation equipment which can use instantly and easily.

• Also planning for on markets in USA with patents in the country.

## ●Social Impact

Under the current stressful circumstance, increasing suicide and school refusal because of stress become social problems.

In such a background, this invention, which measuring stress easily in offices, classes, and homes, would be useful to reduce the risk of the problems.

Dr. Yamaguchi

## Project Background

The companies picked on the result of the researchers' work from the publications, the application for patent and so on. They approached him, the scheme of the collaborative study was made, then participating companies increased expansively.

## Funding History

This study got the following JST subsidies in the last phase of the collaborative study;

1. Research for Promoting Technological Seeds (2005 JST)

2. Supplementing Data (2006 JST)

### Mr. Yoshida NIPRO Co

## I ntellectual property protection

Patent : 2 Foreign Patent

“Reagent and Method for measuring Amylase, US 7186696”, and the other Patent Application : 7 JP & 6 Foreign P. A.

“Method and Equipment of stress evaluation, JP 2000-364241 A”, and the others

(a) Saliva is obtained about 30 sec. by inserting a test strip in rictus.

(b) The marketed stress measure (Nipro Corp., COCORO METER, $ 130 \times 87 \times 40 \, mm^{3} $ )

Portable sympathetic nerve monitor (Evaluate sympathetic activity by analyzing amylase activity in saliva)

## Turning point in the Project

OThe collaboration with corporations having sales root for various market like automobile or medicine have supported smooth commercialization.

OThe growing needs of measuring stress level in stressful society.

For more information, contact : Masahiro Ishiguro, Intellectual Property Office, University of Toyama, +81-76-445-6390, ishiguro@adm.u-toyama.ac.jp