Top News of Last Week with ANA
Azad News Agency (ANA) published a number of scientific and technological news during the past week whose top ones are as follows:
Iran-Made Smart Chatbot Responds Customers Online
A knowledge-based company in Iran succeeded in developing a smart chatbot that provides 24-hour support services to customers online.
“At the beginning, we focused on business model validation and then we designed and developed a smart support chatbot called Noura,” said Milad Zandi Zand, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
“The product can be uploaded on the websites of organizations, economic enterprises, large companies and other sectors, and it can provide 24-hour support services with the help of artificial intelligence and other technologies,” he added.
“We have recently been able to introduce our product to foreign markets and an Armenian company has bought the chatbot,” Zandi Zand said, adding that the smart chatbot covers over 20 languages of the world.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Produces Strong Glue with Industrial Application
An Iranian knowledge-based company managed to produce a strong glue with industrial application and the ability to maintain adhesion and strength for 10 years.
Butyl adhesives which were imported from abroad for sealing in automotive industry and household appliances were produced by one of the knowledge-based companies which will maintain their strength and adhesion for 10 years.
“Our main activity is focused on the production of butyl adhesives which are being produced in different shapes and sizes,” said Mohammad Movahhedian, a research and development (R&D) expert of the knowledge-based company.
Noting that these types of adhesives are produced both in the form of tape and liquide, he said, “This product is considered as the best adhesive for attaching aluminum spacers to glass in double-glazed windows. The glue is based on polyisobutylene and it prevents infiltration of steam and air.”
Movahhedian stated that the product can be used in the automotive and home appliance industries, saying, “This glue is used as a sealant and waterproofing agent.”
Iranian Technologists Locally Produce Special Equipment for Infertility Treatment
A knowledge-based company based in Pardis Technology Park has successfully produced micropipettes required for ICSI procedure in infertility treatment, placing Iran among the top three countries that have that technology.
‘Today, after several years of continuous and successful activity in the field of research, development and production, our company has succeeded in making 60 products in the field of infertility treatment,” said Majid Hosseini, a member of the board of directors the Ravon Sazeh knowledge-based company, which is based in Pardis Technology Park in Tehran.
Referring to the unveiling of the micropipettes required for the treatment of infertility in ICSI procedure last week, Hosseini said, "This product that is used in the treatment of infertility and for ectopic fertilization have been designed and produced in 3 different types of needles. The function of the inject needle is to inject sperm into the egg and the needle holder holds the egg cell and finally the needle biopsy is used to take a sample of the embryo and this data is supplied to geneticists to determine whether there is a congenital disorder or not."
Doctors perform the ICSI procedure with IVF, which involves the injection of a single sperm directly into the cytoplasm of the egg. During this procedure, the doctor inserts a tiny needle, called a micropipette (holding a single sperm) into the center of the egg.
"The work of the needles starts by taking sperm and eggs in a pre-prepared culture medium, they fertilize them, and then cell division is done to become an embryo. This embryo stays outside the womb for 5 to 7 days and then it will be transferred to the mother's womb," the researcher explained.
Tehran Ranks 34th among Top Clusters of Science, Technology
Tehran has ranked 34th among the top 100 science and technology (S&T) clusters, a report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) that was recently released showed.
According to a report by the Iranian Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy, citing the WIPO report which was published on September 20, 2023 in Geneva, the Global Innovation Index (GII) which acts under the WAIPO has released its rankings of the innovation performance of a large number of economies around the world.
The GII science and technology clusters take the pulse of the most recent trends in global innovation, accoridng to the report.
With 37 patent applications and 9,320 scientific articles per one million people, Tehran ranked 34th in the world, standing above cities such as Melbourne (42nd), Madrid (48th), Zurich (49th), Milan (50th), Toronto (52nd) and Istanbul (59).
Among the top 100, Tokyo–Yokohama (Japan) is the top performing cluster, followed by Shenzhen–Hong Kong–Guangzhou (China and Hong Kong, China), Seoul (Republic of Korea), Beijing (China) and Shanghai–Suzhou (China).
Iranian Knowledge-Based Company Produces Insulin Pen
An Iranian knowledge-based firm succeeded in acquiring the state-of-the-art technology for production of insulin injection pens to take a step towards making the country needless of imports.
“The pens that patients use on a daily basis include two parts; a glass cartridge containing medicine, and a polymer pen containing a glass cartridge. Fortunately, today, part of the insulin cartridges needed by patients are produced inside the country, however, the supply of polymer pens has been almost completely dependent on imports in recent years,” said Alireza Sadeqi, an associate professor of mechanical engineering faculty of University of Tehran and the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
Noting that many medications, including insulin and various hormones, are given by means of an injection pen, he said, “Despite the production of insulin medicine in Iran, due to the complexity of the production technology of these pens, in the past years, all parts of injection pens have been imported from abroad.”
The knowledge-based Pouyesh Tazriq company has succeeded in producing these injection pens completely domestically and presented them to the market, Sadeqi said.
Iranian Researchers Produce Magnesium-Based Implants
Researchers of a knowledge-based company in Iran acquired the technical know-how of making magnesium-based implants which can be absorbed in the body after bone repair with no need for a second surgery.
“Since magnesium has a low weight, many companies are willing to use the metal in manufacturing car parts to increase speed and decrease consumption in their cars,” said Ahmad Bahmani, a member of the scientific board of the Scientific and Industrial Research Organization of Iran and one of the founders of the company.
“We have also been working in this field and tried to use machined parts like magnesium sheets in the body of cars, airplanes, canes, walkers, and a series of bone implants, and we obtained interesting results,” he added.
Bahmani noted that using magnesium in bone implants eliminates the need for a second surgery to remove the implant components, adding, “The magnesium-based implants break down and turn into bone over time.”
Iranian Researcher Wins Gold Medal at 8th iCAN 2023 for Inventing Medical Instrument
A young Iranian women won a gold medal at the 8th Canadian invention competition known as iCAN2023 for inventing a medical instrument.
Young inventor Saba Valizadeh Sultanahmadi won the gold medal of the 8th Canadian invention competition known as iCAN2023.
She participated in the Canadian international event with a safe syringe which was classfied as a medical tool and successfully was awarded a gold medal in that international event.
Organized by Toronto International Society of Innovation & Advanced Skills (TISIAS) and supported by Innovation Initiative Co-operative Inc., International Federation of Inventors' Association (IFIA), the 8th International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada, iCAN 2023 was held online on August 26.
Iran’s Ranking Grows in Global Innovation Index
Iran’s ranking has ascended 50 positions from 113th in 2013 to 63rd in 2023 in the Global Innovation Index (GII), according to a report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
The report said that Iran has ranked 63rd among the 132 most innovative countries.
It added that Iran has shown the fastest performance in innovation growth and ranks as the second most innovative country in the Central and South Asia region.
The report also underlined that India, Iran, the Philippines, Turkey, Vietnam, and Indonesia are among the top 65 economies that have shown the fastest growth in the rankings in the last decade.
The GII is a reliable device for governments around the world to measure social and economic changes. Over the years, the GII has established itself as a policy tool for various governments around the world.
Iranian Researchers Acquire Water Treatment Know-How, Green Production of Chemical Products
A group of Iranian researchers have achieved a novel method for water treatment and green production of chemical products by carrying out research.
According to a report by the public relations department of the Iran National Science Foundation (INSF), Hediyeh Sadat Hosseini is a member of a team of Iranain researchers who have worked on a project titled "post-synthetic modification of stable metal-organic frameworks MIL and UiO and their photocatalytic application under visible light".
“The photocatalytic process is efficient and green process through which many chemical reactions occur in the Sun, which is a renewable and clean resource. This process is of great importance due to advantages such as cost-effectiveness, minimal side effects and environmental friendliness,” she said.
“So far, four main applications of green photocatalysis have been considered and used in order to convert solar energy to destroy water pollutants, water splitting, CO2 conversion and synthesis of organic compounds,” the researcher added.
Radar Imaging System Developed in Iran for Analysis of Faults
Iranian researchers designed the first polarimetric radar imaging system for the analysis of faults to prepare for possible unexpected incidents like earthquake.
“We succeeded in designing and building the SAR polarimetric imaging system,” Ahmad Soleimani, a commercialization expert of the Iranian Space Research Center, told ANA.
“SAR polarimetric system is a type of radar that can be mounted on mobile platforms of airplanes and drones, and this system extracts color images from the target area by forming simultaneous images in different polarizations and provides more complete information than the gray images of single-polarization SAR systems,” he added.
“SAR polarimetric system enjoys the capability to take images at all hours of the day and night and in any weather conditions and can be mounted on airplanes and drones,” Soleimani said.
“This system is used for the classification and monitoring of agricultural products, seismology and faults, geology and mine exploration, management of unexpected incidents like earthquakes, droughts, floods, storms, etc., oceanographic studies, urban traffic management and control, identification of environmental pollution, pasture studies, forestry and mapping,” he added.
Young Iranian Scientists’ Innovative Solution to Global Water Challenge Accepted at UN
An innovative plan presented by the young Iranian scientists was accepted at the UN SDG 2023 events and summit as a platform to settle the global water challenge.
“Iran's National Invention and Innovation Team presented an innovative plan in the field of water in the global innovation platform, and this plan was accepted during the reviews conducted by the SDG and released on the United Nations Sustainable Development website,” said Amir Abbas Mohammadi Koushki, the head of Iran’s National Invention and Innovation Team.
He added that the platform deals with all challenges in the field of waters and oceans and its environmental issues.
“This plan is a platform in the field of water, in a part of which, countries can present their challenges, and with the help of innovation and companies, innovative solutions will be provided to settle the challenge,” he added.
“In another part, this platform elaborates on the environmental fields and ways to prevent water and ocean pollution through training the young people,” Mohammadi Koushki said.
Knowledge-Based Company in Iran Sets Up 2 Strategic Centers for Cyber Security Operations
A knowledge-based company in Iran which produces indigenous cyber security products has managed to launch two strategic centers for cyber security operations in the country.
“Our company is a producer of indigenized and knowledge-based cyber security products. We also supply security service products and set up strategic centers for cyber security operations in the country,” Mohammad Kazzem Houri, the managing director of the knowledge-based company, told ANA.
“We have established two strategic centers for cyber security operations in Iran so far from which we provide security services to the public and private organizations,” he added.
Noting that many foreign products in the field of cyber security exist in the market and Iran has been using the foreign products in the past few years, Houri said, “Using foreign security products is currently prohibited in many critical and sensitive centers and we are making efforts to replace the foreign products with indigenous cyber security samples.”
Iranian Researchers Locally Produce Oxygen Sensors for Auto Industry
Researchers at the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST) have locally manufactured oxygen sensor to help the domestic automobile industry.
Often referred to as an oxygen sensor, the lambda sensor is a small probe that’s designed to measure the amount of oxygen in the exhaust. If the sensor reads unexpected oxygen values, it will send signals to the engine management system to automatically adjust the air-to-fuel mixture.
The product was locally designed for the first time in Iran by the researchers at the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology (IROST) and has received the necessary standards, including the Euro 4 emission test.
The Iranian-made oxygen sensor manufactured in the IROST-affiliated technology unit is a knowledge-based product of its first type, in which the precise technology of assembling and sealing the sensor, the computational know-how of the passing flow in various models of the exhaust manifold, the technology of manufacturing ceramic pressure sensors in different variants, the method of signal-based condition monitoring based on wavelets for fault detection and failure prediction, a combined fluid dynamic and thermodynamic models were used to develop sensors for all types of vehicles.
Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis with Stem Cells at Iran’s Royan Research Institute
Iranian researchers took a step towards treating the incurable disease of rheumatoid arthritis by using bone marrow mesenchymal cells (allogene).
“The allogeneic mesenchymal stem cells are taken from the bone marrow of a healthy donor volunteer. To treat the incurable disease of rheumatoid arthritis, the product enters the body systemically through intravenous injection and releases the factors needed for health in the body and produces a favorable therapeutic result,” Ensiyeh Hajizadeh Saffar, the head of the technology development center for advanced medical products at Royan Research Institute, told ANA.
She stated that the allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell product is used as an intradiscal injection, adding, “This type of injection is used to treat back pain caused by disc destruction and has achieved good results.”
Noting that the first phase of the human clinical trial of the bone marrow mesenchymal cell product was conducted in allogeneic form, and the second and third phases of the clinical trial are underway, Hajizadeh Saffar said, “The technology of mass cultivation of stem cells has been used in making this product. In other words, we reach billions of billions of cells from a number of micrometer-sized cells in the culture and reproduction medium.”
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