The research

THE RESEARCH

Thanks to the structured and multidisciplinary skills, the research group belonging to the CNOS research infrastructure puts its experience for national and international research projects in the ICT and "human health" fields.

CNOS also proposes itself as a multidisciplinary reference structure, seizing research opportunities such as to pursue the enhancement, integration and coordination of the knowledge of individual researchers, with the aim of designing and creating services/products with innovative characteristics, with an integration vision with the activities of Universities, Public Research Centers, Companies and Industrial Research Centers. The experience and competences are demonstrated by the various active and completed research projects, as well as by the numerous scientific publications published in international relevant journals in the research fields involved.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Human health

The CNOS mission concerns the scientific research and industrial development of a new class of photonic devices capable of revolutionising the techniques and diagnostic and therapeutic approaches currently used in clinical practice, with particular attention to oncological pathologies. In the particular context of precision medicine, associating early diagnosis with targeted therapies is of vital importance in tackling the impact of the disease.
To this aim, CNOS develops multifunctional fibre-optic probes, suitably engineered using molecular nanotechnologies and biomaterial integration, capable of performing:

multiple biochemical and/or molecular analyses, with the possibility of detecting tumour bio-markers in real time (diagnosis);
classification and recognition of tumour cells and tissues at high resolution by Raman spectroscopy (diagnosis);
selective and locoregional drug delivery, promoting customisation of drug dosage and minimising the toxicity of treatments (therapy).

Thanks to the intrinsic properties of optical fibres, the photonic devices can be integrated into needles and catheters, and thus potentially used in vivo.

Health monitoring of civil infrastructures

The Research Group of the CNOS Research Infrastructure is expert in the design and implementation of civil infrastructure monitoring systems. The strong ambition of the research group is to imagine new models of smart and safe civil structures using optical fiber as an advanced technological platform to build a sustainable monitoring system. For this aim, CNOS develops systems capable of carrying out:

health monitoring of buildings and their maintenance on the basis of “real conditions”
monitoring of transport infrastructures, such as bridges, flyovers, roads and motorways.

Such innovative monitoring systems have numerous advantages:

health monitoring in real time of a building and / or transport infrastructure;
planning of extraordinary interventions following an earthquake or atmospheric crisis that impact the building and / or transport infrastructures;
ppossibility of scheduling maintenance and ordinary care following changes in the nominal structural state of the asset to be protected.

Consequently, the use of smart monitoring systems involves a significant reduction in damage to structures and people and, in addition, a reduction in maintenance costs in the civil sector.

Structural monitoring in aerospace applications

The aeronautics and aerospace fields, by their nature very sophisticated and precise, since their birth have been sectors based on the most modern technologies with a continuous research for new developments. The CNOS researchers have been working for several years in these sectors, in close synergy with important players of the industrial and research world (Avio SpA, Magnaghi Aeronautica SPA, CIRA, DAC – Aeronautical District of Campania, etc.), being able to exploit in a smart way the numerous advantages offered by the fiber optic sensor technology, including their small size, minimal intrusiveness and the ability to withstand harsh operating conditions. By exploiting this technology, CNOS develops innovative technological solutions able to provide concrete answers to some of the fundamental needs of the aeronautical/aerospace sector, such as:

- Non-destructive and real-time monitoring systems of physical parameters (static and dynamic deformation) useful for the structural health monitoring of the aircrafts;
  - New technological tools to improve aeronautical performance (reduction of fuel consumption and emissions, increase in stability and safety, etc.);
    - Systems for monitoring the manufacturing process of aeronautical materials and components;
      - Quality monitoring systems aimed at increasing the passengers comfort.
      The experience matured in the structural health monitoring field has allowed the CNOS research group to become a supplier and particular consultant of Avio SpA, a leading company in the field of space propulsion, for the development of sensor networks embedded in the composite products that make up the shells of the propellant tanks of the Vega launchers.

Enviromental monitoring for High Energy Physics applications

Fiber optic sensors and environmental monitoring in extreme operative conditions: these are the main ingredients of the CNOS research project concerning the development of monitoring systems for High Energy Physics. This activity is part of the collaboration with the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, the most prestigious and largest elementary particle physics laboratory in Europe. In particular, CNOS develops innovative photonic devices, based on Lab-on-Fiber technology, for physico-chemical parameters sensing in hostile environments and in extreme operating conditions, such as in presence of high radiations, strong magnetic fields and cryogenic temperatures. The low intrusiveness of fiber optic sensors, their multiplexing capability together with their immunity to electromagnetic interference and radiation resistance has indeed favored their use in the context of sensing applications in extreme conditions, typical of high energy physics applications, which irreversibly undermine the operation of most conventional technologies. The activities currently involve the development of:

sensors for simultaneous monitoring of temperature and humidity (thermo-hygrometers);
sensors for temperature and strain monitoring on magnets and superconducting devices at cryogenic temperatures;
- innovative devices for radiation dose monitoring.

Transport Safety

The research group of CNOS, since 2000, has been successfully involved in the design, development, experimental validation of optoelectronic and photonics sensing systems for industrial applications, with the aim to innovate monitoring technologies with dedicated efforts devoted to the creation of novel multifunctional sensing systems able to be successfully applied in many strategic scenarios, primarily the transportation.
With specific regards to the railways transportation systems, since 2007, the research group of CNOS has signed an exclusive agreement with Hitachi Rail STS (originally Ansaldo STS, a company of Finmeccanica group) for the development of trackside monitoring systems based on the use of fiber optic sensors to improve safety and security levels of the national and international transportation system.
Within this framework, the group has developed a multifunctional sensing system, currently in the product portfolio of Hitachi Rail STS, able to perform in line and in continuous way: the weighing in motion and the unbalances detection, the wheels impact force measurement, the detection of defected wheels and the defect classification, the axle counting, the train composition, etc.
Several systems have already been installed in different national and international geographical sites, as Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) or Napoli, Roma and Milano subways.
In addition, in the context of other industrial research projects, the CNOS has developed other different fiber optic sensing systems to improve safety and security levels in railways assets as: an intrusion detection system to protect large areas from unauthorized activities in railway scenarios as stations or tunnels (in close collaboration with Hitachi Rail STS), a multifunctional system for the risk mitigation associated with landslides closed to the railway lines (by developing novel fiber optic acoustic sensors, fiber optic seismic sensors, and fiber optic sensors for the measurement of volumetric water content into the soil), and a system for the monitoring of rail tunnels (by developing fiber optic sensors for temperature measurement and GPL detection). The last two system has been developed in close collaboration with RFI (Rete Ferroviaria Italiana) company.
In addition to the projects and results described so far, the CNOS group is still involved in a further research project, in which it is collaborating with other big companies, with the aim of developing innovative sensor platforms for real-time monitoring of vibrations along the railway sections, in order to identify failures that could compromise the safety of the railway infrastructure.

Environmental monitoring

The field of environmental monitoring is of primary importance to obtain information on the environmental quality state through systematic and long-term measurements of environmental parameters and indicators with different spatial and temporal coverage. In over fifteen years of experience in this field, CNOS researchers have gained significant know-how and expertise in the development of innovative technological solutions, also based on fiber optic devices, for the measurement of chemical and physical parameters useful for environmental monitoring. Thanks to these skills, CNOS is able to develop:

- Sensors for chemo-physical parameters monitoring in marine environment (temperature, turbidity, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals, etc..);
- Fiber optic sensors for the simultaneous temperature and humidity monitoring (thermo-hygrometers);
- Multi-parametric systems for the detection of gases and volatile organic compounds;
  - Sensing systems for the simultaneous measurement of temperature and water content for precision agriculture;
  - Devices for pesticides detection in surface water and agricultural soils.

Electronic and optoelectronic systems for industrial production

The Research Group of CNOS has expertises in the design and development of optoelectronic sensor and actuator systems. The growing need for smart systems requires the development of complex systems, which means the integration of different sensors and actuators, the management of control signals and the sensor data flows. In this regard, the CNOS research group, leader in the development of novel optical and photonic sensors, has gained extensive experience in the development of smart systems, exploiting innovative sensors but also the rich portfolio of commercial sensors and actuators (both based on fiber optic technology or conventional technologies). Examples of previous experiences concern the design and implementation of:

- a smart sensor system able to control the state of health of the industrial production lines apparatuses, in order to detect in real-time any failures and anomalies that may cause breakage and the subsequent interruption of the industrial process;
- a measurement system based on miniaturized electronic sensors for monitoring the personal protective equipment (PPE) used on construction sites;
- a measurement system able to control the water temperature in the washing tanks used for fresh-cut fruit and vegetables;
- optoelectronic systems able to demodulating the fiber optic sensor responses;
- a smart “autoclave” system consisting of sensors able to control care process of composite cylinders typically used in Flexo printing systems;
- a wireless system for continuous vibrations monitoring on the cylinders used in the flexographic printing industry.

RESEARCH PROJECTS

ACTIVE PROJECTS

Nanocan

The name of the project is an acronym for NANOphotonics for the fight against Cancer, and it aims to develop innovative platforms for in vivo diagnosis and cancer therapy based on multifunctional fiber optic probes. The optical fiber probes are based on Lab-On-Fiber technology, which involves the integration of optical fibers with biomaterials defined at the nanometer scale, which transform the simple fiber into an effective biosensor, or into a probe for the controlled release of drugs.

Nanocan

Neon

The research project “NeON – Nanophotonics for new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in Oncology and Neurology” is directed to implement a line of action to the development of a new class of devices that can revolutionize the techniques and approaches currently used for diagnosis, prognosis and therapy in oncology and neurology. In particular, we propose the development of a probe based on the Lab-On-Fiber (LOF) concept for the fast and non-invasive diagnosis and prognosis of different tumor phenotypes based on surface-enhanced Raman technology (SERS), a probe on LOF platform for the controlled release of drugs by means of activation by light, and finally Lab-on-Chip type (LOC) biosensors, based on both optical and electronic techniques, able to make a differential diagnosis between the various forms of cerebral ischemia.

Maia

The project aims to develop innovative technological solutions and a suite of integrated services able to make, in real time, an accurate assessment of the safety status (intended both as safety and security) of the railway infrastructure and to produce reliable predictions in case of events such as breakdowns and malfunctions, making it possible to plan scheduled maintenance, drastically reducing operating costs and increasing the quality of the service offered. The data acquired, analyzed, aggregated and correlated with context information from other sources, will make it possible to quickly identify the presence of intentional threats (physical and cyber-attacks on the entire infrastructure or parts of it), the imminent manifestation of malfunctions and / or failures, to assess the degree of safety and resilience with respect to natural or accidental events that could expose its functioning at risk, creating inconvenience or dangers for society and citizens.

Maia

Marine Hazard

The research project aims to offer operational responses and technologically advanced solutions to address the dangers related to the management of marine resources and to propose specific actions able to cope a variety of areas related to some strategic aspects of management and mitigation of the hazard in the marine environment. The main objective of the project is the creation of an integrated system of skills in the area able to deal in a modern and effective way with relevant aspects of environmental risk, with specific reference to the coastal marine creating a strong synergy between the field of scientific research and the industrial sector for the development of selected topics.

Innovare

The project provides the creation of an integrated system with a high technological content for the intelligent and sustainable management of the water requirements of crops using aerial and ground sensors. The management is performed by an advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) software system, able to process the most effective irrigation strategy in real time, based on the information acquired from the monitoring of the water status of the soil, the state of growth of plants, atmospheric conditions and, piloting their realization by means of an automated irrigation system. The monitoring is performed by an innovative hardware subsystem that includes fiber optic sensors (FOS) for surveys in the ground, drones – Unmanned Aerial System – (UAV) equipped with high resolution cameras for aerial remote sensing of crop images and a station meteorological for atmospheric measurements.

Visit the website www.innovarepsr.it