Tech Briefs Magazine - February 2021 - 52

Facility Focus

These powder samples will be fabricated to become cobalt-free cathodes
for lithium-ion batteries.

A wearable heart monitor is so lightweight and stretchable that it can be
placed over the heart for extended periods with little or no discomfort.

geologic carbon storage, reservoir engineering, and unconventional resources.

COVID-19 - An antibody test for the virus that causes
COVID-19 is more accurate and can handle a much larger
number of donor samples at lower overall cost than standard
antibody tests currently in use. In the near term, the test can be
used to accurately identify the best donors for convalescent
plasma therapy and measure how well candidate vaccines and
other therapies elicit an immune response. Additional uses are
to assess relative immunity in those previously infected by the
SARS-CoV-2 virus and identify asymptomatic individuals with
high levels of neutralizing antibodies against the virus.
Researchers also developed a new type of ventilator made of
cheap, widely available materials to help fill the demand created by the spread of COVID-19 for these critical devices that
help patients breathe. The " bridge ventilator " can be replicated and mass-produced by others. The Assisted Bag Breathing
Unit uses a manual resuscitator - a common tool called an

AMBU (artificial medical breathing unit) bag. The unit requires a person to compress the bag frequently to help patients
breathe. The UT team found a way to automatically compress
the bag to get oxygen to patients. A windshield wiper motor
pulled from a Toyota Camry powers a small caster wheel that
pushes down on the bag to control oxygen flow.
Earthquake data - Mega-earthquake scenarios are among
the hundreds of data sets published on DesignSafe, a database
for natural disaster information created by UT researchers that
has changed how planners, builders, policymakers, and engineers prepare for and respond to hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and more. The data repository gives researchers the
ability to formally publish datasets related to natural disaster
studies in the same way research papers are published in journals, giving them an accessible digital home. DesignSafe has
more than 5,000 users and currently features 293 published
datasets, representing more than 34 TB of publicly available
information.
Self-watering soil - A new type of soil can pull water from the
air and distribute it to plants, potentially expanding the map of

To produce medicines and chemicals on demand and preserve them,
portable biofactories are embedded in water-based gels called hydrogels. Here, a 3D-printed hydrogel lattice contains yeast cells that can
allow for the continuous production of ethanol.

Made from layered, black paper sheets shaped into petals and attached
to a stem-like tube, a new device collects untreated water from any
water source. The 3D rose shape makes it easier for the structure to collect and retain more liquid.

UT Technologies

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Tech Briefs, February 2021

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Tech Briefs Magazine - February 2021

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