From the Lumière Matière Institute, the startup Ablatom, specialist in Libs technology, has put the first Libs biomedical microscope into service in a hospital environment.
Born in 2017 from the meeting of Vincent Motto-Ros, researcher and lecturer at the Institut Lumière Matière (ILM1) at the origin of the optimization and development of the Libs analysis technology (Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy), and Florian Trichard, doctor in analytical chemistry specializing in Libs and leader of the project to create the company, the deeptech startup Ablatom is pushing back on chemical imaging, reshuffling the cards in the field of detection and observation of toxic mineral-metallic elements in human tissues.
Building on its partnership with ILM, the young company deployed the first biomedical Libs microscope, a technology that allows extremely precise, rapid and contactless analysis of the chemical elements constituting human tissue. At stake: a considerable improvement in the diagnosis of patients potentially exposed to toxic agents, and the acceleration of the understanding of chronic diseases such as cancers.
Ablatom’s mission in France and internationally: to design, develop and distribute innovative, cutting-edge, and tailor-made chemical analysis solutions, from the laboratory to industry, serving the chemical characterization of materials. today and tomorrow.
Building on its partnership with ILM, the company is developing and distributing a new generation of versatile Libs instrumentation. Robust, reliable and efficient, it is based on 15 years of R&D and applications in various fields, ranging from geosciences, through the biomedical field to the industrial sector (for example the nuclear, metallurgy, chemistry, or even recycling). Patented, it allows researchers and manufacturers to increase their productivity and increase their competitiveness, while opening new exploration perspectives and diversifying their chemical analysis capabilities.
A breakthrough innovation in the hospital environment
“This revolution is a continuation of our mission: to provide disruptive analytical solutions to major societal issues. After our world premiere, the ELM-XS-I, a high-performance Libs microscope deployed in the Physics and Analysis Department at IFP Energies Nouvelles (Solaize, France) and dedicated to the analysis of innovative materials in the field of New Technologies for Energy (batteries, plastics, catalysts, etc.), it was natural for Ablatom to continue our commitment with this Libs biomedical microscope. We will continue to impact key sectors such as health, energy or critical resources by developing disruptive tools to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow,” says Florian Trichard, president and founder of Ablatom.
Acquired by the University of Grenoble-Alpes following a public call for tenders and housed within the Grenoble Alpes University Hospital, the Libs ELM-XS-MED microscope2 opens new perspectives for biomedical research by making it possible to directly analyze the elemental composition of biological tissues of animal or human origin. This cutting-edge instrument will be at the heart of numerous research projects in the fields of pulmonology, dermatology and oncology, but also in the development of nanoparticles for medical purposes in preclinical experiments (laboratory or regulatory).
Ultimately, it should help with faster, more precise and more complete diagnosis while improving the care of patients exposed to environmental risks.
According to the people who participate, this innovative project, led by Benoit Busser, professor at Grenoble-Alpes University and Grenoble-Alpes University Hospital, and developed with Lucie Sancey, research director at the CNRS at the IBA in Grenoble, and Vincent Motto-Ros, co-founder of Ablatom, with the support of the University of Grenoble-Alpes, positions France as a leader in the medical application of spectroscopy technologies Libs. This synergy with the startup Ablatom illustrates the successful alliance between academic research and industrial innovation.
An efficient optical technique
Libs technology is an all-optical analysis technique that reveals the chemical composition of any state of matter (solid, liquid and gas) in just milliseconds. Its principle consists of focusing a very brief laser pulse in order to sample a fraction of material which will lead to the formation of a plasma. The analysis of optical emissions from this plasma will make it possible to detect, identify, map and quantify the chemical elements constituting matter.
The advantages of this technology are multiple. It samples, excites, and detects, in a single process. It also reveals the chemical composition of matter almost instantly and detects both endogenous and exogenous elements, including light elements. It also allows large-area mapping at the cellular scale.
1 ILM; Joint research unit Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University and CNRS
2 ELM-XS-MED, Elemental Laser Microscopy – eXtrem Sensitivity for bioMEDical applications
