www.npl.co.

uk Spring 2010

The
Health
Issue

Artificial Eye ‘Phantoms’ fight cancer Interfacial pressure sensors

Page 10 Page 5 Page 3
 Editor’s introduction
www.npl.co
.uk

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is the UK’s National of Clinical Chemistry for Enzyme
Spring 2010

Measurement Institute and is a world-leading centre of Linked Immunoassays (ELISA). The

excellence in developing and applying the most accurate NPL also carries out research Health
measurement standards, science and technology. and development in the areas Issue
of Regenerative Medicines,
Measurement plays an important and often overlooked Medical Devices, Diagnostic
role in society. It affects us on a personal level when Assay Development, Personal
we receive a medical diagnosis or treatment - receiving Care, Acoustics and Ultrasound
the correct dosage of a drug is dependent on all the and in 2009 spun out its first
measurements made in its production and distribution. To Medical Device Company;
give a clear example of the impact this has, nearly 200,000 Argento Diagnostics. Artificial Eye
Page 10 ‘Phantoms’
Page 5
fight cancer
Interfacial pressur
Page 3
e sensors

people a year are treated using radiotherapy, where NPL’s

work with UK hospitals ensures that each dose is measured
and targeted effectively.
NPL’s role in the healthcare industry has seen the
installation of a state of the art Clinical Linac facility to
support radiation dosimetry for cancer therapy, and the
development of standards for the International Federation
In this issue, the first under the Metromnia
banner, we focus upon what measurement challenges in
healthcare NPL is currently addressing, and where NPL
plans to develop this key area of research in future.
The Editor,
Metromnia

Viral infections of cells can

now be watched in real time
NPL, working with the Left: Infected cell imaged
University of Edinburgh, has with CARS microscopy
developed a technique that showing lipid droplets
and membranes.
makes it possible to watch the
infection of individual cells by
Right: Two-photon
viruses in real time. fluorescence image
of the same cell. The
It is hoped that by observing how fluorescent protein
visualised by this
different properties of the cells are

affected at different stages of an
infection, it will be possible to monitor
the effects of new treatments.
This imaging works on a molecular
level, revealing the spread of the
virus through the cell by imaging
the viral proteins (using a technique
called ‘two-photon fluorescence’).
The changes in the cell’s membrane
are also observed (using a technique
called ‘Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman
Scattering’), giving a high resolution
image of the cell’s shape, and
showing how this is altered by the
virus. These two techniques are used
together and allow these changes to
be observed simultaneously in a cell,
in real time.
The virus in this study (a
cytomegalovirus) was altered
to express a fluorescent protein,
which is visible when using this
technique. This protein could be
seen in a higher concentration in
the nucleus of the infected cell,
compared to the surrounding
cytosol. The nucleus of the cell
expanded, and the cell itself
became more rounded.
Researchers are particularly interested
in the effect the virus has on the host
cell’s metabolic functions. These
results have shown how the lipid
storage mechanisms of the host
NPL Photo
technique confirms viral
infection.
cell are recruited as part of the viral
infection and replication cycle.
The research is now progressing to
investigate this technique using live
cells, rather than fixed samples.
This work has been published in
the Journal of Biophotonics:
www3.interscience.wiley.com/
journal/122540362/abstract
For further information,
please contact:
Jason Crain
T: 020 8943 6107
jason.crain@npl.co.uk

www.npl.co.uk 2
 Interfacial pressure sensors
come under scrutiny
With 4% of NHS spending going on remedial treatment of pressure sores, preventative measures are
a focus for research. NPL is examining the performance of interfacial pressure sensors, used in the
development of pressure relieving mattresses and compression bandages.
NPL is undertaking work to
characterise the performance
of interfacial pressure sensors.
These sensors are widely used in
the healthcare industry for the
development and evaluation of
pressure relieving mattresses and
support surfaces, and in the testing
and use of compression bandages.
Unrelieved pressure, shear or
frictional forces between a patient
and mattress or cushion can cause
pressure sores. The effective design
of support surfaces helps to reduce
the occurrence of pressure sores in
long-term hospital patients and care
home residents. This has a major
impact both in terms of improving
patient comfort and reducing the
iStockPhoto
financial burden of expensive remedial
treatment of pressure sores. The total
cost in the UK has been estimated to
be £1.4-£2.1bn annually (4% of the
total NHS expenditure).
Interfacial pressure measurement
instruments can take the form of
stand-alone single sensors or multi-
sensor pressure mapping systems. The
aim of NPL’s work is to design a series
of tests by which the performance
of all available sensors can be
characterised and compared.
The tests performed so far have
mainly concentrated on stand alone
sensors and involved loading several
sensors of different designs under a
range of conditions, varying
both the geometry
of the
3
surfaces between which the sensor is
mounted and the compliance of the
material covering the surfaces. Tests
have also been performed to assess
the response of shear force sensors to
a range of loading conditions.
The initial results show a wide
variation in the performance of
sensors under different loading
conditions, and that the performance
is closely linked with the design of the
sensing element of the device.
The next step will be a detailed
investigation of the performance
of multi-sensor pressure mapping
systems which will additionally
include tests for spatial resolution and
interaction of the individual sensors.
The results of this investigation will
be published in a good practice guide
on the design and use of interfacial
pressure sensors.
For further information,
please contact:
Laurence Brice
T: 020 8943 7054
laurence.brice@npl.co.uk
 NPL Photo
Characterising hydrogels
for regenerative medicine
Hydrogels are being used more and more in areas such as and into clinical use. Both are
regenerative medicine, where they help rebuild blood vessels, currently constrained by the need to
nerves and cartilage. A new ASTM International guide is being develop an appropriate regulatory
developed to help assess the safety and effectiveness of hydrogels, and metrological framework under
and NPL is looking for contributors to aid this development. which products will be assessed. In
response, a new ASTM International
Hydrogels are water-swollen liquid state, and through application guide is under development that
polymeric networks. They generally of stimuli (e.g. temperature, pH) will assist in developing strategies to
contain 60% to 99% water, yet will gel in situ. Thus, they can be assess the safety and effectiveness
maintain the structural integrity of injected into wound sites together of hydrogels used in regenerative
a solid. This high water content, with cells and growth factors to medicine. Specifically, the guide will
coupled with their soft, rubbery form self-assembled structures for describe current techniques that are
nature, typically high permeability use in regenerative medicine (e.g. in used to characterise hydrogels, taking
and biocompatibility makes hydrogels angiogenesis, re-building of nerves into consideration the assessment
attractive biomaterials. Traditionally, and cartilage repair). Additionally, of structure, biocompatibility and
hydrogels have been widely used hydrogels can also be produced that sterilisation. Whilst the document
in medicine for sight correction, as exhibit bio-mimetic behaviours that is targeted at the multidisciplinary
coupling agents, barrier coatings respond to enzymatic action or to readership within the field of
and vehicles for drug delivery. Such the presence of specific biomolecules regenerative medicine, the content
materials are relatively simple in terms (e.g. antigens, oligonucleotides). Such will also be relevant to people working
of their design and performance. materials can modulate the cellular in other branches of medicine and the
This situation, however, is rapidly microenvironment by presenting both food industry for example.
changing as hydrogels begin to biophysical and biochemical signals to
For further information,
find use in emerging healthcare regulate gene and protein expression. please contact:
solutions, particularly in regenerative
Melissa Mather
medicine, owing to improvements The challenge for companies
T: 020 8943 6778
in hydrogel synthesis. Hydrogels can now is to get these new hydrogel
now be injected into the body in a therapies successfully to market melissa.mather@npl.co.uk

www.npl.co.uk 4
New measurement technique
will help in fight against cancer
NPL ‘phantoms’ will validate a
new technique which monitors
changes in cell structures.
A new technique to catch cancer
early has taken an important step
forward thanks to the National
Physical Laboratory. NPL’s
‘phantoms’ will ensure an exciting
new screening technique can be
relied upon by hospitals to identify
early signs of cancer.
The technique, Optical Coherence
Tomography (OCT), is an increasingly
popular technique for looking beneath
the surface of certain materials,
notably human tissue. It is higher
resolution and much quicker than
techniques such as MRI or ultrasound,
with no ionising radiation, making it
ideal for detecting changes in tissue
structure which can indicate the early
stages of cancer.
This will help speed the route
to market of products using this
important new technology, and assure
hospitals of their ongoing reliability.
Michelson Diagnostics is the first UK
company to use NPL’s phantoms
to validate the accuracy of their
machines. CEO Jon Holmes said:
“We developed breakthrough
technology for imaging living tissue
and for detecting diseases, but we
needed to validate our performance
claims, to provide customers with
greater confidence in them. NPL’s
phantoms and analysis have enabled
us to validate our claims beyond
doubt, thereby demonstrating the
superiority of our scanners and giving
us the edge over our competitors.
We expect that this validation will
give OCT technology the backing it
needs to become standard in hospitals
around the world, and thereby make
an important progression in the battle
against cancer”.
NPL recently completed
laboratory tests and are now
running trials with companies
before bringing the product to
market. Anyone interested in
more information or trialling the
new technology should contact:
Pete Tomlins
T: 020 8943 6165
pete.tomlins@npl.co.uk

However creating such images

requires high precision, and any
inaccuracy can lead to incorrect
assumptions about cell disruption.
This can mean missing
opportunities for early, potentially
life-saving treatment.

A new NPL product, called a ‘point-

spread phantom’, will eliminate the
risk of such errors. The phantoms
are translucent cylinders of resin
containing specially arranged
particles designed to reflect light
in a very specific way. By viewing
the phantom with an OCT machine
and analysing the image with NPL
software, users can be certain the
machine is producing accurate
images, which they can rely on for
important medical decisions.

These ‘phantoms’ will also allow

manufacturers of OCT technology
to meet the necessary standards
NPL Photo

to guarantee to hospitals that their

machines are sufficiently accurate.

5
 NPL helps precision engineering
SME win funding for training
Darron-SBO is a leading precision engineering SME based in
Rotherham. It provides specialist parts to the oil and gas industry
where tight tolerances and accuracy are essential.
NPL helped Darron-SBO identify
funding from Yorkshire Forward’s
Enhancement Fund in order to
put 21 members of staff through
Level 1, and five through Level 2
of NPL’s Dimensional Measurement
Training course.
Denis Smith, Post Production
Supervisor at the firm is already seeing
the benefits:
“Staff are now thinking more carefully
about which measurement method
is appropriate for a particular task.
The decision making process with
regards to quality and inspection
has improved. We can now prove
our competency to our customers.
NPL Training provides us with that
unquestionable credibility.”
“We are confident we will see a
reduction in wastage and real business
benefits. We will definitely be putting
more employees through the course,
Medical test results in minutes
NPL has helped Vivacta, a
healthcare diagnostics company,
to develop their point-of-care
testing technology with a
bespoke software analysis tool.
Vivacta’s point-of-care test uses
innovative sensor technology to
collect and analyse a patient’s
blood sample, and diagnose certain
health conditions, all in the space
of a few minutes. This saves
considerable time as the sample
doesn’t have to be sent off to a
www.npl.co.uk
and are considering the advantages
of all the manufacturing personnel
going through Level 1, some 60
additional employees.”
NPL is uniquely placed to help
companies understand measurement
issues better and make the most of
their manufacturing process. NPL
Training’s Dimensional Measurement
Programme is made up of four levels
and is validated by The National Skills
Academy for Manufacturing (NSAM).
A list of all of NPL’s training
courses and events, customer
feedback and training deliverers’
details can be found at:
www.npl.co.uk/training
For further information,
please contact:
Tom Ashby
T: 020 8943 8672
tom.ashby@npl.co.uk
laboratory for testing, and allows for
quicker diagnosis and treatment of
the patient’s health conditions.
NPL helped Vivacta investigate a
number of different sensor setups
quickly, saving them considerable
development time. NPL’s analysis
tool also helped Vivacta understand
their system better, and provided
an analysis tool that they could use
in future to optimise their sensor
technology. In particular, the software
allowed Vivacta to understand which
6
Fundamental
Good Practice
in Dimensional
Metrology -
Guide No 80
This Dimensional Measurement
Good Practice Guide underpins the
training modules contained within
The NPL Training Framework. It is
written for those who need to make
dimensional measurements but are
not necessarily trained in this area.
An introduction to length units and
key issues such as traceability and
uncertainty is followed by some
examples of typical sources of error
in length measurement. Checking
to specification, accreditation and
measurement techniques are also
covered along with an introduction
to optical measurement techniques.
This guide can be downloaded
for free or paper copies
ordered from www.npl.co.uk/
publications/guides/
parameters in their system were vital
to performance and which parameters
had little effect.
For further information,
please contact:
Markys Cain
T: 020 8943 6599
markys.cain@npl.co.uk
To read the full case study,
please visit:
www.npl.co.uk/commercial-
services/case-studies
 Having Graham Machin working
hands-on with us has allowed us
to appreciate the complexities of
using thermometry instruments
correctly and the importance
this has in the interpretation of
clinical results. This has led us to be
confident that the measurements
we are making are reliable.

Charmaine Childs, Senior Research Fellow,

Brain Injury Research Group, Salford Royal
NHS Foundation Trust
iStockPhoto

Brain temperature sensor

performance validated
Small changes in brain temperature in patients with brain injuries can indicate the need for medical
intervention. NPL and the University of Manchester have undertaken an assessment of the limitations
of two brain temperature sensors, to study the accuracy of brain temperature measurement and its
impact on patient recovery.

Temperature measurement is an
essential base measurement in clinical
care. In particular the measurement
of brain temperature, using small
contact thermometry probes, is a key
indicator of brain health in patients
who have experienced serious brain
trauma. In these patients subtle
changes in brain temperature may
be a significant clinical indicator,
triggering medical intervention.
However, the measured effects are
small, typically ~0.1 °C to 0.2 °C so
the actual temperature measurement
performance of the in-vivo brain
sensors is critical. NPL and the
University of Manchester’s Brain Injury
Research Group undertook a critical
assessment of the limitations of two
in-vivo brain temperature sensors, and
a reference rectal temperature sensor.
Understanding the performance
limitations of these type of sensors
is an essential first step in building
robust clinical protocols for improving
care, and hence maintaining optimum
brain function, for these very
vulnerable patients.
The assessment of the accuracy of the
temperature was performed using two
fixed-point references at nominally
26 °C and 36 °C with an uncertainty
of ±0.005 °C. It was shown that at
the 36 °C fixed-point reference the
reading of the two in-vivo sensors
was within 0.1 °C. This result
provides a firm foundation for further
in-vivo studies of brain temperature
measurement and its influence on
recovery from traumatic brain injury.
A summary of this work has been
published in the journal Critical
Care available at:
http://ccforum.com/content/13/4/
R106
For further information,
please contact:
Graham Machin
T: 020 8943 6742
graham.machin@npl.co.uk

7
 NPL is opening its doors,
come and be amazed
On Thursday 20 May 2010 the National Physical Laboratory will be
holding an open day for the first time in over twenty years so you
can see for yourselves the amazing research we do.

As the UK’s National Measurement On Thursday 20 May 2010 (World

Institute NPL develops and maintains
the nation’s primary measurement
standards, to ensure accuracy and
consistency around the world. As
well as being the home of the metre,
the kilogram and the second, our
scientists use measurement to solve
all sorts of problems in all sorts of
places - from cancer treatment, Earth
observation, farming, mobile phones,
GPS, electronics, and countless others.
Measurement Day) we will have a
variety of science laboratories open
as well as a programme of short
talks and an exhibition to showcase
our world-leading science. Come
along, meet our scientists and prepare
to be amazed!
You and your colleagues
are welcome to come to our
Open Day, but you must
pre-register at:

NPL Photo
Wherever measurement is needed,
NPL is there. www.npl.co.uk/open-day

Spinning out for success

NPL’s expertise often manifests itself in technology products, software or processes from its government
research programmes. We are keen to share this expertise and actively exploit our intellectual property.
Many companies have benefited from the sale or licence of our products, software or processes. Two of
the most recent products are the NPL CaviMeter and Argento Diagnostics:

The NPL CaviMeter Argento Diagnostics

The NPL CaviMeter™ is the world’s first instrument capable
of measuring localised ultrasonic cavitation (the implosion
of bubbles in a liquid when a high frequency sound wave is
applied), and will transform the way hospitals clean medical
instruments prior to surgery by providing a new measurement
capability. The CaviMeter™ was designed in response to
a longstanding user need, and the novel spatially-sensitive
cavitation sensor it uses was conceived and developed at NPL.
The NPL CaviMeter™ won the Ultrasonic Industry Association
(UIA) Outstanding Product Award in 2009.
NPL have developed a truly revolutionary product that will
hopefully save many lives by allowing rapid diagnosis of
virtually any health problem. The product, being marketed
by Argento Diagnostics, an NPL spin out company, is the first
fully portable diagnostic device capable of quickly measuring
biomarkers in blood, urine, saliva etc. to reveal what a patient
is suffering from. It could also be used in veterinary practice,
military applications (for battlefield medicine, as well as
detecting problems with fuel in aircraft/marine vessels), sports
medicine, and police roadside testing.

www.npl.co.uk/cleaning-with-cavitation www.argentodiagnostics.com

www.npl.co.uk 8
iStockPhoto
Reduced uncertainties for dielectric
RF & microwave reference liquids
A number of liquids are used as tissue equivalents when calculating the Specific Absorption Rate
of power produced by radiating devices such as mobile phones. A new NPL report gives the
permittivity data (the measure of how much a material reduces an electric field) for these liquids,
with reduced uncertainties.
Liquids can be readily purchased
from chemical suppliers with a high-
purity certification. This makes them
useful for calibrating instruments
for dielectric measurements. A new
NPL Report [1] provides traceable
accurate data for a number of
liquids, including methanol, ethanol,
dimethyl sulphoxide and ethanediol
at frequencies up to 5 GHz. These
polar liquids have comparable
properties to biological materials
(i.e. high permittivity and loss).
Applications include measurements
on foodstuffs to study microwave
heating, and measurements on
tissue-equivalent materials that are
used in the measurement of the
Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) of
power, in human tissues, produced
by radiating devices such as mobile
phones. Relaxation models have
been fitted to the data to allow the
‘best-fit’ permittivity to be computed
as a function of frequency. The
report supersedes an earlier NPL
report (CETM 33, 2001). While the
permittivity data in the new report
are little changed, an extensive
study has allowed uncertainties to
be reduced significantly in many
cases. Uncertainties in ‘best-fit’ data
were evaluated using a Monte Carlo
Modelling process that accounts for
the fact that measurement errors
have a systematic dependence on
frequency. A paper on this work has
been published [2].
9
[1]
Gregory, A. P. and Clarke, R. N.
Tables of the Complex Permittivity
of Dielectric Reference Liquids at
Frequencies up to 5 GHz. NPL Report
MAT 23, March 2009.
[2]
Gregory, A. P., Clarke R. N. and Cox M.
G. Traceable measurement of dielectric
reference liquids over the temperature
interval 10–50 °C using coaxial-line
methods, Meas. Sci. Tech., Vol 20, 2009,
pp. 75106.
For further information,
please contact:
Andrew Gregory
T: 020 8943 6430
andrew.gregory@npl.co.uk
 Building an
artificial eye
NPL have built an artificial eye
that accurately mimics the way
human eyes view light.
The eye will lead to a better understanding
of how new lighting technologies and
display systems such as projection TVs and low
energy lighting, affect eyesight. The eye will allow For further information,
manufacturers of these products to test and, where please contact:
necessary, modify their products and so end the debate on Simon Hall
the safety of these new light sources. This will help ensure that
T: 020 8943 6758
innovation in this exciting area continues unhindered, and will help

NPL Photo
simon.hall@npl.co.uk
ensure that the vision of future generations is safeguarded.

Thumbs up
NPL has verified new computer
technology that can identify
partial, smudged or ‘warped’
fingerprints in seconds.
Worn and ravaged hands have for a
long time been a stumbling block for
fingerprint access control readers. This
is a particular issue in the construction
industry. NPL has recently verified
new computer technology developed
by the University of Warwick that can
identify partial, smudged or ‘warped’
fingerprints in seconds. The new
system came out top for accuracy
when tested by NPL and is already in
use at six major building sites.
NPL has world-class expertise
in developing and improving
methodologies for evaluating the
performance of biometric systems,
conducting evaluations, and
technical consultancy on biometric
system performance for Government
and industry.
The technology, developed by the
University of Warwick and verified
by NPL, is able to identify partial,
distorted, scratched, smudged, or
otherwise warped fingerprints in just
a few seconds. The technology is
now being rapidly taken up by the
UK building trade who are delighted
to have fingerprint technology
which can cope with often worn and
ravaged builders’ thumbprints.
This technology has been taken
forward by University of Warwick spin
out company, Warwick Warp, and has
just deployed it for security and staff
management on six building sites.
This biometrics system works reliably
with poor quality fingerprints, the
type routinely seen in the construction
industry - it is fast, accurate and
eliminates the ‘buddy punching’
problems of older card-based
access systems.
Warwick Warp’s fingerprint
technology gave the best overall
accuracy in NPL’s benchmark
tests, and a test of 36 fingerprint
technologies by the National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST)
in the US ranked it third overall.
Find out more about NPL’s
Biometric research at:
www.npl.co.uk/mathematics-
scientific-computing/biometrics/
For further information,
please contact:
Tony Mansfield
T: 020 8943 7029
tony.mansfield@npl.co.uk

www.npl.co.uk 10
iStockPhoto
New guide on the assessment of
surface texture in two dimensions
NPL has prepared a new ASTM
International guide that aims
to increase the biomaterials
community’s awareness of
the different methods and
approaches for quantifying
surface texture.
It is well known that the behaviour of
cells on biomaterial surfaces is strongly
dependent on the chemistry, and
hence energy of the surface, as well as
its topography. The latter is typically
characterised by a single parameter,
Ra (an averaging parameter) that,
although widely used in engineering,
is not always a sensitive measure of
roughness. The new guide describes
the broader range of roughness
parameters that exist, and the pros
and cons of techniques for measuring
surface texture.
It also describes the methods
commonly employed to analyse
roughness data, which includes the
use of filters and levelling.
NPL is currently working with a
consortium of European standards
laboratories to underpin the
To obtain copies of the new
standard, ASTM 22802 09
please visit:
www.astm.org
11
metrology requirements for
understanding cell-surface interactions
in a project funded by the European
Metrology Research Programme
(EMRP) and the UK’s National
Measurement Office.
Further details are available at
the EMRP project site:
http://projects.npl.co.uk/
regenerative_medicine
For further information,
please contact:
Paul Tomlins
T: 020 8943 6778
paul.tomlins@npl.co.uk
Watch an ‘Electron Tree’ being made
NPL makes Electron Trees onsite, using
a machine called an Electron Linear
Accelerator or ‘Linac’ for short. The tree-
like structures in these Perspex blocks
are created by electrons fracturing them
from within.
The Linac’s day job is to deliver beams
of electrons to a fixed point, which
is currently one of the most effective
treatments used to kill cancerous cells in
the human body. Part of NPL’s role is to
ensure that hospitals’ Linacs deliver an
accurate and consistent radiation dose
for all patients. Hospitals using Linacs
ensure their machines are accurate and
consistent by measuring their output
with a small measurement device called
an ionisation chamber, which is traceable
back to NPL’s national standards.
Packet switching
In the 1960s, NPL began developing
a technique for transmitting long
messages of data by splitting them into
chunks and temporarily storing them
at computer nodes. This technique
still forms the basis of the complex
computer communications systems we
use today. The technique, called ‘packet
switching’, was developed by Donald
Davies (pictured) and, by the early
1970s, the first practical networks using
packet switching were introduced to the
NPL local network, providing a range of
on-line services to some 200 users. This
demonstration provided a much-needed
steer to the development of the Arpanet,
which would evolve into the Internet we
know today.
The Little Big Book of Metrology
Available free to Metromnia subscribers
is a copy of NPL’s ‘The little big book of
metrology’ (RRP £6.99), which details
the history and
development of
measurement
and measuring,
and explains
the units and
techniques used
in research and
everyday life.
© Queen’s Printer and Controller of HMSO, 2010.
NPL Photo
To find out how this effect is
achieved you can view a video of an
Electron Tree being made at:
www.npl.co.uk/educate-explore/
electron-trees
NPL Photo
To find out more about the
development of packet switching,
you can view NPL’s collection of
historic videos:
www.youtube.com/user/NPLdigital
To receive your free copy, please
fill in and return the freepost
feedback form included with your
subscription issue.
If you do not receive a paper copy
of Metromnia, but would like to
receive a free copy of ‘The little big
book of metrology’ please e-mail
your name and postal address to
daniel.ainsworth@npl.co.uk with
‘Little big book’ in the subject line.
Offer open to UK and Northern
Ireland residents only. Available
while stocks last.
8845/AAR/7K/0210
NPL Photo
What is the National
Physical Laboratory?
The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is one of
the UK’s leading science facilities and research
centres. It is a world-leading centre of excellence
in developing and applying the most accurate
standards, science and technology available.
NPL occupies a unique position as the UK’s
National Measurement Institute and sits at the
intersection between scientific discovery and
real world application. Its expertise and original
research have underpinned quality of life,
innovation and competitiveness for UK citizens
and business for more than a century.
www.npl.co.uk
If you would like further information on any
aspect of Metromnia, please contact:
Metromnia Editor
National Physical Laboratory
Teddington
Middlesex
UK TW11 0LW
Helpline: 020 8943 6880
Fax: 020 8614 0446
E-mail: enquiry@npl.co.uk
The National Physical Laboratory is operated on behalf of
the National Measurement Office by NPL Management
Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Serco Group plc
The National Measurement System delivers
world-class measurement for science and
technology through these organisations

Research funding opportunities
NPL is in a privileged position to provide world-leading expertise
in a number of different areas. Collaboration is vitally important
for us to maintain this level of expertise and help UK businesses.
We invite readers to browse through the list of research
opportunities below – please contact us if any are of interest or
you have any questions.
European Metrology Research
Programme (www.emrponline.eu)
The EMRP Call 2010 for proposals for
potential metrology research topics
(PRTs) and followed by a call for
proposals for related Joint Research
Projects (JRPs) and associated EMRP
Researcher Grants will be launched
within the following research areas:
• Metrology for Industry
• Metrology for Environment
The indicative call budget per
research area is €41.28m, of which
approximately 47% is funded by
the European Commission with the
remaining funding provided by the
participating National Metrology
Institutes (NMIs) and Designated
Institutes (DIs).
Additionally a further €9.6m is available
(jointly funded by the European
Commission and the participating
NMIs) for the EMRP Researcher Grant
schemes.
European Research Council Grant
(http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/).
• Advanced Grant for Life Sciences -
deadline 17 March 2010
• Advanced Grant for Social Sciences and
Humanities- deadline 7 April 2010
www.npl.co.uk
Metromnia Extra + Events, Training & News
National Institute of Health
Research (www.nihr-ccf.org.uk)
A couple of the areas open for
competition:
• Research for Patient Benefit (RfPB): The
RfPB programme is for high quality research
projects that address issues of importance
to the NHS. It funds research into everyday
practice in the health service.
• Programme Grants for Applied Research:
Aimed at those with a solid track record in
the research industry.
The NIHR research opportunities are
not restricted to those highlighted here,
please check the website above for more
information and funding opportunities.
The Technology Strategy Board
(www.innovateuk.org)
The Technology Strategy Board has a
number of competitions open:
• Integrated Delivery Programme
Competition 4 – opens 8 February 2010
• Helicopter Rotor Blade Scintillation (MoD) –
opens 11 February 2010
• Energy Efficient Whitehall – opens 22
February 2010
• Technology Strategy Board also offers the
Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) –
competitions for ideas that result in short-
term development contracts.
Spring 2010
For further information,
please contact:
Peter Benson
T: 020 8943 8746
peter.benson@npl.co.uk
FP7 (www.cordis.europa.eu)
The Seventh Framework Programme
(FP7) from the European Commission
is the main instrument for funding
research across the continent. FP7
will fund research that meets the
requirements of their selected priority
areas, such as:
• Health
• ICT
• Nanosciences, Nanotechnologies, Materials
and New Production Techniques
• Energy
• People
• Nuclear Fission and Radiation Protection
(Euratom)
• Science in Society
• Joint Technology Initiatives
MoD (www.science.mod.uk) -
open all year round
The MoD will accept applications
that fall within its remit all year
round through their Centre for
Defence Enterprise (CDE) as well as
offering specific calls for research and
competitions.
NPL’s snowman c
The ‘world’s smallest snowman’,
created at NPL by David Cox
(and featured on NPL’s 2009
Christmas card) has appeared in
the news all over the world in
December 2009 / January 2010.
In the UK, the snowman appeared
in the vast majority of the national
newspapers including The Sun, The
Daily Mail, The Times, The Daily
Telegraph, and The Daily Mirror.
Internationally, he attracted press
attention across Europe, Australia,
China, and the US. He was even
featured on a CNN television news
programme which reportedly has a
potential audience of 2 billion people
in over 200 countries.
The snowman is just 10 μm wide,
which is approximately 1/5th the
width of a human hair, and is built
not from snow but from two tin beads
used to calibrate electron microscope
astigmatism. His tiny eyes and smile
were milled using a focused ion
beam, and his nose (which is under
1 μm wide, or 0.001 mm), is not a
nano-carrot but is in fact ion beam
deposited platinum. Dr Cox used a
nanomanipulation system to assemble
the parts of the snowman ‘by hand’
and platinum deposition welded all
parts together.
10–24
Prefixes yocto
Dr Cox took just a couple of hours to
make the snowman, using techniques
that NPL normally uses:
• To make and fine tune Atomic
Force Microscope cantilevers for
measuring surface topography
• To manufacture nano scale SQUIDs
(Superconducting Quantum
Interference Devices) for a wide
range of future measurement
applications including spintronics,
single particle detection, NEMS and
quantum information processing
• To measure magnetic properties of
very small magnetic systems using
quantum hall probes
For further information,
please contact:
David Cox
david.cox@npl.co.uk
At time of writing, NPL’s
explanatory video featuring the
snowman had been watched
by over 400,000 people from all
over the world. You can watch it
yourself at:
www.npl.co.uk/christmas
10–21 10–18 10–15 10–12 10–9 10–6
zepto atto femto pico nano µ (micro)
charms the world

10–3 103 106 109 1012 1015 1018 1021 1024

milli kilo Mega Giga Tera Peta Exa Zetta Yotta
 8845/AAR/7K/0210
Events NPL Training events Available courses
A Testing Challenge - Digital 8 - 10 March 2010: Developing Advanced Scientific
Communications Knowledge Transfer Dimensional Measurement Training: Engineering Spreadsheet Applications
Network and the Testing Special Level 1 A two day training course on developing
Interest Group WMMMC, Coventry advanced spreadsheet applications

© Queen’s Printer and Controller of HMSO, 2010.

25 February 2010
NPL, Teddington 8 - 11 March 2010: Dimensional Measurement Training:
www.npl.co.uk/events/a-testing- Dimensional Measurement Training: Level 1 - Measurement User
challenge Level 2 A three day training course introducing
WMMMC, Coventry measurement knowledge focusing upon
Applications of Micro and Nanosensors dimensional techniques
in Security, Health and Environmental 9 - 11 March 2010:
Monitoring Dimensional Measurement Training: Dimensional Measurement Training:
4 March 2010 Level 1 Level 2 - Measurement Applier
NPL, Teddington Mitutoyo, Coventry A four day training course for those who have
www.npl.co.uk/events/ a good basic understanding of measurement
16 - 18 March 2010: principles gained through the Level 1 training
Commercial R&D with Research Dimensional Measurement Training: course
Facilities - Access Skills, Technology and Level 1
Hexagon Metrology, Swindon Foundation Degree in Metrology
Services
Coventry University, with NPL’s assistance,
11 March 2010
22 - 24 March 2010: has launched the UK’s first ever Foundation
Hamilton House Meeting & Conference
Dimensional Measurement Training: Degree in Metrology
Centre, London
www.npl.co.uk/events/ Level 1
WMMMC, Coventry Humidity Measurement & Calibration
A two day course on humidity measurement
Measurement & Characterisation
22 - 25 March 2010: and calibration covering dew point,
of Structured Surfaces: Information
Dimensional Measurement Training: relative humidity and many other humidity
Exchange Day
Level 2 quantities, it will concentrate on methods
15 March 2010
WMMMC, Coventry of measurement which are of greatest
NPL, Teddington
technological relevance to attendees
www.npl.co.uk/networks-clubs/eman/
6 - 8 April 2010:
events/ Laser Safety Workshop
Dimensional Measurement Training:
Level 1 A one day workshop covering applications in
MCNEG 2010 - 16th UK Monte Carlo safe laser use and laser product design
Mitutoyo, Coventry
User Group Meeting
12 - 13 April 2010 Metrology Data Analysis
6 - 9 Apr 2010:
NPL, Teddington A one day course on extracting quantitative
Dimensional Measurement Training:
www.npl.co.uk/events information from data
Level 2
Mitutoyo, Coventry
Measurement Systems and Process Practical Course in
Improvement (MSPI) 2010 - ENBIS- 13 - 15 April 2010: Reference Dosimetry
IMEKO TC21 Workshop Dimensional Measurement Training: This course is primarily aimed at trainee
19 - 20 April 2010 Level 1 radiotherapy physicists but would also benefit
NPL, Teddington Hexagon Metrology, Telford anyone wishing to improve their practical
http://conferences.npl.co.uk/mspi dosimetry techniques
13 - 16 April 2010:
Computational Science in Metrology - Dimensional Measurement Training: Simulation of Experiments
Software Support for Metrology Level 2 A two day training course on simulating
21 April 2010 Mitutoyo, Coventry experiments
NPL, Teddington
www.npl.co.uk/events/computational- Temperature Measurement
26 - 29 April 2010:
science-in-metrology & Calibration
Dimensional Measurement Training:
Option of a two or three day course
Level 2
AMUM 2010 - Advanced Metrology for covering temperature measurement
Hexagon Metrology, Swindon
Ultrasound in Medicine in association and calibration, covering measurement
with Precision Acoustics Ltd techniques; thermodynamic background and
12 - 14 May 2010 temperature scales; calibration techniques;
NPL, Teddington traceability and accreditation; and hands-on
http://conferences.npl.co.uk/amum/ laboratory sessions
index.html

Joint International Symposium on

Temperature, Humidity, Moisture & If you would like further information
Thermal Measurements in Industry & on any aspect of Metromnia, please
Science contact:
31 May - 4 June 2010
Metromnia Editor
Portorož, Slovenia
National Physical Laboratory
www.tempmeko-ishm.org/index.html
Teddington
MANSA - Metrology of Airborne Middlesex
Nanoparticles, Standardisation and UK TW11 0LW
Applications Helpline: 020 8943 6880
8 - 10 Jun 2010
NPL, Teddington For further information, please visit: Fax: 020 8614 0446
www.npl.co.uk/events/mansa www.npl.co.uk/training/ enquiry@npl.co.uk