High Precision Monitors for 
Water Quality Analysis
Hollow fiber membrane technology has been widely used in purification of water. Conventional water quality monitoring systems, however, may overlook one-fiber-break leakages. The series of monitoring devices developed by Microtech Inc. can address such issues by employing lasers. The devices are highly precise and detect trace amounts of impurities including pathogens such as Cryptosporidium. Since 2004, over 2,000 units have been installed in public drinking water treatment facilities in Japan. The devices are useful for the quality analysis of tap water, membrane-filtered water, and water from swimming pools.
Major Features and Advantages
I. High Sensitivity
The laser technology provides excellent linearity (which measures 0.0000-2.0000 mg/L turbidity unit) and enables stable and continuous measurement of submicron particles found in water at extremely low concentration. The devices effectively monitor leakage from a membrane filter, which increases the chance of preventing pathogens such as Cryptosporidium contaminating the water.
II. Easy Operation
The operation of the devices is easy and simple. One can analyze water simply by connecting the device to a flowing water sample.
III. Maintenance & Cost
No frequent maintenance is required. The devices have a “clean structure,” which resists contamination of a sample cell. The sensors can be easily removed, and the sample cell can be cleaned easily. The laser used in the devices has a long lifetime enabling them to be continuously used for a long time without calibration. The operating cost of the devices is, therefore, low.
IV. Examples of Use
The devices are suitable for the following; 1) turbidity management at the filtered water outlet to follow countermeasure guidelines for Cryptosporidium etc., 2) as a sensor to detect rupture of filtration membrane in a water purification facility, 3) performance evaluation of a process such as precipitation, activated carbon treatment, and sand filtration, and 4) management of circulating filtered water outlet (e.g. pool water.)
Microtech Inc. is a company with expertise in turbidity detection and particle counting in water business. Their turbidity meters developed based on their previous similar technology have been distributed for more than ten years, and thousands of units are currently installed in water treatment facilities throughout the country.
Product website: http://www.microtech.st/english/product/dakudokei/
Technology Data
Possible applications
Monitoring of water quality to make sure that your drinking water treatment system is working. Turbidity, color and residual chlorine are main items to measure among those analyzed in potable water. Other applications of our products include processes using filtration with membrane to give better yield and/or to save utilities by digitally showing you of the processed liquid state.
Competitive advantage
More and more hollow fiber membrane technology has been introduced to produce drinking water. While the conventional turbidity detection method overlooks one-fiber-break leakage, our method can detect it to have much better chance to find pathogens such as Cryptosporidium. Our superior design creates a long laser life and enables you to continuously operate it with infrequent maintenance service.
Performance
High linearity over the measuring range between 0.0000- 2.0000 mg/L in turbidity unit. When the ultrafiltered water is measured, this equipment definitely indicate zero due to the particle counting method applied. Therefore, off set is not required.
Technical maturity
Our technology has been proved to be effective from 2004. As a result, over one thousand units are currently being operated at governmental drinking water treatment plants all over Japan. On top of that, a previous similar technology which we invented has seven years more of field experience and thousands more turbidimeter installations of that method being operated in other water treatment facilities. We are an expert in turbidity detection and particle counting in water business.
Conceivable risk
For very low quality water, some models may require frequent service.
Information on patent related to this technology
N/A
Company Data
| Name | Microtech Inc. |
| Address | 212-18, Kogasaka, Machida-city, Tokyo 194-0014, Japan |
| Capital | 10 million JPY |
| Contact person |
Mr. Yu Koshizuka |
| Number of employees | 10 (1 for international operation) |
| Date of company foundation | 19 May 1987 |
| The type of business | Measuring Instruments Manufacturer |
Modality of business transaction
Partnership
Microtech plans to start with distributorship agreement and may give maintenance technology instruction for them to give local service if they are capable and then local manufacture of the products in the future to further develop Microtech’s local business if possible.
Export of product
Microtech plans to distribution of their products through local distributors. The company may train them or find another local company to locally give maintenance service.
Attachments
Schematic illustration of the technology
Measuring principle
The first collective lens converges laser light emitted from the semiconductor laser diode to one point. The converged laser light scatters on each particle suspended in the sample. The other collective lens focuses only the scattered light on the photodiode. The intensity of this scattered light is converted to show a turbidity reading. The direct laser light transmitted through the cell is blocked by the beam stopper to prevent from affecting the scattered light intensity on the photodiode.
Catalogue
Contact Person(s)
*Please mention that you saw UNIDO's website when making the first contact with the company.
Registered Category
- Environmental Technologies : Pollution Prevention and Control
- Human Health Technologies : Public health