National Research Council Canada: Science at Work for Canada

NRC Highlights November 2007
	Surgical robot revolutionizes brain surgery "NeuroArm" ― the world's first MRI-compatible, image-guided surgical robot ― promises to dramatically increase surgical accuracy and safety by liberating it from the constraints of the human hand.
		New approaches, new partnerships for health NRC stands among several high-calibre research organizations and networks working to reduce the incidence and impact of diseases that are taking their toll on Canadians.

A quarter billion dollar payback for taxpayers

A recent study by Ottawa-based Doyletech Corporation, commissioned by the NRC Institute for Information Technology (NRC-IIT), found that economic payback from NRC-IIT falls into two broad categories: sales and employment of firms that have licenses or have purchased technology from NRC-IIT; and sales and employment of firms whose origins can be clearly traced to the transfer of people and/or technology from NRC-IIT.

From left to right: The Hon. Jim Prentice, Industry Minister; Dave Batters, Member of Parliament – Palliser, SK; Pierre Coulombe, NRC President; and Sean Frisky, CEO, Ground Effects Environmental Services (GEES); participate in a GEES facility tour in Regina.

Ground Effects Environmental Services presented with a Canadian Innovation Leader certificate

Canada's Minister of Industry, the Honourable Jim Prentice, presented Ground Effects Environmental Services with a Canadian Innovation Leader certificate in Regina, Saskatchewan. The company is a leader in soil remediation and environmental clean-up technologies.

Taste omega-3 goodness, not the sea

Ocean Nutrition Canada claims to be the world's leading provider of top-quality omega-3 fish oil as a nutritional supplement and functional food ingredient. NRC is proud to have helped this company build a solid foundation for success.

From left to right: Graham Burton, CEO, Chemaphor; Richard Brown, Minister of Development and Technology, Government of PEI; Janusz Daroscewski, Senior Research Officer, Chemaphor ; Roman Szumski, VP Life Sciences, NRC; and Patrick Dorsey, V-P PEI and Tourism, ACOA.

Fertile ground for biotech firms

On July 9, 2007, Chemaphor Inc. officially opened its research quarters, the first of four biotech startups to reside in NRC's latest industry partnership facility (IPF). The new facility is located at the NRC Institute for Nutrisciences and Health in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

Monitoring Blood Flow with Thermal Cameras

NRC researchers are using thermographic cameras (bottom left corner) to design tools for physicians to rapidly identify tissue damage. Thermographic video cameras record infrared radiation, or heat, rather than visible light.