MultiSense Aqua - Automated online flow cytometry for real-time monitoring of bacteria and particles in drinking water

Pathogens transmitted by contaminated water are among the five most significant health risks worldwide. The production of safe drinking water is therefore one of the most important pillars for maintaining human health.

According to WHO guidelines, internal operational monitoring of drinking water quality as part of water safety plans using reliable and rapid methods (as close to real time as possible) is an absolute must for the drinking water industry.

The project involves the development of a device (MultiSense Aqua) for online monitoring of drinking water, which is also equipped with an event-triggered autosampling platform (ETAS). This device will make it possible for the first time to determine basic bacterial parameters in an automated near-real-time mode in parallel with traditional particle measurement for monitoring drinking water quality and to establish a direct link to legally required monitoring analyses via ETAS.

The technology is based on a proven flow cytometric measurement method and can determine the total cell count of all bacteria, the number of living and active cells, and the number of bacteria with high (active cells) and low nucleic acid content (inactive cells). ETAS enables simultaneous automatic sampling if a contamination event is detected by the device. The device is also designed to be inexpensive, robust, and easy to use, so that even non-microbiologists can operate it themselves outside of a specialised laboratory.

The device is being developed by the Swiss company bNovate on the basis of an existing predecessor model (BactoSense), which has been on the market since the second quarter of 2017 through a leading distribution partner (Sigrist), and is being extensively tested by the two Austrian university partners (Medical University of Vienna, Vienna University of Technology) for its applicability and marketability in the drinking water industry. Thanks to a number of unique selling points, MultiSense Aqua has the potential to revolutionise drinking water monitoring worldwide.