Solvent Evaluation using a Novel System for measuring thermal Energy exchange: Project SENSE – the LiquiSensor.

A new sensor measures the heat exchange of liquids flowing through medicine production lines, giving manufacturers real-time data on solvent concentration without stopping to take samples. Current pharmaceutical manufacturing relies on off-line quality checks—workers must extract samples, send them to a lab, and wait for results. This slows production and generates waste when batches fail. The LiquiSensor, based on heat-transfer science patented at the University of Oxford, sits directly in the pipe and measures thermal properties of solvent mixtures as they move. This allows continuous, automated monitoring. If the technology succeeds, medicine manufacturers could shift from batch processing to continuous manufacturing—a long-sought goal in the industry. Fewer failed batches means less waste of expensive active ingredients and solvents. Faster quality feedback could shorten production times and reduce costs. Several pharmaceutical companies have already expressed interest in trialling the device. The project is applied engineering, not fundamental science. Its value lies in solving a specific industrial bottleneck: the inability to measure solvent composition in real time during liquid processing.