2018 North West Enterprise Awards

SME NEWS / NorthWest Enterprise Awards 2018 19 Sonic Age Ltd g decades of dedicated research and monetary investment, the result is a new type of scientific instrument called, “CymaScope” , with intellectual property protected by several patents in the UK and abroad. The instrument is attracting the attention of scientists worldwide and just as the invention of the microscope and telescope opened up new vistas in the fields of biology and astronomy, the CymaScope is revealing aspects of Nature that were previously invisible, in this case, the realm of sound. For example, in 2011 the CymaScope was used to make dolphin echolocation sounds visible for the first time. In collaboration with Jack Kassewitz, head of the Florida-based company, SpeakDolphin.com, their work made headlines around the world, pointing to the day when it will be possible to hold a conversation with a dolphin. When a dolphin echolocates on a submersed object it can see that object with sound, enabling it to navigate it murky waters and to identify predators. Now, thanks to the CymaScope we can see what the dolphin sees, by collecting the dolphin’s echolocation sound beam as it reflects from the object and then injecting it into the CymaScope. The story also made local newspapers, including The News & Star who called John “Dr Doolittle” in their news item. Another USA-based scientist, Dr. Sungchul Ji, was present at a lecture that John gave in Sofia, Bulgaria, in November 2016 to 120 scientists. Dr Ji explained, “I found his lecture to be inspirational, so much so that upon my return to the USA I began to investigate how I could digitize this important new scientific tool, which would allow me and other scientists to analyze CymaGlyphs (the name given to sound patterns) quantitatively. I contacted John Stuart Reid and made suggestions as to how this might be possible. Astonishingly, within the space of only a few weeks, facilitated by the timely financial support provided by GreenMedInfo.com, Bonita Spring, FL, USA we were able to develop a digital method that allows any CymaGlyph to be analyzed numerically.” The first project chosen for the Digital CymaScope is to differentiate between healthy cells and cancer cells, which could lead to the development of a new diagnostic tool—a potential giant leap for medical science. Recently, to build upon its current success and share its Company: Sonic Age Ltd Contact: John Stuart Reid Address: Crystal Cottage, St John’s in the Vale, Keswick, Cumbria, CA12 4TS, UK Website: cymascope.com innovation with the world, Sonic Age Ltd launched a CymaScope app for Apple iPhone, iPad and a large range of Android- powered devices that makes voice and music visible and is proving popular with the general public. But John also sees a future for the CymaScope as a children’s science toy for the 21st Century and the company is now planning the development of an accessibly priced child’s model. These developments look set to help Sonic Age Ltd grow even further and share its unique innovation with an even wider array of users over the years to come.