Company's Solutions

VBact designs, manufactures, and sells revolutionary powerful imaging and AI systems to monitor bacterial and other contaminations in water. These systems have a wide range of applications, including water quality, safety, validation and optimization of water treatment processes.

The systems are the first to offer real-time results, continuous and fully automated monitoring, and reagent-free analysis. These advanced features transform microbial water monitoring into a highly streamlined, accurate, and cost-efficient process. Today, the standard method for bacterial water monitoring is mostly manual, complex, and takes days to produce results.

The technology is a convergence of three main building blocks developed by VBact:

1. Patented powerful bio-imaging technology [detection of cells & micro-particle at sub-micron resolution in a flow of liquid]
2. Novel AI / ML image processing algorithms, and
3. Proprietary bio-chip and liquid management unit for continuous liquid sampling

VBact systems are called “Water Scanner” [in short Scanner] and provide multi-parameter, quantitative, sensitive detection and enumeration of the following parameters:

1. Bacterial total count
2. Micro-particles total count and their size distribution 0.3 to 15µm
3. Yeast and Mold detector - currently Beta version available for testing
4. Biofilm detector - to be launched in the coming year

The Scanner delivers cutting-edge operational efficiencies:

• Minimize Boil Alerts - immediately detect quality gradient shifts:
  • Detect sudden contamination
  • Duration and spread of the contamination irregularity counts
  • Sensitive water monitoring - by single cell/object analysis
  • Internal contamination Alert unit for immediate notification
• Detect water system vulnerabilities
  • Internal fouling
  • Air pockets
  • Water treatment / filtration failure
• Validate water treatment process
  • Validate bacterial level reduction along the water treatment process
  • Optimize and compare between processes and vendors equipment
  • Validate the cleanliness of water systems after contamination event or pre/post routine maintenance
• Improved water quality data
  • Scanner provides "Big Data” +1,500 readings /day
  • Digital output
  • New broader parameters for improved water analytics and management
• Economic efficiencies
  • Less conventional testing
  • Minimize human errors
  • Automation – sampling, testing, reporting
  • Environmental friendly solution - no reagent and biohazard waste; lower carbon footprint by eliminates sample collection and transportation

The Scanner offers superior solutions with various use cases for water utilities, public water suppliers, food & beverages manufacturers and additional related sectors.

Overall, the Scanner increases resilience and productivity, supporting water quality improvement while enabling digital and automated management of water systems.

Prominent Case Study

1. In-line sampling at unmanned borehole of public water supplier

VBact's In-Line Bacterial Water Scanner system is a pioneering technology that introduces a new set of capabilities for water quality and safety. The Scanner provides sensitive and quantitative multi-parameter results in real-time, including bacterial total count, micro-particle total count, and size distribution. This system operates automatically and continuously 24/7, based on a reagent-free analysis process that streamlines and simplifies the monitoring process.

The Scanner is equipped with an alert unit that promptly notifies users of any irregular changes in quality, allowing them to take swift and appropriate action. It can be placed in the field at the water source and provides two result outputs: the first, real-time result graphs and alerts, and the second log files that are sent automatically. The graph enables a clear online view of the water quality status, while the big data included in the result logs presents a numerical overview of the entire day.

A leading public water supplier owns a borehole that supplies water to part of a city. Water treatment is under the supplier's responsibility. In the past, quality issues were detected at this source. The source is unmanned and is only visited periodically for routine maintenance. The supplier wishes to monitor and validate the bacterial water quantity of the source continuously, over a long period of time, to ensure the water quality.

VBact has installed its Scanner system and delivered continuous real-time results to the supplier. The Scanner has detected several irregular events that were linked to pipe breakdown, pump maintenance and other works that were performed. In another case a temporarily low chlorination levels led to increase in bacterial quantity above the normal level. Overall, the water quality was proven to be good during various seasons of the year.

In conclusion, VBact's In-Line Bacterial Water Scanner system is a game-changer for water quality monitoring. With its real-time monitoring capabilities, reagent-free analysis process, and alert unit, it provides an efficient and streamlined process for continuous water quality monitoring. The Scanner can detect irregular events and alert users immediately, enabling them to take quick and appropriate action, ensuring safe and high-quality drinking water to their customers.

2. In-line monitoring at leading European water utility – towards digital water monitoring

VBact was chosen as one of the leading new technologies in a global tech challenge by a prominent European water utility. The water utility's primary goals were to confirm the water treatment efficiency throughout the downstream treatment process, from raw water to tap water, and to prevent possible contamination of the final distributed water due to deviations from accepted quality levels at each stage.

To achieve these goals, the system was placed near the water source in the field and the data was communicated to the operator. This enabled a real-time reaction, automation, and digitalization of the entire water monitoring process, which was additional also goal in the utility's efforts to move towards a broader digital water business.

The Scanner was successfully tested in the lab on various water samples from different stages of treatment with different qualities to validate its accuracy and suitability. In addition, continuous 24/7 bacterial monitoring was carried out in the lab to confirm the system's stability and accuracy of the results.

The system was then installed in the field at a water treatment plant located next to an open water reservoir. Various water samples were tested at different stages of the treatment process, and the system was connected to a specific water source to run continuously 24/7. The results showed a reduction in bacterial levels during the treatment stages and a continuous supply of high-quality final water. The system provided multi-parameter results, including bacterial and micro-particles counts, which were delivered to the utility for further analysis. The utility identified a non-calibrated turbidity sensor as part of their analysis.

3. In-line monitoring at various sampling points at mineral water beverage plant

A leading mineral beverage company experienced multiple instances of bacterial contamination. To address this issue, the VBact Scanner was installed to monitor various points along the treatment process, starting from the natural water source and continuing through the downstream water treatment process.

The Scanner was placed at several sampling points in the plant to provide continuous 24/7 monitoring. Over a period of several months, the Scanner collected data and validated the treatment efficiency. However, it also identified a vulnerable point in the treatment process that was operating inefficiently and was unknown to the plant.

Based on the Scanner's results, the plant reviewed its treatment process, and corrective actions were discussed with the plant for implementation.