New process for high-demand TB drug
Cycloserin contains an isoxazol ring as its principal structure. Its instability and reduced activity in liquid solutions and the difficulties in treating its toxic byproducts deterred development efforts by numerous pharmaceutical companies. Thus, to successfully develop cycloserine, it was essential to design an economical process that ensures the stability of the compound while allowing for efficient processing of its toxic byproducts. Dong-A has managed to do just that. In order to develop a new cycloserine production process, Dong-A's research team has thoroughly studied and evaluated all prior methods. After sixteen months of perseverance, Dong-A has developed a novel three-step process utilizing a unique esterification and halogenation reaction from D-serine, and a cyclical process from a ет-chloropropionic acid derivative stabilized to produce cycloserine with a high yield and enhanced purity. The new process has distinct advantages over the pre-existing processes, which consist of five to seven complicated steps, and involve handling of hazardous compounds by reducing the production cost and increasing efficiency. Also, as a spin-off, the new process uses an advanced gas scrubber for environmental purposes, which could be applied to other processes creating hazardous emissions. The domestic trade of cycloserine amounted to over 3 billion won in 1997 and is expected to rise to 5 billon won by the year 2000. The new cycloserine production process will also contribute to export trade as the international market is projected to expand to 17 billon won in 1999 and 20 billion won by 2000. Dong-A Pharmaceutical Co.
Round-the-clock automatic postal service system
business hours, functioning as a full-service 24-hour post office. It can also be configured to offer other organizational services, including financial transactions. The major features of the system are:
Samkyung Computer & Communications Co., Ltd.
FiberPro's polarization scrambler fastest ever
In the one year since its release, FiberPros sales have already reached $1 million, of which about 98 percent were exports to major telecommunications companies and manufacturers in Japan, Europe and the United States. The company expects sales to increase to $12 million in 2002. FiberPro is designed to solve polarization-related problems such as polarization-dependent gain (PDG) and increasing bit error rate (BER) due to the long-haul transmission systems using a large number of erbium-doped fiber amplifiers (EDFA), by converting the polarized input light signal into a unpolarized output light signal. Its applications also include polarization-independent measurements for optical component characterization, which are essential for the manufacturing of components. Although there have been polarization scramblers utilizing LiNbO3 wave-guide devices or straining the high-birefringence fiber, their applications are limited due to inherent drawbacks including great insertion loss, polarization dependent loss (PDL), and polarization mode dispersion (PMD). A polarization scrambler with a high-birefringence fiber has a slow polarization modulation speed, only 50~100Hz. However, FiberPro's polarization scrambler has an all-fiber scheme and their unique polarization modulator; practically no insertion loss and PDL, and very low PMD, as well as a high polarization modulation speed, 40~800kHz. The polarization modulation technology used in FiberPro' s polarization scramblers is derived from a phenomenon discovered in the fiber-optic component of sensors used at the Fiber-Optics Laboratory in the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), of which Prof. Kim Byoung-yoon Kim is the director. The director of FiberPro, Dr. Koh Yeon-wan, who is a graduate of the institute, launched the enterprise and conducted the research project on the all fiber-optic polarization scrambler in cooperation with the laboratory. This collaboration is an example of the kind of mutually beneficial industry-university relationship that could offer one remedy for the depressed Korean economy. Donam Systems Inc.
New vacuum-circuit breakers
The 38kV 31.5/40kA VCB's massive current-breaking capability is designed for the global market. It is a result of two years'development and a 500 milion won (about $42,000) investment. KME's innovations have recently passed a type-test by KEMA (an international high-power electrical-testing institute in the Netherlands) meeting ANSI/IEEE C37 and IEC 56 international standards in short-circuit performance. Until now, high-quality power circuit breakers were not manufactured in Korea, mainly due to a lack of technology. So far, the new VCB's have been supplied to important electrical facilities: the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute's (KERI) high-power testing division and in the subway stations of Korea National Railroad. In the near future, the VCBs will be used in the power stations of electrical steel furnaces. KME is also in contact with a major American electrical company interested in importing the VCBs. KME expects exports of the products to reach $3 milion in 1999. Kwang Myung Electric Industries Co. Ltd. (KME)
* The items featured in this article have been selected by the Korea Industrial Technology
|
Cycloserine, originally developed by Pfizer, is used
to treat tuberculosis and other lung diseases, and
has shown positive results in fighting
mycobacterium tuberculosis demonstrating
streptomycin, isoniazid and PAS resistance.
Dong-A Pharmaceutical Co. has long imported
cycloserine as a raw material and supplied
formulated cycloserine to approximately 100,000
tuberculosis patients in Korea. However, in early
1995, an abrupt halt in the supply of cycloserine
supply jolted the market, setting off an unprecented
demand for the drug from both the Korean Lung
Association and local tuberculosis clinics.
Founded in 1993, Samkyung Computer
& Communications Co., Ltd. produces
automated laboratory equipment and
robotic processes for the petrochemical
and environmental industries. Also, they
have provided customers with innovative
kiosk solutions, incorporating the
multimedia use of graphics, audio and
touch-screen monitors into their
products. Recently, to comply with
Korean Ministry of Information and
Communication requirements, the
company has developed an automatic
postal service system that provides
complete staff-free, 24-hour service. It
is designed to allow postal outlets to
increase the number of customer-service
locations, optimize servicing speed and
expand service hours. Here, customers can send letters, parcels, registered mail, and
receive postal information. As these outlets can be installed in crowded urban areas like
railway stations, convenience and department stores, they are convenient for the busy
customer who finds it difficult to use the post office during traditional 
The cutting-edge fiber-optic manufacturer,
Donam Systems Inc., has received the
Chang Young Shil Award in recognition of
its FiberPro, an all-fiber-optic polarization
scrambler. With FiberPro, Donam, already
internationally recognized as a leader in the
fiber-optic and optical communications field,
has added one more world-first to its
product line-up. After a year of research
and development with a 250 million-won
price tag, including 80 million won funded by
the New Technologies project of the
Ministry of Information and
Communications, the company launched the product at the Optical Fiber
Communications Conference (OFC) in San Jose, California, last February. 
To stay competitive in the heavy
electrical industry, KME has
introduced two new vacuum-circuit
breakers (VCB): one the highest
grade in the medium-voltage class
38kV 31.5/40kA, and the other, the
24kV 31.5kA VCB, the first
Korean-made VCB
switchboard-component to be used in
Korea.