Applicable Electronics was established in 1984. The corporate mission was to design, develop and market computer-controlled, rapid, non-invasive, scanning micro-electrode measurement systems to detect ionic currents in conductive solutions. The major fields of application for these non-invasive (Non Destructive Test) techniques are surface corrosion of metal alloys and physiology of living organisms. The majority of customers are University research laboratories doing basic scientific research. Most studies published using these methods are in-vitro or in-situ, however some in-vivo studies are also in the literature.
Applicable Electronics brand equipment is now available from Science Wares, Inc. in Falmouth, MA. Eric Karplus, owner of Science Wares, engineered the Automated Scanning Electrode Techniques software (ASET-LV4) and has been involved in the design and manufacturing of many of the system components since the beginning of Applicable Electronics. Science Wares develops prototype research instrumentation for a wide range of applications including imaging, semiconductor test and water quality.
Alan Shipley, Eric Karplus and Chis Shipley worked at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA in the National Vibrating Probe Facility (NVPF), later re-named the Bio-Currents Research Center. The NIH Division of Research Resources in 1981 established the NVPF and continued funding under its new name, BRC until 2010. Shipley and Karplus worked together to build the NVPF by assisting Dr. Carl Scheffey under the direction of the NVPF Director, Dr. Lionel F. Jaffe, in the development of these scanning micro-electrode techniques. From 1994 until 2009, both Alan and Eric were full-time business professionals dedicated to developing and marketing these techniques to the world. In 2009, Chris assumed the ownership and is the CEO of Applicable Electronics and works closely with Eric and Science Wares to continue systems development and support. Alan is in the labs participating in various research projects utilizing these systems and providing real time feedback from working laboratories on our systems performance and development.
Both companies worked closely with the laboratory of Dr. Hugh Isaacs of Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY to continue systems development as they are applied to corrosion studies. Alan Shipley was PI and Brookhaven National Labs and Science Wares were contractors on a Phase I SBIR grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, September, 2001 titled Non-Invasive Techniques to Study Local Passivity Breakdown of Metal Alloys in Aqueous Media. Phase II award, May 30, 2002. The project was a success and produced the DVIT (Differential Video Imaging Technique) which is a rapid NDT system for detecting initial corrosion. DVIT capability is provided free of charge with all ASET systems.
Applicable Electronics, in 1996, donated the necessary equipment and expertise to help create the University of Massachusetts Vibrating Probe Facility, in Amherst, MA under the direction of Professor Joseph G. Kunkel. The purpose is to continue development of the equipment in a working laboratory for use in biological studies. Applicable Electronics also provided student fellowships at the facility. Science Wares, Inc. donated software, machining and technical support to this facility. Joe retired from UMASS and is now located at the University of New England in Biddeford, ME, where he moved his probe facility to continue work on many projects. Recently, his focus has been shell fish diseases.
Chris grew up working with Applicable Electronics helping his father, Alan, to build the systems and worked some summers in the NVPF at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole while a teenager. There he assisted in performing experiments with PhD students and post-docs doing summer research projects. He also accompanied Alan on some lab visits to setup and train new users in corrosion and physiology. Chris is also an IT Technologist and business entrepreneur.
Alan mainly works in the laboratory in different institutions doing projects using these techniques. He also handles the quality assurance and setup and training with the systems for new customers as well. He also continues new systems development with Eric Karplus of Science Wares, Inc. Alan is also a visiting researcher at University of New England as well as the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Applicable Electronics, LLC
POBox 207072
New Haven, CT 06520-7072