European Patent for the ECOvette
The European patent EP4481363B1 has been granted for the ECOvette, which was developed at IMTEK. The ECOvette is a lightweight leaf cuvette with integrated sensors that enables continuous and minimally invasive measurement of gas exchange directly on individual plant leaves under natural field conditions.
The project involved Yasmina Frey and Prof. Dr. Ulrike Wallrabe from the Laboratory for Microactuators, as well as Prof. Dr. Christiane Werner from the Department of Ecosystem Physiology at the Faculty of Environment and Natural Resources. The ECOvette thus emerged from an interdisciplinary collaboration between microsystems engineering and plant sciences. The goal of the development was to create a measurement method that allows long-term observations of individual leaves under natural environmental conditions.
The ECOvette is attached to the underside of a living leaf, while the upper side of the leaf remains exposed to light, wind, and rain. For the measurement, a carrier gas is routed through the chamber, which absorbs the gases emitted and released by the leaf, and is then guided to external analytical devices. This allows for the capture of gas exchange and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) with high temporal resolution.
A particular advantage of the ECOvette is its small size and lightweight design. As a result, it minimises its impact on the leaf's natural conditions and is simultaneously suitable for the parallel deployment of multiple systems in the field.
The measurement data obtained provides crucial information about plant metabolism and its responses to environmental conditions such as drought, heat, or pests. In particular, VOC signals can indicate plant stress, contributing to the development of early warning systems.
"I am proud of the granting of my first patent. The ECOvette demonstrates the potential that arises when microsystems engineering and the environmental sciences work together to develop new solutions for plant research. The close exchange between the disciplines was crucial for the development of this technology," says Yasmina Frey.
The underlying research was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) within the framework of the Collaborative Research Centre SFB 1537 "ECOSENSE".
Further information on the technology: https://campus-technologies.de/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/TO_ZEE2022112500_CTF_LeafCuvette_eng_deu.pdf
Contact:
Yasmina Frey
University of Freiburg
IMTEK – Department of Microsystems Engineering
Laboratory for Microactuators
E-Mail: yasmina.frey@imtek.uni-freiburg.de
Kerstin Steiger-Merx
Representative PR/Marketing
Faculty of Enbgineering
University of Freiburg
Tel.: 0761/203-8056
E-Mail: steiger-merx@tf.uni-freiburg.de