How is it possible that Fluoro-Spec is less expensive than other tests using the same chemistry?
On Amazon right now, a competing MABr-based test is priced at $79 for 19 milliliters. Fluoro-Spec is $65 for 60 milliliters.
There are a few reasons for the difference.
First, I hold the only legal authorization in the United States to commercially manufacture and sell methylammonium bromide, under TSCA Low Volume Exemption L-25-0206. That means I don't need to hide the chemical or dilute it to obscure what's in the bottle. The active ingredient is listed on the label.
Second, I own my company outright. No investors, no equity partners, no payouts to people whose contribution ended with an idea. I run the operation, manufacture the product, and price it accordingly.
Third, my goal is access. Not capturing a premium segment. Not protecting market share. I want the technology to reach as many people as possible, and that's only possible if the unit cost is as low as I can get it.
On the intellectual-property side, the underlying chemistry, reacting methylammonium bromide with lead under UV illumination to produce a fluorescent perovskite, is publicly documented in the peer-reviewed literature. Yan et al., Holtus et al., and Wang et al. all describe the relevant methods. An application attempting to claim ownership over what is, in effect, routine application of published techniques to new surfaces faces significant prior-art problems. Whether it was obvious to try the method on common surfaces is a question the patent examiner has the tools to decide.
My position has always been that this chemistry should remain a commodity, accessible to anyone who needs it. That's how a tool gets out to regular households, rather than staying in a boutique.
If you have been told by anyone that a patent is in force, or anything else about me or my company, please let me know. Misinformation on this topic has made it harder for the test to reach the people who need it.
That's what the rest of this book is going to be about.
You can catch it with a flashlight and spray bottle in your hands.