Dr. C Odame-Ankrah, Ghanaian-Canadian Scientist in Calgary granted US patent for Photolytic Converter

By Jonathan Baah Annobil, Toronto, ON

The President of the GhanaianCanadian Association of Calgary (GCAC) Dr. Charles OdameAnkrah, a scientist by profession has been granted a US patent for a photolytic converter which detects and breaks down nitrogen dioxide in the air and turns them into a stable gas.

Apart from being the President of GCAC, he also sits on the board of the Calgary African Community Collective. Dr. OdameAnkrah obtained his PhD from the University of Calgary and is an analytical chemist. He is a founding and team member of the Alliance of Ghanaian-Canadian Association. The patent was granted on December 29, 2022 and according to Dr. Odame-Ankrah, it can have positive implications for scientists working to combat global warming. The machine could help scientists fight climate change. According to reports, this is the only time in history that this has been done right. For over 40 years many attempts have been made to detect the Nitrogen Dioxide more accurately in the air we breathe because it is very toxic to humans, plants and animals but all previous attempts fell short of getting best performance. “Part off lighting climate change is being able to accurately measure all the things that contribute to climate change, and nitrogen dioxide is one of them,” he said.

Dr. Charles Odame-Ankrah stated that his accomplishment can encourage more Blacks and immigrant youth in Alberta to pursue careers in Science Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), a field where Black people are factually underrepresented. He is currently a research manager with Global Analyzer Systems and Adjunct Professor at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana.