Business briefs

24 Oct 2003

Including news from FLIR Systems, Lumileds, WaveLight Laser Technologie and more.

•  FLIR Systems has entered into an agreement to acquire fellow US infrared imaging specialist Indigo Systems. The deal, which is valued at approximately $190million, is expected to close early 2004.

•  WaveLight Laser Technologie of Germany has received clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration to market its Allegretto Wave excimer laser system. The company says this is the first refractive laser to receive clearance to treat both short- and long-sightedness.

•  Lumileds, US, has announced the availability of its Luxeon III LED. The product is said to generate a typical light output of 65 lumens from a single emitter driven at 700 mA, or 80 lumens when driven at 1 A. Lumileds adds that the Luxeon III delivers more than twice the luminous flux of its 25-lumen white Luxeon in the same footprint and lowers the cost per lumen by 30 to 50 percent.

•  Adaptif Photonics of Germany has named BFi OPTiLAS as its European distributor. Adaptif makes high-speed polarization measurement equipment for both research and development and manufacturing environments.

•  Laser Optical Engineering (LOE), UK, has moved into purpose-built facilities at Loughborough University’s Innovation Centre. LOE, a spin-out from the university, develops laser metrology and beam shaping equipment as well as offering laser safety consulting services.

•  Edward Pryor & Son, a supplier of industrial marking equipment, has acquired fellow UK-based firm Absolute Vision, a developer of two-dimensional code-reading and machine vision products. The value of the deal was not disclosed.

•  The European Space Agency (ESA) has award EADS Astrium of the UK the prime contract to build the Aeolus satellite. ESA says the satellite is due to be launched in 2007 and will be the first to provide detailed global surveillance of wind patterns from space.

•  DenseLight Semiconductors of Singapore has announced that it will enter the PON (passive optical network) optics market. “We are confident of rolling out prototypes for sampling in the coming months and we are already collaborating with a few strategic partners,” said Denselight’s chief executive officer, Yee-Loy Lam.