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14 Jan 2008
Featuring news from Jenoptik, Gooch & Housego, StockerYale, QPC, LightPath and others.
• Jenoptik has acquired Epigap Optoelektronik, a Berlin manufacturer of LED chips, optoelectronic sensors and photodiodes in the 150-2600 nm range. The deal strengthens Jenoptik's Optical Systems division and is said to complement the company's recent investment in assembly and packaging technology. Epigap will benefit from Jenoptik's international presence, especially in North America, according to the company.
• Five photonics companies have been integrated under the Gooch & Housego brand name, in a strategy intended to maximize sales and develop the company's portfolio of optical components for the industrial laser, bio-medical, defense and metrology markets. The integration involves five companies:
Gooch & Housego UK, a manufacturer of acousto-optic Q-switches;
Cleveland Crystals, developer of non-linear crystals and large aperture KDP and KD*P optics;
NEOS Technologies, a manufacturer of complimentary acousto-optic technologies;
Landwehr Electronic, a designer and manufacturer of high-frequency microelectronics for laser control systems;
and SIFAM Fibre Optics, a developer of fiber optic solutions.
The new company is headquarted in the UK with offices in North America, Europe and Asia.
• StockerYale announced an increased emphasis on medical market business development in 2008 and intends to substantially expand sales to the medical instrumentation markets across all its product lines. The company predicts that medical sales will account for 20% of revenues in 2008, identifying growth in lasers and specialized optics for the bioinstrumentation market, specialty optical fiber for the medical laser market, and LED systems for dermatology and dental equipment. The company estimated its total addressable market for bioinstrumentation lasers and optics to be $100 million, according to a statement.
• Two major orders for BrightLase lasers to be used in surgical and therapeutic applications have been placed, according to the platform's developer QPC Lasers. The new business is said to be worth $1.3 million, with shipments already having commenced and scheduled to be completed by the end of 2008. The company predicts continued growth in medical applications including the treatment of cancerous tumors, benign prostrate hyperplasia, and cardiology.
• LightPath Optical Instrumentation, the Shanghai-based subsidiary of LightPath Technologies, has signed a three-year deal said to be worth more than $1 million to supply custom precision aspheric lenses to a Chinese industrial tool manufacturer. The agreement marks the company's entry into the Asian market and is part of its move towards high-volume, lower cost applications for its product range of aspheric and infrared optics products.
• A patent concerning the use of volume Bragg grating technology to control the emission spectra of laser diodes, diode bars and stacks has been awarded to PD-LD , a US photonic packaging company. The technology is said to improve the performance of laser diodes and allow new applications in laser TV and other displays, and builds on patents in this area already owned by the company.
• OmniVision Technologies, a supplier of CMOS image sensors, has introduced the OV9710 high-definition video CameraChip sensor for the mobile handset and notebook PC markets. Designed to meet all reliability and power consumption requirements in these sectors, it is a 1 megapixel CMOS sensor employing the company's OmniPixel3 architecture and a 3x3 micron pixel for low-light sensitivity and video performance, according to the company. Currently available in sample quantities, volume shipping is expected to commence during Q2 2008.
• Seoul Semiconductor has filed a defamation lawsuit against Nichia Corporation, seeking compensation for damages for defamation in the amount of $531k dollars. The alleged infringement is limited to model number 902, a side-view LED used for backlights in mobile phone LCDs which has already been discontinued.
People
• Peter Allard has joined Alpine Research Optics, the premium optics brand of Saint-Gobain Crystals, as Western Area sales manager. He will be responsible for sales and marketing of the company's high damage threshold laser optics for UV, visible and near-IR applications, serving customers in the western US.
• Mike Decelle has been appointed president and CEO of NoblePeak Vision, a US start-up developing visible and infrared surveillance camera cores and components. He replaces co-founder Cliff King, who becomes COO to focus on new product development and manufacturing. NoblePeak plans to introduce its TriWave camera cores in 2008.
• Bob Bowman has been named customer service manager by JPSA, responsible for field service and customer satisfaction. The appointment reflects the company's expansion and growing customer base, according to a statement.
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