Business briefs

06 Oct 2008

Featuring news from Fianium, Michelson Diagnostics, Avo Photonics, the Organic Electronics Association and more.

• A consortium led by UK fibre laser manufacturer Fianium is to develop and evaluate advanced white-light (supercontinuum) fibre lasers for biomedical imaging applications. The WhiteLase project is co-funded by the Technology Strategy Board and brings together Fianium, the Centre for Photonics and Photonic Materials at the University of Bath and Edinburgh Instruments. The project aims to deliver ultra-bright supercontinuum sources and evaluate the technology within fluorescence imaging applications. Edinburgh Instruments will gain first access to the newly-developed technology and perform the initial evaluation.

• Michelson Diagnostics is broadening the commercial application of its multibeam Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) technology into markets outside its core target of cancer diagnosis, including industrial metrology, product inspection, tissue engineering and developmental biology. End users in MEMS metrology, inspection of ceramic composite materials and industrial coatings, fine art conservation, gemstone quality, stem cell research and dentistry are expected to benefit according to the company, although medical imaging remains a central objective. See also earlier coverage of Michelson Diagnostics on optics.org.

• Avo Photonics has relocated and expanded its facility in Toronto, Canada, in order to support its ongoing efforts in the Canadian market. The Toronto site will provide laser and optical component characterization and prototyping, while primary manufacturing and design efforts for the company's optical packaging products will continue at the company's headquarters in Horsham, US. The new facility is in close proximity to Innovative Engineering Solutions (IENSO), one of Avo Photonics' partners in electronic design and production.

• The Organic Electronics Association (OE-A) has formed a chapter in North America and established local representation in that territory. The North American office of the OE-A will be based in Pittsburgh and will be an integral part of the Association's international network, enhancing direct contact with leading global member companies and institutes. Barbara Fisher has been named as regional manager of OE-A in North America.

• The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine will be equipped with hand-held thermal imaging systems supplied by Jenoptik, in a deal worth approximately €10 million ($13.5 million) to the company. The VarioVIEW 150 system is based on an uncooled infrared detector with a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels, with which persons can be reliably detected at night at a distance of up to 5 km and vehicles up to 7 km.

• The German Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology has approved funding for a research project to improve in-situ monitoring processes for triple-junction photovoltaic cells. The collaboration between LayTec and the III-V- Epitaxy and Solar Cells group of the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems is intended to develop monitoring sensors for industrial-scale manufacturing of triple-junction solar cells with improved process control in multi-wafer reactors.

• Instrument Systems, a developer of light measurement solutions, finished the fiscal year 2007/2008 with the best result since the company was formed in 1986. Revenues increased by 22% to €9.3 million ($12.6 million), up from €7.6 million in the previous year. Growth was driven by adoption of the company's products in the qualification processes used by vehicle and aircraft lighting manufacturers, according to a statement.

People

• Stefan Neumair, managing director and CFO at LASER 2000 GmbH in Germany, has replaced Jean-Pierre Durand as managing director of the French sister company LASER 2000 SAS. Andreas Hornsteiner, previously responsible for the network and LWL division at LASER 2000 Germany, is appointed divisional manager of sales and marketing in France.

• Avo Photonics has appointed Neal Stoker as vice president of sales and marketing, reporting to chief operating officer Joseph Dallas. Stoker has held a variety of positions in sales and business development and has a strong focus on military, government, and commercial sales.

• Monteith Heaton has joined Asylum Research as executive vice president of marketing and business development for Asylum's line of atomic force and scanning probe microscopes. Heaton has over 25 years of marketing, sales, business, and technical management experience, most recently as VP Sales and Marketing for Innovative Micro Technology.

• Qi Cao has joined the sales team at LayTec, to manage the company's sales activities in Taiwan and China.

• MicroEmissive Displays has appointed Chris Yates as chief scientist, reporting to chief executive officer Bill Miller. Yates will take overall responsibility for the continuing developments of the polymer-OLED technology used in the company's eyescreen microdisplay.