Coronary funding: InfraReDx (Burlington, MA) raised $10 million through the sale of convertible promissory notes, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and according to a news story at www.massdevice.com. This brings its fundraising effort to nearly $100 million after more than a decade of operation. InfraReDx, which launched in 1999, uses both ultrasound waves and near-infrared light to provide images of the coronary plaque believed to cause most heart attacks, aiming to help surgeons determine not only the shape of the plaque but its composition. The device is designed to help doctors assess the likelihood of further cardiovascular problems stemming from the plaque lining patients' blood vessels.
IR detectors contract: Sofradir (Paris, France), a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced infrared detectors for military, space and industrial applications, was awarded an additional $3.45 million dollar contract to provide a second batch of 15 micron pitch multi-linear shortwave infrared (SWIR) arrays for the space-borne Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) initiative. GMES is a joint undertaking of the European Commission and the European Space Agency (ESA). The order follows a previous $9.2 million contract awarded to Sofradir by Astrium SAS, a supplier of satellite and space equipment, to custom-design a three-band SWIR for the GMES Sentinel-2 mission.
Optics scholarship awarded: The OSA Foundation (OSAF) announced that Katie Schwertz is the winner of the 2009 Harvey M. Pollicove Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship, which honors optics manufacturing pioneer Harvey Pollicove, is given to an outstanding student pursuing a degree in the field of precision optics manufacturing. Schwertz is currently working toward a master's degree in optical sciences at the University of Arizona's College of Optical Sciences. "Katie's passion for optics shines through in the research she is conducting at the University of Arizona," said Donald Golini, member of the H.M. Pollicove Memorial Scholarship Advisory Committee. "She has a real interest in applying her knowledge and expertise in optics in a way that will benefit the optics manufacturing field as a whole."
Lambda/10 optics and ceramics: Optimax (Chicago, IL) is now offering lambda/10 wave prototype optics in one week. Optimax says it specializes in small volume, high quality, and quick delivery, and provides rapid prototyping of precision optical components in sizes up to 300mm. Optimax also announced it has developed manufacturing technologies to process hard ceramics such as Alon, Spinel, CeraLumina, and Ceramic YAG.
ISO certification: Sensor Electronic Technology (SETI; Columbia, SC), manufacturer of deep ultraviolet (UV) LEDs, has gained and is operating in full compliance with the International Quality System Standard ISO9001:2008 as of December 13th, 2009. "The ISO9001:2008 certification validates our commitment to quality and the exceptional customer service that we have built over the past 5-years of commercially supplying our deep UV LED products" said Remis Gaska, president and CEO of SETI. SETI offers a full portfolio of standard LEDs and LED lamps as well as custom-designed devices and systems.
Young Investigator Award: Ocean Optics (Dunedin, FL) announced that Cheng-An J. Lin, Ph.D., is the winner of the SPIE 2010 Young Investigator Award sponsored by the company and presented to the researcher who is no more than five years out of school and is author of the best juried paper submitted as part of the "Colloidal Quantum Dots for Biomedical Applications V" session of the Nano/Biophotonics Program Track of the 2010 BiOS/Photonics West. The honor includes a $1000 investigator reward and a company grant to the investigator's advisor. Lin, a post-doctoral researcher at the Center of Nano Bioengineering, Chung Yuan University in Taiwan, was honored for his work as lead author of "Synthesis and Surface Modification of Highly Fluorescent Gold Nanoclusters and Their Exploitation for Cellular Labeling."
New NASA center: Astronaut and University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) alumnus Danny Olivas celebrated the opening of UTEP's new Center for Space Exploration Technology Research (cSETR) on February 3rd. UTEP was awarded a five-year, $5 million grant by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to establish multi-disciplinary engineering and scientific research that will contribute to NASA programs. The UTEP Center for Space Exploration Technology Research will work closely with other NASA research facilities, including the Johnson Space Center in Houston and the White Sands Test Facility in Las Cruces, NM. Research will include advanced capabilities in environmentally friendly propulsion technologies and the use of natural resources on other planets and the moon to create spacecraft fuel and other materials.
Display relationship: Uni-Pixel (The Woodlands, TX), developer of a color display technology called Time Multiplexed Optical Shutter (TMOS) and thin-film materials branded under the name Opcuity that incorporate advanced micro-structure technology, announced that it has structured a strategic relationship with Avery Dennison to collaborate on a number of technical innovations. The relationship covers a variety of technologies that UniPixel has innovated while advancing its work on its TMOS displays and Opcuity Performance Engineered Films. Specific terms are not being disclosed for confidentiality reasons.
Solar module IEC certification: Concentrix Solar (Freiburg, Germany), supplier of concentrator photovoltaic (CPV) systems and a new division of the Soitec Group (Euronext Paris), received IEC certification 62108 for its CX-75 FLATCON module generation. IEC 62108 is the CPV industry's standard, insuring that modules and assemblies are suitable for long-term operation in a wide range of outdoor climates. By producing the CX-75 module in the company's automated production line in Freiburg, Concentrix Solar says it is able to provide consistent, precision manufacturing in high volumes for nominal AC system efficiency and long-term reliability.
Telecom supplier award: Oclaro (San Jose, CA), a provider of optical components for industrial applications, received the Distinguished Partner Award from Fujitsu Limited, Japan, in recognition of Oclaro's contribution to the development and production of Optical Gain Blocks for Fujitsu Network Communications in Texas. "It was important to Fujitsu to partner with a supplier that could deliver the industry leading optical solution that we require for our customers. Oclaro was able to collaborate effectively with our team to deliver products that met those requirements in the time frame we needed," said T. Touge, president of Network Product Business Unit, Fujitsu Limited, Japan.