Recognizing excellence in the industry

Tom Laurin

So far, 2010 already has been an exciting year in biophotonics. We have seen movement and growth in various areas of the industry, and the gloom that hung over the economy in 2009 is showing signs of dissolution.

In an industry that covers as much ground as biophotonics – affecting so many fields, from clinical medicine to lab research, and including technology from optics to lasers to imaging – it can be very important to remember to celebrate outstanding achievements in innovation.

And on a recent California evening, photonics industry leaders did just that, as 10 companies received Prism Awards for innovation in photonics technology. The awards are sponsored by Laurin Publishing, publisher of BioPhotonics and Photonics Spectra, and SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. The presentation ceremony was held Jan. 27 during the Photonics West 2010 conference and exhibition in San Francisco.

The awards honor companies from across the spectrum of photonics technology, recognizing excellence in optics; lasers; other light sources; analytical, test and measurement; detectors, sensing and imaging systems; photonics systems; photonics processes; life sciences; and sustainable/green technology. And a third of the winning products are biophotonic technologies.

The following Prism Award winners represent some of the very best the biophotonics industry has to offer.

In the lasers category, Laser Operations LLC – QPC Lasers won for its BrightLock Ultra-G product, which is a compact, athermal, multiwatt green laser (532 nm) with near-diffraction-limited beam quality based on on-chip wavelength stabilization of high-brightness laser diodes. The BrightLock Ultra-G Medica package is designed for applications in dermatology and ophthalmology.

For other light sources, Hamamatsu Corp. took the prize with its 160-kV Open-Type Microfocus X-Ray Source (MFX) with 0.25-µm resolution for x-ray computed tomography and nondestructive inspection. A small focal point prevents blurring of x-ray images and delivers a sharp, enlarged image, and an RS-232C interface is provided as standard for external control.

And for life sciences, LightLab Imaging Inc.’s C7-XR Optical Coherence Tomography System (FD-OCT) won the Prism Award. The C7-XR frequency domain system employs advanced photonic technologies to provide cardiologists with an interior view of coronary arteries.

We are proud of our industry for always striving to apply biophotonic technologies to new problems, and it was a pleasure to come together for the gala awards ceremony. The awards themselves help to promote the industry; they also inspire and encourage innovation. We at Photonics Media congratulate the winners, finalists and all applicants.