Digital manufacturing company Potomac Photonics recently delivered precision 3-D printed parts to support stem cell research at Boston University. Understanding and controlling stem cell differentiation in vitro is a major challenge because cells can interact with each other either through direct contact or by cell-secreted factors, and a more controlled microenvironment is needed to systematically elucidate the important factors that influence cell behavior, according to Boston University investigators. A 3-D printed stencil with 0.013-in. posts. Courtesy of Potomac Photonics. ...Read full articleRelated content from Photonics MediaARTICLESResearchers Use Light and 3D Printing to Pump Life into HeartAlthough it can be difficult to get heart muscle cells to propagate in large numbers, a team of researchers at the University of Minnesota has found a way to use 3D printing and light-induced...BioPhotonics Sep/Oct 2020 IssueOlympus Announces Light Microscopy Image AwardsOlympus has announced the winners of its first Global Image of the Year Life Science Microscopy Award. The winning image, captured by Ainara Pintor of Spain using a superresolution confocal...Photonics Spectra June 2020 IssueSPIE, Edmund Optics Award Top Companies in Startup ChallengeSix new companies were awarded funding last week during the 10th annual Photonics West Startup Challenge event. Three top companies were selected by a panel of judges in the fields of health care and...BioPhotonics May/Jun 2020 IssueJuergen Czarske Receives OSA AwardThe Optical Society (OSA) has named Juergen Czarske of Technische Universitat Dresden (TU Dresden) the recipient of the 2019 Joseph Fraunhofer Award/Robert M. Burley Prize for seminal contributions...BioPhotonics September 2019 IssuePRODUCTSSpectrophotometerThe TS7700 series grating spectrophotometer from 3NH Technology Co. Ltd. adopts a 1000-line precision blazed grating as its spectroscopic element. The silicon photocell array features a large...BioPhotonics Sep/Oct 2020 IssueHyperspectral Video CameraThe ULTRIS Q20 hyperspectral video camera from Sphere Optics GmbH is based on light field technology. The camera features an ultra-HD CMOS sensor with 20 MP. During image acquisition, the...BioPhotonics Jan/Feb 2020 IssueImaging SpectrographThe IsoPlane® 81 from Teledyne Princeton Instruments is an aberration-free imaging spectrograph with a deeply cooled, research-grade CCD camera in a small form factor. The model includes...BioPhotonics Sep/Oct 2020 IssueOptical FiberTrueLase Yb16/250 active and passive large-mode area optical fibers from OFS Fitel LLC feature a low-index coating for added temperature performance. The double clad fibers are used in the...Photonics Spectra January 2020 IssuePHOTONICS HANDBOOK ARTICLESFiber Lasers: New Types and Features Expand Applications: Since its inception, the fiber laser has attracted users because of its large gain and the ability to produce continuous lasing. The quasi-continuous wave for industrial applications further broadens fiber lasers’ appeal.The modern fiber laser is pumped by high-power, multimode single-emitter diodes or diode bars, typically through a cladding surrounding a single-mode core. This single-mode core is typically 5 to 12...Photonics HandbookLight-Emitting Diodes: A Primer: Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are semiconductors that convert electrical energy into light energy. The color of the emitted light depends on the semiconductor material and composition, with LEDs generally classified into three wavelengths: ultraviolet, visible, and infrared.The wavelength range of commercially available LEDs with single-element output power of at least 5 mW is 275 to 950 nm. Each wavelength range is made from a specific semiconductor material family,...Photonics HandbookLasers: Understanding the Basics: Although lasers range from quantum-dot to football-field size and utilize materials from free electrons to solids, the underlying operating principles are always the same. This article provides the basic information about how and why lasers work.Almost 60 years have passed since the first demonstration of a laser in 1960. After the initial spark of interest, lasers were for a while categorized as “a solution waiting for a...Photonics HandbookDetectors: CCDs for Life-Science Applications: The CCD camera is becoming the imaging method of choice in biological laboratories for its resolution, versatility and ease of use. Choosing the best CCD for a given application, however, requires knowing how basic chip parameters affect performance.Since their invention in the late 1960s, charge-coupled devices, also called CCDs, have found widespread use in imaging applications. Electronic cameras based on CCD technology are used in...Photonics HandbookWHITEPAPERSColored Glass as a Versatile and Economical Means for Optical FilteringColored glass filters find many uses in optical systems including imaging, laser, and industrial equipment. We describe design and fabrication techniques for implementing low cost optical filters...Photonics.com 1/31/2020Ball Shaped End CapsIn this paper, general ball shaped end-caps are studied and illustrated. Different ball shaped end-caps were tested and measured for a variety of applications. For example, a 2.2 mm diameter ball...Photonics.com 12/31/2019LASERSMART™ Laboratories: A Safety PrimerThe intent of this paper is to provide a narrative checklist of considerations when setting up a laser laboratory. Our goal is to guide you away from the most common pitfalls we have found during our...Photonics.com 9/9/2019Remote APIThe Remote API is a means of communication between a controller and a laser marking engine using Ethernet or a serial cable. The controller can be a PLC, a PC, or any other device capable of...Photonics.com 4/2/2019WEBINARSEmerging Organ Models and Organ Printing for Regenerative MedicineEngineered materials that integrate advances in polymer chemistry, nanotechnology, and biological sciences have the potential to create powerful medical therapies. UCLA professor Ali...Photonics.com 10/1/2018Training the New Collar WorkforceThis is not your parents’ manufacturing world, so training shouldn't be old-school either. Demands in the digital factory for a New Collar Workforce require innovative programs that are...Photonics.com 7/17/2018Techniques in Biophotonic ImagingFREE WEBINAR Sponsored by: Hamamatsu & Applied Scientific Instrumentation Additional Questions & Answers from the webinar are below: Dr. Kimani C. Toussaint Jr. Quantitative...Photonics.com 3/21/2013Micro-Spectroscopy: Enabling Research From Novel Nano-Devices To Clinical DiagnosisMicro-spectroscopy is an ever developing modality for new and exciting research in the areas of nano-technology and bioscience. This webinar will look at modular approaches to microspectroscopy and...Photonics.com 3/24/2015PHOTONICS DICTIONARY TERMSinduced pluripotent stem cellsInduced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells are ordinary cells that are genetically reprogrammed to an embryonic stem cell-like state to allow the human cells to be used for therapeutic purposes....EDU.photonics.com 3/5/2018hero experimentsLaboratory experiments that focus on demonstrating new capabilities of a certain technology or device, usually without consideration of industrial or commercial practicality.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009programmable logic controller (PLC)In computerized industrial process control, the element that determines the choice and sequence of operations dependent on varying conditions.EDU.photonics.com 9/8/2009biophotonicsThe technology that deals with the interaction of organic materials with light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. This includes the emission, detection, absorption,...EDU.photonics.com 3/22/2016MEDIAThe New Collar Workforce by Sarah Boisvert - Book TrailerOrder your copy today! An Insider's Guide to Making Impactful Change in Manufacturing and Training NEW from Photonics Media Press! Transformation is underway in the modern factory and...Photonics.com 5/3/2018A 'Smart' Lighting Revolution - LIGHT MATTERS 08.2017In this episode, we take you to a U.S. National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York. Researchers there are leading the charge for "smart"...Photonics.com 8/28/2017Light Matters Extra: Center for Lighting Enabled Systems and Applications (LESA) - 08.2017On this episode of Light Matters Extra we take you to Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, New York, and introduce you to researchers at LESA -- the Center for Lighting Enabled Systems and...Photonics.com 8/28/2017CCD is Dead. Long Live CCD. – LIGHT MATTERS 04.08.2015With a major manufacturer ending production, is the CCD image sensor on its last legs? That depends on who you ask. We’ll cut through the noise, this week on Light Matters.Photonics.com 4/8/2015PHOTONICS BUYERS' GUIDE CATEGORIES3D Printing ServicesCoordinate Measurement SystemsFiber Optic Laser DiodesBiostimulation Laser SystemsCOMPANIESLaCroix Precision OpticsOptics that Defend, Build, Cure and Discover The LaCroix name is synonymous with quality precision optics. Since 1947, three generations of family leadership have placed LaCroix Precision Optics...Photonics Buyers' GuideOptics Balzers AGSolutions from Optics Balzers Optics Balzers is the innovative and independent industry partner for the development and production of coated optical components and subassemblies. The company...Photonics Buyers' GuideLambda Research Optics Inc. (USA)Lambda Research Optics, Inc. is a leading manufacturer of laser optics with high power thin-film coatings and high precision fabrications. Lambda serves a wide range of industries, such as Biotech,...Photonics Buyers' GuideAllied Vision Technologies GmbHABOUT US For 30 years, Allied Vision has helped people see the bigger picture to achieve their goals. We believe knowledge is power and always strive to deliver valuable insight with our...Photonics Buyers' Guide