Optoelectronic components and subassemblies supplier Vixar will demonstrate the feasibility of a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) with a tuning range of 35 nm under a new contract from the National Institutes of Health. Vixar is collaborating with Beckman Laser Institute at the University of California, Irvine, under the Small Business Innovation Research contract to develop a swept near-infrared light source that enables a portable hyperspectral tomographic functional optical imager. The initial prototype device will be inserted into a handheld diffuse optical spectroscopic system to monitor and predict chemotherapy response in breast cancer treatment. Phase II of the project will optimize the device’s performance and extend it to the full range of wavelengths. It will be implemented into a handheld imager to demonstrate full imaging functionality. The optical source is expected to enable improved image signal to noise, contrast and imaging depth. Vixar, an early-stage startup, was founded in 2005 by Drs. Klein Johnson and Mary Hibbs-Brenner, both of whom were instrumental in establishing the VCSEL business at Honeywell Corp. For more information, visit: www.vixarinc.com