Accessories for fixed-stage microscopes
Several new accessories are now available for the Axioskop 2 FS Plus and the Axioskop 2 FS MOT fixed-stage microscopes. The microscopes are used in the field of electrophysiology, requiring the tissue samples to be bathed in liquid and placed in a host of chambers. Two new components were designed to eliminate the risk of water damage to substage components from fluid leaks. The 0.8-NA DIC condenser provides long-working-distance DIC and is hermetically sealed against damage from water penetration. The field diaphragm cover, with an integrated "gutter," will collect spilled solution and can be removed for cleaning. A "quick-switch" dual-objective changer allows for fast switching from low-power scanning to working magnification and back, and for the changing of specimens.
Carl Zeiss, Thornwood, NY
Sampling accessories for NIR analyzer
Three accessories have been introduced for the LabSpecPro portable, lab-accurate NIR analyzer. The high-intensity source probe is designed for measuring solids, pastes, powders, and granular materials; the high-intensity contact probe can measure samples through plastic bags; and the multi-purpose fiberoptic fixture was designed for fluid analysis and accommodates a range of cuvettes from 1 to 50 mm. The fiberoptic fixture allows users to measure highly absorbing or very viscous fluids that are not suited to analysis using a standard cuvette or fiberoptic transmission probe.
Analytical Spectral Devices, Boulder, CO
High-speed embedded vision processor
The Mamba-100 is a Pentium III-based embedded vision processor designed to accelerate machine vision and medical imaging applications. The processor off-loads intensive image-processing tasks from the host computer and executes the tasks in its embedded processor. The processor features a 100-MHz CPU-to-memory bus, enabling 30% to 50% faster operation than its earlier generation's 66-MHz bus. It has an independent transfer bus (200 Mbits/s) to resolve PCI-bus contention issues to prevent loss of image data.
Coreco Imaging, Bedford, MA
LED area lights
A new LED area light contains 88 chip-on-board LEDs combined with a single lens to give a diverging beam of light. Compared to alternatives, such as T-pack LEDs on PCBs, the CAL offers brightness and uniformity in a compact package. The units can operate continuously or strobed.
StockerYale, Salem, NH
Glass scribing equipment
The new TLC Phoenix-600 incorporates a CCD camera in the scribehead assembly for quick on-stage measurement and inspection and autocalibration of wheel-placement accuracy. The single-head mechanical glass scriber is able to cut shapes and rectilinear parts.
TLC International, Phoenix, AZ
Ion-beam coating capability
Cleveland Crystals' Coating Department now offers dual ion-beam sputter deposition in addition to their existing ion-assisted evaporative and SolGel coating services. Ion-beam sputtering produces stable, low-loss films, with a very densely packed structure and smooth surface. The ion-beam technique allows precise control of the film deposition and surface properties. Using proprietary and commercial thin-film design software, the company designs single- and multilayer optical thin-films to customer specifications.
Cleveland Crystals, Highland Heights, OH
PIN photodiodes for telecommunications
Three economical silicon PIN photodiodes have been introduced for applications including LANs, WANs, CATV, and instrumentation. They have a low-capacitance design for a high-speed response of up to 1.5 GHz. The detectors are available with active areas of 0.2, 0.5, and 1.0 mm and are supplied in a hermetically sealed TO-46 package for interface to standard fiber connectors.
Advanced Photonix, Camarillo, CA
Compact linear motor stage
The ALS130 is a high-precision, compact linear motor stage that uses a center-driven, noncogging linear motor as the driving element. The stage offers geometric tolerances of <±2 µm over the entire travel. It is available with cross-roller or linear-motion-guide bearing systems. The linear motor drive has a top speed of 500 mm/s, much faster than comparable ball-screw-driven stages, and an unloaded acceleration of 1 g.
Aerotech, Pittsburgh, PA
Laser-diode driver
The PCX-6220 is an air-cooled, high-power pulsed-current source/laser-diode driver designed to drive laser-diode bars and arrays in quasi-CW mode at up to 150 A and 40 V, with a maximum average output power of 1.2 kW and a peak output power of 6 kW. Applications include laser-diode test and characterization, medical applications, engraving and cutting, and atmospheric communications systems.
Directed Energy, Fort Collins, CO
Laser wavelength-measurement system
The LRL005 and LM007 wavemeters are universal devices for both CW and pulsed lasers of any repetition rate. The compact designs couple to fiberoptic inputs with no internal alignment or internal reference lasers needed. The LM007 has accuracy to 10-7 for the 248- to 1100-nm wavelength range, and the LRL005 has accuracy of 10-5 for the 190- to 1100-nm wavelength range.
MK Photonics, Albuquerque, NM
Spectroradiometer
The SpectRad Gemini is a dedicated, fully integrated, spectroradiometric system. The system incorporates a double spectrometer for applications down to 230 nm. It utilizes the applications-based SpectRad for Windows software, which controls the system from scanning and acquisition to results.
Jobin Yvon, Middlesex, England
Low-PDR fiber power meter
The model FPM-8210H fiberoptic power meter measures up to 1 W of power with low response to variations in polarization and fiber end position. A proprietary integrating cavity design that uses the same detector cavity port for all measurements, whether through connectors or bare fiber ends, allows high-resolution repeatable results.
ILX Lightwave, Bozeman, MT
Photonic positioning stages
A family of compact stages for fiberoptic alignment, attachment, and component manufacturing has been introduced, designed specifically for the applications of high-resolution motion, position repeatability, and constant velocity. The stage uses a brushless dc linear motor mounted to a 50-mm crossed roller slide, with an encoder mounted in the base. Features include standard encoder resolution to 50 nm with optional resolution to 20 nm, no moving cables, and velocity down to 50 µm/s or less.
Bayside Motion Group, Port Washington, NY
UV spot light-sources
The Lightningcure LC5 series of UV spot light-sources has a 3000-h average life and is designed for UV curing of medical supplies, optical parts, and fiberoptic connectors, as well as for SMD bonding and HGA assembly. Using a 200-W Hg-Xe lamp, the LC 5 delivers intensity of 3.5 W/cm2 at 365 nm. The cassette-type lamp eliminates the need for optical alignment when the lamp is replaced. A front-panel lamp replacement model (L8222) and a rear-panel lamp replacement model (L8333) are available.
Hamamatsu Corp., Bridgewater, NJ
Vision software
The IMAQ Vision Builder 6.0 allows users to create vision applications without programming for gauging, alignment, inspection, and counting. The vision software simplifies the creation of machine-vision applications with a guide to automatically create LabVIEW virtual instruments. IMAQ Vision 6.0, which is being released with IMAQ Vision Builder 6.0, allows users to prototype machine-vision applications that use color-pattern matching.
National Instruments, Austin, TX
Solid-state air conditioners
Solid-state air conditioners in 400, 800, and 1500 BTU models offer cooling and heating protection in Nema 12 and 4X electronic enclosures. The solid-state units have no CFCs, filters, or compressors and have a fan life expectancy of >40,000 h at 40°C. The units are able to provide cooling and heating from the same package. The cooling systems are designed to operate in harsh industrial environments both indoors and outdoors.
Electrografics International, Warminster, PA
High-speed digital video camera
The Phantom V5.0 high-speed digital CMOS camera (1000 fps) with 1024 x 1024 resolution has a blooming ratio of 100,000 to 1 with no pixel spillover; electronic shuttering for exposures down to 10 µs, independent of frame rate; and automatic exposure control. Up to 64 cameras can be chained together.
Instrumentation Marketing, Burbank, CA
Low-profile illuminators
The new Hi-Lyte low-profile illuminators (LPIs) are available in a wide range of colors, including infrared and white, with customized sizes and shapes for various applications. The LPIs are compactly packaged, low-profile light sources that provide a directed beam of light with a defined angle incorporated in a rugged unit, and are designed to give an expected lifetime of over 50,000 h.
Integrated Photomatrix, Hilliard, OH
Fiberoptic splicing units
Iphotonics has added Fujikura's factory-specialty splicer units that will clamp on to either 250-µm UV acrylate coating or the 900-µm buffer coating to achieve high-strength splices with very short cleave lengths. The units are also designed for polarization-maintaining fiber applications.
Iphotonics, Glen Burnie, MD
Integrating sphere for testing laser diodes
The model 2500INT integrating sphere is designed for direct optical measurement of laser-diode output power when used with the L-I-V (light intensity-current-voltage) test system. The integrating sphere measures 2 in. in diameter, has two ports, three detector choices to cover wavelengths from 500 to 1700 nm, and two connector choices (SMA and FC). The sphere will initially be available with silicon, germanium, or cooled InGaAs detectors.
Keithley Instruments, Cleveland, OH
DPSS lasers
The Gator Series DPSS lasers are available in three wavelength models (1064, 532, and 355 nm). The lasers drill and cut silicon wafers at production speeds with a near-diffraction-limited beam quality producing a small spot size (less than 6 µm with Gator 355) to create narrow kerf widths for wafer segmentation applications and microvias <20 µm in diameter. Fixed short nanosecond pulse-duration and the small spot size give peak intensities over 20 GW/cm2 (Gator 1064 nm) for drilling holes through silicon wafers up to 75-mm thick.
Lambda Physik, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Stock lenses
Stock lenses are available including fine polished BK-7 lenses with a surface-form error of 1 l. Plano convex and plano concave lenses are stocked with focal lengths ranging from -25 to -200 mm and 33 to +1000 mm, respectively. Anti-reflective coatings include standard 1064 nm and BBAR from 400 to 700 nm. Uncoated lenses are also available.
Laser Components, Santa Rosa, CA
Laser diodes
The YOC-650N-P5 and YOC-650N-P10 are 650-nm visible red lasers with 5- and 10-mW output powers, respectively. These low-cost lasers are designed for use in portable-instrument and limited-life disposable-product applications and are lower in power consumption than LEDs for equivalent optical energy output. Typical threshold currents are as low as 13 mA. The lasers are packaged in TO-18/5.6-mm style headers and metal cans.
LasIRvis Optoelectronic Components, Bedford, England
CCD products
New products based on the L3Vision CCD technology have been introduced. New L3 Vision sensors use a proprietary output-amplifier circuit that is capable of enhanced vision at very low light levels. An analog camera is designed for 24-h use, for applications including night surveillance, industrial monitoring, and dynamic biosciences. A dual-scan digital camera designed for biosciences, machine vision, and astronomy applications can operate in fast-scan or high-precision slow-scan modes.
Marconi Applied Technologies, Elmsford, NY
Optical-module assembly systems
FOCAL systems provide manufacturers of fiberoptic components with the capability to fully automate their optical-module assembly for greater productivity, product consistency, and manufacturing efficiency.
Moritex, Anaheim, CA
Digital video camera
The new LE-D digital video camera is a color camera system designed for use in either video or digital mode with microscopes in both bioscience and industrial applications. The camera uses a computer to save images for archiving or e-mail. It has a 6.4-in. LCD color monitor and includes CCD color (470 lines), a remote head C-mount with adjustment for parfocal applications, separate controller and keyboard, direct digital download, and TWAIN-compliant capability.
Nikon, Melville, NY
Liquid cell
The NSOM/AFM LC 100 liquid cell is designed for use with the NSOM/AFM 100 confocal microscope system. The liquid cell consists of a bath, in which the sample sits, and a tip mount. Patented cantilevered near-field optical elements give the ability to keep the optical axis free from the top and bottom of the liquid cell.
Nanonics Imaging, Jerusalem, Israel
High-speed video system
The Encore PCI high-speed video-camera system digitally records up to 8000 frames per second and has instant slow-motion replay. The system was designed to locate malfunctions and analyze high-speed motion problems quickly in manufacturing, testing, QC, research, and packaging applications.
Olympus, Melville, NY
Integrating-sphere power meter
The Model F100A-IS is a 100-W integrating-sphere power meter that is fan-cooled. Its design is based on thermal, rather than photodiode-detector technology, so it is spectrally flat and will not saturate, even at 100 W of power. The F100-A-IS comes with two fiber ports to measure wavelength and temporal profile at the same time as power.
Ophir Optronics, Danvers, MA
Linear CMOS photodiode array
The PI0512WS imager is a 512-pixel, wide-aperture linear photodiode array optimized for spectroscopy and HPLC applications. It has a 60-pC saturation-signal charge (Qsat) and a spectral sensitivity of 180 to 1000 nm for UV to IR response, is resistant to UV damage, has low dark-current, low noise, high linearity, and low power-dissipation.
Peripheral Imaging, San Jose, CA
Custom thin-film coatings
Thin-film coatings are designed for telecom and laser applications to meet customer specifications. Coatings are manufactured in computer-controlled ion-assisted deposition chambers with requirements ranging from 193 nm to 2.5 µm, as well as low-temperature optical coatings on fiberoptic endfaces and acromats.
OptoSigma, Santa Ana, CA
High-speed photodetectors
A line of high-speed GaAs and InGaAs MSM photodetectors with a series of GaAs PINs has been introduced. These devices are available as single-element detectors or in array form. Data rates of 10 Gbit/s are achievable. Applications include serial and parallel gigabit ethernet, fiber channel, monitor diodes, POF, and backplanes.
OptoLynx, West Lafayette, IN
CCD detector for spectroscopy
The Spec-10:2K detection system for high-resolution spectroscopy has a 2048 x 512-pixel format, low-noise electronics, as well as deep thermoelectric (-70°C) or liquid nitrogen (-120°C) cooling. The 16-bit system can be configured with a front- or a back-illuminated CCD, and is regulated by an EM-shielded detector controller for lowest-noise performance in less-than-optimal environments.
Roper Scientific, Tucson, AZ