The owner of a patent relating to doping processes in wide bandgap semiconductors has asked the ITC to exclude products that use LEDs and lasers that infringe the patent.
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The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) has agreed to investigate a complaint that seeks to block the importation of a wide array of LEDs, lasers and consumer electronics products into the USA.
The action alleges that 30 major electronics manufacturers in Asia and Europe have violated a patent for producing GaN-based LEDs and laser diodes; such components are used in products such as Sony Blu-ray players, Motorola Razr phones and Hitachi camcorders.
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The first images have been taken of Mercury by Messenger’s wide angle camera with enough spatial and spectral resolution to allow astronomers to determine its surface composition.
High-resolution images have been returned by the Messenger spacecraft as part of its mission to investigate Mercury. Thanks to the spacecraft’s imaging system, which is equipped with 11 narrow-band color filters, astronomers are able to see Mercury’s surface in a variety of high-resolution color views not previously possible.
Until now, the last images of Mercury from a spacecraft were taken during the Mariner 10 flyby missions 30 years ago, using the spacecraft’s one UV and two color filters. The latest images taken using Messenger’s 11 color filters are the first high-resolution spectra of Mercury’s surface taken in UV, visible and near-IR light.
The range of filters allows astronomers to distinguish subtle color variation indicative of different rock types. Scientists hope that by analyzing color differences across all 11 filters, they can investigate the variety of mineral and rock types present on Mercury’s surface. This will help determine how Mercury formed and evolved.
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Contact lenses with imprinted LEDs could benefit drivers, pilots, or patients with impaired vision.
The prototype lenses developed at the University of Washington include red light-emitting diodes and an electronic circuit, although trials to date have focused on wearability studies and have not included turning on the LEDs. The lenses were tested on rabbits for up to 20 minutes and the animals were said to show no adverse effects.
“Looking through a completed lens, you would see what the display is generating superimposed on the world outside,” said Babak Parviz of the University of Washington. “This is a very small step toward that goal, but I think it’s extremely promising.”
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January 25, 2008, San Jose, CA
I heard it again and again from most everyone I spoke to at SPIE’s Photonics West: The recession scare in the U.S. and the large stock-market drops in Europe and Asia are creeping into the otherwise solid, growing photonics marketplace. Just how much the ‘fear factor’ surrounding this economic uncertainty will affect the market going forward is anyone’s guess.
Several startup and mid-size companies are stepping back to evaluate the application areas that brought them the most success in 2007 as they chart a cautious spending roadmap for 2008. But taking a look at the ever-expanding attendance of Photonics West (and the need for two South Halls to accommodate the growing exhibition as well as the 2010 move to Moscone), the pessimism is hard to see.
Because much of the photonics industry is closely tied to consumer spending, recession fears are indeed real. However, there is every indication that factory automation trends and the biomedical market will continue to expand and hopefully buffer laser and optics manufacturers in the years ahead.
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This morning we learned from Eugene Arthurs, SPIE’s executive director, that Photonics West will be held in San Francisco’s Moscone Center in 2010.
The reason is clear: the San Jose Convention Center is no longer able to cater for the growing number of exhibitors and delegates who visit the show every year.
Indeed, for the first time this year the show organizers could not accommodate all the exhibitors in the Main Hall and the South Hall, itself a semi-permanent extension to the main convention center.
An extra tent has had to be added onto one end of the South Hall, which is reported to leak when it rains!
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Detection and treatment of tumors, diseased blood vessels, and other soft-tissue conditions could be significantly improved, thanks to an innovative imaging system being developed that uses both light and sound.
The system uses extremely short pulses of low-energy laser light to stimulate the emission of ultrasonic acoustic waves from the tissue area being examined. These waves are then converted into high-resolution 3D images of tissue structure.
This method can be used to reveal disease in types of tissue that are more difficult to image using techniques based on x-rays or conventional ultrasound. For example, the new system is better at imaging small blood vessels, which may not be picked up at all using ultrasound. This is important in the detection of tumors, which are characterized by an increased density of blood vessels growing into the tissue.
The technique, which is completely safe, will help doctors diagnose, monitor, and treat a wide range of soft-tissue conditions more effectively. The first of its kind in the world, the prototype system has been developed by medical physics and bioengineering experts at University College London, with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
It is soon to undergo trials in clinical applications, with routine deployment in the healthcare sector envisaged within five years.
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Photonic Lattice, Inc. introduces a range of optical elements to produce radial and azimuthal polarizations at 1064nm – a new tool for applications including optical trapping, materials processing, optical lithography and microscopy.
Patterned photonic crystal polarizers and wave plates make it possible to generate stable high quality azimuthal and radial polarizations. Elements are available for a wavelength of 1064nm, exhibit a high optical damage threshold and superior heat tolerance.
There are five elements in the product range: the PLR-1064 and PLA-1064 polarizers produce radial and azimuthal polarizations respectively, the LMR-1064 and LMA-1064 laser mirrors produce radial and azimuthal polarizations respectively, and the SWP-1064 wave plate array produces radial or azimuthal polarization depending on its azimuthal orientation. PLA/R and LMA/R elements have a clear aperture of 5mm, and the SWP element has a clear aperture of 7mm. All elements are mounted in a standard 25.4mm diameter mount.
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When the multi-billion US dollar James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launches in 2013, it will be a monumental day for all involved. Optical technologies that until recently did not exist will be used in space for the first time to gather infrared (IR) light from distant objects that have not yet been observed.
Among the suite of optical technologies is an innovative wavefront sensing and control (WFS&C) system and a primary mirror with a built-in support structure.
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