Ocean Optics - a Halma PR news blog

Ocean Optics Spectrometer selected for NASA LCROSS Mission to search out lunar water.

Dunedin, Florida (August 16, 2007) – Ocean Optics has custom-engineered a spectrometer for an upcoming NASA mission to the moon’s south pole.  The Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) will carry the Ocean Optics equipment, affectionately dubbed “ALICE,” to help analyze the makeup of the lunar craters, with the goal of locating water below the moon’s surface. 

Working closely with Aurora Design & Technology (Clearwater, FL), the company developing the reflectance viewing optics for the mission, a highly-sensitive Ocean Optics QE65000 Spectrometer was used as a platform to custom-build a spectrometer to meet NASA’s exacting specifications.  Ocean Optics’ technology is able to achieve up to 90% quantum efficiency (defined as how efficiently a photon is converted to a photoelectron) with high signal-to-noise and rapid signal processing speed.

The LCROSS mission will send a rocket crashing into the moon at more than twice the speed of a bullet, in order to study the resulting ejecta cloud.  The impact is expected to generate a 2.2 million-pound plume of matter, which another spacecraft carrying ALICE will fly through, looking for signs of water and other compounds.  ALICE will measure the reflectivity of the plume as it rises into the sunlight, enabling scientists to distinguish between water vapor, water ice, and hydrated minerals (such as salts or clays) with molecularly bound water.  With a wavelength range of 270-650 nm and an optical resolution of less than 1.0 nm, ALICE will be able to identify ionized water (visible at 619 nm), OH radicals (visible at 308 nm) and other organic molecules containing carbon, with a high degree of accuracy.  The unit’s back-thinned detector makes the most of the available light, a critical feature as the measurements will be taken from the dark region of the moon where light is scarce.

Water hidden deep in the moon’s craters could mean drinking water or even the ability to break down the hydrogen and oxygen molecules into rocket fuel, laying the foundation for the moon as a staging point for further space exploration.

To survive the harsh conditions of the lunar mission, ALICE was designed to withstand extreme temperature ranges as well as significant shock and vibration.  All of the materials, optics and mounting hardware were selected with these hazards in mind.  Additionally, several electronics modifications were made to accommodate conversion of the communication ports from USB to RS-422 and of the power supply from 5V to 24V.

With only 12 weeks to first prototype, ALICE has successfully passed pre-flight testing.  It has cycled from -50° to +70° C with very little change in spectral performance and passed flight qualification testing at 15g RMS vibration and over 200g shock. 

LCROSS is slated to launch in October, 2008 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.  The spacecraft will orbit the Earth twice prior to striking the lunar south pole in January 2009.  This is the second NASA collaboration for Ocean Optics.  A unit designed around the company’s HR-Series spectrometers will be part of the 2009 ChemCam Mars mission to study rock and soil composition on the red planet.

About Aurora Design Technology
Aurora Design & Technology (www.AuroraDesignTech.com) provides the technology industry with high-quality domestic outsourcing for optical, mechanical, software and system designs.  Aurora Design & Technology specializes in working with customers to solve the most demanding application problems.

CYMG color changer part of Whitney Museum’s exhibition commemorating 40th anniversary

Dunedin, Florida (July 26 2007) – To help set the tone for its “Summer of Love: Art of the Psychedelic Era” exhibit, the Whitney Museum of American Art has turned to lighting technology from Ocean Optics’ SeaChanger. The SeaChanger Wash provides an unprecedented level of color intensity and saturation that references the immersive psychedelic environments of the time.

New York-based lighting designer Ku’uipo Curry created the lighting installation, working with Whitney Assistant Curator Henriette Huldisch. Entering the third floor of the museum, visitors are bathed in a shifting swirl of rich light. This first impression sets the mood as they plunge into the American popular culture of the time in the form of psychedelic rock posters, multimedia rooms, archived filmed light shows, and a psychedelic chapel.

The challenge Curry faced in crafting the display was to create an ambience without overpowering the art and other exhibits. “I did not want to create a light show or turn the Museum into a disco or rock concert,” she explained. “I wanted rich high-chroma light that shifted slowly between colors in a very fluid and elegant way–somewhere between a concert and a lava lamp.”

In order to replicate the morphing, supersaturated effects created by ‘60’s lightshow designers mixing colored pigments live, Curry sought out a modern equivalent that would bring the same soft texture of light and found the SeaChanger Wash. Ocean Optics donated eight units to the Whitney Museum to be used throughout the run of the show.

Using patented dichroic filter technology, the units can create a virtually endless palette of stable, reproducible colors that do not shift or fade with time or temperature. SeaChanger’s dichroic filters provide higher transmission efficiency than gels and other filter materials, and their resistance to temperature and humidity eliminates the need for noisy fans. Its novel xG “Extreme Green” filter combines with the CYM color wheels to produce hexachromic colors, expanding the available gamut to include deeper reds, blues and greens.

“The combination of the super soft light of a Fresnel lens, and gentle shift between high-chroma, rich, saturated colors were just right for this design. The texture of the light is correct, and the chromas and saturation are perfect,” according to Curry.

The SeaChanger Wash’s four-filter color engine and Fresnel lens barrel attach easily to the reflector housing of any ETC Source Four® ellipsoidal spotlight. A manual zoom allows users to adjust the field of view from 20? to 70?. Color transitions from 0-100% saturation in less than one second are possible. Each self-contained unit is controlled via 4-channel DMX, RDM device, or its front-panel membrane keypad with three-digital LED display. The SeaChanger Wash is compatible with 575W or 750W HPL and HID lamps, and will accommodate a variety of stage lighting accessories.

In addition to the exceptional light and color quality, the units have functioned well from a practical standpoint. “The units have been on eight to ten hours a day, five days a week, since May and have performed beautifully,” noted Curry.

The show was programmed with an ETC Express™ 48/96 lighting console, and controlled for the run of the show with an ETC Express LPC (Lighting Playback Controller), both donated by ETC. Curry programmed a stack of cues which use contrasting combinations of washes of light and rainbow effects that shift and fade. The Express LPC kept cue stacks in order so that museum staff were able to easily turn the exhibit lighting on and off daily.

ETC also donated three 90° Source Four spotlights, used in the exhibit’s second floor entry. Working with glass gobos from InLight GoBos, Curry used the units to create a pool of textured light that resembles the effect of gasoline on water. The 90° Source Fours worked with the short lighting grid at the Whitney to deliver full coverage. The project was managed by the Lighting Syndicate LLC.

The Whitney Museum of American Art ‘s “Summer of Love: Art of the Psychedelic Era” exhibition traces the explosion of contemporary art and popular culture that was brought about by the civil unrest and pervasive social change of The 1960s and early 70s. It celebrates a new psychedelic aesthetic that emerged in art, music, film, architecture, graphic design, and fashion with works by Joshua Light Show, Isaac Abrams, Lynda Benglis, Jimi Hendrix, Robert Indiana, Yayoi Kusama, and Andy Warhol, among others. Curated by Christoph Grunenberg at Tate Liverpool and originally presented there, the show toured to the Kunsthalle Schirn Frankfurt and the Kunsthalle Wien prior to the Whitney. The exhibition runs through September 16, 2007.

About SeaChanger
The SeaChanger Color Engine (www.SeaChangerOnline.com) is a product of Ocean Optics, a leading supplier of solutions for optical sensing. The company’s Thin Films Division designs and manufactures patented dichroic filters for entertainment, architectural and display products, and produces precision optics and coatings for lighting envelopes, fixtures and scientific applications. The SeaChanger’s patterned dichroic filters are precise enough to project even large-format still images with remarkable resolution and clarity while the “colored light” products use the most robust, highest-transmission dichroic filters available.

About Whitney Museum
The Whitney Museum of American Art is the leading advocate of 20th - and 21st -century American art. Founded in 1930, the Museum is regarded as the preeminent collection of American art and includes major works and materials from the estate of Edward Hopper, the largest public collection of-works by Alexander Calder, Louise Nevelson, and Lucas Samaras, as well as significant works by Jasper Johns, Donald Judd, Agnes Martin, Bruce Nauman, Georgia O’Keeffe, Claes Oldenburg, Kiki Smith, and Andy Warhol, among other artists. With its history of exhibiting the most promising and influential American artists and provoking intense critical and public debate, the Whitney’s signature show, the Biennial, has become the most important survey of the state of contemporary art in America today.

About Ku’uipo Curry
Ku’uipo Curry is a New York-based lighting designer who designs for the performing arts, performance art and art installations. She has a BA in Art History from Wellesley College, and studied Theatrical Lighting Design at MIT.

Dr. Jason Eichenholz to lead internal and collaborative applications research
Dunedin, Florida (June 18, 2007) – Optical sensing and spectroscopy manufacturer Ocean Optics has appointed Jason M. Eichenholz, Ph.D., to the position of Vice President of Research and Technology. 

In his new role, Eichenholz will continue to strengthen Ocean Optics’ established leadership position in the optical sensing and spectroscopy markets.  He will direct all internal and external research activities, with an emphasis on collaborative projects in industry and academia.  His research work will carry over into new product and applications development for the company’s line of miniature fiber optic spectrometers, optical sensors, sampling accessories, light sources, fibers, probes, thin films and optics. 

“This position requires a unique blend of knowledge and experience in research and development, science, engineering, applications, and business” said Ocean Optics President Mike Morris. “Dr. Eichenholz’s background will be a strong asset in driving our enhanced R&D and product development focus.”

Eichenholz’s background spans over 15 years of active laser and photonics research and product development.  Most recently, he served as Director of Strategic Marketing for Newport Corporation, designing the marketing and technology strategy for the company’s largest market segment, scientific research and development.  In addition to analyzing market trends for all of Newport’s product lines including lasers, photonics components, and spectroscopy instruments; Eichenholz established several external partnerships to enhance and support corporate, government and academic research programs.

Over the course of his career, Eichenholz has authored more than 30 papers and been granted six US patents relating to solid-state lasers, displays, and photonics devices.  He holds memberships in SPIE, IEEE-LEOS, and OSA, currently chairing the OSA Laser Science and Engineering Technical Group and serving on the OSA Science and Engineering Council.  Eichenholz earned Doctorate and Master of Science degrees in Optical Sciences and Engineering from the University of Central Florida’s College of Optics and Photonics/CREOL (Orlando, Fla.) and a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics (Optics concentration) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, N.Y.).

The “Masked Engineer” taps CYMG color changer for innovative product honor.

Dunedin, Florida (May 8, 2007) - Ocean Optics’ SeaChanger Color Engine has been awarded one of TV Technology Magazine’s 15th Annual Mario Awards.  The awards, presented annually at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention, recognize products that represent significant technical breakthroughs in production technology. 

The SeaChanger CYMG color changer was chosen for a Mario from nearly 1,500 products at the NAB show.  This new lighting technology provides an unprecedented level of color, intensity and saturation control for ETC Source Four® Ellipsoidals.  Using Ocean Optics’ patented dichroic filter technology, it creates millions of rich, reproducible colors with white-to-full saturation color transitions in less than one second.  The filters provide higher transmission efficiency than gels and other materials, and their resistance to temperature and humidity eliminates the need for noisy fans.  Spot and wash versions are available to suit any application in theatrical, architectural and landscape lighting. 

Organized in 1993, the Mario Awards were established to recognize manufacturers whose innovative products have the potential to significantly impact video technology.  The award is named after Mario Orazio, a pseudonym for a nameless engineer and technology columnist for TV Technology magazine, “The Masked Engineer.”  The awards are presented annually at the NAB convention to companies that demonstrate forward thinking and technical excellence in their products. 

“Mario scours the NAB show floor for the 10 most innovative products that represent the pinnacle of technical achievement. We are proud to present these awards on behalf of the ‘Masked Engineer,’” said TV Technology Editor Tom Butts.

The SeaChanger Color Engine is a product of Ocean Optics, a leading supplier of solutions for optical sensing — fundamental methods of measuring and interpreting the interaction of light with matter. The company’s Thin Films Division designs and manufactures patented dichroic filters for entertainment, architectural and display products, and produces precision optics and coatings for lighting envelopes, fixtures and scientific applications. The SeaChanger’s patterned dichroic filters are precise enough to project even large-format still images with remarkable resolution and clarity while the “colored light” products use the most robust, highest-transmission dichroic filters available.

Ocean Optics’ wrapper libraries in multi-platform, Java-based device driver provide Universal USB Spectrometer Control 
Dunedin, Florida (April 24, 2007) – For absolute control of USB spectrometers, accessories and devices in optical sensing systems, Ocean Optics has released the OmniDriver Spectroscopy Development Platform.  Developed in the platform-neutral Java environment, OmniDriver provides the tools to perform high-speed data acquisition and transfer across a single cross-platform driver. OmniDriver includes native libraries for a variety of Linux, Macintosh and Windows operating systems. As a result, users can develop robust control applications without even knowing Java; the wrapper libraries take care of the Java code. 

OmniDriver is not only platform independent, it is spectrometer independent, so that the same Java code will work with any USB spectrometer or, indeed, any USB device, given appropriate drivers. The HighRes Timing feature performs time stamping with sub-microsecond performance, to provide time accountability for applications like chemical kinetics. For increased performance, Ocean Optics’ spectral processing commands with the Spectral Processing and Manipulation (SPAM) module can be added to perform all spectral processing, from subtracting dark signal to radiometric color analysis. Available as a stand-alone module or as part of the OmniDriver package (OMNI+SPAM), SPAM works equally well with non-Ocean-Optics spectrometers. 

The OmniDriver’s wrapper libraries include Framework (Mac), Dynamic Link Library (Windows), Shared Object (Linux) and a COM object (Windows). The software is compatible with a variety of operating systems: for Windows, Windows 2000 or later; for Macintosh, OSX 10.3 or later; and for Linux, Red Hat 9 or later, any version of Fedora Core, Debian 3.1 (Sarge), SUSE 9.0 or later, or any Linux OS with a kernel 2.4.27 or later and libstdc ++ version 5.

Agreement gives PRG DISTRIBUTION exclusive rights in the European Union, United Kingdom, Russia, Africa and the Middle East

Dunedin, Florida (April 4, 2007) – SeaChanger by Ocean Optics has named PRG DISTRIBUTION the master distributor for SeaChanger Color Engine products in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. In Europe, PRG DISTRIBUTION will represent SeaChanger in the countries of the European Union, plus the United Kingdom and Russia.

The SeaChanger Color Engine by Ocean Optics is an ESTA Award-winning lighting technology that creates millions of rich, reproducible colors using patented dichroic filtering.  The unit installs into ETC Source Four™ Ellipsoidals and provides smooth, quiet color transitions across a wide color palette, with white-to-full saturation color transitions in less than one second.  Spot and wash versions are available to suit any application in theatrical, architectural and landscape lighting.

“We are extremely pleased to bolster our presence in Europe and other parts of the world through this partnership with PRG DISTRIBUTION,” said Phil Buchsbaum, Vice President of the Thin Films Division of Ocean Optics, originator of the SeaChanger by Ocean Optics product line. “PRG is one of the world’s leading suppliers of entertainment technology, and will be a great ambassador for SeaChanger. Their expertise and enthusiasm will serve our overseas customers well.”

PRG DISTRIBUTION will handle the full range of SeaChanger Color Engine products and accessories, including the spot and wash versions of the color changer, as well as accessories such as extended yokes and replacement filter wheels. “PRG DISTRIBUTION’s strong presence will help us bring SeaChanger to a different segment of the entertainment technology market,” said Philip Norfolk, Commercial Director for PRG. “Customers will benefit from our hands-on experience with the product line.”

PRG Distribution is located at 20-22 Fairway Drive, Greenford, Middlesex, UB6 8PW, United Kingdom. For information, contact Matt Hallard at +44 (0)20 8575 6666, Fax +44(0)20 8578 0811 or mhallard@prg.com.

To learn more, visit the SeaChanger website at www.SeaChangerOnline.com, call 727.545.0741, or e-mail SeaChanger@OceanOptics.com. 

Control and collect fiber optic measurements from up to 16 points with a single unit

Dunedin, Florida (March 23, 2007) – To tie together multiple sampling points requiring spectroscopic measurement with various probes, Ocean Optics’ Mikropack office introduces the MPM-2000 Fiber Optic Multiplexer.  The high precision instrument optically couples a light source to either 8 or 16 outputs in sequential order or a spectrometer to either 8 or 16 inputs.  The multiplexer can be used in a range of applications, such as chemical, pharmaceutical, laboratory and glass manufacturing, for accurate, repeatable measurements with fast switching times.

The MPM-2000 is ideally suited to settings where multiple locations need to be measured with multiple probes, all with one spectrometer channel and/or light source. It provides accurate measurements with a repeatability of 99% and optical throughput of greater than 60%.

The instrument distributes light in sequential order, with switching times between channels of less than 150 milliseconds. The instrument’s software and driver provide complete PC control.  Switching order, switching delay time and system calibration are controlled easily by the computer interface.

The MPM-2000 features a precisely controlled DC motor for speed control without sacrificing power. The incremental movements are then converted to a digital pulsed output to assure exact control of sampling sequence. Each channel features a collimating lens connecting to an internal optical fiber system for efficient light collection.

The Optical Multiplexer is available in a one I/O version for connecting a light source or a spectrometer to 16 channels, and a two I/O version for connecting both a light source and a spectrometer to 8 channels each. These are available in both UV/VIS (250-800 nm) and VIS/NIR (350-2000 nm) models.

Three day program offers insight into maximizing the latest technologies and applications in education, scientific research, and industry

Dunedin, Florida (March 15, 2007) – Expert spectrometer guidance geared to specific application needs, interaction with other industry professionals and hands-on testing of the newest field-portable technology are all on tap at Ocean Optics’ Customer Forum 2007, April 23-25.  The program, being held in St. Petersburg, Florida, is intended to provide intensive coverage of the latest technologies, applications and solutions in photonics.  The schedule includes a varied selection of educational sessions, roundtables and field experiments.

The forum is designed to promote a better understanding of miniature spectroscopy, with an optional pre-forum boot camp for those new to the industry, and sessions that range from choosing a spectrometer to fit a given application to getting the most from Java-based spectrometer operating software and programming packages.  In addition, OEM & Distributor roundtables will facilitate discussion of successful spectrometer integration in analytical instruments. Business and research applications of in-situ and non-invasive optical sensor systems will be also be explored.

The highlight of the program will be hands-on opportunities, working one-on-one with Ocean Optics Applications Scientists and Engineers, as well as test driving new product in field experiments.  Customers will have daily access to technical experts in the on-site lab, to learn how to maximize their use of Ocean Optics systems.  Attendees are encouraged to bring non-hazardous, application-specific samples to try.  The company will also debut its newest field-portable technology, the Jaz family of smart sensing Ethernet instruments.  A series of field experiments will allow customers to test out the measurement capabilities of this new system in locations not previously accessible with traditional technology.

For more information, and to register, visit www.OOICustomerForum.com, email CustomerForum@OceanOptics.com, or phone 727-450-5335.

Streamlined next-generation product packages improved sensitivity and upgraded software in a smaller footprint

Dunedin, Florida (February 21, 2007) – The LIBS2500, the next-generation laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system from Ocean Optics, takes LIBS technology to the next level, permitting instant qualitative measurements of elements in solids, solutions and gases for use in materials analysis, biomedical and forensic analysis, environmental monitoring, art restoration and security and defense. Designed to be smaller and lighter than its predecessor, the LIBS2000, the slimmed down system features an improved sensitivity of 10-50 ppm; a series of 2048-element, linear CCD detectors; and a seven-fiber optical sampling probe with a 74-UV collimating lens and a sampling lens.

Traditional LIBS systems typically operate over a small spectral range. In contrast, the LIBS2500 incorporates up to seven high-resolution spectrometers for spectral coverage as broad as 200 - 980 nm. The system operates with any 32-bit, USB-compatible Windows PC over a USB 1.1 or 2.0 interface.

Integral application software fires the laser and identifies the element being analyzed, performing element identification, reference correlation by full pixel, reference correlation by spectral line, time-dependent analysis, and line tracking over multiple samples. In addition, it allows the user to control the exact time of sampling during plasma decay and operates on Method Saving to set and perform procedures for an entire sample test. Elemental Identification and Correlation Software provides instant material identification and a spectral library consisting of 2000+ atomic emission lines from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

The streamlined LIBS2500 detection system is portable, compact and rugged. Users can perform in situ real-time measurements in hostile industrial, chemical and biochemical environments.

The accessories required to complete the LIBS2500 system have also been upgraded. The redesigned LIBS Imaging Module, which comes with PixeLINK™ software, allows users to precisely adjust the laser to focus on the region of interest of the test piece. The new LIBS Sample Chamber (LIBS-SC) includes a manual x-y-z stage. The inside lens and spectrometer-probe mounting hardware are reconfigurable, with additional components readily available. The sample chamber also includes a laser safety cutoff switch, along with a blower and evacuation system to feed in alternate gases such as argon.

Ling Sun to lead local team in support of Pacific Rim customers and distributors

Dunedin, Florida (January 25, 2007) –  Optical sensing and spectroscopy manufacturer Ocean Optics has appointed Ling Sun, Ph.D. to head up its newly established Shanghai, China office, Ocean Optics Asia.  As Director of Asia Operations, Sun will provide a regional approach to the sales and service of the company’s optical sensing, display optics, and biophotonics technologies in the rapidly expanding Asian market.

In this new role, Sun will lead a team of application, sales and software engineers, supporting the company’s distributors and customers in the Pacific Rim.  She is responsible for bringing Ocean Optics’ miniature fiber optic spectrometers, optical sensors, sampling accessories, light sources, fibers, probes, thin films and optics to new applications and markets. 

Prior to accepting this position with Ocean Optics, Sun spent more than 2 years as the lead engineer for Ocean Optics products at BAS Japan (Tokyo, Japan), a local distributor for Ocean Optics. 

“With a regional team in place, we will be better positioned to bring Ocean Optics technologies to customers throughout Asia,” said Sun. “Our high-level customer service brings together product experience and technical expertise, enabling both customers and Ocean Optics to take advantage of the power of optical sensing.”

Originally from the Chengdu, Sichuan Province of China, Sun earned a doctorate in Material Sciences from the Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo, Japan) in 2004 and a Master of Science Degree from Saitama University (Saitama-shi, Japan) in 2000.  Before moving to Japan to further her education, Sun worked as a newscaster for science and technology programs at Sichuan TV (China), and as a teaching assistant at University of Chengdu Physical Education (Chengdu, China). She received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Chemistry from Sichuan Normal University (Chengdu, China) in 1989.

For more information, visit www.oceanopticschina.cn, or call +86 21-5206-8686.  Ocean Optics Asia is located at: 137 Xianxia Road, Suite 1801, Changning District, Shanghai 200051 PRC, China.