The latest optical products for life sciences in 2024
Photonic technology is used in the life sciences thanks to its ability to interact with biological materials at the cellular and molecular level (Credit: Motion Drama/Shutterstock.com)
With its ability to control light at the nanoscale and interact with biological materials, photonics offers numerous applications that are helping to revolutionise the study and advancement of life sciences.
What are the life sciences?
The life sciences encompass a range of fields, all dedicated to studying living organisms. The overriding purpose is to seek to understand the fundamental principles of life. Disciplines within the life sciences include biology, biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, ecology, botany and zoology.
Life science research touches all aspects of life, from advancements in medicine for healthcare; to aiding crop yields, disease resistance, and sustainable farming in agriculture. In biotechnology, life science research can help the development of new products and technologies, such as biofuels and biomaterials. Such research can even provide insights into climate change, conservation efforts, and ecosystem management.
CELESTA Light Engine: 7 Bright, Stable, Turnkey Lasers
Lumencor’s CELESTA Light Engine houses seven solid-state lasers in a turnkey illuminator for demanding fluorescence applications like confocal spinning disk microscopy and spatially resolved transcriptomics. 1000 mW/colour from the distal end of an optical light guide is powerful and intense.
Pre-aligned, independent lasers satisfy a compact footprint. Sophisticated electronics support low peak-to-peak noise, reproducible pulsed signals and consistent short- and long-term optical power, well-suited for high-end imaging and OEM instrumentation. Customisation is available upon request.
Find out more about the CELESTA Light Engine by visiting Lumencor's website.
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Photonics in life sciences
Photonics and optics are widely used in the life sciences thanks to their ability to interact with biological materials at the cellular and molecular level. Light can be absorbed, scattered, or emitted by various biological molecules, which provides valuable information about their structure, function, and health status.
Principles of photonics in life science applications
- Some of the key principles surrounding the application of photonics in life sciences include:
Light-matter interaction: Different biological molecules interact with light in different ways. By analysing the patterns of absorption, scattering, or emission, scientists can gain insights into the properties and behaviour of these molecules. - Specificity: Light can be tailored to target specific molecules or cellular structures, allowing researchers to focus on areas of interest within a complex biological system.
- Sensitivity: Photonic techniques boast exceptional sensitivity, enabling the detection of minute changes in biomolecules or cellular processes.
- Non-invasiveness: Many photonic techniques benefit from being non- or minimally invasive, allowing for the study of living systems without causing any harm to the sample.
Applications of photonics in the life sciences
One of the key areas where photonic technology plays a crucial role is in imaging techniques. Photonics enable high-resolution imaging methods such as confocal microscopy, multiphoton microscopy, and optical coherence tomography. These techniques allow researchers to visualise intricate cellular structures, track cellular processes, and investigate tissue architecture with exceptional detail and precision. By harnessing the unique properties of light, photonics-based imaging systems facilitate breakthroughs in understanding the complexities of biological systems.
Empowering Life Sciences with Knight Optical's Precision Optics
For over 30 years, Knight Optical, a global leader in precision optics, has been at the forefront of driving advancements in life sciences. From fluorescence microscopy to DNA sequencing, endoscopes to flow cytometry, our optical components have played a crucial role in numerous life-changing applications.
We've recently expanded our catalogue with Fluorescence Filter Sets, featuring emission and excitation filters for common fluorophores. Order directly from our website now!
Our vast range of stock and custom-made optics also includes: Our vast range of stock and custom-made optics also includes:
- Dichroic Mirrors
- Precision Filters
- Beamsplitters
- Mirrors
- Optical Lenses (including ball lenses)
- Laser Optics
- Prisms
At Knight Optical, precision and quality are our hallmarks. Every component is meticulously tested in our advanced metrology laboratory and visually inspected in our QA department, ensuring excellence before shipment.
Contact our UK and US teams today and experience true precision, quality and innovation.
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Photonics have additionally contributed to the field of diagnostics and medical instrumentation, enabling the development of techniques for disease detection and monitoring. For instance, biophotonic technologies like fluorescence spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and optogenetics enable real-time analysis of biochemical markers, cellular activity, and genetic information. These advancements have helped to enable early detection of diseases, personalised medicine, and improved treatment outcomes.
Photonics also find applications in genomics and proteomics research. High-throughput DNA sequencing techniques, such as next-generation sequencing, rely on photonics-based methods for accurate and efficient analysis of genetic information. Additionally, optogenetics, a technique that uses light to control cellular activity, enables precise manipulation of neurons and facilitates a deeper understanding of brain function and neurological disorders.
In addition, photonics have paved the way for the development of innovative therapeutic approaches. Laser-based treatments, such as photodynamic therapy and laser surgery, offer precise and minimally invasive solutions for various medical conditions, including cancer treatment and vision correction.
Advantages and limitations of photonics in the life sciences
Advantages:
Optical interference filters and holographic diffraction gratings by Spectrogon
A world-leading manufacturer with decades of expertise supplying superior optical filters and holographic diffraction gratings for high-demand applications. Spectrogon offers optical filters and windows in the range 380-14000nm and has production capability for wafer sizes from Ø6 to Ø200mm. The wafers can easily be cut to the required size in our dicing facility and then delivered on tape frames. Filters for various high-demand applications include gas analysis, thermal imaging and life sciences.
Spectrogon also offers holographic diffraction gratings for UV-NIR. Our custom-made gratings have high efficiency, low stray light, wide tuning range, high damage threshold and are optimised for specific applications. Designers are ready to review your requirements and propose solutions. All production is in Sweden, with a selection of coating machines suitable for different wavelength ranges and volumes. For low volume prototypes, a wide range of filters from stock can be offered.
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- High resolution: The high resolution offered by photonic techniques allows researchers to visualise structures at the cellular and subcellular level.
- Sensitivity: Even minute changes in biological processes can be detected with photonic techniques.
- Label-free analysis: Certain photonic techniques allow for label-free analysis, thus reducing the need for chemical modifications that can alter the sample.
Limitations:
- Cost: Some research labs may find more advanced photonic equipment to be prohibitively expensive, limiting accessibility.
- Complexity: The operation of sophisticated photonic instruments can require specialist expertise.
Advances in innovative photonic products continue to push the boundaries of research and clinical practice in the life sciences, presenting new opportunities and helping to overcome some of the limitations faced by traditional methods in order to improve our understanding and treatment of life itself.
Off-the-shelf OD8 Filters in stock and ready to ship
An industry first! OD8 Fluorescence Bandpass Filters deliver superior OD ≥8 blocking in their blocking band while offering high transmission in their transmission band. These hard-coated interference filters feature high-precision spectral consistency and enable industry leading signal-to-noise system performance and low crosstalk.
They are available in black anodized aluminium mounts or unmounted in 6 x 6mm wafers for easy system integration. OD8 Fluorescence Bandpass Filters are ideal components in applications relying on fluorescence detection that require precision spectral clean-up, such as biomedical diagnostics instruments including DNA sequencers and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyzers. These filters are designed with passbands for the fluorescence excitation and emission of common qPCR fluorophores in mind, namely FAM, HEX, ROX and Cy5.
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Photonics and optical products available for life sciences on the market now
Vendors of products in the life science market include Access Laser, which provides lasers for novel surgical procedures, or tracking and viewing the progress of pharmaceutical development. The lasers’ wavelength enables hemostatic incisions to improve healing times and can be centred from 9.3µm to 9.6µm to match the peak absorption coefficient of hydroxyapatite, the main mineral constituent in enamel, dentin and bone.
Analytik has an array of life science solutions for a variety of microbiology and molecular diagnostics applications. The portfolio ranges from devices for PCR, real-time PCR, bioimaging, liquid handling, electrophoresis and sample homogenisation to consumables.
Brighterwave provides visible lasers and laser projection solutions for life science applications. It focuses on custom visible laser light solutions and multi-wavelength boxes laser projection and beam steering solutions for automotive, life science and AR/VR applications.
Compact modulated 594nm with 100 mW for bioimaging
Hübner Photonics, manufacturer of high-performance lasers for advanced imaging, detection and analysis, proudly announces the addition of a new orange wavelength on the Cobolt 06-01 Series of modulated lasers. The 06-DPL 594nm has 100 mW output power and can be directly modulated in either digital or analogue modulation up to 50 kHz, making it ideal for exciting red fluorophores, such as AF594, mCherry, mKate2, that are often used in optogenetics and other bioimaging applications.
Active power control during modulation ensures a perfect linear optical response and stable illumination from the first pulse and for any duty cycles and power levels. The Cobolt 06-DPL 594 can be easily integrated into the C-FLEX laser combiner for setups using multi-wavelength excitation.
All Cobolt lasers are manufactured using proprietary HTCure technology and the resulting compact hermetically sealed package provides a very high level of immunity to varying environmental conditions along with exceptional reliability.
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Cobolt offers a series of laser assemblies specifically tailored for advanced optogenetics research. Solutions include single-line lasers with stable and efficient coupling into multimode fibres, two lasers on a common platform launched into one common fibre coupler, or two lasers sitting side by side launched into one fibre coupler each, suitable for 2-into-1 coupling using, for example, fused fibres.
Coherent segments the life sciences instrumentation market into three categories based on core functional use – biotechnology, medical and scientific. When it comes to biotechnology, the company offers life sciences optics, laser engines, all-purpose optics, laser diode modules, DPSS lasers, thermoelectric coolers and thermoelectric systems. For medical, there are HPL bars and stacks, CO2 laser optics, 1 micron optics, DPSS lasers, thermoelectric coolers and thermoelectric systems. For scientific, the company offers CO2 laser optics, micron optics, life science optics, DPSS lasers, thermoelectric and thermoelectric systems.
CoolLED designs and manufactures cutting-edge LED illumination systems for researchers and clinicians. The company has specialised in fluorescence microscopy since it introduced its commercially available LED illumination system in 2006. LED microscope lighting is popular thanks to its stability, long life and energy efficiency, as well as its superior safety and environmental features.
Edmund Optics’ optical components are used in many life science-related applications and medical devices, such as qPCR instruments, fluorescence microscopes (confocal, multiphoton, super-resolution), flow cytometers (cell sorting), ophthalmoscopes, optical coherence tomography (OCT), and more. The company offers all the optical components needed for building medical devices, including high-precision filters, lenses, mirrors, beamsplitters, polarisers, microscope objectives, and more. In addition, the company’s portfolio has a range of light sources and cameras to complete the set-up, whether it is for a microscope, an OCT system, or a different type of optical medical device.
Hamamatsu researches how biological phenomena interacts with light to create the tools required. The company can use biological materials to create models – for example, it has made environmental sensors that use the photosynthesis system of algae, and created photosensitive nerve cells that use the photoactive euglena enzyme to understand the mechanisms of neurological disease. The research could lead to applications in drug discovery and advanced medical fields.
Jenoptik produces high-tech objective lenses for medical technology. These highly specialised and customised optics products open up new possibilities in prevention, diagnosis and treatment. Its medical technology objective lenses can be used in ophthalmology, dental technology or dermatology, for example, for focusing laser beams or achieving targeted deflection. Fluorescence objective lenses enable DNA to be read during sequencing, and objective lenses and modules can also be used successfully in radiology.
Available from Laser Components is a range of solutions to aid the understanding of cellular and molecular processes that provide doctors and medical engineers with valuable insights for the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, using the advantages of laser technology. Applications include microscopy, spectroscopy, photodynamic therapy, thermal laser applications, positioning of patients, UV sterilisation, breath gas analysis, components manufacturing, optical coherence tomography and high-power laser research.
Leica Microsystems offers microscope solutions to support complex microsurgery applications. The microscopes provide optimal and reliable visualisation, including built in fluorescence filters and GLOW 800 augmented reality fluorescence. This and ICG create a simultaneous white-light and real-time fluorescent blood flow view.
Lumencor’s solid-state technologies have provided ground-breaking improvements in the quality of simple LED illumination available to both researchers and instrument manufacturers in the life sciences. This has enabled expansion in the capabilities of fluorescence microscopy in terms of sample throughput and spatial resolution, and driven the development of many new applications.
Microlight3D is a specialist manufacturer of high-resolution micro-scale 2D- and 3D-printing systems for industrial and scientific applications. Its most recent launch was a collection of resins with diverse properties for mechanical meta-materials and life sciences applications. They are designed to allow developers to explore 3D microprinting using different materials and reproduce miniscule objects. The resins join the existing two in the range and can be used with the company’s microFAB-3D ultra-high resolution 3D-printing system, based on two-photon polymerisation. This direct laser writing technology is used to create a solid 3D-printed structure from photo-activable materials.
Products from MKS Instruments’ life and health sciences range are used in a diverse array of applications, including bioimaging, medical instrument sterilisation, medical device manufacturing, analytical, diagnostic and surgical instrumentation, consumable medical supply manufacturing and pharmaceutical production. PicoQuant’s products are used in a wide range of applications, such as life science, materials science and optical quantum technology. Academic researchers use them in their search for answers and help in gathering data for publications in top-ranking journals, and by researchers in industry for their day-to-day laboratory work and in carrying out routine quality control of global industrial players.
Photon Lines’ life sciences partners are leaders in their respective fields, including Abberior Instruments, founded by Professor Stefan Hell, one of the inventors of the stimulated emission depletion (STED) super resolution nanoscopy technique. Products span from super resolution microscopes, including the Abberior Instruments add-on Stedycon and Expert Line STED system, to the Argolight fluorescence quality testing system, which is becoming an essential tool in light microscopy facilities.
Omek Optics focuses on OEM digital microscopy solutions for the inspection, medical and biomedical industries. It offers a line of standard modular microscopes covering a broad spectral range, with special attention to homogeneous high yield illuminations. Solid State is an electronics group supplying commercial, industrial and military markets with components, assemblies and manufactured units for use in specialist and harsh environments, including industrial, robotics, medical, life sciences and transportation sectors. The company has expertise in industrial and ruggedised computing, displays, battery power solutions, communications, imaging technologies, electrical and electronic components.
Solid State has five principal trading companies: Solid State Supplies, Steatite, Pacer Components, Active Silicon and Willow Technologies. Willow Technologies also has a US-based subsidiary, American Electronic Components (AEC), in Indiana. For more than 45 years, Sutter Instrument has led in the manufacture of precision instrumentation for the neurological sciences. The company has the latest in patch clamp and intracellular amplifiers and software and continues to expand our line of manipulators, light sources, multi-photon microscopes and micropipette pullers. The latest products include the Trio MPC-165 thinprofile manipulator, Lambda 821 optical beam combiner capable of accessing seven LEDs, and Dendrite, a data acquisition system that gives researchers access to the advantages of SutterPatch software.
Vortran Laser Technology’s products serve the high-end laser market, supplying both OEM companies and end users. The company’s primary focus is in the life sciences market, where its laser technologies serve applications in cell biology, optogenetics, microscopy and imaging, flow cytometry, DNA sequencing, optical tweezers, spectroscopy, pharmaceutical drug discovery, and well plate reading, to name a few.
This is not an exhaustive list. If you provide products in the life science space and would like your company to be included, please let us know at: editor.electro@europascience.com
