High-End Spectral Measurements at an Entry Level Price – Introducing the Rhea

Interview conducted by Jake WilkinsonJun 1 2016

insights from industrySteven GoetstouwersCEOAdmesy

Admesy Advanced Measurement Systems are experts in the field of spectral measurement. AZoOptics spoke to Steven Goetstouwers, CEO of Admesy, about their new Rhea spectrometer series; which offer the superior precision of high-end spectrometers at an accessible price.  

Could you please introduce your new spectrometer, the Rhea, to our readers?

The new Rhea spectrometer series is the latest member of the Admesy spectrometer range and targets the high-end spectroscopy markets. The Rhea combines the ‘regular Admesy recipe’ of a fast, robust, user friendly measurement device with the ultra-sensitivity and high-accuracy characteristics of a high-end spectrometer.

The Rhea represents the perfect combination of affordability and accuracy. Image Credit: Admesy

What measurements is the Rhea capable of performing

The Rhea obviously can measure the spectral output of light and the luminance of sources but more important than what you measure are the applications in which you measure.

With the Rhea we target a wide range of applications, part of which Admesy already serves such as display or lighting, but also applications in appearance measurements or chemical/biomedical analysis. With our new Rhea we offer a very high measurement accuracy and sensitivity at very competitive pricing. And we expect this will actually even inspire new applications since high-end measurement data is no longer out of reach for the average users.

Who can you see benefiting most from using the Rhea?

Thanks to the combination of a high level of accuracy and sensitivity, combined with user friendly operation and an affordable price the Rhea has advantages for both R&D settings as well as inline production measurements. In the R&D and lab market the Rhea’s high level of accuracy and ultra-sensitivity will certainly be of use during for example development of LED lighting or analysis of fluorescence in the petro-chemical or biomedical market.

But the highest benefits are probably created in the actual production lines. Thanks to the robust design, user-friendly integration possibilities and, of course, the very competitive price this is the first time a high-sensitive and highly accurate spectrometer becomes within reach of many production users in the display, solid state lighting (SSL) and other industries. I think the biggest benefits will be found here since they now don’t have access to this high level of measurements.

Fluorescence analysis of a DNA microarray. As well as SSL analysis the Rhea can also be used to analyze biofluorescence. Image Credit: Andre Nantel/Shutterstock.com

Are there any markets which can benefit in particular using the Rhea?

Based on our experience the Rhea is designed to be very well fitted for the display and SSL/LED industries. Admesy already has much experience in these market areas and our Rhea is designed to meet the needs in these markets perfectly.

However the Rhea is also a well suited device for transmissive measurements like for example glass, foils or even liquids which have a high optical density. For such applications, the combination of speed and accuracy can be achieved by its ultra-sensitive design. The coming months we will increase our accessory list in order to facilitate these markets as well.

The combination of industry leading standards of measurement with an affordable price makes the Rhea  perfect addition to an LED display manufacturers quality control process. Image Credit: Olexandr Taranukhin/Shutterstock.com

What features of the Rhea facilitate its high dynamic range?

It is not so much one or two specific features or components, the Rhea's high dynamic range is the result of its entire design which has been focused on achieving high sensitivity and resolution from the start. One of the key features of the Rhea is the built-in filter wheel which includes five neutral density (ND) filters and a shutter function. This selectable filter option which is included in every Rhea together with our ultra-sensitive detector adds up to its huge dynamic range.

Also important is the virtually absence of noise even at low luminance measurements thanks to a combination of the cooled sensor and the Admesy dark noise compensations also found in our Hera series.

What sensor do you use in the Rhea?

The Rhea uses a Peltier cooled Hamamatsu CCD sensor.

What are the advantages of including a CCD detector over competing technologies such as a CMOS detector?

At the moment the CMOS sensors don’t yet reach the same uniformity, quality or sensitivity than the Hamamatsu CCD sensors. But we are continuously monitoring new sensor technologies to make sure the Rhea and our other spectrometers will remain to have the best possible price-performance ration.

What range of measurements is the Rhea capable of and at what level of accuracy?

We offer different standard wavelength ranges for the Rhea such as: 380-780 nm, 360-830 nm, 200-435 nm and 200-1100 nm. But important to notice is that the Rhea is constructed in such a way that for OEM integration we can easily “tune” the wavelength to the needs of the customer. So with the standard wavelength ranges offering a suitable solution to the average customer the OEM integrators can have a custom version made at hardly any additional costs.

What level of customization of the Rhea do Admesy offer for their end-users?

As mentioned earlier, in addition to these wavelengths, Admesy offers customers the option to ‘create’ their own high-end spectrometer for their specific measurement needs. Customers can choose wavelength ranges between 200 and 1100 nm to make it the perfect measurement tool for their specific application.

Besides this the software design of the Rhea is such that it can be easily integrated into and controlled by any application or environment.

Where can our readers find out more about Admesy and the Rhea?

More information about the Rhea can be found on our website.

About Steven Goetstouwers

Steven Goetstouwers is CEO of Admesy BV; a Dutch manufacturer of colorimeters, spectrometers and spectral vision systems.

Before joining Admesy, late 2012, Steven worked at NV Industriebank LIOF a regional venture capital investor.

At LIOF he was responsible for investments in high-tech early stage start-up companies. During these 7 years he was involved in more than 50 start-up ideas and companies.

After graduation Steven started working at the University Maastricht Business School where he helped starting entrepreneurs developing a solid business plan.

Steven has a bachelor degree in Business Engineering from the Hasselt University and a master’s degree in International business from the Maastricht University.