Feb 19 2010
Zecotek Photonics Inc. (TSX VENTURE:ZMS)(FRANKFURT:W1I), a developer of leading-edge photonics technologies for medical, industrial and scientific markets, today announced that the Company's proprietary green fiber laser technology platform was recently highlighted during a key note address at the Lasers and Photonics Marketplace Seminar which was held in parallel with the 2010 Photonics West Conference in San Francisco.
Dr. William Telford, a staff scientist and faculty head of the National Cancer Institute, featured the Green Fiber Laser in his talk which discussed specifications of various lasers used in flow cytometry.
"Although the number of fluorescent proteins available for research has exploded in number in the past five years, most flow cytometers cannot take advantage of the opportunity to research these proteins due to laser limitations," said Dr. Telford. "Modern laser technology, such as Zecotek's Green Fiber Laser, is eliminating this limitation. The broad range of operating wavelengths enables accurate matching to fluorescent targets, thus optimizing analysis."
Dr. Telford described Zecotek's 550-nm green fiber laser and explained that this laser's technology platform, utilizing a novel laser cavity design, can enable various lasers with wavelengths from 515 to 560 nm. His presentation also indicated that Zecotek's 550-nm green fiber laser was as powerful as comparable 532-nm and 561-nm sources, but is more compatible with standard fluorescent markers.
A more detailed description of Zecotek's Green Fiber Laser applications in flow cytometry will be available in a jointly authored paper by the National Institute of Health and Zecotek in a forthcoming edition of the journal Cytometry Part A titled "Green Fiber Lasers: an alternative to traditional DPSS green lasers for flow cytometry" by Dr. William G. Telford, et al.
The world market for flow cytometry systems is about $1.5 billion (about 68% of which is for instruments and 32% for chemical reagents), The market is estimated to more than double by 2015 (Source: 2008 Flow Cytometry Report, Biocompare Surveys and Reports). Approximately 1,500 to 2,000 flow cytometry units are delivered annually, many of which use several lasers to illuminate cells.
Zecotek's visible wavelength fiber lasers have been specifically developed as higher performance, lower cost replacements for argon-ion and solid-state laser wavelengths in applications including: bio-instrumentation (DNA Sequencing, Flow Cytometry, Scanning Laser Microscopy), medicine (Ophthalmology, Dermatology, Urology), printing and imaging, inspection and measurement, laser writing and lithography, and fundamental research (Spectroscopy, Fluorescence Analysis).