Next-Gen Photonics Instruments OPTICAL PRODUCT ultra-high resolution optical spectrometer that can achieve imaging depths of up to 14 mm using an 800 nm OCT. With this new design, they have translated the benefits of long-range imaging to 800 nm SD-OCT. The model CS800-841 / 28 is capable of 0.015 nm resolution over a 28 nm bandwidth centered at 841 nm. It has been designed to minimize rolloff with diffraction-limited optics and a low-crosstalk detector. Roll-off at 10 mm imaging depth is < 12 dB, ensuring high clarity images even at extended depths. Due to the shorter center wavelength of the Cobra-S long-range imaging model, scatter in tissue will be higher, though absorption in water will be lower. This may change the contrast of structures slightly, and in some cases offer improvements in differentiation, i. e., for some inner retinal structures such as ganglion cells.
QUANTUM DOTS FOR THE FUTURE OF BIOSENSING Quantum dot – based NIR semiconductor sensors are an exciting and rapidly advancing technology for biological and biomedical applications. These sensors exploit the size-tunable bandgap of quantum dots to detect or emit light in the NIR / SWIR region, roughly from 700 nm up to 1700 nm or beyond, which is highly attractive for bioimaging and sensing due to reduced tissue absorption, lower autofluorescence, and deeper penetration. Recent research has explored NIR quantum dots as fluorescent probes in vivo, as contrast agents for imaging, and in biosensing modalities. In sensor form, quantum dot – based detectors can be engineered for spectroscopic readout, photodetection, and multiplexed sensing of biological analytes. The company Serino, spinoff from the LMU University Munich, is focused on making near infrared spectroscopy more accessible through quantum dot – based NIR semiconductor sensors. Their platform aims to reduce the cost of spectroscopy by up to 90 % while increasing pixel density to deliver higher precision and sharper imaging. Serino offers customized multi-pixel detectors tailored to match the unique infrared fingerprint of a target material, thereby optimizing sensitivity and specificity. With higher pixel densities and advanced quantum NIR materials, their goal is offering a spectral system with great performance and a much lower cost point, opening spectroscopy to broader adoption in precision agriculture, recycling, pharma...
CONCLUSION Photonics continues to revolutionize the fields of bioimaging and spectroscopy, providing researchers and clinicians with powerful tools for noninvasive, high-resolution analysis of biological systems. The transition from traditional light sources to advanced LEDs for fluorescence microscopy has significantly enhanced stability, energy efficiency, and spectral control. In parallel, photo-luminescent coatings used as calibration targets ensure consistent performance across fluorescence systems, supporting standardization and quantitative imaging workflows. Emerging quantum dot – based sensors offer a new generation of compact, wavelength-selective detectors for spectroscopy, combining high sensitivity with customizable spectral response tailored to specific analytes or biological signatures. Additionally, the developments of spectrometers for long-range imaging Optical Coherence Tomography( OCT) at lower wavelengths will allow the manufacturing of cost-effective systems to obtain deeper tissue imaging at high speed and resolution. They will expand the range of applications of this technology. Finally, modular imaging modules are increasingly adopted in biomedical instrumentation, offering plug-and-play solutions that integrate optics, detectors, and illumination into compact units. OEMs and embedded bioanalysis platforms will benefit for the new developments in this field. Together, these photonic technologies are converging to form highly integrated, precise, and scalable solutions that will shape the future of biomedical diagnostics, monitoring, and research.
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