Labsphere's Space-Grade Spectralon® conquers final frontier

With a reflectance value greater than 99 percent, Labsphere's Space-Grade Spectralon® delivers the highest level of uniform light integration with the stability, sustainability and purity required for applications involving space flight. Used to recalibrate in-flight cameras, Space-Grade Spectralon coating material and targets have a proven track record of success in a number of spacecraft currently in flight.   

Chemically inert, and thermally and environmentally stable, Space-Grade Spectralon provides extremely stable, reproducible spectral reflectance. It achieves reflectance values of greater than 99 percent for wavelength ranges from visible through mid wave infrared?

Refer to picture on the right: Labsphere's Space-Grade Spectralon is manufactured under stringent quality control guidelines to eliminate contaminants that can cause UV degradation.

Through extensive testing for UV-VUV radiation exposure, a stringent manufacturing process was developed to eliminate potential contaminants that can lead to UV degradation. The high purity and cleanliness requirements in space environment applications are further ensured by Labsphere's sophisticated manufacturing, shipping and contamination process controls.

Labsphere's Space-Grade Spectralon is the only recognized Lambertian material that has been used in launch environments and is fully characterized. It has been used for sensor calibration in over 25 space applications, including MODIS, MSIR, MERIS, GOSAT and ABI sensors.

Recently, ITT Industries Space Systems Division selected Labsphere's Space-Grade Spectralon for a project "because it is the only reflectance material in the industry that has proven results in space for terrestrial remote sensing applications," according to Senior Systems Engineer, Kim Slack.

Compact, flexible SC 6000 allows up to 100 programmed calibrations

To meet the need for a versatile system controller, Labsphere, recently launched the new SC 6000 programmable radiometer and photometer.  The new system controller allows for up to 100 programmed calibrations and can be used for photometric or radiometric applications. Users are able to create, upgrade or expand a calibration in minutes using a wide variety of interchangeable detector assemblies, integrating spheres, light sources and power supplies.

A true out-of-the-box system controller, the SC 6000 is programmed to monitor luminous and radiant flux, luminance, radiance, intensity, illuminance, and irradiance.  These values make the SC 6000 an integral component for any calibration system, and allow it to be used across a wide range of applications such as uniquely designed imaging calibration instruments, lamp measurement photometers, or laser power measurement systems.

Labsphere's SC 6000 is best for controlling calibration systems, photometric and radiometric monitoring of camera calibration systems, lamp measurement, and photometry and laser power measurement. The system controller also features compatibility with Si, Ge, InGaAs and many other photovoltaic detectors.

Labsphere's Spectralon® improves laser performance

Lamp and diode pumped lasers and dye lasers rely on the efficiency of their laser pump reflectors for optimum performance. With greater than 99 percent reflectance, Labsphere's Spectralon® Laser Pump Reflectors provide the highest level of diffusion efficiency for peak laser output power. This efficiency, coupled with economical machined part flexibility, is an ideal choice for laser original equipment manufacturers.

Spectralon's greater than 99 percent reflectance and near-Lambertian diffuseness deliver more watts per square meter with greater beam stability and uniformity. This more predictable beam profile has reduced susceptibility to parasitic oscillations compared to metal, ceramic, or powder-based reflectors. Spectralon's long term optical stability ensures consistent and reliable laser performance over time.

Labsphere Spectralon Laser Pump Reflectors provide optimum performance.

Unlike expensive and intricate molded reflectors, Labsphere's machined Laser Pump Reflectors can be economically fabricated into a wide variety of shapes to meet any reflector design. In-house machining allows samples to be created quickly and easily, and modified throughout the design, prototyping and testing process. This manufacturing flexibility means low or high volume quantities can be ordered without affecting price.

Labsphere's engineering staff has an established industry-wide reputation for its knowledge and experience in laser cavity design, and often collaborates with customers to develop custom laser pump reflector designs.

To request a Laser Pump Reflector prototype, submit a specification drawing via e-mail to: labsphere@labsphere.com.

For more information on Labsphere products and services discussed above, view website: www.labsphere.com  Refer to next page

Volex strengths its position in the healthcare
market with its achievement of ISO 13485:2003
the medical device manufactures standard

Volex Europe, part of the Volex Group plc, the global electrical and electronic cable assemblies group, has been awarded with the International Standards Organisation (ISO) 13485:2003 standard, a comprehensive quality management framework for the design, manufacture and project management of medical devices. This achievement is central to Volex's strategy to strengthen its product portfolio across the healthcare sector, producing cable assemblies and interconnect products for applications such as MRI, X-Ray, CT, ultrasound, patient monitoring, clinical diagnostics and medical therapy.

The standard has been awarded to Volex Europe's headquarters in Ireland and endorses the company to control the development of medical products. The medical standard is a comprehensive quality framework for the design, manufacture and project management of medical devices and promotes awareness of regulatory requirements as a key management responsibility; focusing on product safety, risk management, traceability, and design transfer activities in product development.

Dr John Hannigan, Engineering Director, Volex Europe, comments, "ISO 13485:2003 provides our customers with the assurance that Volex healthcare design projects come under the scrutiny of regular third party audits by recognised international notified bodies, giving them the confidence that the products comply with the same regulatory guidelines to which they must themselves adhere."

Hannigan adds, "As recipients of the standard , Volex is also obliged to maintain extensive knowledge on EU medical device directives and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements. Any future healthcare product designs will therefore reflect intelligence regarding current or imminent changes to these directives."

The ISO standard was achieved through an extensive application and audit process, which addressed all aspects of Volex's approach to new product development in a healthcare market context, measuring the organisation's awareness of regulatory requirements, as well as its capability to ensure product safety and risk management. The procedure also placed large emphasis on traceability throughout a design process.

Hannigan continues, "Volex's achievement of ISO 13485:2003 displays its ongoing commitment to improving management and design processes for product delivery, in line with Volex's strategy to deliver increasingly effective and compliant cable assembly products to the healthcare market."

Volex aims to use the achievement of the ISO standard as a springboard for further penetration into the healthcare market. Volex will extend its range of products designed in compliance with this standard which can  be applied to imaging applications (e.g. MRI, X-Ray, CT, nuclear medicine, ultrasound), patient monitoring units (e.g. ECG, respiratory and patient monitoring carts), clinical diagnostic applications (e.g. haematology, cancer screening and cardiovascular testing), medical therapy systems (e.g. defibrillators, ventilators, dialysis equipment and incubators), surgical systems (e.g. electrosurgical equipment and heart-lung machines), and patient care systems such as hospital beds, wheelchairs and stretchers.
  
John Conroy, Vice President of Healthcare, Volex Group, adds, "Achieving this highly regarded ISO standard is a significant step in developing Volex's design and manufacturing capabilities for medical cable assemblies, and underlines its ambition to enhance its product range and grow its business in the healthcare market. Regulatory compliance is an increasingly important issue to our customers in this sector, and ISO 13485:2003 demonstrates that Volex is recognising this need." 

Volex in profile
Volex (LSE: VLX.L) is a leading provider of interconnect solutions and power products, servicing the telecommunications, data centre, industrial, consumer and medical sectors for over 100 years.  Volex's range of interconnect solutions include original-design fibre-optic, high-speed copper and radio frequency (RF) cable assemblies.  Volex has design and manufacturing facilities spread across the globe, enabling flexibility in meeting customers' delivery timetables and price targets.

For further information, e-mail: Andrew.Ducker@volex.com  Refer to page 318