Press Releases

» Optiphase Announces OCT / OCDR OEM Optical Sweep Engine

Van Nuys, CA - December 21, 2004 - Optiphase, Inc. announced today the availability of a revolutionary Optical Sweep Engine for OCT / OCDR applications. The product, named theAIF-01, represents a major industry breakthrough in the commercialization of white-light fiber optic sensing.

To date, high resolution and high acquisition rate OCT designs have been hampered by large size, high costs and complex manufacturing requiring highly skilled and labor intensive processes. “Optiphase has not only overcome traditional limitations to commercialization, but has also significantly enhanced the technology with its own innovative functions that have proven highly advantageous, particularly in medical applications” said Mike Weinstock, Optiphase’s Executive Vice President

Optiphase’s new optical topology involves placing the reference reflector in the vicinity of the probe. The new architecture implements an all-SMF autocorrelating sweep interferometer which makes possible a cost-effective, robust Optical Sweep Engine that is also small in size, alignment-free and easy to manufacture.

“The AIF-01 is the result of an industry need for an economical sweep engine for OCT / OCDR applications. The all SMF design is close to ideal as it eliminates the necessity for dispersion compensation and probe length matching without compromising measurement performance”, said Jeff Bush, President of Optiphase.

The AIF-01 Optical Sweep Engine architecture delivers two major new enabling capabilities. First, it removes all restrictions on the length of the probe resulting in the elimination of any path matching requirements. Second, since the sweep interferometer is isolated from the probe and reference signals, it can be implemented with Faraday reflectors to ensure high contrast, dispersion free interference and allows the use of Single Mode Fiber [SMF] throughout the entire design (including the probe). This reduces the cost and increases system reliability.

The AIF-01 provides a standard sweep range of up to 7.5 mm. Full range maximum sweep rates are up to hundreds of Hertz where partial range rates can exceed 1 KHz. High resolution and low optical loss make it ideal for commercialization of medical devices. Sold as an OEM module, the compact enclosure [7.5”L x 4”W x 3.5” H] facilitates the design and integration into a small footprint system. Connection to the Engine is via standard FC/APC interface making integration simple and easy.

In addition to marketing the Sweep Engine as an OEM module, the company is also using the AIF-01 in its own HSR-3000 High Speed Reflectometer product, an instrument designed for multi-boundary and scattering measurements sold to the scientific and technical community.

For additional information or a sample copy visit www.optiphase.com.

Founded in 1990, Optiphase, Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of interferometric fiber optic sensor solutions for a wide range of applications in the Medical, Industrial Process, Geophysical and Security industries. Products include instruments and assemblies marketed to the scientific and technical community, as well as OEM partners.

» For more information, contact:

Jeff Bush
818-782-0997 x110
jbush@optiphase.com

Mike Weinstock
818-782-0997 x122
mweinstock@optiphase.com