Company Announcements

mut announced in 2017 the acquisition of the remaining 25% of molecular spectrometry firm Avantes. Avantes has around 90 employees.

Botanisol Analytics has been formed to commercialize a spectrometer based on University of Arizona technology that operates in the vacuum UV portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Applications include analysis of hemp-based products.

In March, Bruker signed a memo of understanding with Saudi Arabia’s KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) launching the KAUST-Bruker Center of Excellence in Magnetic Resonance. The agreement marks the culmination of a long and mutually beneficial association between the two organizations.

B&W Tek inaugurated in March the Spinco-B&W Tek Center of Excellence Lab in Hyderabad, India.

Serstech, a provider of handheld Raman spectrometers, appointed Smile Electronics as a distributor for China.

 Product Introductions

Micromem Applied Sensor Technologies released in January the AROMA Trace Detection system based on technology licensed from Entanglement Technologies. The system combines broadly tunable cavity ring-down spectroscopy with unique surface-interaction dependent separation techniques. It is designed for tracer detection studies in producing oil fields. It can be used in a mobile lab or directly inline.

TOPTICA in January introduced a Terahertz Imaging Extension, co­developed by the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute, for its TeraFlash time-­domain spectroscopy platform. It speeds up the measurements, allowing the system to acquire complete waveforms for up to 16 pixels per second.

HORIBA released in February only in North America the portable AnywhereRaman, an all-in-one unit combining a spectrometer, laser, TouchRaman BallProbe and onboard computer. Out-of-the box to first Raman measurements take 20 minutes.

In February, Ocean Optics, a Halma company, introduced the Ocean HDX spectrometer, providing high throughput, low stray light and thermal stability.  It is responsive from 200–1,100 nm.

In March, Keynote Photonics, in cooperation with Coates Consulting, debuted the cost effective FlexScan 1 NIR spectrometer with a wavelength range of from 1,350­–2,500 nm.

WITec released in March TrueMatch software for accessing and creating Raman spectral databases. It is a fully integrated option with the WITec Project FIVE software environment and databases.

Metrohm introduced in March the Mira DS for handheld material identification by first responders. It operates at both cold storage and desert temperatures, and is shock and vibration resistant, waterproof and dust proof.

In March, Perten Instruments, a PerkinElmer company, unveiled the NIR-based Inframatic 9520 system for measuring constituents in wheat-based products including flour and semolina. It is designed as a dedicated analyzer for flour millers and professional bakers.