Originally Published MPMN June 2003

INDUSTRY NEWS

Spectroscopy Platform Fuels Growth for Dutch Firm

A Netherlands-based supplier of fiber-optic spectroscopy products has opened a second North American office in Port Richey, FL. The new facility will provide sales and service support to the southeastern region for Avantes (www.avantes.com), which moved into its U.S. headquarters in Boulder, CO, in 2001.

President of U.S. operations Greg Neece credits the expansion to growing demand for the company's line of products, especially its new AvaSpec spectrometer. This fiber-optic spectroscopy platform is described as an affordable tool for multichannel high-speed data sampling.

The AvaSpec platform supports various detectors and offers the best signal-to-noise performance on the market, according to Benno Oderkerk, technical director at the firm's Netherlands facility. "It has eight-channel simultaneous data sampling capability, and has digital I/O to directly control in-line process applications."

The spectrometer is well suited for noninvasive blood-parameter measurement and OEM applications in blood-analysis systems, according to Oderkerk. The platform can be configured as a multichannel instrument, integrating spectra from up to eight channels at once in only 2 milliseconds. In addition, 14 programmable digital I/O ports can be used for external triggering, control of external light sources, shutters, or process applications.

Available in 45- or 75-mm focal lengths, AvaSpec's optical benches can be used for measurements from 200 to 1100 nm, with a resolution of up to 0.1 nm. Options such as UV-enhanced detector coatings, slits, filters, and detector collection lenses optimize system performance in specific applications. Add-on applications are available for color and irradiance measurements, process control, and export of data to an Excel spreadsheet.

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