Enabling Low Cost Consumer Photonics Devices

“To help with the transition of the company into the next-era, we created this Singapore Laboratory Center. The key is transformation. We are combining our fundamental materials and platform technologies, in order to create new products,” says Dr. Visit Thaveeprungsriporn, General Manager, Nitto Denko Asia Technical Centre. “It’s like innovating the products.”

Extracts from EDN Asia, by Stephen Las Marias, Editor.

Dr. Thaveeprungsriporn believes that photonics is one of the top fundamental new innovations that will shape the future. “The whole idea is to convince people that the next big thing would be consumer photonics. And what we are trying to do is to enable low-cost consumer photonics devices.”

One of the target industries of these consumer photonics devices is the healthcare industry. Dr. Thaveeprungsriporn notes that the global population of age 65 and older has been slated to experience a strong growth in the coming year, and is expected to reach 1.48 billion by 2050. As such, there is s strong demand for portable medical testing and diagnostic equipment.

However, Dr. Thaveeprungsriporn adds that one challenge is cost. “When we talk to most people, the first thing they ask is ‘Is it cheap?’ So I think the price will have to come first. But at this stage, we are looking at something that is less complex, non- invasive, more quantitative using light. That could be our first target in terms of just launching or testing the consumer photonics market.”

Picture:

• Light coupling into waveguide by laser pointer (Wide range of angles)

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