Modern science is able to do what it does because it’s quantitative; it relies on measurements and calculations to deliver solid results.
As the laser’s use as a scientific research tool becomes more commonplace, so does the need to include accurate, objective measurements of the laser’s behavior.
Consider, for example, fluorescence microscopy. In applications such as photobleaching or photoactivation, a precisely defined amount of applied power is crucial for repeatability of the experiment. However, power output of light sources changes over time; also, the total energy delivered to a specimen will depend on the optical beam path of the microscope, as well as filter sets and objectives used. This makes comparisons between experiments performed on different microscopes complicated. Using an accurately calibrated power meter in the object plane itself, it is possible to measure the exact amount of light applied to a specimen, regardless of the light source or optical details of the microscope. Such…objective measurements can enable researchers to directly compare results of experiments performed using different optical equipment and setups.

For over 40 years, Ophir has been the partner of choice for anyone needing photonic measurement solutions in scientific applications, both end users as well as instrument manufacturers needing to integrate customized solutions into their system designs. Ophir solutions are in use in such diverse fields as:

• Flow cytometry
• Terahertz imaging
• DNA sequencing
• Fluorescence microscopy
• …as well as a host of the more obvious disciplines such as optical physics, and countless more.