Deformable Mirror has extended stroke and 2.25 mm aperture.
Press Release Summary:
With 6 micron stroke, Mini-DM provides vision science and microscopy researchers with entry-level mirror for accomplishing proof-of-concept experiments that require wavefront correction. Turnkey system - complete with USB controller, software, and gimbal mount - consists of mirror membrane supported by underlying actuator array. Each of 32 actuators can be individually deflected by electrostatic actuation to achieve desired pattern of deformation.
Original Press Release:
Boston Micromachines Introduces New Low Cost Deformable Mirror with Increased Stroke
Technology to Further Vision Science and Microscopy Research
WATERTOWN, Mass., July 11 -- Boston Micromachines Corporation (BMC), a leading provider of MEMS-based deformable mirror (DM) products for adaptive optics (AO) systems, today announced it has manufactured an enhanced version of its Mini-DM with increased stroke. This new mirror provides vision science and microscopy researchers an economical entry level mirror to accomplish "proof of concept" experiments that require wavefront correction.
"The early innovative researchers in vision science and microscopy fields have proven that adaptive optics achieves higher-resolution images," said Paul Bierden, president and CEO of Boston Micromachines. "To meet the needs of the next generation of biological imaging, we have developed a low-cost, high performance deformable mirror with enhanced stroke which will enable widespread adoption adaptive optics."
Vision researchers are limited in their ability to gain a clear view of the human retina due to image distortion caused by tissue-induced wavefront aberration. In the older population, which is most at risk for eye diseases, the aberration are larger making it more challenging to image. The new Mini- DM with its higher stroke allows for the correction for larger aberrations making it a perfect entry level tool for researches studying glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration.
In microscopy, especially multi-photon, as researchers look deeper into the tissue aberrations become more pronounced. The enhanced Mini-DM is ideal for laboratory-scale AO and proof-of-concept wavefront control in microscopy research where imaging instruments often suffer from resolution limitations, constraining the ability of researchers and clinicians to detect critical detail. This loss in resolution is due to the wavefront aberrations induced by the tissue media through which light passes to reach the object of interest, such as a cell or tumor. The Mini-DM's ability to actively correct for these aberrations will restore resolution and enable the extracting of vital information from biological specimens.
The Mini-DM is an advanced wavefront control device that consists of a mirror membrane supported by an underlying actuator array. Each actuator in the array can be individually deflected by electrostatic actuation to achieve the desired pattern of deformation. Unlike other technologies such as electromagnetic and piezoelectric mirrors, electrostatic actuation ensures mirror deformation without hysteresis.
The new Mini-DM boasts 32 actuators, 2.25 mm aperture, with 6 microns of stroke. The active mirror area is deformed by thirty-two electrostatic actuators and has a fully-integrated controller and user-friendly interface. In addition to the deformable mirror, this turnkey system comes complete with a USB controller, software and a gimbal mount for easy installation. The development work on this MEMS device was partially funded by the National Eye Institute and the Center for Adaptive Optics.
Availability
The new Mini-DM is available immediately.
About Boston Micromachines Corporation
Founded in 1999, Boston Micromachines Corporation (BMC) is the leading provider of advanced MEMS-based mirror products for use in commercial AO systems, applying wavefront correction to produce high resolution images of the human retina and enhance images blurred by the Earth's atmosphere. The company's suite of award-winning compact DM products are the most economical high-performance mirrors in the market today. They are widely used in vision science applications such as advanced optic retinal imaging, long range laser communications and astronomy, including NASA's search for planets in other solar systems. Customers include leading manufacturers of optical imaging and communication systems, governmental agencies and contractors and vision science research laboratories worldwide, such as NASA, UCal Berkeley, Lockheed Martin and Boston University. Located in Watertown, Mass., BMC is privately held and also offers custom design-manufacturing services. For more information on BMC, please visit www.bostonmicromachines.com.
CONTACT: Laura MacSweeney of Red Javelin Communications, +1-781-395-6420, laura@redjavelin.com
