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The Laser Scanning Confocal Microscope made great inroads into biomedical research. But
in the mid nineties, a new technique called 'Multi-Photon Microscopy' promised great potential
in terms of being able to image deep into live samples to look at new processes within
biomedical imaging. The difficulty for the people using this technique, was that it required
a very complicated laser technology called a 'Femtosecond Laser', which up until then
remained the preserves of the physics labs within universities and large research institutions.
Femtosecond Lasers require very complicated physics, in terms of dispersion control, power
control and pulse-width control. It required a physicist generally, to be able to maintain
the system and use the equipment required to diagnose and keep the system running. Here
at Coherent Scotland, we designed the 'Chameleon Laser' to specifically address this problem.
The Chameleon product line comprises three different Ti-Saphire Lasers and a wavelength
extension accessory.The idea of creating the Chameleon was to box this ultra-fast laser
technology from a bread board type solution which required continuous twirling of knobs
and very complex equipment to monitor the status of the laser, and put it in a black
box where the biologist could literally turn a key and set the wavelength they desire for
their imaging.This required a brand new level of automation, which has not been seen in
such complicated laser technology. There are a wide variety of biological problems for
which practitioners are using Multi-Photon Microscopy and in fact using Chameleon Lasers.
Imaging in the neuro-sciences, where we can actually look at brain cell structure, we
can look at neurons firing, we can observe learning processes.Being able to image deeper
within specimens, has enabled new techniques, particularly in applications like cancer research,
where the physician can look deeper into tissue and observe drug uptakes. Also for tropical
medicine, where we may be able to observe diseases like malaria and how they progress
through the bloodstream. Coherent Scotland will still maintain a philosophy behind its
business to take very complicated laser physics and physics based problems and productize
it in a certain way that puts it in the hands of users that can get the most benefit from
the technology. Chameleons can now be found everywhere, from hospitals to universities,
to dedicated imaging core facilities, within research centres all over the world - from
the US, to the Far East, Australia. And we've even sent Chameleons as far as Antarctica.The
company has now grown to more than 100 employees. We do all the manufacturing here at Coherent
Scotland. This has provided jobs both for Scotland and the UK and jobs for physicists
as well. Because the manufacture of these lasers inside, is still a very complicated
technology. The Chameleon and other industrial products have driven growth into the tens
of millions of pounds and this has further enabled larger and wider markets like the
Multi-Photo Microscopy. Without this type of laser technology, these industries would
not have grown. Coherent Scotland is very proud to be the first Scottish winner of the
Institute of Physics Innovation Award. It's a great accolade for all our employees here,
who've been working hard over the last ten years to create that success. And for Coherent
Inc's point of view, it certainly adds market goodwill and shareholder value.