CIRTEMO™ Announcements

Thorlabs announced today that it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire Columbia-based Cirtemo, LLC. The acquisition includes two unique technologies: Multivariate Optical Elements for spectroscopic chemical analysis and Nanopatterning Tools known as MagAssemble, which were originally developed by MagAssemble, LLC and are used to “3D print” photolithography masks using nanoparticles. MagAssemble, LLC was recently consolidated with Cirtemo, LLC.

Cirtemo’s multivariate optical elements (MOEs), are wide-band optical spectral filters capable of detecting complex chemical signatures using a simplified optical instrument, effectively replacing a dispersive spectrometer with a compact instrument that uses a single element detector. Although MOE’s are fabricated using the same techniques as traditional optical bandpass filters, Cirtemo’s wide-band optical interference filters are capable of sampling more spectral wavelengths than discrete bandpass filters. By doing so, MOEs provide a higher level of sensitivity and specificity for real-time chemical detection of powders, liquids, slurries, and gases with transmission signatures in the 250 nm to 14 µm range. With the use of MOEs, spectroscopic optical systems can be smaller, lighter, and subjected to harsher environments than traditional optical systems, all while achieving the same analyte detection capabilities of laboratory-grade optical spectrometers.

The compact, MOE-enabled filter photometer configuration, achieved by combining multiple MOEs with a single system, is particularly advantageous for in-line process monitoring on the factory floor, point-of-care clinical use, and incorporation into field-based instruments. Using multiple MOEs, a focal plane array can be leveraged to create a real-time hyperspectral imager that can be employed to detect hazardous chemicals, explosive materials, and biological samples.

Cirtemo’s MagAssemble technology provides a low-cost and higher throughput alternative to the traditional microlithography techniques used to produce 2D patterned structures. Taking advantage of the 50+ years of research and development that has gone into the advancement of hard disk drive technology, Cirtemo’s patented Pattern Transfer Nanomanufacturing™ (PTNM) platform can be employed to create customized photolithographic masks with features as small as a few nanometers. The masks are “printed” by fusing ferrous nanoparticles (measuring ~30 nm in diameter) that are organized into various unique nanometer to micron scale patterns. These patterns vary from simple lines to complex mixtures of lines, dots, circles, and polygons that can be etched into a range of flat or curved substrates.

Among other things, the PTNM process is ideal for producing custom diffractive optical elements for use in the UV to IR spectral range. It can be applied to numerous substrate materials, including polymers, silicon wafers, fused silica, sapphire, and even optical fibers, thus creating laser quality, robust, miniaturized optical components.

The Cirtemo team will remain in South Carolina, form a division called Thorlabs Spectral Works (TSW), and operate as an R&D facility reporting to Thorlabs’ Optics Business Unit in Newton, NJ. For more information on multivariate optical elements or the pattern transfer nanomanufacturing tools, please contact us at TSW@thorlabs.com.

About Cirtemo: Founded in 2012, Cirtemo designs and manufactures patented optical filters, called Multivariate Optical Elements, which are encoded to detect complex chemical compounds. Cirtemo’s patented Multivariate Optical Element platform enables optical systems to perform spectroscopic analysis at the speed of light to a wide range of industries; these include life science, pharmaceutical, chemical, medical device, agriculture, food and beverage, semiconductor, pet nutrition, environmental, plastics, and multiple cleantech applications. Employing their MagAssemble Technology, pattern-transfer nanomanufacturing can be used to fabricate patterned nanoscale structures that hold promise for applications in a wide range of photonics-enabled applications.

About Thorlabs: Thorlabs, a vertically integrated photonics products manufacturer, was founded in 1989 to serve the laser and electro-optics research market. As that market has spawned a multitude of technical innovations, Thorlabs has extended its core competencies in an effort to play an ever increasing role serving the Photonics Industry at the research end, as well as the industrial, life science, medical, and defense segments. The organization’s highly integrated and diverse manufacturing assets include semiconductor fabrication of Fabry-Perot, DFB, and VCSEL lasers; fiber towers for drawing both silica and fluoride glass optical fibers; MBE/MOCVD epitaxial wafer growth reactors; extensive glass and metal fabrication facilities; advanced thin film deposition capabilities; and optomechanical and optoelectronic shops.

Multivariate Optical Element innovator, CIRTEMO, announced today that the company has developed the world’s first nanoscale optical arrays using MagAssemble technology.

“Today, custom optical arrays are very expensive, complicated, and slow to manufacture, especially on the prototype scale. With the MagAssemble technology, we can help customers create low-cost, high-value optical filter arrays and other diffractive optics very quickly, in some cases, within days,” said Jason Williamson, CIRTEMO’s Chief Executive Officer. “We can now help our customers develop unique optics, especially on the micro and nano scale. The MagAssemble technology is a game changer for companies who are developing hyperspectral imaging systems for industrial, defense, agricultural, life science, and autonomous vehicle applications.”

CIRTEMO is commercializing two core optics platforms; Multivariate Optical Computing (MOC) and Pattern Transfer Nanomanufacturing (PTMN) based on MagAssemble technology. The MOC platform allows for the design and manufacture of patented optical filters, Multivariate Optical Elements, which are encoded to detect/measure complex chemical compounds and attributes in real-time. The PTMN platform allows CIRTEMO to design and manufacture shapes and structures on the nanometer scale. These features can then be transferred to a wide variety of substrates for producing unique optics that are not possible with traditional optical manufacturing techniques. CIRTEMO’s technology platforms are ideally suited for both point detection sensors and hyperspectral imaging systems.

“As camera sensor manufacturers both increase the number of pixels within a camera while reducing the size of the pixels, the ability to manufacture optical filters and other diffractive optical elements on the nanoscale will become paramount,” said Dr. Ryan Priore, CIRTEMO’s Chief Technology Officer. “With PTMN technology, we can manufacture a variety of arrays on the nanoscale in both the visible and short wave infrared regions of the optical spectrum. Our existing partner network can mate these optical filters to a variety of detectors and/or focal plane arrays which are ideally suited for prototyping next generation hyperspectral imaging systems.”

CIRTEMO primarily partners with Optical Filter Manufactures (OFMs) and Optical Component and System Manufacturers (OCSMs). CIRTEMO’s technology platforms allow OFMs and OCSMs to differentiate their offerings with a well-protected IP position and enable their customers to tackle new applications that are not possible with traditional optical filters and coatings.

CIRTEMO is the second company to be founded to commercialize the patented Multivariate Optical Element platform that was invented by Dr. Michael Myrick at the University of South Carolina. Prior to founding CIRTEMO, Jason Williamson founded Ometric in 2005. Ometric successfully commercialized the Multivariate Optical Element platform in a wide variety of large industrial sectors, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, pet nutrition, mining, food and many others. The company was sold to Halliburton in 2011. Although the exact sale price of Ometric is considered confidential, Halliburton paid more than eight figures for the company, and the transaction generated the largest royalty payment in history ever paid to the University of South Carolina ($2.7M).

Multivariate Optical Element innovator, CIRTEMO, announced today that Semiconductor Devices (SCD) and SCD USA will showcase a Multivariate Optical Element hyperspectral imaging demonstration at SPIE DCS 2017 exposition in Anaheim, CA April 9-13, 2017. SPIE Defense + Commercial Sensing Expo hosted at the Anaheim Convention Center, is the key premier exhibition for researchers, engineers, product developers, and purchasers who specialize in optics and photonics.

“Our goal for this demonstration is to help our partners and customers understand how IR sensors can be combined with Multivariate Optical Elements to provide high value chemical information in real-time.” said Jason Williamson, CIRTEMO founder. “Multivariate Optical Elements can optimize the performance of traditional hyperspectral systems and in some cases reduce post processing and data storage by up to two hundred times. This is a game changer for companies and end users developing hyperspectral imaging systems for industrial, defense, agricultural and life science applications.”

CIRTEMO designs and manufactures patented optical filters, called Multivariate Optical Elements, which are encoded to detect/measure complex chemical compounds and attributes. It’s patented Multivariate Optical Element platform enables optical systems to perform high value detection and analysis at the speed of light, to a variety of industries. Multivariate Optical Elements are ideally suited for point detection sensors and hyperspectral imaging systems.

During the SPIE DCS 2017 conference, CIRTEMO personnel, will be at the Semiconductor Devices (SCD) booth #301 to provide a technology overview of how companies and end users can leverage the patented Multivariate Optical Element for advanced hyperspectral imaging applications.

Multivariate Optical Element innovator, CIRTEMO, announced today that Dexter Research will showcase a new class of infrared chemical sensors at Sensors Expo 2016 in San Jose, CA June 22-23, 2016. Sensors Expo and Conference, hosted at the McEnery Convention Center, is North America’s premier exhibition for researchers, engineers, product developers, and purchasers who are focused on sensors and sensor-integrated systems.

“We are excited to work with Dexter Research. For decades, they have produced the highest quality Infrared detectors available in the marketplace” said Jason Williamson, CIRTEMO founder. “Now by combing Dexter’s Infrared detectors with Multivariate Optical Elements (MOE), we are enabling customers to develop low cost, high value chemical sensors which rival the performance of laboratory instruments. MOE sensors can be leveraged in all sorts of industries and applications, from automotive to medical and life science to industrial and defense.”

CIRTEMO designs and manufactures patented optical filters, called Multivariate Optical Elements, which are encoded to detect/measure complex chemical compounds and attributes. It’s patented Multivariate Optical Element platform enables optical systems to perform high value detection and analysis at the speed of light, to a variety of industries. Multivariate Optical Elements are ideally suited for point detection sensors and hyperspectral imaging systems.

“Multivariate Optical Elements provide our customers with the ability to design detector and sensors packages for specific chemical signatures or attributes of interest.” explained Robert Toth, Jr., president of Dexter Research. “Once combined with our Infrared detectors, Multivariate Optical Elements create powerful, application specific chemical sensors. CIRTEMO’s Multivariate Optical Element technology gives our customers an additional tool set to help solve their toughest applications when traditional optical filters just will not work.”

During the Sensors Expo 2016 conference, members of the CIRTEMO team will be at the Dexter Research booth #629 to provide a technology overview of how companies and end users can leverage the patented Multivariate Optical Element with Dexter’s Infrared detectors for advanced chemical sensing applications.

Multivariate Optical Element innovator CIRTEMO announced today that Chroma Technology Corp., and it’s small instrument subsidiary 89 North Inc. will host Dr. Ryan Priore, CIRTEMO Chief Technology Officer, at Photonics West in San Francisco February 16th through February 17, 2016. With more than 20,000 attendees from 80-plus countries, Photonics West 2016 at the Moscone Convention Center is the premier venue for optics, photonics and multivariate optical computing.

CIRTEMO Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Ryan Priore will be at the Chroma and 89 North booth to provide a technology overview of how companies and end users can leverage the patented Multivariate Optical Element platform. Dr. Priore will be at the booth at 11 AM and 1 PM on February 16 and 17. Interested parties will also have an opportunity to register to be selected to have a Multivariate Optical Element designed by CIRTEMO and manufactured by Chroma for their specific application. Chroma will also host private briefings by appointment to discuss the Multivariate Optical Element platform.

CIRTEMO designs and manufactures patented optical filters, called Multivariate Optical Elements (MOE), which are encoded to detect/measure complex chemical compounds and attributes. Its patented Multivariate Optical Element platform enables optical systems, to perform high-value detection and analysis at the speed of light, to a variety of industries. Multivariate Optical Elements are ideally suited for point detection sensors and hyperspectral imaging systems. CIRTEMO has chosen to partner with Chroma Technology to manufacture these patented filters.

“We are excited to host Dr. Priore at our booth this year, so our customers and other interested parties can learn how Chroma and CIRTMEO can help them harness the power of Multivariate Optical Elements for their applications”, said Paul Millman, president of Chroma Technology. “In addition to partnering in the manufacture of the MOEs, the concept of Multivariate Optical Computing and the use of Multivariate Optical Elements provides the design engineers at 89 North a unique tool set to solve challenging spectral problems.”

Multivariate Optical Computing innovator, CIRTEMO™, announced today that PIXELTEQ will showcase a Multivariate Optical Element hyperspectral imaging demonstration at Electronic Imaging 2016 in San Francisco February 16-17, 2016. The 2016 IS&T International Symposium on Electronic Imaging (EI 2016) will be held at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square in San Francisco, California, 14-18 February 2016.

“CIRTEMO’s Multivariate Optical Element platform is very complementary to PIXELTEQ’s Spectrocam™ and Pixelcam™ technology platforms.” said Marco Snikkers, Vice President Sales and Marketing at PIXELTEQ. “From defense to medical to precision agriculture applications, Multivariate Optical Elements can enable hyperspectral imagers and point detection sensors to achieve superior performance compared to more traditional optical filter configurations.”

CIRTEMO designs and manufactures patented optical filters, called Multivariate Optical Elements, which are encoded to detect/measure complex chemical compounds and attributes. Its patented Multivariate Optical Element platform enables optical systems, to perform high value detection and analysis at the speed of light, to a variety of industries. Multivariate Optical Elements are ideally suited for point detection sensors and hyperspectral imaging systems.

During the Electronic Imaging 2016 conference, CIRTEMO Chief Technology Officer, Dr. Ryan Priore, will be at the PIXELTEQ demonstration to provide a technology overview of how companies and end users can leverage the patented Multivariate Optical Element and Pixelated platforms for advanced hyperspectral imaging applications. The hyperspectral imaging demonstration will feature CIRTEMO’s Multivariate Optical Element platform, PIXELTEQ’s Spectrocam kit, and, Raptor Photonic’s Owl 640 camera integrated with SCD’s InGaAs sensor. The 2016 Electronic Imaging Demonstration Session will be held at the Hilton San Francisco, Union Square Hotel, February 16, 2016 from 5:30-7:30 pm.

“Our goal for teaming with PIXELTEQ is to help our partners and customers understand how hyperspectral systems can be combined with Multivariate Optical Elements to provide high value chemical information in real-time.” said Jason Williamson, CIRTEMO founder. “Multivariate Optical Elements can optimize the performance of traditional hyperspectral systems and in some cases reduce post processing and data storage by up to two hundred times. This is a game changer for companies and end users developing hyperspectral imaging systems for industrial, defense, agricultural and life science applications.”

Multivariate Optical Computing innovator, CIRTEMO™, announced today that the company will partner with optX imaging systems LLC of Lorton, VA to develop a novel Short Wave Infrared (SWIR) tactical hyperspectral imaging sensor for Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Defense.

“We are very excited for optx imaging systems on their recent DARPA funding award” said Jason Williamson, CIRTEMO founder. “This project will showcase several benefits of using Multivariate Optical Element (MOE) technology in next generation hyperspectral imaging systems.”

“By leveraging CIRTEMO’s patented Multivariate Optical Element technology, optX proposes to develop a cost effective, compact infrared tactical hyper spectral imaging sensor with high spatial and spectral resolution.” said Dr. Roy Littleton, optx imaging systems, LLC CEO. “The goal is to develop efficient, compact, configurable, yet cost effective, hyperspectral imaging solutions that will have a much greater impact in future tactical systems and commercial applications.”

“Today’s Hyperspectral system designs are burdened with a complex trade space including size, weight, field of view, spatial resolution, spectral resolution, sensitivity, data rates, and processing overhead.” said Dr. Ryan Priore, CIRTEMO CTO. “Multivariate Optical Elements are ideally suited for applications which have low size, weight and power requirements. In addition, Multivariate Optical Elements provide a tremendous advantage over traditional hyperspectral imagers by reducing computational and human resources required for processing specific, real-time, high value information about a scene.”

Multivariate Optical Computing innovator, CIRTEMO™, announced today that the company will partner with Semi Conductor Devices (SCD) of Hafia, Isreal to develop next generation hyperspectral imagers based on the Multivariate Optical Element platform.

“We are excited to partner with SCD, as they are recognized as a global leader of designing and manufacturing infrared focal plane arrays (FPA), a key component of hyperspectral imagers” said Jason Williamson, CIRTEMO founder. “By working together, we are able to leverage SCD’s experience with developing IR detectors with our ability to develop application specific Multivariate Optical Elements. Through this partnership we will bring two new real-time hyperspectral imaging product lines to market. From defense to medical to agricultural applications, the new imagers will enable customers to achieve unprecedented levels of high value chemical information about a scene for real-time decision making.”

“Over the past year we have simulated and built demonstrations which combine SCD’s FPAs with MOEs for chemical identification and camouflage detection applications.” said Dr. Ryan Priore, CIRTEMO CTO. “We have demonstrated that a MOE based system can provide real-time, high value chemical information and achieve the same or better results as expensive traditional hyperspectral imagers without the heavy post processing and delay issues normally associated with hyperspectral imaging. In fact, in most cases we can reduce the amount of processed image data by two orders of magnitude, which our customers and partners are getting pretty excited about.”

Dr. Ryan Priore, Chief Technology Officer of Multivariate Optical Element innovator CIRTEMO™, will present a poster showcasing National Science Foundation funded research for advancing Multivariate Optical Computing for fluorochrome discrimination during the 5:30pm “Optical Diagnostics and Sensing XV: Toward Point-of-Care Diagnostics” session Monday, February 9, 2015 at Photonics West. SPIE Photonics West 2015 is the leading conference for biophotonics and biomedical optics, optoelectronics, microfabrication, and photonics.

“Fluorescence applications continue to be an exciting arena for CIRTEMO™ and our customers,” said Jason Williamson, CIRTEMO™ founder. “The funding that the National Science Foundation provided for this project opens a whole new realm of possibilities for life science and medical device applications.”

In addition to the poster session during the SPIE BiOS and Photonics West conference, CIRTEMO™ experts will provide a technology overview of how companies and end users can leverage the CIRTEMO™ Multivariate Optical Element platform. The company will also host several free “lunch and learn” sessions and private briefings to discuss the new Multivariate Optical Element platform for fluorochrome discrimination throughout the week.

Multivariate Optical Element innovator CIRTEMO announced today that the company has won a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant award. The NSF awarded the prestigious grant to fund the development of a new Multivariate Optical Element (MOE) technology platform for fluorescence biomarker applications.

The project, to be completed under the supervision of CIRTEMO’s Chief Technology Officer Dr. Ryan Priore, aims to combine the data collection and processing steps of a traditional multivariate chemical analysis into a single step via an all-optical computing technology with little to no moving parts. The result, said Priore, will have “superior spectroscopic discrimination performance as compared to traditional band pass filter techniques. This project’s impact and commercial potential will be broad.”

CIRTEMO founder Jason Williamson, just as enthused about the research and its potential, noted, “Our team is pleased and proud to start 2014 as recipients of a National Science Foundation grant. The research this funds could allow the development of a simplified MOE-based sensor, ultimately moving certain life science applications like disease prognostication from the laboratory to the point of care.”

CIRTEMO announced today that the company will unveil an updated Multivariate Optical Element (MOE) platform for fluorochrome discrimination version 2.0 at the 2013 American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) annual meeting. The trade show, to be held in New Orleans’ Ernest N. Morial Convention Center from December 14 through 17, is the largest annual meeting of research cell biologists in the world.

“After our first fluorochrome discrimination platform launched early this year, CIRTEMO’s partners and customers provided valuable insight into the capabilities they are looking for in optical filters for their instruments and research,” said Jason Williamson, CIRTEMO founder.

“The imaging and excitation capabilities recently added to our fluorochrome discrimination platform are significant for cell researchers, instrument and diagnostic manufacturers alike,” said Dr. Ryan Priore, CIRTEMO’s CTO.

Multivariate Optical Element innovator CIRTEMO announced today that the company will unveil a new platform specifically focused on Neurobiology Applications in San Diego November 9 through November 13, 2013. With more than 30,000 attendees from 80-plus countries, Neuroscience 2013 at the San Diego Convention Center is the premier venue for neuroscientists.

“Neuroscience applications are an exciting arena for CIRTEMO, and we are just beginning to scratch the surface,” said Jason Williamson, CIRTEMO founder. “Our Multivariate Optical Element Platform for Neuroscience Applications opens a whole new realm of possibilities for optogenetics researchers.”

During the Neuroscience 2013 conference, CIRTEMO experts will provide a technology overview of how companies and end users can leverage the patented Multivariate Optical Element platform. The company will also host several free “lunch and learn” sessions and private briefings to discuss the new Multivariate Optical Element platform for Neuroscience throughout the week.

Commercial assays such as cytometry and pathology employ fluorochromes for cellular differentiation. In order to detect spectroscopic overlapping fluorochromes via bandpass filters, a non-trivial process of compensation is employed. Compensation leads to standard deviation differences in measured signals among the primary and spillover detectors which result in broader detection distributions and decreased sensitivities as well as fluorescence detections less than zero. Multivariate Optical Elements (MOEs) are wide bandpass optical filters encoded to detect/measure a complex chemical signature (i.e. target fluorochrome) in the presence of a strongly interfering matrix (i.e. secondary fluorochrome) and offer increased sensitivity and specificity for fluorochrome discrimination over bandpass filters.

Multivariate Optical Element (MOE) innovator CIRTEMO announced today that the company will unveil a novel platform for Compressed Infrared (IR) Hyperspectral Imaging (HSI) at the SPIE Defense, Security & Sensing symposium and exhibition in Baltimore, Maryland at the Baltimore Convention Center on April 30 through May 2, 2013. SPIE DSS is the largest international symposium related to optical sensors, systems, and sensing platforms.

“Infrared hyperspectral imaging sensors can be leveraged for a variety of applications, including detecting and identifying chemical, biological and industrial safety threats in a remote or standoff system”, said Jason Williamson, CIRTEMO founder. “Our Multivariate Optical Element Platform for Compressed Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging now enables our partners to develop new optical systems with superior spectroscopic imaging performance while minimizing size, weight and power requirements as well as bandwidth and cost. Our IR-HSI platform opens a whole new realm of possibilities for defense and industrial applications, as well as new image applications for life science and medical device markets.”

“IR-HSI sensors on the market today are generally perceived as expensive and require significant size, weight and power considerations. These sensors typically generate a massive amount of raw data which ultimately requires complicated data compression strategies” said Dr. Ryan Priore, CIRTEMO Chief Technology Officer. “By combining Compressed Optical Sensing with Multivariate Optical Element technology, our platform employs the compressed sensing advantages for both imaging and spectroscopy in a compact, yet powerful package capable of achieving a rapid measurement with high sensitivity and specificity for chemical, biological and other industrial safety threats.”

Multivariate Optical Element innovator CIRTEMO today unveiled a novel platform specifically designed for Nondispersive Infrared (NDIR) System manufacturers. The new platform allows for greater signal to noise ratios and increased sensitivity and specificity that will benefit NDIR system manufacturers and their customers.

“For decades NDIR sensor manufacturers have been limited to very narrow band filters to detect simple, straight forward gases. Now, by leveraging our Multivariate Optical Element platform, NDIR manufacturers can use their existing optical systems to detect very complex, spectrally overlapping gases,” said Dr. Ryan Priore, CIRTEMO’s chief technology officer.

CIRTEMO’s patented optical filters, called Multivariate Optical Elements, are encoded to detect and measure complex chemical compounds and attributes. Its patented Multivariate Optical Element platform enables optical systems to perform high value detection and analysis at the speed of light to a variety of industries. The technology also enables NDIR manufacturers to differentiate their sensors and optical system platforms in the marketplace.

“With our Multivariate Optical Element platform, NDIR sensor manufacturers can now tackle new markets and applications,” said Jason Williamson, CIRTEMO s founder. From industrial and medical gas analyzers to on board automobile fuel analyzers, Multivariate Optical Elements are a real game changer for NDIR system manufacturers.”

Multivariate Optical Element innovator CIRTEMO announced today that the company will unveil a novel partnership program for Optical Filter Manufacturers (OFMs) at the SPIE Photonics West 2013 exhibition this year at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, February 5-7. SPIE Photonics West 2013 is the leading conference for biophotonics and biomedical optics, optoelectronics, microfabrication, and photonics.

“With more and more market competition emerging and tremendous downward pressures on pricing, OFMs are looking for opportunities to differentiate their optical filter and coating product lines in the market place while also helping their customers achieve more from their optical systems,” said Jason Williamson, CIRTEMO founder. “With our patented Multivariate Optical Element platform, OFMs can now provide their customers with filters and coatings which can measure and detect complex chemicals, dyes and attributes that are not possible with traditional filters and coatings. By partnering with CIRTEMO OFMs can now differentiate themselves in the marketplace, and capture more revenue from existing and new customers.”

“With our help, OFMs can produce Multivariate Optical Elements with their existing deposition equipment and materials, thus extending and leveraging their existing investments in capital equipment and technical expertise,” said Dr. Ryan Priore, CIRTEMO CTO. “From next generation Life Science instrumentation to industrial sensors to medical devices, our patented Multivariate Optical Element platform enables Optical Filter Manufacturer’s customers the ability to tackle very complex applications.”

Multivariate Optical Element innovator CIRTEMO announced today that the company will unveil their next generation life science platform at the SPIE Photonics West 2013 exhibition this year at the Moscone Center in San Francisco February 2-3. SPIE BiOS is the leading conference for biomedical optics, diagnostics and therapeutics, biophotonics, optical microscopy, optical coherence tomography and optogenetics.

“Optical Filter Manufacturers, and Optical System Manufacturers who provide filters and develop instrumentation for life science and medical markets are very excited about our next generation Multivariate Optical Element platform,” said Jason Williamson, CIRTEMO founder “Their customers, including companies and end users who are developing next generation digital PCR applications, can achieve lower detection limits, unprecedented multiplexing, reduced cross-talk and much higher signal-to-noise.”

“Life science instrumentation, including next generation PCR instruments, is trending toward smaller sample volumes. These instruments need to provide greater signal to noise and the ability to distinguish specific molecules or classes of molecules in very complex spectrally overlapping mixtures.” said Dr. Ryan Priore, CIRTEMO CTO. “Our patented Multivariate Optical Element platform enables our customers to achieve these requirements without degrading or bleaching their samples.”

Multivariate Optical Element innovator CIRTEMO announced today that Dr. Ryan Priore has joined the company as Chief Technology Officer. Dr. Priore will lead all aspects of commercializing and advancing CIRTEMO's patented Multivariate Optical Element technology platform.

“We are very excited about Dr. Priore joining our team.” said Jason Williamson, CIRTEMO founder. “As one of the very top Multivariate Optical Element experts in the world, Ryan has deep application knowledge and experience of designing and applying Multivariate Optical Element based systems for real world applications. From digital DNA Sequencing and industrial sensors to medicals devices and hyperspectral imaging systems, Ryan and our Optical Filter and Systems Manufacturing partners are pioneering new technology that will have direct impact on industries and applications that touch our lives every day.”

“The Multivariate Optical Element platform is very powerful and it’s exciting to be working with optical filter and optical system manufacturers from all around the globe to build next generation Multivariate Optical Element based optical systems and components,” said Priore, Chief Technology Officer of CIRTEMO “Most people know about the Multivariate Optical Element platform for enabling industrial photometers to make laboratory grade spectroscopic measurements to provide real-time and inline chemical monitoring and process control solutions for industrial processes; however, now our partners are leveraging our patented Multivariate Optical Element platform into optical systems for all sorts of novel applications.”

Prior to joining CIRTEMO Dr. Priore served as Director of Biomedical Research & Development at ChemImage (Pittsburgh, PA). He also held previous roles as Director of Applications & Contract Services, and at OMETRIC (Columbia, S.C.) he was a Senior Application Engineer. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina, where he earned his Ph.D. in Analytical Chemistry.

Multivariate Optical Element innovator CIRTEMO today announced the initial close of its Series A funding round. The S.C.-based Upstate Carolina Angel Network led the financing that also included additional private investors. Proceeds from the initial financing will be used to hire key technical personnel and to support ongoing sales and marketing activities.

CIRTEMO designs and manufactures patented optical filters, called Multivariate Optical Elements, which are encoded to detect or measure complex chemical compounds and attributes. Its patented Multivariate Optical Element platform enables optical systems to perform high value detection and analysis at the speed of light, to a variety of industries, including life sciences, chemicals, medical devices, agriculture, food and beverage, pet nutrition, environmental, plastics, semi-conductor and multiple cleantech applications.

“Most people do not realize that optical filters – which are embedded into optical systems – are everywhere,” said Jason Williamson, CIRTEMO founder. “From breathalyzers and industrial sensors to medicals devices and onboard fuel analyzers for automobiles and aircrafts, optical filters are used in a variety of industries that touch our lives every day. Our patented Multivariate Optical Element platform enables almost any optical systems to detect and/or measure chemical compounds that are not possible with traditional optical filters and coatings while also improving overall system performances”

“We are excited to add CIRTEMO to the UCAN portfolio” said Matt Dunbar, managing director of UCAN. “CIRTEMO has a very strong intellectual property portfolio of over 40 patents. The company is addressing large, growing, global markets and most importantly, has a strong management team with a proven track record of successfully commercializing the Multivariate Optical Element platform.”

CIRTEMO is the second company to be founded to commercialize the patented Multivariate Optical Element platform that was discovered by Dr. Michael Myrick at the University of South Carolina. Prior to founding CIRTEMO Williamson founded OMETRIC in 2005. OMETRIC successfully commercialized the Multivariate Optical Element platform in a wide variety of large industrial sectors, including pharmaceuticals, chemicals, pet nutrition, mining, food and many others. The company was sold to Halliburton in 2011. Although the exact sale price of OMETRIC is considered confidential, Halliburton paid over eight figures ($XXM) for the company, and the transaction generated the largest royalty payment in history ever paid to the University of South Carolina ($2.4M).