PHTO...trades otc bb around .75/.99....in here you will find PHTO>>>Photon Technology Intl...also, see below release.
(COMTEX) B: PHOTOREFLECTANCE DUAL GRATING MONOCHROMATOR SYSTEM Solici
B: PHOTOREFLECTANCE DUAL GRATING MONOCHROMATOR SYSTEM Solicitation
June 22, 2001 (FIND, Inc. via COMTEX) --
NOTICE TYPE: Solicitation
NOTICE DATED: 062001
OFFICE ADDRESS: Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and Tec
nology (NIST), Acquisition and Logistics Division, 100 Bureau Drive, Building 30
, Room B129, Mail Stop 3571, Gaithersburg, MD, 20899-3571
ZIP CODE: 20899-3571
SUBJECT: 66 - PHOTOREFLECTANCE DUAL GRATING MONOCHROMATOR SYSTEM
SOLICITATION NO.: SOL 01-812-1147
RESPONSE DEADLINE: DUE 062701
CONTACT: POC Tamara Grinspon, Contract Specialist, Phone (301) 975-4390, Fax (3
1) 975-8884, Email tamara.grinspon@nist.gov - Pauline Mallgrave, Supervisory Con
ract Specialist, Phone (301) 975-6330, Fax (301) 975-8884, Email pauline.mallgra
e@nist.gov
NOTICE TEXT: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) intends
to negotiate, on a sole source basis, under authority of FAR 13.106-1(b)(1),
with Semiconductor Characterization Instruments, Inc., of Brooklyn, NY, for the
purchase of one (1) Photoreflectance Monochromator System, with an option to
purchase one (1) Acquisition and Analysis Hardware/Software package within one
year from award of purchase order.*****The Semiconductor Characterization
Instruments, Inc. system is the only proven, commercially-available system on
the market that can perform the optical measurements of semiconductors required
by NIST's Materials Technology Group.***** The Photoreflectance Monochromator
System shall include: Photon Technology International monochromator with 1200
lines/mm and 750 nm blaze gratings, Xenon arc and tungsten-halogen lamp sources
with stabilized power supply, dual phase 7265 Perkin-Elmer lock-in amplifier up
to 100kHz, internally modulated 635 or 670 nm Coherent laser diode pump source,
EG&G UV enhanced Si photodiode detector with preamplifier, variable neutral
density filter normalization mechanism, assorted mirrors, lenses [quartz],
holders and other optical components, vacuum chuck wafer holder for up to 6"
wafers), and Surface Photovoltage Spectroscopy Option for Photoreflectance
Monochromator System including special wire grid collection electrode and Photon
Technology International chopper (up to 4 kHz).*****The Acquisition and Analysis
Hardware/Software package (if the Government elects to purchase this option)
shall include: Complete Windows NT software package for data acquisition,
analysis (lineshape fits including third-derivative Lorentzian, first-derivative
Gaussian, two-dimensional electron gas, Franz-Keldysh oscillations, etc.),
manipulation and display, IBM compatible Pentium based 800 MHz personal
computer, 17" monitor, and laser printer.*****Installation and a one-year
warranty on parts and labor shall be included for both the Photoreflectance
Monochromator System and the Acquisition and Analysis Hardware/Software
package.*****Delivery shall be FOB Destination, Gaithersburg, MD, and is
required 56 days or less from receipt of purchase order (ARO).*****The North
American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for this acquisition is
334516, and the size standard is 500 Employees.*****No solicitation package will
be issued. This notice of intent is not a request for competitive quotations.
However, responses received by June 27, 2001 will be considered by the
Government. A determination by the Government not to compete the proposed
acquisition based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion
of the Government. Information received will normally be considered solely for
the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.=20 -
Visit this URL for the latest information about this notice RECEIVED: (D-171
SN50P5P7) Issue No. PSA-2876
URL: eps.gov
Copyright (c) 2001: FIND, Inc.
-0-
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: ITL
SUBJECT CODE: GVC
66
--
Instruments
and
Laboratory
Equipment
*** end of story ***
Photon Technology International, Inc. (the "Company" or "PTI(R)") is a New
Jersey based high technology corporation, incorporated in November 1983. PTI is
engaged in the business of exploiting the many applications of the proprietary
fluorescence technology that it has developed.
Fluorescence is a relatively new technique that offers the following user
benefits:
o sensitivity - can detect 10,000,000 times smaller quantities than
conventional techniques
o speed - can detect 1,000,000 times faster than conventional techniques
o universal - some substances fluoresce directly, others can be made to
fluoresce, by means of fluorescence dyes that are specific to that
substance
o safe and can be used in vitro - the only competing technique is radio
active labeled substances, obviously much less desirable.
o cost competitive
Fluorescence is used to:
o measure minute amount of substances - can detect much smaller
quantities than by any other means
o measure changes in substances over time - the time can be very short
o show where substances of interest are located - can be visually
observed through a microscope o trace where substances are migrating
Examples of fluorescence applications are:
o environmental studies - how much pollutant; where is it located; where
does it originate
o pharmaceutical studies - drug affects
o process control - impurities, contaminants
o medical - detection of diseases in early stages, such as: cancer,
Alzheimer's, heart, kidneys,
nervous disorders - diagnostic
- causes of diseases - research
- reaction and monitoring of treatment
o agriculture
o foods - detection of bacteria and contaminants, measurement of
freshness
Fluorescence applications are growing, and can be found in virtually every
field, where the detection and monitoring of minute substances is of
significance.
PTI has developed a full line of proprietary and/or patented fluorescence based
instrumentation to serve as a platform for the exploitation of this useful
technique.
PTI moved its head offices from Monmouth Junction, New Jersey to Lawrenceville,
New Jersey in July 2,000. PTI sells its products in North America through a
direct sales force, located in four different sales offices in the U.S. and
Canada.
<PAGE>
In June of 1987, the Company incorporated a wholly owned subsidiary, Photon
Technology International (Canada) Inc., located in London, Ontario, Canada ("PTI
Canada"). PTI Canada's operations include manufacturing, research and
development, engineering and product support. PTI consolidated all in-house
manufacturing in Canada when it recently moved its head offices in New Jersey
and expanded the Canadian plant. The lower Canadian currency and labor costs
coupled with the availability of skilled labor, makes PTI's production more cost
effective.
Formerly European sales, service, distributors and product distribution were
managed from offices located in London England, through an unincorporated branch
office of the Company (PTI UK). In September of 1994, PTI established a 51%
owned subsidiary, PhotoMed GmbH in Wedel, Germany, to handle sales and service
in Germany, Austria, Benelux and Scandinavia, through a direct sales force. In
July of 1995, PTI acquired 100% of the subsidiary. On December 1st 1999,
PhotoMed was sold to Charles Marianik the President of PTI. The PhotoMed entity
will continue to distribute PTI's product in the same geographical area as its
primary business. In addition, PhotoMed has taken over service support for all
of Europe. The intent of the sale of PhotoMed is to gain access to European
financing in order to expand the sales and marketing of PTI's products in Europe
and to free up financial resources of PTI for marketing and sales in the rest of
the world.
In April of 1987, the Company entered into a research agreement with M.L.
Technology Ventures L.P. ("MLTV") to develop four different products. PTI has
successfully completed the products under the agreement. MLTV's interest in the
products have been taken over by PTI in exchange for 333,333 common shares of
the Company in December 1995.
The Company is focused on the fluorescence market place. PTI believes
fluorescence is a multi-billion dollar market, enjoying substantial growth. PTI
has the ability to identify commercial and scientific applications through its
technical and design capability and to provide products which "add value" to the
end users and which are responsive to these needs. This ability is key to the
Company's success. The Company's know-how that is employed in its design and
assembly techniques results in competitive products which have high precision,
quality and lower cost.
Industry
The Company operates in what can be broadly defined as the photonics industry.
The photonics industry utilizes light for application in medical research and
testing, pharmaceutical drug development, industrial process and quality
control, and environmental, research monitoring and control. It is a relatively
new industry, having only emerged in the 1970s.
Light-based instrumentation for industry, medicine, and research is a
multi-billion dollar business. As a result, applications for photonics
instrumentation and techniques for medicine are still emerging. The Company's
industry niche utilizes fluorescence technology to measure samples in small
amounts or quantities, track movement/location, monitor chemical or physical
changes and identify or isolate the sample from the surrounding environment. In
medical research applications and drug development, this can be accomplished
without harm or destruction to the sample (i.e. cells). In all applications the
speed, sensitivity and light reaction are important for process, quality control
and monitoring.
Technology
The application of light in the fields of industry, medicine, and research falls
into many broad categories. Among these is a phenomenon called "fluorescence."
It is this phenomenon that PTI's instruments are designed to create and measure.
<PAGE>
When light strikes a substance, the light is absorbed and then re-emitted. If
the wavelength of light that is re-emitted is different from that which is
absorbed, then the substance is said to have fluoresced. By stimulating
fluorescence and monitoring its location and intensity, scientists can identify
the concentration and changes of substances. While not all substances fluoresce,
it is possible to create a dye (also called a probe) that will cause
non-fluorescent substances to fluoresce.
While the phenomenon of fluorescence is certainly not new, applications for the
technique are new and emerging. The recent development of fluorescent dyes has
made fluorescence the most exciting tool in the industry today. Practical
applications for new dyes and assays are being discovered almost on a daily
basis. Fluorescence is now a multi-billion dollar industry.
Fluorescence is a powerful and rapidly expanding tool for cellular and
sub-cellular testing because it is:
o more sensitive than other means of detection (about a factor of
1,000,000 times more) which means that very small, sub-cellular
amounts of substances can be detected and measured with great
accuracy.
o safer than other means of detection, because it is non-invasive (does
not physically injure the cell) and non-radioactive (avoids health and
disposal problems).
o faster than other means - it can monitor changes in trillionths of a
second, or about 1,000,000 times faster than other techniques.
o a visual process - microscopic images can be gathered and displayed,
for example, showing changes inside living cells.
o less expensive than other techniques, which means it can do more work
for less money, while saving time, resources and even lives.
Products
PTI initially developed a line of proprietary and/or patented optical building
blocks ("OBB's") which form the basis of all light based instrumentation. The
Company sells these building blocks as stand alone units. In addition PTI uses
these unique building blocks to develop its open architecture fluorescence
systems. The open architecture offers the benefits of:
o more versatile equipment - more options
o customers can buy upgrades and options as they need them or can afford them
o less time for development of new systems - PTI can more rapidly meet new
market demands
o less chance of product obsolescence
o lower costs
PTI has many new products that it will be introducing over the next three years,
some of which are its own manufacture, some as a result of corporate parting
with other companies. PTI in light of the new product expansion, will continue
to upgrade and reorganize its product lines in order to be more effective in
marketing and sales. The two main divisions in the product groups are
components, Product Group I and systems, Product Groups II, III and IV.
<PAGE>
Product Group I - Optical Building Blocks
PTI's components make up this line. They are composed of:
- light sources, both conventional and nitrogen and dye lasers
- fiber optic illuminators
- light and sampling handling modules,
- various detectors using: photomultipliers, photodiodes and intensified
CCD cameras,
- microscope accessories that can be used with virtually any
manufacturers microscopes (PTI does not manufacture microscopes.)
PTI has introduced a new line of power supplies and starters for its light
sources that reduce RF interference, which has traditionally been a problem with
such products since they are used in places where computers and other sensitive
instrumentation are subject to interference from the RF. In addition the power
supplies and starters are lower in cost of manufacture.
PTI is currently test marketing a new light source line that will offer even
more efficient power output than its current light sources. Full product
introduction is anticipated in January of 2001. PTI has applied for patent.
As a result of a joint partnership with M.U.T., a German engineering Company,
PTI is introducing a new intelligent, portable spectrophotometer. This device
has the capability to detect many different types of substances or to analyze
light, such as color detection. In addition to the two current models PTI will
introduce a full line of accessories. Currently the product is being marketed
through the component group, but it is expected that over the next few years the
product will become an independent product line.
This product line has a very broad market, since these modules can be used
wherever light is used. In addition, the modules are being sold as single units,
as well as in several PTI systems. There are significant O.E.M. applications
that PTI is currently actively pursuing. This product line is PTI's oldest. The
products have been totally redesigned and kept up to the latest technology and
specifications.
Product Group II - Fluorescence Microscopy and Imaging
This is a new product line that was reorganized to combine all microscope based
fluorescence systems under one product line. Formerly the products were under
two separate product groups, the Ratio-Fluorescence Systems (excluding imaging)
- RatioMaster Line and the Fluorescence Imaging Systems ImageMaster Line.
The RatioMaster products were the first PTI systems, introduced in 1987. The
RatioMaster systems can detect various ions, or fluorescent-labeled compounds,
generally found in living organisms. The products have a wide range of
applications in the medical, life science and pharmaceutical areas. They are
currently used for research applications to diagnose diseases, monitor drug
effects, or to understand various functions of living organisms. The systems can
be used to study, in-vivo: tissues, cells, single cells or even events happening
at sub-cellular levels.
<PAGE>
Because the ImageMaster systems are used with PTI's RatioMaster systems and with
microscopes and therefore serve very similar markets PTI has decided to
incorporate them into the same product line. Imaging gives the added dimension
of spatial resolution. Not only can one detect and measure substances, but one
can also tell where they are - or if they are on the move - where they are
moving.
The patented RAM technology, developed with the MLTV funding, continues PTI's
technological leadership in this area. The RAM technology is used with both
RatioMaster and ImageMaster systems.
Added to this product line in the next fiscal year is the new fluorescence
microscopy systems (January 2001). These systems are used for routine
fluorescence applications in microscopy.
Product Group III - Spectrofluorometers - QuantaMaster
PTI has recently entered the largest single market in the fluorescence area.
Steady state fluorimeters are used in most basic fluorescence applications
wherever one has to detect small amount of substances, such as: environmental,
pharmaceutical, chemical, medical and process control.
PTI's modular architecture and price is unique in this market. The Company is
continuing to add options and accessories to complete the product line. Sales
have continued to increase at a steady state for this product line, but PTI is
looking at additional financing to fully exploit this product line.
Product Group IV - Fluorescence Life-Time Systems - TimeMaster
TimeMaster(TM) systems are used to determine fluorescence lifetimes, a technique
used to distinguish between similar substances. The fluorescence lifetime
represents the average time that a molecule spends in an excited state before
emitting a photon and returning to the ground state. It is an important and
unique feature of an excited state. Fluorescence lifetimes are very short. Most
fluorescence lifetimes fall within the range of hundreds of picoseconds to
hundreds of nanoseconds. The fluorescence lifetime can function as a molecular
stopwatch to observe a variety of interesting molecular events. An antibody may
rotate slightly within its molecular environment. A protein can change
orientation. A critical binding reaction may occur. Because the time-scale of
these events is similar to the fluorescence lifetime, the measurement of the
fluorescence lifetime allows the researcher to peer into the molecule and
observe these phenomena.
In late fiscal 1994, the Company introduced a revolutionary newly patented
design, and the most economical systems for fluorescence lifetime measurements,
the TimeMaster(TM) fluorescence Lifetime Spectrometers. These systems
revolutionized the fluorescence lifetime techniques by designing easy-to-use
systems which are consistent with the Company's modular and open architecture
strategy for products. Research and development efforts by the Company during
fiscal 1994 and 1995 provided a product line with a unique strobe technique, a
choice of two different lifetime techniques and three different base system
configurations as follows:
StrobeMaster(TM) provides a unique and patented strobe technique for measuring
fluorescence lifetimes which is economical to use. The strobe technique is
intensity dependent and provides accurate measurements at very high speeds.
These characteristics of the strobe technique are very important in the life
sciences area, where samples are not stable over long periods of time. The
StrobeMaster(TM) uses a NanoFlash(TM) illuminator source.
LaserStrobe(TM) is based on the strobe technique for measuring fluorescence
lifetimes and is as unique as the StrobeMaster(TM). With a nitrogen/dye laser
<PAGE>
illumination source, the strobe technique provides for measurements of lifetimes
with a precision of below one nanosecond.
The unique strobe technique, through the introduction and sales of the
StrobeMaster(TM) and LaserStrobe(TM), has started to be recognized and accepted
for measuring fluorescence lifetimes as evidenced by the increase in sales of
these systems during the early part of the current 2001 fiscal year.
New Product Application Developments
In addition to the development of new or improved products, PTI has started to
focus on new and emerging applications that have great future potential.
Although these applications may be long term, the lessons learned can be
incorporated into existing products keeping PTI's instrumentation state of the
art. Given PTI's limited financial resources, we have been judicious in pursuing
only a select few hot new opportunities.
New this year is the application of PTI's expertise in fluorescence microscopy
to forensics. PTI has developed and sold a specially developed forensic
microscopy system for a major U.S. crime lab for the identification of various
traces of substances that are found at a crime scene. PTI is currently examining
if this market niche is economically viable, since the Company has the expertise
to develop routine equipment for use in these types of applications.
PTI's fluorescence instrumentation this summer took a trip with the world famed
submersible Elvin, of Titanic fame. The submarine explored black smokers more
than a mile in depth on the ocean floor for signs of living organisms, where
PTI's instrumentation was used in studying these samples.
PTI will continue to explore the frontiers of science in fluorescence
applications. Currently PTI has been invited to explore fluorescence
applications in outer space. |
