Lightpath Technologies, Inc. Announces Three Technical Breakthroughs That Make Possible All-GRADIUM-Glass Optical Systems
ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico--
Enables GRADIUM Glass to Enhance Broader Range of Technologies
LightPath Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: LPTHA/LPTHU), developer and manufacturer of patented GRADIUM(R) glass products for industrial, consumer, medical, telecommunications and solar energy applications, today announced a series of technical breakthroughs. Together, they make possible for the first time full optical systems comprised of all-GRADIUM(R)-glass components.
"The extension of GRADIUM technology to additional 'families' of glass means that designers and manufacturers in more industries will be able to leverage a new level of optical system performance, versatility and cost-effectiveness," said Mark Fitch, LightPath's Vice President Marketing & Sales. "We are responding to requests for working prototypes of all-GRADIUM-lens optical systems from customers who make camera lenses and solar energy and telecommunications components." Optical systems using LightPath products had contained a mixture of GRADIUM lenses and conventional lenses.
GRADIUM glass is the only material that can precisely "steer" light internally, collect and concentrate energy, separate wavelengths of high-speed data and be manufactured cost-effectively in all sizes and volumes. By doing the work of a series of lenses, a GRADIUM lens lets designers create optical systems that are more precise, yet contain fewer elements. All-GRADIUM-lens systems will offer increased all-around performance and precision, with even greater simplicity, and be more cost-effective to assemble.
GRADIUM Crown glass: a new level of color correction
Previously, GRADIUM glass was available in the "flint" category of glass. GRADIUM lenses are now available in the other half of the glass world, the "crown" category. Pairing GRADIUM flint lenses and GRADIUM crown lenses offers an unprecedented ability to bring a color-corrected, ultra-sharp image to precise focus. One family of the new GRADIUM crown lenses, the Titania group, is 40% lighter than any previous GRADIUM lens.
World's first single lens that delivers light with no color distortion
In other another development, which optimizes the color-correcting properties of GRADIUM crown lenses, LightPath has been issued its 14th patent, for "spectrally invariant GRADIUM - more glass." This type of GRADIUM technology enables LightPath to produce the world's first single lens that carries light to its target with no visible color distortions. Several conventional lenses have, until now, been needed to accomplish that result.
GRADIUM BiAxial(TM) lens: A new level of control for curving light
Finally, LightPath has perfected a GRADIUM BiAxial(TM) lens. This is LightPath's first lens of two fused pieces of geometrically matched GRADIUM axial glass. The BiAxial lens allows light to enter from "off-normal," or oblique, angles and still be transported straight down the glass to the desired spot. GRADIUM BiAxial lenses were developed for LightPath customers that manufacture solar energy collectors and wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technology for fiber optic communications.
Improving ultra-miniature videoconferencing cameras, solar concentrators and other cutting edge technologies
The net result of these developments is the ability to have all-GRADIUM-glass optical systems. "In many cases, optical designers must engineer lens products with four, six or even up to 20 elements. With the new all-GRADIUM-lens system capability, those combinations decrease from 20 to 10, and from four or six to as few as two, or even one single lens, in many cases," said Bill Walters, LightPath's Vice President for Manufacturing and R&D.
The all-GRADIUM-lens optical system capability is being marketed for digital electronic cameras; still and motion picture film cameras for industry and consumers; ultra-miniature color videoconferencing cameras for laptop computers; color fax machine lenses; color digital scanners; microscopes, and high-power solar energy concentrators.
"Our customer base has, until now, been concentrated in the industrial laser, medical imaging and silicon wafer chip inspection markets. The broadened availability of GRADIUM glass's properties is gaining for us a foothold in a new arena of imaging applications," said Mr. Fitch.
LightPath Technologies, Inc. manufactures GRADIUM materials at its headquarters in Albuquerque. LightPath common stock trades under the NASDAQ stock symbol LPTHA. LightPath units, comprised of common stock and warrants, trade under the NASDAQ stock symbol LPTHU.
For more detailed technical information, please contact Frank Sommerfield Communications, Inc. at 212-255-8386, or visit LightPath's Web site, www.light.net Contact: Frank Sommerfield Communications, Inc. 212-255-8386 mail@sommerfield.com
CONTACT: Frank Sommerfield Communications, Inc.
212/255-8386
mail@sommerfield.com
LightPath Web site: www.light.net
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