Advanced Photonix to Supply Avalanche Photodiodes for Retinal Imaging

CAMARILLO, Calif., April 25 --Advanced Photonix Inc. said it has booked a $395,000 follow-on order to provide its proprietary LAAPD cooled detectors to Optos PLC, Dunfermline, UK. The detectors are a key component in the Optos Panoramic 200 ophthalmoscope, a retinal diagnostic system which uses scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) technology.

Optos developed its new eye-care technology to provide ophthalmologists and optometrists with improved image capture and analysis capability for the early detection and prevention of eye disease. The SLO technology incorporated in the Panoramic 200 uses a low-power laser beam that scans the retina two-dimensionally. Light reflected from the retina is detected by API's patented LAAPD device and transformed into a digital computer image. This image is captured in a "patient-friendly" manner, without the need for dilation, contact with the cornea or scleral depression, Advanced Photonix said.