LASER World of PHOTONICS 2019: An Innovation Playground

RESHAWNA MAINE editorial.research@photonics.com

With a first-rate portfolio, LASER World of PHOTONICS (Laser Munich) is a one-stop shop for research and technology, industry, and academia — showcasing numerous photonics components, systems, and applications. The biennial conference and exhibition, to be held June 24-27 at Messe München in Munich, has been touted one of the world’s leading international trade fairs.

Visitors will experience innovation and cutting-edge technologies live and receive a more comprehensive look at the world photonics market. In 2017, more than 32,000 visitors from 73 countries attended the event. And nearly 1300 companies and organizations from 42 countries exhibited. Similar numbers are expected this year.

The biophotonics and medical applications/optical metrology and imaging sector will examine everything from AR/VR in medicine to vision for future diagnostics. Courtesy of Messe München GmbH.

The exhibition is broken into 10 sectors: biophotonics and medical engineering; illumination and energy; manufacturing technology for optics; imaging; lasers and laser systems for production engineering; lasers and optoelectronics; optics; optical information and communication; sensors, test and measurement, and optical measurement systems; and security. Visitors can gain an informative edge within the extensive lecture program and practice-oriented application panels.

Events include the MAKEATHON — a competition in which participants get to transform their ideas into functioning prototypes for the chance to bring their product to market — and offer hands-on experience. Developers, engineers, and students (as teams or individuals) have 24 hours to build — from scratch — software- or hardware-oriented products, or projects around various fields of technology and photonics.

Focus sectors will showcase the latest innovations. Shown: laservision imaging technology that is used for biophotonics applications and medical engineering. Courtesy of Messe München GmbH.

“Photons in Production,” a special exhibition, will feature two live laser demonstrations, a variety of exhibits, and a chance to interact with experts. Topics to be covered include new beam sources for higher efficiency in applications, such as laser beam welding with blue light; and measurement of welding depths as part of an in situ process monitoring and improvement system using machine learning and OCT approaches.

Laser Munich focus sectors include Biophotonics and Medical Engineering, which will look at everything from AR/VR as a support for medical challenges in clinical practice and education to vision for future diagnostics, which is both a fast-growing market and a highly innovative research area that focuses on microscopy methods and the optical diagnosis of infectious diseases.

Engineers, students, and developers in the midst of the MAKEATHON, a competition that enables participants to transform their ideas into functioning prototypes for the chance to bring their products to market. Courtesy of Messe München GmbH.

The Biophotonics and Medical Engineering sector will run in parallel with the World of Photonics Congress, which includes the European Conferences on Biomedical Optics (ECBO), providing the opportunity for scientific discussion of current research trends, such as microscopic imaging.

Photonics is part of a new laser-based revolution in medicine — theranostics — which combines the accelerated processes of diagnostics with specific targeted therapy for the benefit of the patient. In minimally invasive procedures, physicians can perform microscopic and multispectral tissue analysis using laser endoscopes to find and remove diseased tissue on the spot. Suppliers and users from all areas of this process chain will be represented at the trade fair.