Applied Optoelectronics Inc. (AOI), a Sugar Land, Texas-based manufacturer of laser diodes, photodetectors and optical modules for fiber optic communications systems, announced it has acquired US Patent 6,263,002 from Micron Optics Inc., of Atlanta, Georgia. The patent is a fundamental one covering external-cavity diode laser technology. In this type of diode laser, one of the cavity mirrors is formed by optical elements not directly integrated on the laser chip. In particular, the acquired patent, along with AOI's own US Patent 6,669,367, covers external-cavity diode lasers (ECDLs) in which one cavity mirror is formed on the end of an optical fiber. External-cavity laser technology has many applications, including dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM), tunable lasers and low-chirp ultralong-distance directly modulated transmitter lasers. AOI said the technology will enable lower production cost of advanced diode lasers, compared with the current generation of distributed feedback and distributed Bragg reflector laser designs. . . . CTI Molecular Imaging Inc., a Knoxville, Tenn.-based provider of positron emission tomography (PET) equipment, molecular biomarkers and services has announced the resignation of Thomas J. Hook, who most recently served as senior vice president of CTI Molecular Imaging and president of CTI Solutions. Hook has accepted a position with another company. His resignation is effective Sept. 1. CTI has not announced a replacements for the position.