Data Optics Inc., a Michigan manufacturer of precision optical research equipment and optical test instruments, announced it is now a distributor in North America for UK-based Applied Scintillation Technologies (AST) products, including the CamIR1550 infrared (IR) camera and CamIR camera adapter. Also available through Data Optics are the full line of AST phosphorescent targets for IR/VIS/UV (infrared/visible/ultraviolet) beam detection and positioning. The products expand Data Optics' instrument products, which include miniature spectrometers, spectroradiometers, spectrophotometers and spectrocolorimeters. AST was recently awarded a US patent (7075576) for the CamIR1550, which is also patented in Europe. The lightweight portable system has high sensitivity (to 0.2 µJ/cm2) and is optimized between 1500 and 1600 nm, making it suited to applications in the telecommunications industry, AST said. Smaller than a 2-in. cube, the camera can be used with or without a lens to provide real-time imaging with no image lag or fade, the company said. Applications include on and off-site beam finding from communications band emitters, laser alignment of positioning machines, imaging optical outputs of high-speed fiber optics and other components, and device alignment. AST, part of the Levy Hill Group Ltd., is a provider of advanced imaging and detection solutions using phosphor and scintillation technology.