Zecotek Photonics Inc. has opened an LFS crystal production facility in Shanghai. “Our new crystal growing facility in Shanghai is a game-changer for Zecotek Imaging, as we now have full control of the production of our patented LFS scintillation crystals,” said A.F. Zerrouk, chairman, president, and CEO of Zecotek Photonics. “During the month of July and at the official opening ceremony, several of our customers inspected the premises and were impressed by the new facility and the lab installation of crystal growing ovens.” In late 2017 and early 2018, the medical scanning industry responded to recent patent litigation over scintillation crystals and other technologies incorporated into new high-resolution medical scanning devices. With intellectual property rights being enforced around the world, including China, many PET OEMs are demanding that suppliers producing a strategic product own the underlying patent. Zerrouk said that this shift presented the company with an opportunity to open its own LFS crystal facility. “By doing so, not only are we experiencing renewed interests from existing partners like EBO Optoelectronics and Hamamatsu Photonics, but we have also had new customers making significant orders and new investors investing at the divisional level,” Zerrouk said. “This is a very exciting time for our company.” Zecotek develops enabling technology, subsystems, and components for imaging, laser, and other scientific industries.