Less than a month after announcing its strategic partnership with Zecotek Photonics, Hamamatsu Photonics has placed its first order for scintillation crystals, to be used in third-party positron emission tomography (PET) scanners. On July 16, Zecotek Imaging Systems Pte Ltd., the Singapore-based subsidiary of Zecotek Photonics, announced a joint collaboration agreement with Tokyo-based optoelectronic components supplier Hamamatsu Photonics KK to manufacture photodetectors, integrated detector modules, and associated electronics and data acquisition modules for imaging applications (See: Hamamatsu Photonics, Zecotek to Collaborate on Photodetectors). Hamamatsu's $500,000 order is for Zecotek's lutetium fine silicate (LFS) scintillation crystals, which Zecotek said are known for their high light yields and ultrafast decay times that allow for faster and higher-resolution operation of medical and industrial imaging devices, including PET scanners. ”Hamamatsu has made an immediate contribution to our strategic alliance,” said Dr. A.F. Zerrouk, chairman, president and CEO of Zecotek Photonics. "We have always believed in the cost/performance superiority of Zecotek LFS crystals. It has, however, been a challenge penetrating the large-scale imaging markets. Hamamatsu's partnership removes barriers and opens imaging industry opportunities for Zecotek products." The LFS scintillation crystals, which cover a wide range of emission wavelengths that can be tailored to match the spectral sensitivity of various photodetectors, will be supplied by the Beijing Opto-Electronics Technology Co., a subsidiary of North-China Research Institute of Electronics-Optics, Zecotek said. For more information, visit: www.zecotek.com