Health sciences and photonics company PerkinElmer Inc. of Waltham, Mass., has signed a licensing agreement with Max Planck Innovation, the technology transfer organization of the Max Planck Society, for its ultrafast, low-crosstalk solid-state silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) technology. Devices with SiPM technology can detect extremely low numbers of photons and can even be operated in a single-photon counting mode. SiPM boasts ultrashort response times and extremely low power consumption compared with traditional avalanche photodiodes (APDs) and is applicable to a variety of low-light level applications. PerkinElmer’s photon detection products include silicon and indium gallium arsenide APDs and PIN photodiodes for high-performance applications as well as channel photomultipliers for molecular detection in analytical applications and clinical diagnostics. The company said Max Planck’s SiPM technology will allow it to serve applications including positron emission tomography (PET) diagnostic scanning and a variety of analytical fluorescence applications.