Technology Innovators Vie for 'European Inventor of the Year' Awards

The inventor of the stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscope and the creators of a new ophthalmoscope laser scanning technology are among 12 finalists completing for Europe's top innovation prize, Inventor of the Year 2008. The prize recognizes inventors and innovations that were patented by the European Patent Office (EPO) between 1993 and 2002, said the award's

founders, the European Commission and the EPO.

The prizes, which are symbolic only, will be given in four categories: industry, small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)/research institutes, non-European countries and lifetime achievement. Nominated for his STED microscope under the lifetime achievement category is Stefan Hell, a director at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Göttingen, Germany, where he leads the Department of Nano bio photonics. With his invention, Hell surmounted the 130-year-old resolution limit in light microscopy and made it possible to observe fine details inside cells. Hell and his coworkers have used the STED to shoot the first live video of the inside of a living nerve cell with a resolution of 65 nm, observing the process of signal transmission in a nerve cell in real time. "The detailed observation in the inside of living cells will in the end lead to new knowledge in health care and lead to new therapies and medication," said Hell. Under the SMEs/research category, Douglas Anderson, Robert Henderson and Roger Lucas of Dunfermline, Scotland-based Optos were nominated for developing a new ophthalmoscope laser scanning technology for examining the retina, which could lead to earlier detection of eye cancers, diabetes and high blood pressure. Also nominated are Stephen R. Quake, Marc A. Unger, Hou-Pu Chu, Todd A. Thorsen, Axel Scherer of the California Institute of Technology for their nanotechnology breakthrough: an integrated fluidic circuit similar to a computer microchip that allows researchers to run experiments with quantities of liquids invisible to the eye. The awards ceremony will be held in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, May 6 during the European Patent Forum 2008.

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Published: April 2008

Glossary

laser scanning: Laser scanning is a technology used to create precise digital representations of physical objects or environments by capturing their surface geometry and appearance. It involves directing a laser beam over the object or scene and measuring the distance to points on the surface by analyzing the time it takes for the laser pulses to return to the scanner. The process typically involves the following steps: Laser emission: A laser scanner emits a laser beam directed towards the object or...
microscope: An instrument consisting essentially of a tube 160 mm long, with an objective lens at the distant end and an eyepiece at the near end. The objective forms a real aerial image of the object in the focal plane of the eyepiece where it is observed by the eye. The overall magnifying power is equal to the linear magnification of the objective multiplied by the magnifying power of the eyepiece. The eyepiece can be replaced by a film to photograph the primary image, or a positive or negative relay...
nano: An SI prefix meaning one billionth (10-9). Nano can also be used to indicate the study of atoms, molecules and other structures and particles on the nanometer scale. Nano-optics (also referred to as nanophotonics), for example, is the study of how light and light-matter interactions behave on the nanometer scale. See nanophotonics.
nanotechnology: The use of atoms, molecules and molecular-scale structures to enhance existing technology and develop new materials and devices. The goal of this technology is to manipulate atomic and molecular particles to create devices that are thousands of times smaller and faster than those of the current microtechnologies.
ophthalmoscope: Also referred to as a funduscope, an ophthalmoscope is a specialized instrument used by ophthalmologists for observing and photographing the fundus (interior) of the eye which includes the retina, macula, fovea, optic disc, macula, and posterior pole. The ophthalmoscope consists of a concave mirror with an orifice at the center through which the viewer examines the eye. A light source is then reflected to the eye from the mirror. A set of lenses are then rotated in front of the hole in the...
photonics: The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
resolution: 1. In optics, the ability of a lens system to reproduce the points, lines and surfaces in an object as separate entities in the image. 2. The minimum adjustment increment effectively achievable by a positioning mechanism. 3. In image processing, the accuracy with which brightness, spatial parameters and frame rate are divided into discrete levels.
retina: The retina is a light-sensitive tissue layer located at the back of the eye, opposite the lens. It plays a crucial role in the process of vision by converting light into neural signals that are sent to the brain for visual recognition. Layers: The retina is composed of several layers of specialized cells, each with distinct functions: Photoreceptor layer: Contains two types of photoreceptor cells — rods and cones — that convert light into electrical signals. Bipolar...

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