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| Students | Faculty | Watt's Happening | Affiliates Employment | Optics Employment | Subscribe
May 1 Colloquium: 3:30 p.m. Meinel 307
This is the last Colloquium of the semester. Colloquium will resume again after classes begin in August.
Bruce Tromberg, University of California, Irvine, will present Medical Imaging in Thick Tissues Using Diffuse Optics. Jennifer Barton and Arthur Gmitro are the hosts.
Abstract: Medical diagnostic techniques based on near infrared (NIR) transillumination were first introduced more than 70 years ago to detect breast cancer. Although NIR light penetrates tissue to depths of several centimeters, early methods were not successful due to the fact that these approaches were qualitative and did not account for distortions from multiple light scattering.
Recent advances in temporal- and spatial- frequency-domain “photon migration” now make it possible to separate light absorption from scattering in thick tissues. Temporal frequency-domain methods measure the phase shift and amplitude of MHz - GHz intensity-modulated waves, while spatial frequency-domain techniques utilize structured light patterns to form wide-field images of tissue optical properties. Both approaches are based on comparing measured data with radiative transport models to acquire spectra and form images, i.e. diffuse optical spectroscopic imaging (DOSI).
This talk reviews principles of light propagation in tissue and describes the development of DOSI for non-invasively characterizing tissue structure and biochemical composition. Particular emphasis is placed on broadband methods for quantitatively recovering NIR absorption and scattering spectra. These data are used to determine the tissue concentration of deoxygenated hemoglobin, oxygenated hemoglobin, methemoglobin, lipid, and water, as well as the tissue “scatter power”. Clinical study results are shown highlighting the sensitivity of broadband DOSI to metabolic changes in breast cancer and in therapeutic drug monitoring. Broadband spatial frequency-domain imaging is used in pre-clinical animal models to dynamically map intrinsic brain signals and monitor the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents. These findings will be placed in the context of conventional imaging methods, such as MRI, in order to assess the current and future role of diffuse optics in medical imaging.
May 1 Special Presentation: 11:15 a.m. Meinel 821 Introducing OSC Biophotonics Faculty Candidate
OSC alumnus Alexandre R. Tumlinson, Cardiff University School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, will present Non-Invasive Observation of Retinal Activation with Optical Coherence Tomography in Humans. Abstract: The amount of light backscattered from neural tissues changes as a function of activation. The retina is a calculating portion of the central nervous grey matter with an optical quality window, and is likewise easily stimulated optically. Therefore the retina makes a natural model for observing neural interactions with optical tools. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an imaging modality that provides depth resolved maps of the amount of light backscattered from a tissue. OCT has wide clinical use for observing structural defects associated with ophthalmic disease. OCT has recently been used to observe an increase in backscatter in an excised rabbit retina at the level of the outer photoreceptor segment after bleaching light stimulation. We are currently translating this result towards a diagnostic technique for photoreceptor dysfunction in human patients. Current results are consistent with previous findings, however patient motion and physiological noise present barriers that must be overcome with increases in technological and experimental sophistication. Optical systems integration, improved stimulus protocols, and analysis of large image sets with a distributed computing network are used to improve signal isolation. Potentially, OCT may become a useful non-contact alternative to function electrical recordings such as electroretinogram with the additional benefit of closely correlated structural information.
Free CODE V and LightTools Licenses for Graduating Students
Optical Research Associates is pleased to offer OSC graduating students a free six-month license of CODE V or LightTools for use at your new jobs, with all the same benefits as our paying customers. It’s easy to sign up for this program. Just call 626-795-9101 Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST or send an email to sales@opticalres.com
Enter Optical Research Associates' Student Optical Design Competition
Optical Research Associates invites you to participate in its annual Optical Design Competition, which recognizes excellence in optical design projects completed by students.
For details, go to the ORA Web site: http://www.opticalres.com/student/optical_design_competition_f.html
BTW: Last year's winners included Joshua Jin Kim for Optical Vortex Coronagraph.
Topics in Entrepreneurship for Scientists
From Alaina G. Levine, College of Science. Fall 2008 - for graduate and undergraduate students. PHYS/MATH/ENTR/MCB 495f/595f - Topics in Entrepreneurship for Scientists. Wednesdays: 5:15 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. 1 credit. This course will present different topics in and aspects of entrepreneurship specifically for graduate and undergraduate students in science and engineering. The goals of the course are:
Perks: Students get extensive interaction time and networking opportunities with scientific, business, and entrepreneurial leaders, attend industry functions, and are assigned a mentor from industry to help guide them and their project. Interaction opportunities with guests speakers are plentiful. There are also professional development and leadership skill-building opportunities as well.
Read the article about the class: "UA Program Preps Science Students for Business World", Arizona Daily Star, December 6, 2007: http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/byauthor/214944
More info: http://psm.arizona.edu/content/entrepreneurshipcourse/index
2008 Group Photo
Mobile Rules! The following is reprinted from UA News. The photo at right shows UA's LensSense team: (from left) Yan An, Jamie YuFang, and OSC's Pouria Valley.
A team of University of Arizona student entrepreneurs more than held its own in a competition among the mobile phone industry’s leading innovators.
LenSense, a student-run company established through the UA’s McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship, was the only university team among the 12 finalists in Nokia’s “Mobile Rules!” Challenge – the world’s leading annual competition for business plans, applications and technology innovation in the business environment.
The cornerstone of LenSense is a compact, voltage-controlled, zoom lens module that would be integrated into cell phone cameras – directly addressing problems with camera phones currently on the market, including limited resolution and no optical zoom.
The startup venture’s vision is to supply a lens for one of every four cameras worldwide by 2013 through research and development and partnerships through cell phone manufacturers.
”We’ve centered around the premise that your best camera is the one you always have with you,” said Pouria Valley, a doctoral candidate in the UA College of Optical Sciences and a student in the McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship in the Eller College of Management. They are advised by Jim Jindrick, mentor-in-residence at the McGuire Center.
Now in its second year, the goal of Nokia’s Mobile Rules! is to discover developers and entrepreneurs who are creating new services for the mobile lifestyle. The technology innovation track of the competition focused on exceptional external innovations, technologies, patents and ideas that haven’t been fully developed. Approximately 100 companies, very few of which are university-based enterprises, presented their ideas for getting innovative new technologies in the hands of mobile device users.
As finalists, the LenSense team recently were able to personally present their business plan to Nokia executives in California.
The LenSense team – which includes Valley, who is the product and general manager; Jamie YuFang Huang, marketing manager; and Yan An, financial manager – came together as each of them planned to develop the business plan required of all students in the entrepreneurship program.
“At that time, Pouria was working by himself and needed someone to help him with the finance and marketing side,” An said. “We all thought this idea was the best fit for us.”
“Pouria always had passion for this technology,” Jindrick said. “Fortunately, Jamie and Yan were able to come and complete his team.”
The technology for LenSense’s first product proposal, ZoomSense 1.0, was invented and developed in the UA College of Optical Sciences in 2002.
“With small amounts of voltage we can change the focal length and therefore achieve optical zooming at a very compact size with no mechanical movements,” Valley said.
When applied to a cell phone camera, the technology allows the camera to achieve true optical zoom, improved picture quality and improved battery life, while maintaining the compact size to which cell phone consumers have grown accustomed. Currently, a typical camera phone uses only one lens with a fixed focal length.
According to Huang, the booming cell phone market was the ideal venue to implement and market the technology. At least 300 million cell phone cameras are manufactured each year.
While the Nokia competition has ended, the future is bright for LenSense and its team members. Huang and An will graduate in May and relocate for professional opportunities. Valley, with Jindrick’s continued support, will continue developing a camera phone prototype and pursue venture funding for LenSense.
Question of the Week from April 24
We asked if Amber Young is the first OSC student to attend a Lindau Meeting and Harry Barrett supplied an answer: Kit-Iu Cheong (MS 1998 and PhD 2007) and the late Dana Clarke (MS 2000) attended a Lindau Meeting.
Check Out Our Seniors' Capstone Projects on Thursday
Thursday, May 1 is UA's annual Engineering Design Day in which our seniors showcase their best work and compete for several thousand dollars in prizes. Hours are 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. in the Student Union's Grand Ballroom, with winners being announced at 4:00 p.m. If you can possibly find time to drop by to support our students, that would be great. According to UA's Engineering Design Day website, our seniors are team members on 18 industry-sponsored, real-world, cross-disciplinary design projects:
All Weather Multiple Field of View Infrared Imaging Surveillance Telescope, sponsored by BAE Systems Infrared Imaging.
Co-Boresighted Actively Pointed Illuminator, Spectrometer and Imager, sponsored by Lockheed Martin/Advanced Technology Center.
Components for a New Microwave Spectrometer System, sponsored by UA Chemistry.
Direct Wind Flux Mapping from UAVs, sponsored by Advanced Ceramics Research, Inc. (ACR).
Indoor Solar-Heated Cook Stove, sponsored by Peiwen Li, UA Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering.
Instantaneous Microbial Agent Detector System (IMADS) Lite, sponsored by BioVigilant Systems, Inc.
Low Cost Solar Concentrator for Renewable Energy System, sponsored by SunRISE Solar Engineering, LLC.
Magnetohydrodynamic Solar Power Generator, sponsored by UA Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Department.
Missile Dome Protection System, sponsored by Raytheon Missile Systems.
Motorized Camera Positioning System for Adaptive SPECT, sponsored by UA Center for Gamma-Ray Imaging.
Mouse-Optics Based Position Measurement and Display System, sponsored by Siskiyou Corporation.
Navigation Autonomy for Unmanned Surface Vehicle, sponsored by Arete Associates.
Ozone Monitor, sponsored by Lockheed Martin/Advanced Technology Center.
Remote Image System Acquisition (RISA) - Space Camera 4 (SC4) Development and Multispectral Analysis, sponsored by NASA.
Sensor and Mounting System for Security and Surveillance Applications, sponsored by K&A Wireless, LLC.
Solar Illuminator and Solar Cell Evaluation, sponsored by Raymond Kostuk, UA ECE and OSC.
Straylight Characterization in Machine Vision Lenses, sponsored by Edmund Optics.
Variable-Diameter Spot Projector for LCD Panel Testing, sponsored by Axometrics, Inc.
Faculty Promotions
Effective with the 2008-2009 academic year, Brian Anderson is promoted to Associate Professor with tenure, Jim Burge is promoted to Professor, and Matt Kupinski is promoted to Associate Professor with tenure. Congratulations Brian, Jim, and Matt.
OSC Calendar
May 1 Outstanding Grad Student Award Reception
May 2
May 7
May 8
May 9
May 16 OSC Pre-Commencement Celebration
May 17
Happy Birthday and Best Wishes for a Wonderful Year
May 5Chuck Greenlee (cgreenlee@optics.arizona.edu)
May 6
Julia Craven (jcraven@optics.arizona.edu)
May 7
Cindy Gardner (cindy.gardner@optics.arizona.edu)
May 9
John McInerney (mcinerney@ucc.ie)
May 10
Jacob Egan (jegan@optics.arizona.edu)
May 11
Paul Gelsinger-Austin (pgelsinger@optics.arizona.edu)
On Campus
May 1 Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering Seminar: 4:00 p.m. AME Lecture Hall, Room S212. Ms. Chunmei Chen will present On the Parameters Governing Fluidic Control of Separation and Circulation.
May 2 Physics Colloquium. 2:30 and 3:00 p.m. PAS 220. The Colloquium begins at 2:30 with a graduate student presentation. At 3:00 Professor Paul S. Ray will present The Advanced X-Ray Timing Array (AXTAR).
Please visit our optics employment Web site at http://www.optics.arizona.edu/employment/default.htm
Engineer I. Alcon. Salary Grade: 17E. Division: R&D. Requisition/Posting #: 010149. Department: SP – Surgical Technical Srvcs. Supervisor: Fan Zhou. Job Code: 005211. General Description: Alcon is the world's leading eye care company with $4.89 billion sales. The company's nearly 13,500 employees work in 75 facilities around the world to research, develop, manufacture and sell our products in more than 180 countries. Alcon is the largest specialty eye care company in the world and leads the growing $14.5 billion market for eye care products. For nearly 60 years, Alcon has delivered strong and stable growth and it is positioned to build on this record in the years to come. For nine consecutive years, Fortune magazine has selected Alcon as "One of the 100 Best Companies to Work For." Alcon's U.S. General Office is based at its 300-acre campus located in Fort Worth, Texas. The incumbent will be responsible for designing and developing new optics and electronics testing methods/metrology to meet the needs of new and existing products; transferring the new test method to the manufacturing; planning and conducting the competitor product analysis; supporting the on-going research and development activity; authorizing test procedures and technical reports for new system validation; and serving on the project team as Technical Services team representative. Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in one of the Engineering Sciences and one year of related experience, or Master degree in one of the Engineering Sciences with no work experience. Hands-on optical metrology experience with Zemax skills are plus. Position Success Factors: Planning and Executing; Problem Identification and Resolution; Communication; and Teamwork. Relocation assistance is available. Our generous benefits package includes the Alcon 401(k) Plan which matches employee contributions up to 5% of eligible pay at the rate of $1.00 for each dollar contributed and the Alcon Retirement Plan (ARP), a qualified plan in which Alcon contributes 7% of eligible pay to the accounts of all eligible employees. By combining the company's contributions to the 401(k) and ARP, employees can receive up to 12% of eligible pay from Alcon towards retirement. Alcon also offers medical, dental, vision, life and disability coverage, an on-site fitness center and much more. Consider having all this in a fast paced environment within a stable, world-class organization. Alcon is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to quality through diversity. M/F/D/V. Pre-employment drug testing.
Agency Listing. Optics Scientist. Seeking Optics Scientist (PhD) having experience in: electro-optical camera & associated component design, Texas Instruments & E2V chipsets, Peltier cooling. Software coding, RS232/485 command strings, PCB design and construction, ability to draft intellectual property patent materials, ability to draft, manage and execute a development program from existing provisional patents, familiar with, or have ability to become proficient in Free Space Optical bandwidth & data-transmission systems for airborne to ground applications. The hiring company is a small Defense contractor. Salary is dependent on experience, and may be augmented with profit-sharing. Work location is Tucson, AZ with approx 1 travel event of 3-4 days per month for the first 6 months. Please respond to NewOpticHire04@gmail.com
Agency Listing. Optical Test Engineer. Company is a World Class, fast-paced, well-established and financially stable, $5.0 billion global Medical Device Company, specializing in the discovery, development, manufacture and marketing of Surgical Products. This Company has been rated one of the top "100 Best Companies to Work for in America " by Fortune Magazine for the past 10 years in a row! The Company offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits and the best match for 401(k)s - they offer a 240% match up to 5% of total comp. They also offer a separate retirement plan - In this qualified plan, the Company will contribute an additional 7% of eligible pay on your behalf. By combining the Company's contribution to the 401(k) and Retirement Plan, you can receive up to 12% of eligible pay from the Company towards your retirement! The Company also offers medical, dental, vision, life and disability coverage, relocation assistance, an on-site fitness center and much more. Job summary. The job duties include: 50% Engineering/Testing on machinery for optical testing. 50% Analytical. Candidates need to have good data management and technical documentation skills. General Description: The incumbent will be responsible for designing and developing new optics and electronics testing methods/metrology to meet the needs of new and existing products; transferring the new test method to the manufacturing; planning and conducting the competitor product analysis; supporting the on-going research and development activity; authorizing test procedures and technical reports for new system validation; and serving on the project team as Technical Services team representative. Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Optical or Biomedical Engineering with 6 - 12 months related experience or Master's degree in Optical Engineering with no experience. Relocation Assistance is Available. For immediate consideration, please email your resumes to: adesmond@sprynet.com Information about Canton Technologies, LLC: We are a National Technical Recruiting firm headquartered in Clearwater, FL. We have been in existence for 15 years and we specialize in the Medical Device, Biotechnology, and Pharmaceutical Industry Recruiting on a local and National basis.
Students: When you graduate and leave OSC, your subscription to Watt's Up automatically expires. If you would like to continue your subscription, you may add (and later remove if you wish) your name to our Watt's Up listserv by visiting http://www.optics.arizona.edu/helpdesk/listserv.htm
Cathy Alexander Information Specialist Coordinator College of Optical Sciences, University of Arizonacathy.alexander@optics.arizona.edu
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Optical
Research Associates, better known as ORA and a long-time
OSC Industrial Affiliate at the Principal Partners level,
has a history of coming up with something special for optics
students. This year they have two offers: free
software for graduating students and a special design
contest for students who are continuing at OSC. Thank
you ORA -- you are great!
By
University Communications 
Newport
Corporation is the leading worldwide manufacturer
and distributor of precision components and systems
used for development and application of laser and
optical technologies, supporting not only advanced
research, but also sophisticated new technology and
industrial applications. Its products and expertise
are increasingly used in semiconductor manufacturing
and testing, fiber optic communications and other
commercial applications that require ever increasing
higher-precision and tighter tolerances.
SCHOTT
North America, Inc., the company that donated
the beautiful glass sculpture in our West Wing lobby
and an OSC Industrial Affiliate at the Principal
Partners level has a number of employment openings: