nir-vana innovation network

The Belgian company began its activities with the development of optical instrumentation for microgravity experiments for the space sector in 1996. Since 2008, the company diversified its activities to a number of sectors: ophthalmics, industry and security. Recently to fuel its growth in the industry sector the company is focusing on applications in the health sector: medical devices, medtech, biotech, pharmaceutical and also in environmental field. The company's activities can be divided into three categories:

(1) Engineering services to design custom optical systems including optics, opto-mechanics, electronics, software, algorithms engineering.

Large number of custom optical systems target microscopes and spectrometers of various configurations, such as: fluorescence, light-sheet, confocal or absorption microscopes; custom spectrometers in the ultraviolet (UV), visible (VIS), Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) and mid-infrared (MIR). A custom microscope or spectrometer means a device that is designed to best to match the application and the form-factor & usability required by the end-user.

For example, in the medtech sector, the firm supplies optical engineering services for custom in vitro diagnostic (IVD) devices and quality control (QC) in bio & pharma manufacturing (ex: fluoresc. imaging, Raman imaging, microscopy, spectrometry) inclunding early conception, design, prototyping, industrialization of devices, until recurrent manufacturing and contract manufacturing.

In the industry sector they mainly act in process controls, optical sensors, quality control in glass manufacturing, optical surface & mirror manufacturing, automotive (Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) sensors, car lighting).

(2) Contract manufacturing for optical based products with a focus on medical devices

(3) Manufacturer and producer of standard metrology tools for the ophthalmic market.

The company offers his technology and experience under research cooperation agreement and manufacturing agreement in order to create, adapt and develop new applications, opportunities and niche markets.

Under research cooperation agreement, the company is looking for technical partners specialised in aerospace, industrial, medical medtech, biotech, pharmaceuticals agrofood, environmental and other life sciences to work together on the exploratory research and development of a new solutions based on his optical systems and sub-systems technologies. The company offers its optical engineering services in close cooperation with its partners where, and prior to any development activity, it co-creates the optimum solution with the partner to meet its product requirements in terms of technical performance, cost and usability.

Under manufacturing agreement, the company offrering his optical technologies for medical devices and ophthalmic metrology tools with EN 9100 certified quality system. The Belgian company can provide manufacturing infrastructure in Belgium (1000m² clean room facility) with optics assembly and test toolings and know-how, metrology equipment Good manufacturing practices (GMP) compliancy and CE certification services, as well as engineering design services (optics, mechanics, electronics and SW) in support of partners product manufacturing. Its concern is to provide its partners with engineering support to keep the best performance/cost/usability compromise over time and to accompany them in its use with a fast and technically efficient after-sales service.

Advantages & innovations

*The company is very fast in building new prototypes (weeks). *Regarding research cooperation, one of its strengths is in Raman and fluorescence imaging. They offer an innovative full-field Fluorescence/Raman imaging camera that is unique in the market: high throughput (3Mega pixels datacube in 100s typical), fast, high spectral & spatial resolution, affordable and compact to allow interfacing on a microscope or any industrial platform. They have also developed a hardware platform that enables to design and build a custom microscope in a couple of months. Microscope can be of any type: absorption spectroscopy microscope, fluorescence microscope, confocal microscope, light-sheet microscope,... *Regarding the medical device manufucturing services, the companie benefits of 24 years’ experience in building industrial optical systems for ophthalmic, space, industry, medical and security markets with full control of the supply chain. Its expertise and innovation potential in multiple optical technologies (several products based on patterned proprietary designs) but also its expertise in space: compact, robust and tough environment compatible systems. The company is already engaged in international collaboration and project, especially in USA and has a good portfolio of references: ***Ophthalmic sector: devices are present at most lens manufacturers, including leaders such as Alcon, Hoya, Johnson & Johnson or Bausch & Lomb. ***Aerospace sector: CSL, Airbus defense and space, Qinetiq, etc. ***Industry: Hereaus Electro-Nite, Valeo, Ovizio Imaging Systems, Atlas Copco, Barco, etc. *Finaly, the company is world leader in Quality Control (QC) for ophthalmic products thanks to its instrument for inspection of ophthalmic lenses

Stage of development

Already on the market

Partner sought

Any partners active in aerospace, industrial, medical, medtech, biotech, pharmaceuticals, agrofood, environmental and other life sciences under manufacturing and R&D agreement in European and non-European countries with manufacturing or cooperation agreements need for B2B products embedding optics in order to develop new applications and/or manufucture new device. All type/size of partner are welcomed. The company offers its optical-based products technologies and experiments. In order to support the partner in its development, the company offers a full program of service and customization for its instruments and software applications.