Zecotek Selects Beijing Opto-Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. to Manufacture Lutetium Fine Silicate LFS Crystals
Singapore, November 16, 2011 - Zecotek Photonics Inc. (TSX-V: ZMS; Frankfurt: W1I), a developer of leading-edge photonics technologies for medical, industrial and scientific markets, today announced a contractual agreement and partnership with the Beijing Opto-Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. (BOET) to grow and commercialize all versions of its patented Lutetium Fine Silicate (LFS) scintillation crystals. BOET is a leader in the photonics industry specializing in growing, cutting, polishing and large scale production of crystals. BOET is known for its competitive cost, continuity of supply and security of intellectual property.
“We are impressed with the innovative capacity and expertise of the Zecotek scientific team which has developed a unique and cost effective process to grow very high quality, specialized variations of scintillation crystals based on various oxides, and more specifically the class of crystals and varieties based on lutetium oxide,” said Ms. Xuezhen Xu, General Manager of Beijing Opto-Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. “The strength of Zecotek’s patents adds significant value for OEMs seeking a secure supply of LFS product. We have a number of international customers in the field of crystal applications and we very much welcome Zecotek as a strategic partner. We look forward to working with Zecotek’s scientific team to establish a high quality and consistent supply of LFS material. Our focus with Zecotek as with all international customers is quality of the product and stability of production which we are committed to providing both to Zecotek and its customers in the imaging industry at large.”
“Zecotek has established itself as the leader in fast and bright scintillation crystals for medical imaging, high energy physics and other gamma camera applications and BOET provides for a secure and reliable source of our crystals,” said Dr. A.F. Zerrouk, Chairman, President, and CEO of Zecotek Photonics Inc. “After a thorough selection process we chose the Beijing Opto-Electronics Technology Company to provide the imaging industry with a stable supply of our uniquely patented LFS crystals at a very competitive cost, while maintaining the integrity and protection of Zecotek’s patents. Zecotek and BOET can now fulfill incoming orders and will begin to build a large customer base moving forward.”
Founded in 2001, BOET has become the leader in the large-scale production of crystals grown by Czochralski method in China. It is a subsidiary of North-China Research Institute of Electronics-Optics and is owned in part by the Chinese government. The company has worked with a number of Canadian companies as well as other international companies.
Zecotek’s scientists have pioneered research in high-performance scintillation detectors and maintain a comprehensive research program which has resulted in development of the patented LFS scintillation material with all its variants. This very bright and very fast scintillation material was developed specifically for use in medical imaging systems, high-energy physics experiments, and other industrial and security applications. Improvements in radiation hardness directly translate into fewer replacements of detector blocks and less frequent recalibration of detection systems.
Zecotek’s scintillation crystals are extensively used in particle physics experiments and in other environments where the detection hardware is exposed to very large doses of ionising radiation. Zecotek’s manufacturing processes and technologies also permit the growth of very large-diameter boules with uniform properties and without cracking (a problem with many other competing scintillation materials), creating high element output resulting in lower unit costs. With superior performance and reduced cost the crystals are meeting tight budgetary requirements demanded by high energy physics experiments such as CERN’s Large Hadron Collider and positron emission tomography (PET) manufactures.
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About Beijing Opto-Electronics Technology Co., Ltd.
Beijing Opto-Electronics Technology Co. Ltd. (BOET) was founded in 2001 and is a subsidiary of North-China Research Institute of Electronics-Optics (NCRIEO), one of the earliest institutes in studying laser technology in China. BOET is the leader in the large-scale production of Nd:YAG crystal grown by Czochralski method in China, and is adept in growing other YAG crystals doped with all kinds of rare-earth and transition metal ions, such as Cr4+:YAG, Yb:YAG, Nd:Ce:YAG and Ho:Cr:Tm:YAG and Er:YAG crystals. BOET is a core commercial partner of government and military for improving and developing laser crystals and has over 20 scientific experts in the production process of scintillation crystal material. For more information, please visit: www.oet.com.cn
About Zecotek
Zecotek Photonics Inc (TSX-V: ZMS; Frankfurt: W1I) is a photonics technology company developing high-performance crystals, photo detectors, medical lasers, optical imaging and 3D display technologies for commercial applications in the medical diagnostics and high-tech industry. Founded in 2003, the company has three distinct operating divisions: medical imaging, medical lasers and 3D display and labs located in Canada, Singapore and Russia. Zecotek commercializes its novel, patented and patent-pending bio-photonic technologies directly and through strategic alliances and joint ventures with multinational OEMs, distributors and other industry leaders. For more information, please visit www.zecotek.com.
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Zecotek Photonics Inc. Michael Minder T: (604) 783-8291 [email protected] |
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