Glass Technology Services (GTS), an independent research and development, consultancy and testing facility, is set to revolutionise the eye-safe imaging market with its latest developments in glass-based laser rod design.
This follows the award of grant funding by Innovate UK, the national innovation agency and the new name for the Technology Strategy Board.
The Advanced Composite Core-clad Eye-Safe Laser System (ACCES-LS) improves the thermal conductivity of laser rods, enhancing their performance while reducing costs to potentially half that of current processes.
“Conventional glass laser rods experience excessive heating during continuous use, leading to thermal lensing effects and damage to coatings,” said Robert Ireson, Innovation Team Leader at GTS.
“The eye-safe laser system offers significant reductions in size, weight and power requirements compared to current sensor technology, and at potentially less than half the cost.”
This project further builds on the established photonics and material science expertise at GTS.
Their scientists are already working with Thales UK’s Optronics business in Glasgow on the Light-MiLES project, which was awarded an Innovate UK grant to forward advances in technology and innovation, developing eye-safe laser systems.
Other partners in the specialist consortium include Gooch & Housego Ltd and the University of Leeds.
