Phaos Technology: Bringing Advanced Microscopy To The Masses

Microscopes have always played a crucial role in letting users gain an in-depth view of the micro-world. Despite its indelible contribution to medical research, electronics manufacturing, and crime investigation, there is a catch. In case of biomedical applications or quality checks for various micro-equipment in the precision engineering industry, users need a higher resolution beyond 200 nanometers, which is the maximum offered by optical microscopes. However, any effort to use traditional optical microscopes at higher resolution results in distorted images. Electron microscopes can achieve a resolution higher than 200 nanometers but require specific environments to operate in and are prohibitively expensive.

While numerous companies have tried to develop solutions to help users see beyond the optical limit of 200 nanometers, Phaos Technology’s patented Optical Microsphere Nanoscopy (OMN) technology breaks new ground.

“Surpassing the 200-nanometer optical diffraction limit, our proprietary OMN technology can offer super-resolution imaging at a fraction of the cost of electron microscopes and bridge a major gap between optical and electron microscopy," says Andrew Yeo, CEO of Phaos Technology.

The Perfect Blend of Machinery and Technological Expertise

Phaos Technology’s Opto Nano series microscopes, powered by OMN technology, are built on a robust optical microscope structure. Adding a small spherical ON200 lens in front of the traditional optical lenses, the Opto Nano series allows users to resolve target features down to 137nm scale in visible light and ambient air observation. It enables them to efficiently see beyond the optical limit with a much higher resolution.

Offering extraordinary imaging capability, the Opto Nano series provides users the flexibility to resolve high-resolution real-time imaging with a myriad of characterization techniques, depending on the examination’s requirement. The techniques include bright and dark field, differential interference contrast (DIC), and fluorescent lighting.

In multiple instances, humans concede errors while adjusting a microscope’s optical focus as all users are not adept in handling the minute controls of the equipment. Obliterating this longstanding constraint is Phaos Technology’s PT Metrology Series. Based on the principle of visual measurement and precision image analysis algorithms, it enables the machines to record precise dimensional measurements by bringing the measurement points into focus without manual adjustment.

Supplemented with a double telecentric optical lens with a large depth of field, the PT Metrology series is extremely beneficial for clients working in the precision engineering industry who must be extremely accurate with measurements.

Underpinning Phaos Technology’s state-of-the-art products is its suite of software applications that play a significant role in making the microscopes easier to use. Developed by its in-house software developers, the proprietary software applications, including 80 extraction analysis tools, process all the images captured optically under a microscope. They turn them into high-resolution photos to ensure accurate measurements. This enables users to draw better inferences from images that can be incorporated into experiments or quality analysis processes.

In the case of biomedical research and material science experiments, users often need to generate high-magnification images of sample areas much larger than the field of view. Subsequently, users have to stitch many microscopic images to create a high-quality image of larger sample areas. Phaos Technology’s team of software developers took this into account and developed an in-house stitching capability. Its proprietary software application can combine, align, and realign microscope photographs of a sample’s different parts and enable the users to see a magnified version.

Capitalizing on the Power of AI

Since microscopy is fundamentally used for quality checks, Phaos Technology leverages AI to eliminate any possible human errors during biomedical research and development or quality assessments.

For instance, a semiconductor manufacturer looking to detect designing or manufacturing faults in newly made pieces has to scrutinize every piece to spot defects. Deploying Phaos Technology’s AI solutions, users can quickly analyze all the pieces, flag the underlying abnormalities with utmost precision, and separate the defective parts from the rest to guarantee high-quality products.

“We help users integrate our AI solutions with their systems to record exact observations and determine the performance of the product,” states Yeo.

Democratizing Cutting-Edge Microscopy

Dedicated to helping users conduct microscopic examinations with ease, Phaos Technology provides white-glove service to its clients.

Rather than selling a heap of technological stacks, Phaos Technology works in concert with clients to create a suite of software applications tailored to their requirements. It holds detailed conversations with them to gain a detailed overview of their business requirements. Based on client preferences, Phaos Technology comes up with intuitive solutions they can use for advanced research and development.

“Surpassing the 200-nanometer optical diffraction limit, our proprietary OMN technology can offer super-resolution real-time imaging at a fraction of the cost of electron microscopes and bridge a major gap between optical and electron microscopy”

Phaos Technology’s exceptional suite of solutions, coupled with personalised client engagement, benefit numerous clients in conducting quality analysis with higher image resolutions. Its clientele is spread across biomedical, semiconductor, electronics, nanotechnology, and advanced materials industries.

A compelling instance that best showcases the capabilities of Phaos Technology’s products is where it made a significant difference for a research and development organisation working on a next-generation electronic product line. Unable to see beyond the optical limit, the client wanted to develop advanced technology for their microscopes. At the same time, alternate technologies turned out to be highly expensive while needing more time and resources and slowing down the development process. After incorporating Phaos Technology’s capabilities into their workflow, the client could swiftly come up with multiple iterations of the product while expediting development time.

Building on the success of its industry-leading nanoscopes, Phaos Technology plans to expand its footprint across Asia, Germany, and the U.S. It is also broadening the scope of its offerings with various upgrades in microscopic lenses added to its product development pipeline. Meanwhile, Phaos Technology is conducting research and development on new software applications that can make microscope handling easy for users with different levels of expertise. Open to collaboration, Phaos Technology is looking to broaden its expertise and present innovative products in partnership with other organisations as well.

Driven by the belief that optical technologies are the key to improving the future, Phaos Technology is revolutionising the micro-sphere technology landscape, helping people see beyond optical limits at highly cost-efficient rates.