core technology innovations

Spectros and its affiliates have over 80 patents issued, licensed, or filed worldwide (click here) for molecular sensing, detection, and imaging, forming one of the largest biophotonics intellectual property collections.

Our innovative approach centers on key patented core technology families, covering optical spectroscopy, fluorimetry, and imaging for use in blood analysis, contrast-targeted cancer surgery, lab-on-chip systems, and benchtop life-sciences equipment. Based on these technology families, Spectros develops, markets, and licenses a number of medical and industrial optical products and processes, including OEM components and devices and medical devices both under study and on the market. Because licensing is a key part of what we do, Spectros aggressively defends its technologies and products against infringement.

Our core technology families are as follows: 

Broadband, Solid State Light Sources for Oximetry, Spectroscopy, and Color Analysis

Spectros founders began performing color analysis, oximetry, and tissue spectroscopy in the 1980's. In the 1990's they developed a series of high-efficiency, low-thermal transfer broadband illuminators, which have been incorporated into commercial products internally and under license. These solid-state devices can be incorporated into spectroscopy equipment, lab-on-chip devices, color sensors, spectrometers, fluorimeters, pulse and tissue oximeters, and the like. For example, see examples of Spectros' broadband illuminator patent or broadband oximeter patent. Additional patents in this area are pending.
 

Multispectral Pulse Oximetry and Blood Spectroscopy

Spectros founders developed broadband devices for in vivo analysis. In pulse oximetry, Spectros founders were the first to demonstrate and reduce to practice a broadband pulse oximeter, based on work initiated in the late 1980's and early 1990's. For example, see Spectros' Broadband Pulse Oximetry and CO-oximetry patent. Spectros has used this technology to detect and measure cholesterol, fats, water, bilirubin, and other substances in vivo.
 

Ischemia Detection

Spectros' T-Stat was the first device approved by the FDA as "sensitive to ischemia". Our ability to detect ischemia is traceable to our studies in infants and tumors in the 1980s and 1990s, giving Spectros the earliest issued intellectual property in this area.

Automated Color, Tissue, and Cancer Classification

Spectros founders developed broadband color and tissue identification and classification, with application to determination of fat in coronary arteries, the composition of normal and cancerous tissue, and the color sensing in automated industrial processes and consumer applications, beginning with color classification over a decade ago. For example, see Spectros' Tissue Classification patents for in vivo colorimetric analysis, or Solid-State Illuminator patent family for in vivo or ex vivo solid state spectroscopy and color sensing. A new series of intellectual property extensions to this Spectros technology, covering solid-state color sensors and sensing methods for industrial process control, color feedback and monitoring, and color sensing, are under examination.

Contrast Agents for In Vivo Tumor Imaging and Surgical Guidance

Spectros founders developed genetically expressed and targeted contrast agents in the early 1990s. The genetically expressed markers allowed the founding of Xenogen, which remains the dominant company in animal optical imaging. The targeted optical contrast agents we developed were used to demonstrate in vivo targeted surgery, an approach to which Spectros holds worldwide rights (in the US, Europe, and Japan), including for targeted detection and tracking of sentinel lymph nodes.