The new product is 89 North’s Heliophor, a patent-pending, innovative, high-intensity and exceptionally stable new light source used for quantitative fluorescence imaging in a wide variety of applications, including cancer research. A pumped-phosphor light engine, the Heliophor’s stability and straightforward calibration system ensure that output intensity is consistent across measurements, allowing repeatable, truly quantitative fluorescent analysis.

The Prism Award was presented to 89 North at a gala banquet in San Francisco at SPIE’s Photonics West Conference. SPIE gives the award “to products that challenge conventional ideas, solve problems, and improve life through the generation and harnessing of light.”

SPIE was founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. Serving more than 180,000 constituents from 168 countries, the Society advances emerging technologies through interdisciplinary information exchange, continuing education, publications, patent precedent, and career and professional growth.

“The Heliophor provides a new alternative to arc lamps, metal halides, and LED light sources,” SPIE said.

“The quality and competition among this year’s entries was even keener than in past years,” said SPIE CEO Eugene Arthurs. “More companies submitted applications than ever before. The strength of applications from core companies in our industry along with the impressive innovations bubbling up from smaller companies really demonstrates the vitality of the photonics industry.”

89 North, located in Burlington, Vermont, is a subsidiary of Bellow Falls’ award-winning Chroma Technology Corp. Chroma is a global employee-owned company manufacturing precision optical filters and coatings for biomedical instruments such as flow cytometers, plate readers and fluorescence microscopes.

“We created 89 North to encourage the kind of innovations that emerge when smart and creative people interact,” said Chroma President Paul Millman. “The Prism award certifies the success of that interaction.”

The Vermont Governor’s Awards were established in 1993 to recognize the actions taken by Vermonters to conserve and protect natural resources, prevent pollution, and promote environmental sustainability. To date, more than 150 award-winning efforts of Vermont individuals, organizations, institutions, public agencies, and businesses have been recognized. These projects contribute significantly to protecting the environment, conserving energy and reducing the production of greenhouse gases. Together they have created a green and sustainable business culture, and advanced environmental education on all fronts.

89 North is an employee-owned company located in Burlington, Vermont. “We are honored to have been selected to receive this award,” says 89 North’s General Manager, Chris Baumann. “Our parent company, Chroma Technology Corp, is well respected for both their socially and environmentally sound policies and we are following in their footsteps.”

Date: Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Time: 11:30 to 5 p.m. (with mixer to follow 5 to 7 p.m.)

Location: Grand Maple Ballroom, 4th Floor Dudley H. Davis Center, University of Vermont

The University of Vermont is pleased to host the Sixth Invention to Venture Conference on Wednesday, April 13, 2011. I2V is a leading event that pulls together academic researchers, students, entrepreneurs and business leaders from across Vermont and from several Colleges and Universities.

The half day event has a great speakers and a few workshops focused on inspiring entrepreneurship, job creation, and economic growth. We are honored to announce that John Taylor, Vice President of Research of National Venture Capital Association, has agreed to speak this year. There are also two roundtable discussions planned on Vermont Entrepreneurship Resources and Lessons Learned.

As with all I2V events, our goal is to engage a wide range of participants from the university community as well as members of the surrounding business community. Please encourage your post-doctoral, graduate, and undergraduate students to attend. Presentations will focus on venture capital, marketing, intellectual property, business plans, and related topics. Guest speakers are experts drawn from the region.

The event will provide a fast-paced, half-day of practical information and networking that can help take your ideas to commercialization. I2V is a co-production of the Technology Commercialization Office at the University of Vermont, the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies, and with the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA).
Register Now

Cost:

$5 – Students from any VT institution
$20 – All other registrations

Participant guide, lunch and a cash bar reception with Hors d’Oeuvres are included in the fee

Well, the Heliophor World Tour has officially begun. We arrived in Tokyo last night no worse for the traveling. Heliophor seems to like Tokyo. Here he is waiting for the bus…

We have a pretty packed schedule but I hope to show Heliophor some of the sites. Stay tuned for more updates on the World Tour.

We will be having our party on Monday.  This is a big opportunity to put our little company on the map.  I will try and keep everyone updated on what is happening during the show.

Until next time…