MIRACLE - art photonics

Latest News

30 January 2026

How to Measure ATR Spectra Directly in Solution with Fiber Optic Probes

By Stanislav Perevoschikov

Moving Beyond the Bench: In-Line FTIR Monitoring with ATR Probes For decades, Attenuated Total Reflection (ATR) has been a standard technique for FTIR spectroscopy. However, most users are restricted to standard ATR inserts or benchtop accessories. While effective for static lab samples, these setups introduce a critical bottleneck: the sample must be extracted from the […]

24 December 2025

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2026 from art photonics!

By Stanislav Perevoschikov

If you look closely at our holiday card this year, you might notice a familiar tool in an unfamiliar setting. Yes, that is one of our probes in the wine glass! It is a little nod to who we are: even when we are celebrating, we never stop thinking about the science that brings us […]

Latest Events

19 January 2026

Team art photonics Arrives in San Francisco for SPIE Photonics West 2026

By Stanislav Perevoschikov

The art photonics GmbH team has arrived in California and is pleased to be back at the Moscone Center for the start of SPIE Photonics West 2026. Our delegation - led by CEO Dr. Stefanie Foerster, alongside Sales Manager Marco Antonio Ferreira Cipriano and Product Line Manager Joachim Gerike - is on-site and prepared for […]

14 January 2026

SPIE Photonics West 2026 | 17-22 January 2026 | San Francisco, USA

By Stanislav Perevoschikov

art photonics GmbH is pleased to announce our participation in SPIE Photonics West 2026, the world's premier laser, photonics, and biomedical optics event. We invite you to visit us at Booth #1156 to discover why art photonics remains the partner of choice for remote sensing solutions across the entire UV-VIS-NIR-MIR spectral range. At this year's […]

MIRACLE: Mid-infrared arthroscopy innovative imaging system for real-time clinical in depth examination and diagnosis of degenerative joint diseases

MIRACLE will push towards commercialisation the first mid-infrared (MIR) arthroscopy probe for in-depth evaluation of articular cartilage enabling early diagnosis of degenerative joint diseases such as osteoarthritis (OA). The proposed device is intended for use during arthroscopy, a minimally invasive surgery. Currently, the surgeon’s decision-making is based on visual inspection and manual probing of the cartilage tissue which is highly subjective and of poor repeatability. MIRACLE concept is to assess changes to the biochemical composition of articular cartilage, which precede OA. This will be achieved combining three novel photonics components: (i) a quantum cascade laser array tailored to biodiagnostics, (ii) an on-chip beam combiner for efficient radiation coupling, and (iii) a MIR sensing probe for imaging. These components will be integrated in a medical device to be placed in the arthroscopy market. In addition, to add value to the European medical equipment industry, MIRACLE strives towards cost reduction of OA patients contributing to more affordable public healthcare and promoting well-being in the European ageing population.

art photonics‘ role in joint work will be to develop and provide flexible IR-fibers for quantum cascade lasers (QCL) coupling with the distal end of arthroscopic probe.

The unique polycrystalline fiber technology for 4-16µm range and unique design of ATR-diamond tip will enable efficient and flexible coupling of QCL with detector. This worldwide first prototype of IR-fiber spectral sensor will open the first opportunity to see molecular changes in cartilage composition in-vivo, to link them with its specific decease and find the best way of the related treatment for a fast cartilage recovery.

This project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 780598. The project is an initiative of the Photonics Public Private Partnership.