MIRACLE - art photonics

Latest News

11 March 2025

Women in Photonics: Pioneers of Light and Innovation

By Stanislav Perevoschikov

On International Women’s Day, art photonics GmbH is proud to celebrate the brilliant women driving the photonics industry forward. These accomplished scientists, engineers, and leaders transform light into groundbreaking solutions that advance technology and improve lives. Did you know? At art photonics GmbH, we work alongside visionary women who are making significant contributions to fiber […]

26 February 2025

Discover our NIRaman Fiber Probe

By Stanislav Perevoschikov

We are excited to unveil the latest innovation from our FlexiSpec® family—the NIRaman Fiber Probe. This advanced fiber probe seamlessly integrates Near-Infrared (NIR) and Raman spectroscopy into a single device, providing a comprehensive understanding of your samples in real-time. Dual Spectroscopy Capabilities Harness the power of both NIR and Raman techniques simultaneously without the need […]

Latest Events

12 March 2025

Day 1 at Laser World of Photonics CHINA 2025, Shanghai

By Stanislav Perevoschikov

We are off to an exciting start in Shanghai at Laser World of Photonics CHINA 2025! Our Sales Director, Haro Fritsche, is on site alongside our fantastic distributor UniqueRay! Today, we are showcasing our innovative system solutions. Visit our booth to explore how our fiber cables and probes span the complete UV-Vis-NIR-MIR range (0.3-16 µm) […]

10 March 2025

Highlights from EPIC TechWatch at APE 2025: Advancing Photonics Innovation

By Stanislav Perevoschikov

We are excited to share the highlights from EPIC TechWatch at APE 2025 (Asia Photonics Expo). This exceptional event was organized by the outstanding team at the EPIC - European Photonics Industry Consortium. We are grateful for their dedication and hard work in delivering such a well-run experience. At art photonics GmbH, we take pride […]

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.