Biology that outgrows standard instrumentation

Measurement is now the main constraint of biotechnology, rather than biological complexity. Today’s investigations require an unparalleled level of accuracy, speed, and reproducibility, from single-cell analysis to high-throughput screening.

Nowhere is this more visible than in microfluidics. By manipulating fluids at the micrometer scale, these systems enable highly controlled experiments on cells, droplets, and particles. For example, droplet microfluidics supports applications such as single-cell analysis, drug delivery, and screening assays by converting individual drops into millions of parallel microreactors.

Beyond droplets, microfluidics is the foundation of new biological models such as organoid cultures and organ-on-a-chip platforms, where cellular behavior is investigated in settings more akin to living systems.

However, one limitation applies to all of these applications: optical detection and imaging are essential for extracting trustworthy, high-quality data. And this is the point at which conventional instrumentation starts to fail.

Precision data is the true bottleneck

In microfluidic systems, biological signals are often faint, fast, and confined to extremely small volumes. Detecting them requires more than generic imaging or sensing tools – it requires optical systems designed for the specific physics of the experiment.

Consider droplet screening workflows. A single run may require the analysis of thousands to millions of droplets per hour, each acting as an individual microreactor containing cells or biochemical reactions. Capturing meaningful data in these conditions requires optical systems that combine:

• High-speed detection compatible with high-throughput droplet flows
• High sensitivity to resolve weak fluorescence signals at low concentrations
• Stable optical alignment to ensure measurement reproducibility over time
• Robust signal-to-noise ratio acquisition despite variations in flow, position, and optical interfaces

Fluorescence-based assays add even more complexity. Monitoring gene expression, stress responses, or phenotypic changes requires isolating weak optical signals from background noise, often within confined geometries and at high acquisition speeds.

In these conditions, maintaining an optimal signal-to-noise ratio becomes critical, as even minor optical distortions or misalignments can lead to data loss or misinterpretation.

The hidden complexity of microfluidic environments

Microfluidic platforms introduce optical challenges that are often underestimated. Materials such as PDMS, glass, and polymers subtly yet significantly affect light propagation. Channel geometries introduce refraction and scattering effects. Interfaces between materials produce additional distortions.

Simultaneously, there is a growing pressure to move beyond bulky laboratory setups. Optical systems must coexist with fluidics, electronics, and software in constrained environments as biotech devices become more automated, integrated, and compact.

This convergence creates a multi-dimensional challenge: optimizing optical performance while ensuring system-level robustness and scalability.

These effects directly degrade optical performance by reducing resolution, lowering signal intensity, and altering the signal-to-noise ratio, making standard optical configurations insufficient. 

From experimental setups to usable systems

Many biotechnology innovations originate in tightly regulated academic environments. However, it is far from simple to convert these configurations into dependable, repeatable instruments.

Optical systems must transition from flexible, manually aligned configurations to stable, manufacturable architectures. This entails reconsidering everything from alignment techniques and environmental stability to optical pathways and component selection.

Integration is equally important. Optical subsystems must function seamlessly within the broader instrument, interacting with fluid-handling, detection electronics, and data-processing pipelines.

This transition requires controlling parameters such as optical alignment stability, signal consistency, and system sensitivity within real operating conditions. 

Enabling the next wave of discovery

The future of biotechnology will not be driven by biology alone, but by the precision of the tools used to observe it. 

Tailor-made optical systems are increasingly becoming a key enabler in this shift. By aligning optical design with the specific constraints of biological applications, they allow researchers to capture subtle signals, improve data reliability, and scale experimental approaches beyond the lab.

Is your optical pathway holding back your biological breakthrough? Let’s solve the bottleneck together. 

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Precision and reliability define success

The demand for accurate, minimally invasive and patient-centric medical solutions is reshaping the industry. From point-of-care diagnostics to laser-based treatments and wearable monitoring devices, optical technologies are enabling a new generation of healthcare tools. But innovation alone is not enough. To reach patients safely and effectively, medical devices must demonstrate exceptional reliability and consistent performance – both in the lab and at scale. Bridging that gap between concept and commercial readiness is what defines success in today’s Medtech landscape.

Common hurdles on the path to market 

Translating a scientific concept into a manufacturable product requires deep interdisciplinary collaboration. Engineers and researchers must ensure that every optical component performs under clinical conditions, meets strict safety standards and integrates seamlessly into compact, often multifunctional systems. Meanwhile, compliance with medical regulations adds layers of complexity that can delay or derail even the most promising developments.

Scalability brings another layer of challenge: a design optimized for small-series prototyping may not hold up in industrial production. Maintaining optical precision, alignment and stability while optimizing cost and throughput requires both technical mastery and process discipline.

From co-development to industrialization

Building reliable optical products requires more than technical precision; it demands a development process that anticipates clinical, regulatory and production realities from the start. Successful teams integrate optical, mechanical and electronic design early on to ensure alignment with the medical application, whether diagnostic, therapeutic, or monitoring.

An end-to-end development model – from concept and prototyping through industrialization and manufacturing – helps ensure that every stage supports the next. By embedding reliability and regulatory compliance into the design process, medical device developers can minimize costly redesigns and accelerate the certification path. And when production is planned with scalability in mind, transitioning from pilot batches to serial manufacturing becomes smoother, maintaining optical performance and system integrity at every scale.

Advancing Medtech innovation with reliable optical systems

With decades of optical engineering expertise and proven CDMO capabilities, we help Medtech companies accelerate innovation and move confidently from prototype to production, delivering reliable, compliant and scalable products that improve patient outcomes.

Whether you’re a startup advancing a breakthrough technology or an established player scaling your next-generation device, we’re here to make optical precision your competitive advantage.

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Raman Spectroscopy: A window into cell chemistry 

Raman spectroscopy allows researchers to explore the cells’ molecular makeup and their surroundings without the need for dyes or labels. It can pick up chemical details in the cell culture medium, but also, more importantly, within the cells themselves, revealing insights into lipids, proteins, or even DNA and RNA.

The challenge? Spontaneous Raman signals are naturally weak. This means that every photon counts. Instruments need to be engineered with care to minimize losses and keep detector noise tightly controlled. In this field, good biology depends on great optical systems to ensure meaningful data capture.

SRS and CARS: Speeding things up with nonlinear microscopy 

To overcome the limitations of spontaneous Raman, nonlinear optical microscopy (NLOM) techniques like Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) and Coherent Anti-Stokes Raman Scattering (CARS) have become increasingly popular. By enhancing the Raman signal several orders of magnitude, they make it possible to image living cells and tissues quickly, and still get rich, chemically specific information, without introducing any fluorescent labels.

Building systems like these is challenging, as they demand precise optical setups, ultrafast lasers, and signal optimization at every stage of the system. Their implementation is a multi-disciplinary effort, combining optics, electronics, and systems engineering to meet the stringent requirements of biological imaging.

These techniques are particularly relevant for studying dynamic cellular processes such as metabolism, cell differentiation, and disease progression. Being able to monitor and understand molecular changes in real time opens new doors for both research and medical diagnostics.

Putting it to the test: a BSL-1 lab for live-cell validation 

To support the refinement and application of such technologies, a Biosafety Level 1 (BSL-1) laboratory was established at Lambda-X Verhaert High-Tech. The lab provides a controlled environment to test and demonstrate microscopy systems in real biological conditions. This hands-on validation is particularly valuable for evaluating how advanced Raman-based imaging performs in live-cell scenarios, helping translate optical performance into biological relevance.

From research tools to process monitoring

While these technologies were first developed for fundamental research, their applications extend into areas like cell therapy, where understanding and controlling cell behavior is crucial. As such therapies move closer to clinical and industrial deployment, analytical tools based on nonlinear Raman microscopy offer potential for process monitoring, supporting quality control and decision-making during cell culture and expansion.

By combining advanced optical engineering with live-cell validation in the lab, nonlinear microscopy is shifting from a powerful research technique to a real enabler in next-generation cell research and therapeutic manufacturing.

Exploring advanced optical solutions for your imaging needs? Let’s talk how to collaborate on developing systems that align cutting-edge photonics with real biological applications.

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Key trends that caught our attention

1. Next-Generation Sensors & Components

New technologies and components are rapidly emerging, driven by significant AR/VR development investments. We saw exciting advancements in micro-optics, including integrated waveguides, gratings, and polymer-based waveguides. One standout innovation was the 1-billion-pixel sensor, pushing the boundaries of high-resolution imaging.

While current high-end imaging solutions range from 20 to 300 million pixels, this new sensor represents a leap — 50 times more powerful than standard cameras. However, designing optics for such large sensors presents challenges. High-performance lenses must be precisely engineered to match the sensor’s scale, ensuring the best possible image quality. This is where Lambda-X’s expertise in optical design can make a real difference, developing solutions that maximize sensor potential.

2. Nanoimprint Lithography & Meta-Lenses

Nanoimprint lithography is a high-resolution, cost-effective nanofabrication technique that uses a patterned mold to mechanically imprint nanoscale structures onto a substrate. Recent advancements are enabling the mass production of meta-lenses, ultra-thin, high-performance optical elements that open up new design possibilities.

Meta-lenses—wafer-thin optical chips—offer precise control over light behavior, providing lightweight, compact, and high-performance alternatives to traditional lenses. Their scalability through semiconductor fabrication makes them both cost-effective and versatile, paving the way for widespread adoption in photonics and sensing applications.

The SPIE Startup Challenge recognized this technology’s significance, awarding Photosynthetic B.V. second place for their work in meta-optics; a clear indication of its growing impact.

3. Optical technologies for a better environment

The SPIE Startup Challenge also spotlighted breakthroughs in CO₂ monitoring for water systems. Max-IR Labs’ AquaCarbon Monitor, an advanced infrared chip, enables precise CO₂ measurement, improving carbon credit validation.

This innovation underscores the increasing role of optical technologies in environmental monitoring, with infrared (IR) sensors also driving progress in industrial process control, medical diagnostics, and biochemical analysis.

At the heart of optical metrology

At our booth, Dominique Blanc and Luc Joannes from Lambda-X Ophthalmics presented live demonstrations of NIMO TEMPO, the high-precision IOL metrology system. Visitors experienced firsthand how our vibration-insensitive interferometry enables faster, more reliable lens quality control.

The feedback was exceptional: many customers measured and analyzed IOLs they had designed and manufactured for the first time with such precision. While they had a theoretical understanding of their lenses’ geometry, they had never seen such accurate real-world data before. This reinforced the value of high-precision metrology tools in ophthalmics, providing insights that drive better lens design and quality assurance.

What’s next for optical innovation?

Beyond the exhibits, SPIE Photonics West highlighted how advancements in quantum computing, fusion, AR/VR, and AI are shaping the future of optics. The event showcased breakthroughs in miniaturization, microfabrication, and next-generation lasers and components: technologies set to drive transformative applications in the coming years.

As Lambda-X High-Tech continues to push the boundaries of optical engineering, we are committed to turning these insights into cutting-edge innovations.

Missed us at Photonics West? Let’s connect! We’re always eager to discuss new collaborations and optical challenges. Get in touch with our team to explore how we can help bring your next photonics innovation to life!

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Why the shift to automated microscopy?

The transition from manual to automated microscopy addresses a critical need: tackling tasks that are too complex or time-consuming for humans alone, such as counting cells in biotech applications to evaluate medicine effectiveness or measure cell growth. These critical tasks demand precision, and AI’s exceptional pattern recognition capabilities reduce the risk of human error while maintaining opportunities for experts to validate it. Automated microscopy enables faster, more accurate analyses across industries, from identifying anomalies in medical diagnostics to ensuring the safety of food products.

Key use cases

Automated microscopy drives transformative changes across industries, with three major areas standing out. In medical diagnostics, this technology is revolutionizing disease detection.

“New imaging modalities like Stimulated Raman Spectroscopy and infrared spectroscopy enable analysis without the need for staining, enhancing fields such as anatomopathology. These methods reduce reliance on human inspection, paving the way for AI to address the growing demand for automation in image acquisition and diagnosis,” explains Didier Beghuin, CTO of Lambda-X Verhaert High-Tech. “At Lambda-X, we leverage advanced optical systems to enable breakthroughs in diagnostics. This approach not only enhances accuracy but also accelerates processes critical to patient care. For instance, SoundCell’s systems enable rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing, providing crucial insights into combating bacterial and antimicrobial resistance”.

In the food safety sector, automated image recognition enhances the ability to detect contaminants in products, ensuring rigorous safety standards. Recent advancements highlight how these systems efficiently identify microscopic threats, surpassing the limitations of traditional methods and fostering consumer confidence.

In the biotech industry, automated microscopy plays a pivotal role in processes such as cell counting, where AI can measure cell growth or evaluate the ratio of living to dead cells. These measurements are crucial for testing the effectiveness of new medicines or optimizing bioreactor processes, such as growing fish cells for sustainable food solutions. By combining optics and AI development in parallel, these systems achieve optimal accuracy and performance, reducing human error and accelerating innovation.

Beyond these applications, other industries also benefit from automated microscopy. For instance, water treatment facilities employ these technologies to inspect and analyze samples for contaminants, ensuring compliance with safety regulations and delivering clean water. In the energy sector, automated microscopy aids in material inspections for solar panels and batteries, enhancing durability and efficiency. Similarly, automated systems streamline quality control in the semiconductor industry, where precision sample analysis is crucial for defect detection. These diverse applications underscore the adaptability of automated microscopy in tackling challenges across a broad spectrum of fields.

What sets automated microscopy apart?

Unlike traditional microscopes that rely on human interpretation, automated systems combine advanced hardware—such as spectrometers and fluorescence detectors—with AI-driven image recognition. These technologies enable precise, efficient analysis by identifying patterns and anomalies with a speed and accuracy unattainable through manual methods. Automated microscopy excels in applications where human errors are common, such as counting cells or detecting anomalies in samples. Furthermore, these systems allow for human validation, maintaining a critical balance between automation and oversight.

“AI excels in pattern recognition, making it indispensable in applications like cell counting and anomaly detection,” says Niels Verleysen, AI & data engineer at Verhaert Digital Innovation. “By automating complex tasks, we reduce human error while still enabling expert oversight. This integration of AI into microscopy accelerates processes and opens the door to advanced diagnostics and innovative applications across industries.”

Optics and AI development must go hand in hand to maximize performance. The quality of data gathered by the optical system directly impacts the accuracy of AI models, making an integrated approach essential for achieving superior results. This synergy ensures scalable, high-throughput diagnostics while maintaining reliability and consistency across diverse applications.

The bigger picture

By blending AI with optical engineering, industries are achieving breakthroughs that speed up processes, increase accuracy, and open up advanced use cases. Whether it’s enhancing patient care, ensuring food safety, optimizing biotech processes, or exploring potential components in water inspection, this innovation keeps businesses at the forefront of progress.

As industries pivot toward AI-enabled microscopy, the focus isn’t just on what machines can do, it’s on how they enable people to achieve more.

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Personalized healthcare has the potential to revolutionize how we approach treatment effectively, not only by improving lives but also by reducing costs and pressure on professionals. Regardless of all the benefits, game-changing breakthroughs remain just out of reach. In this session, we’ll take a closer look at the hurdles holding us back and explore the challenges that come with making treatments truly personalized. Through real-world examples and innovative solutions, we’ll discover how to finally unlock the full potential of personalized healthcare. Check out the presentations from the Innovation Day of 2024 on:

• Advanced diagnostics, from technology to impact
  By Didier Beghuin, CTO at Lambda-X High-Tech Innovation
• Risk management in next-gen (medical) product development
  By Thomas Degreef, Consultant PhysicsLab and Margo Billen, Consultant PhysicsLab at Verhaert Product Innovation

View the presentation

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Creating a roadmap to success

Data analysis serves as our watchdog, it scans the information we generate by monitoring and measuring multiple parameters. From the insights derived from feedback, assessing conformity and product requirements, to tracking process, product characteristics and trends, and monitoring suppliers, audits, and service reports.

But why do we embark on this data-driven journey? Because it enables us to continuously improve the quality of our medical device development services and react more quickly to any changes. By establishing clear key performance indicators (KPIs) and goals, and measuring their fulfillment or improvement, we can create a ‘roadmap to success’. From corrective and preventive actions (CAPA) driven by customer feedback to the profound impact of advisory notices.

Determining key performance indicators

So how did we integrate this data-driven approach? We diligently monitor and measure feedback, gauging customers’ experiences through feedback and satisfaction measurements. In addition, we determine conformity to product requirements based on verification, testing, and inspection KPIs.

Recognizing the vital role played by our suppliers, we continuously monitor their performance as well through yearly audits and their quality evolution. Rigorous monitoring of internal audits, second-party audits (from suppliers or customers), and third-party audits (by certification organizations, notified bodies, or competent authorities) allows us to respond and take proactive actions.

Innovation and exceptional results are born from collaboration with various people and processes. To ensure the smooth functioning of our design process, our personnel is conducting yearly training, and gate reviews are conducted on medical projects continuously. Furthermore, we continuously invest in our team’s growth by monitoring the average quantity of training per full-time employee each year, while sharing knowledge through our internal master classes remains.

In essence, this data-driven approach fueled by ISO 13485 propels us toward a future where continuous improvement isn’t just a goal but a way of life for the projects of our customers.

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Difficulties in minimally-invasive surgery

Although minimally-invasive spine surgery offers many benefits, current (manual) needle and instrument navigation relies on an iterative, rigid and assumed constant spine position based on X-ray imaging. “Because of surgical dynamicity and patient movements, this kind of navigation is unreliable and imprecise”, explains Michiel Twisk, Program Coordinator Life Sciences at Verhaert, “It also causes unwanted radiation exposure for everyone in the operating room. In-patient navigation remains a challenging task, especially combined with complex instrumentation dexterity. Ultimately this simply affects the patient outcome as mistakes are made.”

Guaranteeing high accuracy and safety

The innovative robotic technology platform taps into the power of multi-modal sensing and digital twin technology, combining pre-operative MRI or CT scans, intraoperative 3D ultrasound, optical and magnetic tracking. With REISS, pre-operative planning and effective execution become a reality. An optimal approach toward the herniated disk is determined by the surgeon which is then supported or facilitated by the REISS robot during surgery, eliminating trial-and-error navigation. This is done by compensating for vertebrae disc movement, a re-positioned patient and patient breathing. It contributes to patient safety, outcome and reduced X-ray exposure, as well as reducing effective operation time and allowing the surgeon to treat more patients on a daily basis.

Revolutionizing patient care worldwide

By enabling new surgeries and expanding the range of applications, these advancements are revolutionizing patient care, increasing surgical precision and reducing potential risks. “We’re committed to disrupting the status quo in healthcare and engineering breakthrough technologies to improve people’s lives”, continues Kaat Dhondt, Manager Innovation Acceleration Life Sciences at Verhaert. “The rapid evolution of technology opens up many opportunities for healthcare companies to reduce procedural time, shorten hospital stays, and minimize infection risks, ultimately benefiting countless patients worldwide.”

Want to know more about how this project is pushing the boundaries of medical innovation? Check out our perspective!

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Room for improvement

Although minimally-invasive surgery offers many benefits, there’s still quite some room for improvement. To start, the current procedure requires X-ray imaging for localization inside the patient. This not only leads to frequent radiation exposure for everyone in the operating room, it also provides limited 2D visibility. On top of that, it also means the slightest movement, whether through patient breathing, body movement or repositioning by the surgeon, makes the images outdated. In short, radiation exposure, precision, visibility and real-time validity could all be improved.

Or check out the key features in the video below!

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Why should you care about digital health?

Digital health is rapidly transforming the healthcare industry to a more patient-centered care system. Technologies like computing platforms, connectivity, software and sensors enable patients to consult real-time health data collected in an application on their phone, smartwatch or other wearables. Successful examples include virtual alternatives for traditional appointments with healthcare providers. This makes it easier to access professional or digital services that leverage the capabilities of machine learning for early disease prediction.

The improved patient outcomes then seem self-evident, but digitalization of your medical devices also comes with strategic advantages. Reducing costs by developing more effective products, new revenue streams by expanding your market and long-term growth potential is just the tip of the iceberg.

How do you innovate by leveraging digital health technologies?

All this information sounds good but you don’t know where to start? Here are some strategies for implementing digital health in medical devices to accelerate adjacent innovation within your organization:

1. Focus on user needs

This not only includes patients but also healthcare professionals and caregivers. By understanding the needs and preferences of the end user, manufacturers can design solutions that are user-friendly and tailored to their users’ specific needs. For companies, this will help ensure product effectiveness, user adoption, and competitiveness, balancing the conflict between regulatory and user needs and ensuring usability for complex devices. Make sure to also check out our perspective on market adoption!

2. Leverage data analytics

Medical devices can collect a vast amount of data, from patient vital signs to medication adherence. Data analytics can also be used to optimize device performance, identify areas for improvement, and enhance patient outcomes.

3. Embrace artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing healthcare, and medical devices are no exception. By incorporating AI algorithms into medical devices, healthcare providers can improve the accuracy and speed of diagnoses or enhance treatment recommendations. Another example is the use of AI in medical imaging devices. AI algorithms can analyze medical images and help detect abnormalities that may be difficult for human radiologists to identify. In one study, AI-assisted radiologists were able to detect breast cancer with 90% accuracy compared to 88% for human radiologists alone. This has the potential to improve patient outcomes by enabling earlier detection of diseases and reducing the need for repeat scans.

4. Prioritize patient engagement

Patient engagement is a critical component of digital health innovation in medical devices. By empowering patients with tools and information to manage their own health, medical devices can improve patient outcomes and reduce healthcare costs.

5. Integrate existing systems

Medical devices do not operate in isolation, and it is important to ensure that they can seamlessly integrate with existing healthcare systems. This includes electronic health records (EHRs), hospital information systems (HISs), and other digital health solutions. By integrating with existing systems, medical devices can improve workflow efficiency, reduce errors, and enhance the patient experience.

6. Ensure regulatory compliance

Medical devices are subject to a complex regulatory environment, and it is essential to ensure that any digital health solutions incorporated into these devices comply with all applicable regulations. This includes regulations related to patient privacy and security, data management, and medical device approval processes.

In conclusion, adjacent innovation through digital health provides medical device manufacturers with a range of opportunities to create new products and services that meet the needs of patients and healthcare providers in new and innovative ways. By focusing on user needs, leveraging data analytics and artificial intelligence, prioritizing patient engagement, integrating with existing systems, and ensuring regulatory compliance, we can create digital health solutions that enhance patient outcomes, improve workflow efficiency, and reduce healthcare costs.

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