Luna Innovations technology was recently deployed to help form the backbone of a full-scale, fiber-optic structural health monitoring system for the recently re-opened Polcevera Viaduct bridge (shown under construction below), which is a critical traffic artery for the city of Genoa in northern Italy. The smart bridge, which is over a kilometer long featuring 19 spans, is equipped with an advanced health monitoring system based on a network of Luna’s HYPERION® measurement systems and advanced fiber optic sensors, which will monitor the structural response and conditions including the number a ..read more

On Aug. 9, 2020, accelerometers being used for a security project at Luna’s Atlanta office detected a magnitude 5.1 earthquake in Sparta, NC, USA.   Luna’s os7520 optical accelerometers buried in the soil just below the surface measured the earthquake’s vibration wave as it arrived in Atlanta approximately 2 minutes after the original quake: Signals from three buried os7520 fiber optic accelerometers showing earthquake signature   The os7520 sensors combined with a HYPERION interrogator enable high-performance vibration monitoring. The all-optical sensors, which can measure ..read more

As the demand for more complex, precisely controlled medical tubing increases, it is increasingly important to have monitoring methods that can provide the full range of product information necessary for the manufacturers to profitably manufacture and validate their products. Most high-performance medical tubing products are produced by extrusion processes. A hopper of raw polymer pellets feeds into a heater element to melt the material to a liquid form. The liquid polymer is then forced, using a threaded screw, through a die to create the tubing. The formed tube is kept at a constant extrusi ..read more

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) image resolution, which can be 100 times better than conventional ultrasound, has profound implications for the diagnosis of internal problems in biological tissues as well as inorganic samples. OCT has become increasingly popular for medical applications such as non-invasive opthalmological imaging, endoscopic gastrointestinal tract imaging and diagnostics for coronary intervention. Fiber-based OCT systems require precise polarization management, accurate delay control, fast wavelength tuning and complete optical system integration capabilities.&n ..read more

Polarization extinction ratio (PER), a measure of the degree to which light is confined in a principal linear polarization mode, is an important performance parameter for many lasers and for PM fiber components and systems. In addition to its use in characterizing finished components, PER measurement is necessary for active alignment of PM connectors. Common methods for measuring PER have different capabilities and limitations. An understanding of the differences can help in selecting the best method and instrument for a particular application. Our new Application Note provides a com ..read more

As a result of rapidly accelerating demand for higher bandwidths, data center connections are migrating from 25G/100G to 400G/800G transmission speeds. Coherent receivers are expected to be able to mitigate the effects of PDL because it limits the bandwidth capacity of high-speed communication systems. Unlike other impairments that can be compensated for, such as polarization mode dispersion (PMD), PDL causes pulse distortion that cannot be compensated for. To ensure network quality of service, the PDL of each component should be minimized, and the maximum cumulative PDL of the network must be ..read more

The collapse of two dams in Midland County, Michigan, has created catastrophic flooding and devastation to communities along the Tittabawassee River. The Edenville Dam, constructed in 1924 and breached Tuesday, was on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s list of high hazard dams, and the previous owners were warned about safety issues. Its collapse lead to flood waters rushing into Sanford Lake, causing the failure of the Sanford Dam, flooding the city of Midland and creating worry that an EPA Superfund site related to excess dioxins could be impacted. For decad ..read more

Photo courtesy of OESH Luna Innovations has joined forces with its Charlottesville neighbor, OESH, to design and produce flexible 3D printed respirator masks for use during the COVID-19 pandemic N95 respirator mask shortage. OESH is using its 3D printers and expertise designing around body features along with flexible, plastic material to produce the masks, which have a tight seal around the edges. The face mask can be used when there are no certified N95 masks available. The mask has two vents with removable caps. Cut up surgical gowns, HEPA vacuum bags or cotton make-up pads can be used as ..read more

 On October 21, 2019 at the request of the Museo del Cenacolo Vinciano (Milan, Italy), Polo Museale Regionale della Lombardia, Ministero per i beni e la attività culturali  and the Istituto Centrale per il Restauro (Rome, Italy), one of the most famous murals in the world, the Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci, was examined using terahertz (THz) and millimeter waves. Terahertz imaging is particularly useful in examining the layer structure of the mural painting in fine detail without touching the mural.  Terahertz time-domain imaging done using the TeraMetrix T-Ray 5000 system provided interna ..read more

Luna has released the industry’s highest resolution portable reflectometer. The OBR 6220 Series performs advanced inspection and diagnostics of fiber optic assemblies and networks.  Luna’s proven Optical Backscatter Reflectometer (OBR) technology provides advanced design, diagnostic and inspection capabilities to fiber-optic manufacturers, developers and installers by illustrating a map, in ultra-high resolution, of an optical link. OBR 6200 Series instruments are rugged, hand-held reflectometers with ultra-high sensitivity for testing and troubleshooting short fiber optic networks up to 100 m ..read more