Pixelligent is looking to help an optical lens maker shine

Nanocrystals manufactured by Baltimore-based Pixelligent will be used in products made by a company specializing in graded index lens products that can be used in a variety of fields like medical imaging, military and sports.
The partnership deal will put Pixelligent’s PixClear into products made by VadientOptics, which is a subsidiary of Oregon-based 3D imaging technology company Voxtel.
Pixelligent’s product includes tiny nanocrystals dispersed in silicon, which are used as an adhesive when assembling products. The nanocrystals can increase energy efficiency by allowing more light to shine through where it was previously cloudier.
The company, which is headquartered on Holabird Ave. near the Dundalk border, has drawn a notable list of local investors. Pixelligent  CEO Craig Bandes has said the products could have a range of applications, from smartphones and TV displays to lighting. Another application is optical lenses, which is in play with this partnership.
Vadient Optics’ lenses are designed to reduce size, weight and energy requirements in optical systems. The company also plans to incorporate PixClear into an additive manufacturing process for lenses.
In an email, Pixelligent’s Michael Weinstein said the partnership is “validation of our product’s relevance as both an enabling material for optical lens applications and a development platform for the rapidly emerging additive manufacturing field.”
Pixelligent worked with the company on a version of its product that was compatible with Vadient’s offering.
“Pixelligent has been an excellent partner, consistently delivering the highest quality zirconia nanodispersions that meet all of our stringent high-refractive index and high transparency requirements,” said Paul Harmon, Vice President of Vadient Optics.
The new products are expected to be released this year.