Sira senses a strong future for sol-gel technology

Citation

(1999), "Sira senses a strong future for sol-gel technology", Sensor Review, Vol. 19 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/sr.1999.08719dab.011

Sira senses a strong future for sol-gel technology

Sira senses a strong future for sol-gel technology

Keyword: Biosensors

Optical and chemical sensors, scratch-resistant coatings, enzyme supports and bio-implants are just some of the uses of sol-gel technology, which not only combines traditional optical materials and ceramics with biological molecules, but also offers optical-systems designers a practical, low-cost means of obtaining tiny high-purity silica components.

The technology has created a new class of materials that incorporate organic molecules in porous inorganic substances, such as organically-modified ceramics or "ormocers". Biocompatible variants can be used as optical or chemical sensors and implants to monitor and control chemical and biochemical processes in industrial, biological and medical applications.

When applied to silica alone, the technology also provides a practical means of moulding, rather than machining, complex optical micro-lenses of the type used, for example, in endoscopic surgical lasers.

Micro-optics with aspherical, cylindrical or other diffractive surfaces can be moulded using sol-gel technology, as can components with grooves and flanges, permitting optical systems to be simplified and miniaturised. As a high degree of uniform shrinkage is involved in the moulding process, it is possible to fabricate micro-components with features much smaller than those of their parent moulds.

For further information, please contact: Sira Ltd, South Hill, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 5EH, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 181 467 2636; Fax: +44 (0) 181 467 6515; e-mail: siratc@sira.co.uk; http://www.sira.co.uk