The higher the concentration of tumor cells in the bloodstream, the greater the risk of metastasis. The number of circulating tumour cells indicates how well a patient is responding to therapy. Fraunhofer researchers have developed a new microhole chip that enables cells to be identified and characterised reliably within minutes. The conventional method of FACS analysis (fluorescence-activated cell sorting) provides only a rough estimate of ...

Fraunhofer IIS/EAS is offering advanced modelling services for device degradation effects in North America. Using these proprietary techniques, designers are now able to verify the long-term behaviour of ICs and systems especially in safety critical applications. Compared to today’s solutions, the advanced models can be used in all common industrial design environments. In addition to standard degradation effects, Fraunhofer also takes into...

The Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP in Potsdam and three other German companies have been commissioned by a Chinese producer to develop an OLED production facility for its site in China. The four development partners have formed the consortium GOTA - German OLED Technology Alliance – in order to develop, under one roof, the materials and technologies needed for printed electronics and machine engineering.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology said it has completed a four-week test of its Stored Energy in the Sea (StEnSEA) concept. Fraunhofer said it recovered its three-meter diameter hollow sphere from the bottom of Lake Constance on the Swiss-German border, where it had been operating at a depth of about 100 meters. The technology uses water pressure to drive electromechanical pump components within a central tube ...

At this year's Photonics West Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI will present its latest developments in the area of photonic components and photonic networks and systems. The following highlights will be on show at the Fraunhofer booth 4629-28.

  For the first time, it has been possible to produce functional OLED electrodes from graphene. The process was developed by Fraunhofer researchers together with partners from industry and research. The OLEDs can, for example, be integrated into touch displays, and the miracle material graphene promises many other applications for the future.

In the past, insoles for patients with diabetes were hand-made by orthopedic shoemakers. In the future, these specialist shoemakers will be able to produce insoles more cost-effectively thanks to new software and the use of 3D printers. This approach means the mechanical properties of each insole can be assessed scientifically and more effectively. Is your shoe too tight? Normally you would just shift your weight to take the pressure off the...

When ultra-thin transparent varnishes are applied on to transparent foil tapes, defects in the coating can now be made visible immediately during the coating process. This is possible thanks to an inline detection system that uses fluorescence dyes which has been developed by three institutes from the Fraunhofer Polymer Surfaces Alliance POLO.

"Great in Optics – Small in Size!" The growing core of the “PolyPhotonics” Innovation Initiative will take this motto to the global communications market. The project is part of the “Regional Enterprise Initiative” of the German Federal Ministry of Research. The consortium develops the value chain for the creation of a new technology platform. The Fraunho-fer Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI coordinates the project.

This year’s micro photonics will see the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute HHI presenting its latest solutions of photonic components. Fraunhofer HHI enables an own design of InP-based Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) containing passive and active devices on one substrate. It is possible to choose from a range of proven building blocks, such as 40GHz receivers, 20GHz transmitters, and 1dB/cm passive waveguides.

Transparent plastic optical lenses can be manufactured cheaply and in any shape. However, a downside is that they reflect light just as much as glass does. At the K trade fair in Düsseldorf, Fraunhofer researchers are exhibiting a new type of antireflective coating that significantly reduces stray light and reflections from plastic lenses. Not only does this improve the performance of cameras and headlights, it's also good news for virtual r...

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institutes for Optronics, System Technologies and Image Exploitation IOSB in Karlsruhe and for Industrial Engineering IAO in Stuttgart are collaborating with their colleagues at Volkswagen Group Research, Bosch, Visteon and other companies as part of the "Intelligent Car Interior" project, or InCarIn for short. Together, they are developing a system designed for the vehicle interior.

The wireless data transmission via mobile communication is reliable and affordable. However, data volume per user is rising exponentially. Causes are not only the continuously growing number of smartphones, but also trends as V2V or M2M communication – cars and machines need to communicate in high speed with each other. From 2020 the 5G mobile standard is aiming to transmit data rapidly and energy-efficiently.

Space agencies examine the extent of greenhouse gases in the air via prisms and gratings in satellites. The latest technology now makes it possible to connect both components with each other so that they are suitable for space thus achieving a new level of quality for spectral resolution. In addition to industrial CO2 emissions, agriculture also contributes significantly to climate change: above all methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O), which ar...

  Intense sunlight, searing heat and high exposure to dust; solar modules in the desert are exposed to different climate conditions than those in Germany. An interesting challenge for the solar researchers at the Fraunhofer CSP in Halle. Author: Kathrain Graubaum (text and photo)

Developing wall paints and varnishes presents a big challenge for manufacturers. One reason is that samples merely enable them to estimate what the dispersion behaviour in the reaction container will be. By teaming up with PDW Analytics GmbH, Fraunhofer researchers are now for the first time able to monitor the production of paints, varnishes and adhesives continuously and in real time – allowing them to design more efficient processes.

Recycling black plastics, such as those found in car instrument panels, used to be impossible because their absorption properties made them simply invisible to typical analysis systems. But Fraunhofer researchers have developed a new technology that can sort black plastics according to type – and at affordable prices. Shopping at the supermarket inevitably results in a trash bin overflowing with plastic refuse. Whether it's juice, meat, fru...

Transmitting the contents of a conventional DVD in under ten seconds by radio transmission is incredibly fast – and a new world record in wireless data transmission. With a data rate of 6 Gb per second over a distance of 37 km, a collaborative project with the participation of researchers from the University of Stuttgart and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics IAF exceeded the state of the art by a factor of 10.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits (Fraunhofer IIS/EAS) is spreading its wings to offer its Division “Engineering of Adaptive Systems” Electronic Design Automation (EDA) products and design expertise in North America for the first time. The basis for this is an exclusive distribution agreement with EDATechForce – a leading supplier of EDA tools and services sales, based in Sunnyvale, California.

  Researchers at Fraunhofer have recently created sensors made from silicone, making it easier to steplessly control devices. At the Hannover Messe, they are presenting a glove that can measure pressure and a steering wheel that lets the driver control music, light and ventilation at the touch of a finger.