A new precision method − fluorescence measurement technology for quality assurance in production

©  Photo: Fraunhofer / Piotr Banczerowski
 

Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize 2022 winners:

Dr. Albrecht Brandenburg and Dr. Alexander Blättermann (Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM)
 

“Qualitative” and “quantitative” may be just a couple of letters apart, but the difference is huge. When it comes to fluorescence measurement technology, for example, it has so far been used almost exclusively for qualitative analyses. Now, for the first time, a team of researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM is successfully using the method to obtain quantitative measurements with a high local resolution, and is receiving the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize in recognition of this achievement.

Until now, fluorescence-based techniques have been seen as ways of obtaining estimates rather than as reliable quantitative measurement processes. Ultimately, calibrating the process requires not only precise references but also a profound understanding of the factors that influence fluorescent radiation. “We have succeeded in taking an imprecise process and developing it into a robust and extremely fast precision measurement method,” explains Dr. Albrecht Brandenburg of the Fraunhofer Institute for Physical Measurement Techniques IPM. It seems the world has been holding its breath for this. The technology is spreading both nationally and internationally at an astonishing pace, and sales in this area at Fraunhofer IPM are already in the millions. Dr. Albrecht Brandenburg and Dr. Alexander Blättermann have received the Joseph von Fraunhofer Prize for their achievement. The jury’s decision is based on its high technical performance and the economically quantifiable benefit to the businesses that use it.