Ultra Series qPCR product family includes real-time, qPCR-specific filters for integration into medical equipment, facilitating COVID-19 testing

High-Performance Thin Films

Alluxa's New Ultra Series Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-specific Filters. (Credit: Alluxa, Inc.)

Alluxa, a US-based high-performance optical coatings and filters manufacturer, has extended its Ultra Series to include high-performance polymerase chain reaction (PCR) specific filters.

The new PCR filters, developed leveraging higher performance optical characteristics, are aimed at improving the speed and effectiveness of real time qPCR testing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The new Ultra Series qPCR product family includes real-time, qPCR-specific filters for integration into medical equipment that performs COVID-19 testing of patient samples.

Alluxa CCO Peter Egertonsaid: “As an ‘essential business’ in this trying time, we have moved quickly to offer our optical coating expertise and stand ready to help with the deployment, improvement, or development of technologies including qPCR to help slow the pandemic.

“We are grateful for our dedicated team of engineers and support personnel, our customers, and their collective experience and commitment to help fight this virus by any means necessary.”

Alluxa designs and manufactures hard-coated optical filters using plasma deposition process

The new ultra-steep filters are said to have greater OD6 blocking out of the band and advanced center wavelength tolerances of less than ± 0.3% to offer high transmission levels with a passband average of more than 95%.

In addition, the new filters would facilitate the fluorescent detection of the virus and cover most common fluorophores for single and multiplexed qPCR filters, including FAM, Cy5, HEX, JOE, ROX, TexasRed, and TRITC.

Currently, the company is suppling OEM qPCR-specific optical filters, which are assembled into medical instruments for use in PCR testing of individuals.

Alluxa is engaged in designing and manufacturing advanced, hard-coated optical filters, leveraging its original plasma deposition process technology.

In addition, the company provides thin-film optics for a wide variety of applications, including autonomous vehicles, telecommunications, robotics, semiconductors, and defense.