Refined's patented fiber-based tunable picosecond laser technology is characterized by high switching speed and robustness of the systems, which, in addition to a high degree of automation, offers a real technological advantage over existing systems. This technology enables diverse new applications of nonlinear microscopy, especially in life sciences and diagnostics.

Refined Laser Systems is a high-tech startup from the University of Münster (Germany). The team of the spin-off of the Institute of Applied Physics has developed a robust and fast tunable two-color full-fiber picosecond laser, which is characterized mainly by a high switching speed and robustness of the systems, which, in addition to a high degree of automation, offers a real technological advantage over existing systems. The picosecond laser developed by Refined Laser Systems can be used primarily for life science applications and diagnostics.

One particular area of application could be cancer therapy. Refined's mobile and robust laser system can already provide images in the microscopy procedure during tumor surgery to detect all cancer cells. Until now, cancer operations have required multiple procedures in many cases because diseased tissue could not be completely removed.

The innovation underlying the laser is primarily that the wavelength of the lasers can be tuned very quickly and electronically, allowing many different types of information to be obtained "live" from a sample. Fiber optics protectively guide the laser light, which also makes the laser resistant and impervious to outside influences. The startup has developed a patented technology that allows for a 1000-fold increase in switching speed between individual wavelengths, enabling chemical-selective detection of different substances at a high frame rate. The use of the laser system in the clinical field is still a dream of the future, but will be pursued in the next few years. For this purpose, the startup has close cooperations with neighboring research institutes of the WWU Münster to establish the technology.