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Ocean Insight is a company based in Orlando, Florida that sell products and solutions in optical sensing and spectroscopy. Ocean Insight invented the worlds first miniature spectrometer. They have since become the world's largest provider of solutions in modular spectroscopy. In addition to its headquarters in Florida, the company has offices in Germany, the Netherlands, China and India. Ocean Insight is owned by Halma plc, who are listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.

History
Ocean Insight was founded in 1989 as Ocean Optics by four university researchers, Michael Morris, Robert Byrne, Luis Garcia-Rubio and Roy Walters. The four were based out of both the University of South Florida and the University of Central Florida. The group initially wanted to develop a fiber-optic pH sensing device to be used in saltwater. With a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the U.S. Department of Energy, they were able to develop the first miniature spectrometer. The device was far smaller than a traditional lab-based spectrometer and had capability to measure light in the Visible wavelength range. Miniature spectrometers were a new commercial technology and became the core product of their business. The S1000 was the first model of spectrometer released by Ocean Optics in 1992. Ocean Optics has grown in the subsequent years and now offers a range of products in addition to spectrometers including light sources, optical fibers, software, optical accessories and lab services. Ocean Insight spectrometers can measure light in the Ultraviolet, Visible and Near-Infrared wavelengths. The company also sells Raman spectrometers.

In 2000, Ocean Optics expanded out of the USA, opening their first European office in Duiven, Netherlands. They have since expanded into Asia, opening an office in Beijing, China in 2006. The company's current European logistics center is in Ostfildern, Germany.

Ocean Optics was purchased in 2004 by the British multinational Halma plc. Halma have also acquired several other photonics and imaging companies whose products have become part of the Ocean Optics portfolio: Mikropack GmbH, a developer of spectroscopy accessories; PIXELTEQ, a multispectral imaging company; and FluxData, a provider of multispectral and digital imaging systems.

In 2019, Ocean Optics had a rebranding and changed their name from Ocean Optics to Ocean Insight. This was the start of a new phase for the business, in which Ocean Insight was not just a supplier of products and components, but a provider of applied solutions and subsystems for OEM and industrial customers.

Ocean Insight started its first annual Grant Program in 2020. This program rewards researchers who promote a safer, cleaner, healthier world with up awards of up to $20,000 in Ocean Insight products.

Space projects
Ocean Insight spectrometers have been used by NASA on or in the development of a number of their missions such as the LCROSS, Space Shuttle, Mars Curiosity Rover and Orion spacecraft. The European Space Agency has also used Ocean Insight spectrometers in the development of Cubesats onboard the International Space Station.

The NASA LCROSS mission was carried out in 2009 in order to confirm the presence or absence of ice water on the lunar surface. An Ocean Insight spectrometer that measured light in the UV-visible region was onboard the craft to measure sunlight passing through the plume of debris that was created during impact of the upper rocket stage. Spectroscopic measurements like this would identify molecule and ions that indicated the presence of water. The LCROSS mission was a success and confirmed the presence of ice water on the surface of the moon. Three different HR models of Ocean Insight spectrometers were used in early versions of ChemCam, a device onboard NASA's Curiosity rover that carries out LIBS analysis. The spectrometers within ChemCam were configured to measure three separate wavelengths to identify the elemental composition of rocks on the Martian surface. Ultimately, NASA opted for its own, highly customized spectrometer for the ChemCam mission, although some of Ocean Insight’s mechanical designs were part of the instrumentation that made it to the planet’s surface. Ocean Insight STS spectrometers are also used in early heat shield testing for the NASA Orion Spacecraft. The spectral measurements assess thermal radiation on the craft during atmospheric re-entry, allowing NASA to refine their radiation heat models. Ultimately, NASA opted for its own, highly customized spectrometer for the ChemCam mission, although some of Ocean Insight’s mechanical designs were part of the instrumentation that made it to the planet’s surface

Ocean Insight has also collaborated with the European Space Agency in the development of CubeSats. In support of OHB Systems, Ocean Insight was part of the SPECTRODemo project in 2019, in which an Ocean Insight Flame spectrometer was used to monitor changes in the absorption spectrum of biological and non-biological samples in order to see the impact of solar radiation on chemical compositions. SPECTRODemo is the precursor to the Exobiology Facility proposed for the International Space Station. Facilities like this allow experimentation that cannot be replicated in ground-based laboratories.

COVID-19
Ocean Insight spectrometers are being used during the COVID-19 pandemic in a number of applications. Polymerase Chain Reactions are a common method of testing a person for viruses. Targeted genetic material is amplified by the polymerase enzyme during this reaction and templates can be designed to specifically target the COVID-19 genetic code. Common fluorophores can be complexed to become fluorescent when bound to the targeted COVID-19 genetic segment. Spectral measurements then can be used to detect this trace-level of fluorescence, confirming whether a person is positive with COVID-19 or not. Ocean Insight spectrometers have been used throughout the pandemic for this purpose.

Ocean Insight has also provided Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy techniques for rapid COVID-19 detection. This technique works by directing a lasers at a specific sample to create Raman scattering. Quantized emission signals are then spectrally measured to identify the substance present. Ocean Insight has worked to integrate SERS technology into a device that uses Raman spectroscopy for rapid COVID-19 detection.

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) has been used throughout the pandemic as a method of Personal Protective Equipment sterilization. Strain on supplies meant being able to re-use PPE with this technique was crucial. UVGI works by using short-wavelength UV light to kill or inactivate microorganisms, such as COVID-19 virions. In order to assess a UV-lamp's effectiveness, spectroscopy can be used to measure wavelength, intensity and exposure times. In 2020, Ocean Insight teamed with a leading U.S. pediatric hospital to use spectroscopy to accurately measure UV lamps to ensure virus and bacteria killing light at the correct wavelength was being delivered.

Other applications
Ocean Insight equipment is widely used in university and school teaching laboratories. The company's spectrometers have been used in applications for industries such as Space, Consumer Electronics, Lighting, Manufacturing, Energy, Oil & Gas, Life Sciences, Food & Agriculture, Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare and Semiconductors. Ocean Insight's company mission is to support customers taking on the challenge of creating a safer, cleaner and more sustainable world.

The small size and weight of Ocean Insight spectrometers allows their integration into applied systems such as scientific instruments for field study, industrial sorting, environmental analysis, metal recycling processes, and point of care medical diagnostics.

Products
Ocean Insight sells a range of spectrometers and accessories that have been used for various optical sensing setups.


 * Spectrometers that measure light in the UV, Visible and NIR wavelength regions. These are some key models:
 * Flame general-purpose spectrometers
 * STS microspectrometers
 * QE Pro high-sensitivity spectrometers
 * NIRQuest+ NIR spectrometers
 * Raman Spectrometers
 * Light Sources
 * Optical Fibers
 * Spectroscopy and analytical software

Ocean Insight also provides Lab Services, in which feasibility testing and experimentations are performed on behalf of a customer carrying out research. The Applied Systems group also offers application-specific expertise, services and solutions to define and resolve challenges across multiple industries and disciplines. For example, Ocean Insight spectrometers have been integrated into solutions for metal recycling operations, pharmaceutical manufacturing processes, and microchip preparation for semiconductor production.