Atlanta, GA - Micron Optics Inc, an optical monitoring system provider in Atlanta announces that they will donate an optical monitoring system to a department of transportation for a public bridge. Optical Monitoring technology is available today and is field proven with installations on bridges for years.

"There are many bridges worldwide that use our equipment for structural health monitoring and we want to raise awareness of this reliable, proven, and potentially lifesaving technology at home" said Jeff Miller, CEO of Micron Optics.

Public officials interested in accepting Micron Optics offer should submit bridge details and contact information to bridgemonitoring@micronoptics.com.

Bridge Monitoring Systems are quite simple in their principle of operation: A laser sends a spectrum of light through a fiber along the monitored bridge. Each sensor returns a wavelength or color of light uniquely identifying the parameter of interest (strain, temperature, etc.) at that location. The monitoring instrument scans all the wavelengths of light in the fiber and processes the data received from each Optical Sensor. This information is then compared with the levels for which the bridge has been designed. In case of excess strain due to overloading, high-winds, etc., the Bridge Monitoring Center receives a REAL-TIME ALARM pointing specifically to the section of the bridge and the level of danger present. Based on the level of alarm, local authorities can then decide to schedule bridge maintenance or to close the bridge before collapse.

The advantages of using FBG Optical Sensors like Micron Optics' are many and include (1) high accuracy and high range of measurement, (2) premium performance under harsh environmental conditions, (3) 10X higher reliability and resistance to mechanical fatigue than electronic sensors, (4) proven longevity in field applications, (5) competitive low cost, (6) can be continuously or periodically monitored, (7) immune to electromagnetic interference, (8) immune to lightning, (9) immune to corrosion, and (10) easy to install since many sensors can be installed on a single fiber.

As technologies evolve, benefits from advances in established industries such as the broader Optical Communications and Sensing Industry become applicable to specific tangential applications, such as bridge health monitoring. Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs) are a technology that has been widely used for well over a decade and represent a fundamentally reliable Optical Sensor technology. These sensors offer the flexibility to measure with one instrument parameters such as strain, temperature, acceleration, displacement, at a reasonable cost.

About Micron Optics, Inc.:

Micron Optics, a leading provider of tunable optical technologies, offers a comprehensive portfolio of components and instruments for Optical Sensing, Biotech and Telecom markets. Built upon its solid technology foundation, Micron Optics' products span from simple tunable components to fast swept laser modules to fast and accurate optical instrumentation. Since 1990, Micron Optics has been a privately held company based in Atlanta.

Micron Optics supplies its Optical Monitoring Equipment primarily through System Integrators around the world. They include: Fox-Tek (Canada), GHT (Italy), HBM (Germany), INFAP (Germany), LifeSpan (US), MOIAG (China / Asia), Monitor Optics (Australia), NTT-AT (Japan), OptoSmart (Italy), POFC (Taiwan), Smartec (Switzerland), Smart Fibres (UK), and others.