Ad hoc interview with CCTV——Science and Technology Lights Optosky!

   Dr. Liu Hongfei, founder of Optosky, was invited to give an exclusive interview to CCTV as the guest of Science and Technology Lights, face to face with Yao Xuesong, a famous CCTV host, to discuss and communicate:
1. The development prospect of spectrometer;
2. The source of motivation created by Optosky's ingenuity;
3. How to reach the international leading level of domestic Raman spectrometers and other spectrometers?

Host: Hello everyone, and welcome to our show today. Technology changes life, and technology also leads human progress. In fact, our current life is always experiencing a kind of change and progress brought by high technology to people's lives. Today we are focusing on a subject that has a significant impact on the development and progress of human society, that is spectrum.  What kind of discipline is spectroscopy, and how does it affect human development and the progress and changes of our society? 
Today we invite Mr. Liu Hongfei, the chairman of Optosky (Xiamen) Optoelectronics Co., Ltd. to tell us about it.  Welcome Dr. Liu!

Dr. Liu: Hello, host! Hello everyone!

Host: Just now, we said that many technologies do change our lives, but the impression it gives to the public is always high and full of mystery. For example, what we are going to say today-the spectroscopy subject you are engaged in, we have heard a lot but where can spectroscopy be used? What are the usage scenarios in life?  Let us introduce it first.

Dr. Liu: In fact, there are a lot of spectra in our lives, maybe it's  just that we don't  usually pay attention to this.

• We take mineral water to take the subway，the security guards will take your water to test it whether the water is alcohol or other banana water. To detect these flammable and explosive things, we also use spectroscopy.
• For  example, the police went on an anti-drug investigation and found a white powder. Whether it was a drug or flour can be measured by spectrum.
• Another example is that we know that fish farming is most afraid of insufficient oxygen in the water. The practical spectrum can measure the oxygen concentration in the water.

Host:  Looking at the spectroscopy technology in this way, not only is it widely used, but it also covers a wide range of industries. Which field does Optosky focus on?

Dr. Liu:  We have 6 major product series, such as Raman spectrometer, Field spectroradiometer , Fluorescence spectrometer,Ultra-micro spectrophotometer, Hyperspectral imager.  Next, we will focus on our Raman spectrometer. It emits a laser beam, and different substances emit different signal lights after receiving the laser.  Then use the instrument to collect the light emitted from it and analyze it, and we will know what substance it is.

We are mainly used in:

• The first is public safety, which is like testing such drugs and explosives;
• The second piece is water quality and environmental protection, which is to measure water quality;
• The third piece is geographic information, measuring crops, forest growth, coverage, etc.;
• Then it includes jewelry identification, food safety, scientific research, etc.

Host:  Should there be so many fields, the style of instrument in each field is also different?

Dr. Liu:  The miniaturized instrument I brought here today is our portable Raman. During the ritual inspection, it will emit a laser beam. I brought two small samples. After the material in the sample receives the laser, it will emit new light. Our instrument is analyzing what light it emits. Then we know what kind of material it is.  It is very simple to use this when the police are handling a case, and when the security inspector is going for an interim inspection. Even mail parcels can be tested with this.  Even the logistics industry can be used, depending on whether it is drug explosives or the like.

  OK, this instrument is already on.  I clicked it and a laser beam came out, and it came out as a result. I can tell this what substance it is.

Host: Now, where are these technologies in the field of spectroscopy in the industry?

Dr. Liu:   In Raman spectrometer, field spectroradiometer, and fiber optics spectrometer we are currently at the top level in the world. This instrument is also available in foreign countries. It was originally made by American experimental companies. They were basically "big and thick". Generally, it may be a few kilograms, and then it is too large to be portable. We now make it:

1. The first one is very light, our 450 g  is very small.
2. The second key is that it has high performance. We just saw that it detects a sample, which may be completed in two or three seconds. Foreign instruments also detect this substance. It may take 20 seconds, 30 seconds, and it takes us ten times longer.

  It may be useless to get on the subway for 10 times a long time. If you let a passenger wait for you for tens of seconds, you cannot detect it when there are too many people. The detection speed of our instrument is very fast.

Host:  Does that mean  the spectroscopy technology is already in a leading position in the world?

Dr. Liu:  For the whole of China, it is in the forefront of the world in this area. Together with our colleagues, we have a certain share in the entire global market. 

Host:  For such a product and technology, how long have you been in research and development?

Dr. Liu:  At the beginning, we were in a special project of the Ministry of Science and Technology. The Ministry of Science and Technology put forward the demand at that time. For the first time, we proposed the need for a handheld Raman spectrometer. At that time, the first generation we started to do was similar to what we did abroad. The second generation, the third generation, the fourth generation, and the fourth generation we have truly reached the world's leading level.

   

   Then, on this basis, we came out with a new product, which also represents the world's first level. Where is the special advantage? For example, when we are testing some organisms, such as animal or plant matter, and some samples with colors, Raman is most afraid of fluorescence. Once fluorescence comes out, it will be affected.

    This instrument does not have fluorescence. This instrument is very technically difficult. Look at the small one. The working temperature of the detector in it is minus 20 degrees, so the technical difficulty is very high. It involves how to refrigerate and how to heat dissipation is a problem in all aspects, so the world can now produce this kind of equipment. At present, we are the third company, the United States, and Japan, and we are the third in the world.

   

    This year we are completely different. We participated in two international exhibitions this year. Our booth was full of visitors, and we received more than 600 guests in total. So the international impression of us is completely different. We have sold this model to more than 30 countries around the world, including last year’s World Military Games in Wuhan, which was used for security checks at that time.

Host:  As a matter of fact, people who do technology and scientific research talk about their own technology like talking about their own children. This kind of eloquence, this kind of pride is spontaneous, and we can all feel it. After so long, looking back at the word "science", has your understanding changed?

Dr. Liu: After these years, I have become more and more aware of a sentence-"Explore the essence of things, use the heart to the truth." We do a thing, the real thing is to do it to the extreme with our heart, and take time to cultivate! 

Host:  I want to know that how do you evaluate your current state?

Dr. Liu:  Because the spectrum is such a big field, we've only done a little bit of work in a small field. How to use this product and these technologies in more fields to bring greater and more help to people's life is what we need to do.