Andor Technology

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Andor Technology plc

Type	Public
Founded	1989
Headquarters	Belfast, Northern Ireland
Industry	Photography
Products	Imaging, Spectroscopy, X-ray, Microscopy, and Instrumentation
Website	www.andor.com

Andor Technology PLC is a developer and manufacturer of high performance light measuring solutions (scientific digital cameras).

Andor Technology was set-up by its founders, Dr. Hugh Cormican, Dr. Donal Denvir and Mr. Mike Pringle in the mid 1980s. While studying at Queens University Belfast, they "used their physics know-how to build a highly sensitive digital camera...as a tool for their laser research."^[1] They subsequently set up Andor Technology to develop it into a commercial product for use in scientific research.

Andor Technology Ltd was established in 1989, as a spin out from Queen's University, Belfast. In December 2004 the company became a PLC when it listed on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange.^[2]

The company is based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and it designs and manufactures and sells scientific imaging equipment including charge-coupled device (CCD), Electron-multiplying CCD (EMCCD) and Intensified charge-coupled device camera systems, spectroscopy instrumentation, and microscopy systems. The cameras can be used for low light imaging, spectroscopy, X-ray, time resolved, and microscopy studies and have a wide range of users including biologists, life scientists, geneticists and nano-technologists all round the world.

Andor introduced its first EMCCD camera, the DV 465 in 2001 and the company was awarded The Photonics Circle of Excellence Awards from Laurin Publishing, which recognizes the 25 Most Technically Innovative New Products of the Year.

^[3]

EMCCD is based on a CCD chip that incorporates electron multiplication, or EMCCD technology. It is used in fields such as drug discovery, where scientists need to watch vats of chemicals in real time, astrophysics, and oceanography. ^[4]