But they see great potential in diagnosis in the near future. Mallinckrodt is investing in technology of the future. We were recently acquired by Tyco International Ltd., who will consider optics one of its major areas. The imaging department presents very promising technology. Competing in the changing world of biomedical optics frequently involves a change in corporate direction.
Biology is now their only real market.
New companies have also emerged on the biomedical optics scene. The best known include Affymetrix, which manufactures DNA arrays. Such arrays, which use optical technology to identify specific chemical compounds, permit researchers to pinpoint genes as part of the process of drug discovery. Basic research teams are also using new optical methods to explore the behavior of living cells. One promising approach is multiphoton microscopy.