With their sensors—Andarta for deep-tissue medical imaging and Sirona for high-precision time-resolved applications—the company is redefining the future of imaging across medicine, quantum computing, and beyond.
Singular Photonics, a spinout from the University of Edinburgh, is pioneering the next generation of imaging technology by integrating advanced computation directly into SPAD (Single-Photon Avalanche Diode) sensors.SPAD sensors utilize the avalanche effect in semiconductors to detect light with unparalleled sensitivity, but most commercial versions have been limited to time-resolved photon counting. Singular Photonics has taken this technology further by embedding computational layers beneath 3D-stacked SPAD sensors, enabling in-pixel and cross-pixel processing.
This innovation transforms SPAD sensors into high-performance computational engines—similar to how GPUs and FPGAs revolutionized parallel computing. SPAD technology which are now found in over a billion smartphones worldwide. The company aims to push imaging boundaries even further. They are building next-generation imaging sensors where computation happens exactly where the photons arrive—at the pixel level.
The company is launching with two advanced SPAD sensors:
- Andarta, developed with Meta, is a highly sensitive sensor designed for medical imaging. It supports multiple operational modes and can monitor cerebral blood flow by detecting subtle light fluctuations through tissue, reaching depths beyond existing sensors.
- Sirona is a 512-pixel SPAD-based line sensor optimized for time-correlated single-photon counting (TCSPC). It enhances spectroscopy, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), time-of-flight imaging, and quantum computing applications.
The sensors capture both depth and temporal data, generating detailed 4D images. This supports applications across consumer electronics, automotive technology, scientific research, and medical imaging.
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