18 October 2021

LightPath Technologies Expands Capabilities With Freeform Optics Solutions to Tap into AR and VR Markets

ORLANDO, FL – October 18, 2021 -- LightPath Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPTH) ("LightPath," the "Company," or "we"), a leading vertically integrated global manufacturer and integrator of proprietary optical and infrared components and high-level assemblies, today announced the addition of freeform optics to its portfolio of high performance, next-generation custom molded optical solutions.  Freeform optics involve lenses with surface shapes that lack certain symmetrical attributes which make them more challenging to mass produce but provide improved aperture, field of view and miniaturization. 

By utilizing LightPath’s proprietary molding technology, LightPath can mass produce molded freeform optics, rather than fabricating optical elements individually, as it is done today. High precision optical elements with freeform surfaces can offer the optimal solution in many high-performance optical applications by allowing more complex surface profiles that can provide beam shaping. Through the deployment of freeform optics, many optical systems can be miniaturized, and the number of elements reduced, resulting in optical systems that are smaller, lighter weight, and yield better performance than ever before.  

 Freeform optics are becoming a key element in applications such as augmented and virtual reality (AR and VR), infrared and military optical systems and 3-D imaging and visualization. Many times, these systems require the higher performance and more compact form factor that freeform optics can provide, allowing increased flexibility and overall size, weight and power (SWaP) optimization. The adoption of freeform optics in such applications has been limited due to the manufacturing technology that, to date, could not be scaled economically. This is a problem that has now been solved by LightPath’s leading expertise in molded optics.  Using its proprietary molding technology, LightPath has shipped tens of millions of field devices over the last 25 years for many other lens and lens assembly product families.  

“We are pleased to introduce freeform optics to our customers worldwide,” stated Rob Myers, Product Manager at LightPath.  “We believe freeform optics will play a major role in many emerging application areas, including the miniaturization of future AR/VR glasses. Developing our molded freeform optics technology required making advances in several key areas, such as mold fabrication, compression molding of non-rotationally symmetric optics, and in metrology to test the new lenses using computer generated holograms (CGH).  With one of the world’s largest and most accomplished team of engineers under one roof, we are very excited to be able to uniquely address some very exciting market opportunities with our new optical solutions.” 

For the last 35 years, LightPath Technologies has been producing high-quality optics and assemblies for customers worldwide. LightPath operations in the US and globally offer customers the flexibility and scalability to process small volume lots up to high-production volumes and the ability to tailor unique solutions to serve the most demanding specifications and application requirements

About LightPath Technologies 
LightPath Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: LPTH) is a leading global, vertically integrated provider of optics, photonics, and infrared solutions for the industrial, commercial, defense, telecommunications, and medical industries. LightPath designs and manufactures proprietary optical and infrared components including molded glass aspheric lenses and assemblies, infrared lenses and thermal imaging assemblies, fused fiber collimators, and proprietary Black DiamondTM ("BD6") chalcogenide-based glass lenses. LightPath also offers custom optical assemblies, including full engineering design support. The Company is headquartered in Orlando, Florida, with manufacturing and sales offices in Latvia and China. LightPath’s manufacturing facilities are ITAR Registered and ISO9001 compliant. 
 
LightPath's wholly owned subsidiary, ISP Optics Corporation, manufactures a full range of infrared products from high performance MWIR and LWIR lenses and lens assemblies. ISP's infrared lens assembly product line includes athermal lens systems used in cooled and un-cooled thermal imaging cameras. Manufacturing is performed in-house to provide precision optical components including spherical, aspherical, and diffractive coated infrared lenses. ISP's optics processes allow it to manufacture its products from all important types of infrared materials and crystals. Manufacturing processes include CNC grinding and CNC polishing, diamond turning, continuous and conventional polishing, optical contacting, and advanced coating technologies. 
 
For more information on LightPath and its businesses, please visit www.lightpath.com. 
For more information about Freeform Optics, please visit www.lightpath.com/Products/Freeform-Optics 
 
 

Mark Palvino, VP of Global Sales 
LightPath Technologies, Inc. Tel: 407-382-4003 mpalvino@lightpath.com 
 
Rob Myers, Product Manager 
LightPath Technologies, Inc. Tel: 407-382-4003 rmyers@lightpath.com

Investor Contact: ​

Jordan Darrow 
Darrow Associates 
Tel. 631-766-4528 
Jdarrow@darrowir.com 
 
SOURCE: LightPath Technologies, Inc.