Panorama Synergy, an Australian company currently developing a new type of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors, has appointed sensor technology expert Claudia Kuettel PhD as manager of its Advanced Technology Projects division.
MEMS sensors can detect various biological and chemical effects, allowing their use in medical applications to detect melanoma, or to detect gas leakage.
Panorama Synergy is currently developing and commercialising its LumiMEMS Reader, which integrates a laser measuring system on the same chip as the MEMS being measured, to create a truly integrated, autonomous and electronics-free readout system.
LumiMEMS promises to be more precise than its predecessors. Because of the integrated nature of the system, it will also be more robust, allowing the use of optical MEMS readers outside of the lab, in biologically and environmentally hazardous areas requiring monitoring, such as airports, gas lines, and internal medicine.
Dr Kuettel will lead Panorama Synergy’s strategy in both its LumiMEMS Reader and spectroscopy products. Panorama Synergy is currently transitioning from research and development to revenue generation.
Dr Kuettel is an Engineers Australia accredited Professional Engineer, with significant experience in developing and commercialising MEMS sensors. She holds a PhD in Sensor and Actuator Systems, with a focus on Electrochemically Actuated Smart Polymers, from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland.
She comes to Panorama Synergy from Sensiron, a leading sensor manufacturing, where she played a key role as Project Leader for two projects. She was responsible for R&D of Sensiron’s new generation sensors, and also successfully commercialised and launched multiple projects in international markets, both in the resources and the consumer electronics industries.
She was responsible for two strategic projects and brings extensive knowledge of the MEMS sensors research and industry environment as well as strong operational leadership skills to the role.
As Manager of Advanced Technology Projects, Dr Kuettel will be a part of the senior leadership team responsible for advancing the company’s MEMS technology portfolio from product development through to manufacturing and becoming a revenue generating technology company.
According to Panorama Synergy’s Managing Director, Terry Walsh, Dr Kuettel’s extensive academic research background in MEMS sensor technology and substantial experience in the taking prototypes to end-market products of new generation sensor technologies will be invaluable as the company continues working towards bringing the LumiMEMS Reader and optical spectroscopy technology to the market.