Wilsonville, Ore.-based FLIR Systems (FLIR) has bought itself a small company -- and a very large pile of patents.
On Monday, FLIR announced that it has acquired "certain assets" of DigitalOptics Corporation's micro-optics business for a purchase price of $14.9 million. FLIR describes DigitalOptics as a leading fabricator of wafer-scale specialty optics products, including lenses, lens arrays, optical receivers and transceivers, and various infrared optical components, whose products "are used in a wide array of industries and applications, including security, surveillance, photolithography, data communications, laser-based medical equipment, and 3D gesture recognition."
FLIR CEO Andy Teich explained in a statement that buying the DigitalOptics business will give it both capability and cost advantages useful is FLIR moves into high-volume production of thermal imaging products. The purchase is likely to also strengthen FLIR's intellectual property position. Among the other assets being acquired are more than 200 patents and pending patent applications owned by DigitalOptics.
FLIR shares are up 0.4% on the news, trading at $33.14.
