Stories & Features
Custom Optical Filter Process
Sep 19, 2025
by
IDEX Health & Science
Decided that custom optical filters are the best option for your system needs? Choosing a set of optical filters for a new fluorescence-based product is a complex task that requires careful planning to ensure a successful outcome. Complicating factors include the need for a fast timeline, reliable production, and budget constraints.
At IDEX Health & Science, we offer custom coating filter designs tailored specifically to your system requirements. Though the initial prototype filter cost will be higher than using standard catalog filters, it can often be a long-term cost-effective approach by assuring you immediately get the features you need.
Explore the steps from providing your specifications to production below to see how our customer journey process unfolds. This applies to OEMs with ramp-up in mind, as well as to customers building one-off systems
Fun Fact: We coat on large substrates and dice our optical filters from there. This allows flexibility for customer to change part size throughout the prototyping process as needed without having to purchase additional coating runs.
Step 1: Share Preliminary Requirements & Decide on Filter Specifications
- The more you share about your system, the better we can optimize the optical performance: light sources, detector, fluorophores, application, and optical layout.
- IDEX Health & Science offers a standard mutual NDA to all customers. Our legal team may review customer-provided NDAs in some cases.
- See the Custom Filters Specifications Form for a handy guide to specifications.
- Please share production level expectations so we can ensure the right coating platform for your needs.
- After discussion and modeling, the customer and our team agree on the filter specifications.
Step 2: Optimize Spectral Performance & Issue a Quotation
- We use Manufacturable Specifications, which means we build in manufacturability when writing specifications. This ensures that each specification is guaranteed by Semrock.
- The filter design team converts the specifications into filter designs. In some cases, specifications are adjusted to assure manufacturability and yield. This process can take one week or more depending on overall system complexity.
- You will receive a drawing containing the specifications and simulated optical response data, which can be loaded to SearchLight™ for modeling your system.
- Once the specifications and optical performance pass customer review, your Key Account Manager provides a quotation.
Step 3: Filter Order Received & Processed
- When the customer purchase order is received, IDEX Health & Science sets up the account, the customer purchase order is processed, and a promised ship date is provided.
- Before being shipped out, each filter is thoroughly inspected to ensure they meet our standards for high quality and superior performance.
- Filters are delivered to the customer site, and performance testing starts. Our team is most interested in results, and any small issue is worked on with full transparency. Traceability of our filters means minimal lost time tracking any issues.
- Let us know the results! Do you need to adjust some specifications? Let’s partner.
Step 4: Moving to Production
- All our catalog filters are already able to support your production level needs.
- For a custom coating design, it is important to know production level volumes before we manufacture the first filters. We can then select the appropriate coating platform to ensure consistent delivery throughout early stage and ramp-up customer production phases.
“Once we get your filter specifications, we carefully consider what they mean for product implementation. We look at how all the filters will work together, as opposed to just looking at each filter in isolation. The whole system must be optimized for your fluorophores, light sources, and detectors.” - IDEX Health & Science Key Account Manager