VAI Member Spotlight: Lumitron, New Jersey, USA Night-vision imaging systems manufacturer provides night-vision goggles, filters, lamps, and other related equipment for military and commercial operators. By Jen Boyer Military, law enforcement, aerial firefighting, and search-and-rescue operators using night-vision goggles (NVG) need readable illuminated displays that don’t interfere with the performance of the goggles. At the same time, the displays must remain readable when not using goggles. Displays illuminated with unfiltered incandescent lamps or light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can interfere with the goggles as they emit infrared radiation. Excess infrared radiation conflicts with the night-vision functionality and reduces visibility by creating blooms (or a halolike glow around the displays that reduces visibility), ghosting images (infrared reflections from the cockpit surface), or goggle sensitivity loss. The solution to this problem is to filter the display light source so that it emits enough light to adjust for day and night operations while offsetting levels of red and near-infrared radiation that interfere with the goggles. New Jersey–based Lumitron has been lighting the way for aviation and military operators for more than 50 years. Today, the company specializes in designing and manufacturing night-vision imaging system (NVIS)–compliant and NVG–compatible light sources and optical filters that meet military standards and are available for commercial operations. Full Line of NVIS Equipment Lumitron manufactures a comprehensive line of night vision–compatible lighting components, including glass construction NVG/NVIS optical ring filters, flexible lead assembly lamps, and legacy replacement-based lamps. The company’s NVIS filters, lamps, and LEDs come in various sizes and colors, including green A, green B, white, yellow, and red, which allows night vision compatibility of instruments, panels, keyboards, switches, annunciators, active matrix liquid crystal displays, and other illuminated devices. The company also offers a line of night-vision supplemental devices, including an infrared filter hood that transforms a standard flashlight into a covert infrared illuminator, and various NVIS–compliant filter hoods for both incandescent and LED flashlights. PolyVision Lumitron developed PolyVision, an NVG–compatible, high-temperature polymeric optical filter material engineered specifically for filtering various light sources for NVIS compliance. PolyVision extends achievable night vision–compatible lighting compliance to a broad range of display products, from annunciators and push-button switches to advanced active matrix liquid crystal displays. It also allows for greater design flexibility and shorter manufacturing lead times while meeting NVIS lighting requirements. Lamps and Accessories In addition to NVG products, Lumitron maintains a large inventory of subminiature lamps and LEDs. The company has evaluated its subminiature light sources for both military and commercial aerospace specifications since establishing its light lab in 1980. Throughout more than half a century in business, Lumitron has been evolving and innovating as new technology has become available. The company credits its long history of field-proven performance for its ability to produce off-the-shelf solutions to what can be frustrating lighting problems.
