Leading Life-science Instrument Manufacturers PerkinElmer and Roper Scientific Realize Imager Performance Gains and Outstanding Image Quality

ROCHESTER, N. Y., August 26, 2003 - Eastman Kodak Company announced today a family of Blue Plus charge-coupled device (CCD) image sensors that contain microlens technology to increase sensitivity and provide high-quality digital images for professional photography, scientific and medical imaging applications. The microlens technology is used in the KODAK KAF-3200ME, KAF-0402ME, KAF-1402ME, KAF-1603ME, and KAF-5101CE image sensors. Monochrome sensitivity is increased 50% across the visible and near IR wavelengths as compared to Kodak Blue Plus image sensors.

Microlens technology offers a significant increase in a CCD's ability to convert incident light into electrical energy (known as the quantum efficiency, or QE, of the sensor), making it ideal for applications that operate in low-light conditions. Kodak is the first manufacturer to leverage microlens technology in full frame sensors and continues to drive the advancement and adoption of CCD sensors for professional and scientific applications worldwide.

Kodak created the Blue Plus product line by replacing one of the polysilicon electrodes used in full frame sensors with a much more transparent indium tin oxide (ITO) material, that allows more light to pass through the sensor pixels. By forming small micro-lenses over each pixel, a technique normally used in interline imagers, the light can be redirected away from the polysilicon electrode and onto the more transparent ITO electrode for significantly increased QE. Previously, high levels of QE were achievable only through the expensive process of thinning the wafer and illuminating the image sensor from the backside. Microlens technology permits more cost-effective CCD sensors to be produced while providing exceptional image quality and noise performance in low-light conditions.

Companies that design digital imaging cameras and systems for light-starved applications including astronomy, microscopy and medical X-ray imaging are driving the adoption of these new image sensors. PerkinElmer, a global technology leader focused on life sciences, analytical instruments, and optoelectronics businesses, and Roper Scientific, a manufacturer of Photometrics and Princeton Instruments-branded systems for digital imaging and spectroscopy, have turned to Kodak to supply CCD imagers for their industry-leading scientific digital camera products.

"Kodak's innovative sensor technologies and industry-leading expertise enables PerkinElmer to design sophisticated scientific imaging systems that are ideal for low-light life science applications such as proteomics," said Paul Karazuba, Product Manager, PerkinElmer. "The KODAK KAF-3200ME image sensor increases overall performance and light sensitivity, allowing scientists to more accurately collect biological information measurements and data, which translates to fewer failed experiments and improved research productivity."

"By enhancing the performance of products in our Blue Plus line, Kodak reaffirms our dedication to giving our customers, and their end-customers, the most innovative and highest quality imaging solutions for building and advancing infoimaging applications," said Helen Titus, worldwide marketing manager, Kodak's Image Sensor Solutions. "This technology will allow doctors, scientists, astronomers, and professional photographers to capture clearer images over a broad range of lighting conditions.

Availability
Microlens technology is currently available on the Blue Plus line including the KODAK KAF-1402ME, KAF-0402ME, KAF-3200ME, and the KAF-5101CE sensors. The KAF-1603ME image sensor with microlens technology will be available in Q4 2003. The sensors can be purchased directly from Kodak. For more information on Kodak's CCD and CMOS image sensor products, visit the Image Sensor Solutions web site at www.kodak.com/go/imagers or contact us at 585-722-4385 or at [email protected].

About Kodak's Image Sensor Solutions (ISS)
Committed to being the world's leading supplier of image sensor solutions for high performance imaging markets, Kodak's Image Sensor Solutions (ISS) division is solving its customers' imaging needs by focusing on developing, manufacturing and marketing solid state charged-coupled device (CCD) and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensors for applications ranging from satellite and medical imaging applications to digital cameras and machine vision products. Under its business charter, ISS is responsible for aggressively identifying and marketing new applications and solutions to help Kodak's OEM partners and customers integrate Kodak components into their products and applications.

About Eastman Kodak Company and infoimaging
Kodak is the leader in helping people take, share, enhance, preserve, print and enjoy pictures -- for memories, for information, for entertainment. The company is a major participant in infoimaging -- a $385 billion industry composed of devices (digital cameras and PDAs), infrastructure (online networks and delivery systems for images) and services & media (software, film and paper enabling people to access, analyze and print images). Kodak harnesses its technology, market reach and a host of industry partnerships to provide innovative products and services for customers who need the information-rich content that images contain. The company, with sales in 2002 of $12.8 billion, is organized into four major businesses: Photography, providing consumers, professionals and cinematographers with digital and traditional products and services; Commercial Imaging, offering image capture, output and storage products and services to businesses and government; Components, delivering flat-panel displays, optics and sensors to original equipment manufacturers; and Health, supplying the healthcare industry with traditional and digital image capture and output products and services.

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