Markets

Commercial
The use of polymer optics is found in a wide range of consumer applications such as digital cameras, PC peripherals, videoconferencing cameras, and mobile imaging. Laser based bar code scanners of various descriptions are good candidates for polymer optics. More recently, lightweight image based scanners have been manufactured to read 2-D barcode images using a platform that contains multiple optics and a mechanical mount all in one shot.
Biometric security systems, smoke detector optics, automated flush valve systems, and laboratory equipment have all benefited from having precision polymer optics. Polymer optics are useful for certain telecom and datacom products and are commonly used to replicate micro structured surfaces such as Fresnel lenses, refractive-diffractive surfaces, and gratings.

Medical
Medical instruments such as laparoscopes and arthroscopes can be built using polymer singlets and doublets, sometimes in conjunction with traditional glass elements to correct optical aberrations. Polymer optics can be used for non-imaging applications in medical devices as well.

Military
Imaging systems such as those found in night-vision devices are a good example of how the properties of polymers can combine to address several key performance issues. Replacing a glass element with a plastic element can reduce weight in the system. A plastic element is approximately a factor of 2 to a factor of 5 lighter in weight than the glass element being replaced. Moreover, since polymer optics can be readily designed and manufactured with aspheric surfaces (resulting in a possible reduction in the total element count) the use of one or more polymer elements in the system is well advised.