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Product Release:

EXFO Releases the New X-Cite® exacte Fluorescence Illumination System

» Setting a new standard for stability, control and repeatability

QUEBEC CITY, CANADA, March 13, 2008 - EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc.'s Life Sciences and Industrial Division (NASDAQ: EXFO, TSX: EXF) announced today the expansion of its X-Cite® Fluorescence Microscopy Illumination System product line with the launch of the new X-Cite® exacte.

The X-Cite® exacte is designed for demanding imaging applications such as live cell, high speed and quantitative imaging, all of which require illumination stability and precise repeatability. Controlling illumination variability allows researchers to significantly improve productivity by reducing or even eliminating time-consuming image processing steps to normalize data.

The X-Cite® exacte provides ultra-stable illumination by employing a DC-powered lamp coupled with EXFO's patented Closed-Loop Feedback technology. In addition, light output can be calibrated in absolute power units using the external X-Cite® Radiometer. This allows repeatable experiments whether they are performed over several weeks or around the world in different laboratories.

With the X-Cite® exacte's high-speed internal shutter, intensity adjustment in increments as small as 1%, computer programmability and a graphical user interface that records real-time stability data, EXFO once again sets a new standard for fluorescence illuminators.

"The original X-Cite® was a huge success as it was the first illuminator of its kind with innovative features such as the convenience of pre-aligned, long-life lamps and superior illumination uniformity," said Allan Firhoj, Vice-President and General Manager of EXFO's Life Sciences and Industrial Division. "The X-Cite® exacte is another major industry-first, giving researchers an unprecedented level of stability and control of intensity. By making it easier to design and perform repeatable experiments, researchers can obtain accurate results more efficiently, and arrive at conclusions faster."

"Our work relies on accurate quantitative measurements of fluorescence intensities in cells over the duration of an experiment which can be a few hours or multiple weeks," said Damir Sudar, staff scientist from the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory in Berkeley, CA. "The X-Cite® exacte provides both short-term stability with the Closed-Loop Feedback, and long-term stability with the calibrated light output feature. The exacte has greatly enhanced our capability to do quantitative fluorescence imaging work.

About EXFO
EXFO is a Tier-1 test and measurement expert in the global telecommunications industry, especially in the portable test market segment. The Life Sciences and Industrial Division offers value-added light-based solutions in high-precision medical device and opto-electronics assembly sectors, and advanced fluorescence microscopy and electrophysiology solutions for the life sciences sector. The Telecom Division, which represents about 85% of the company's business, offers a full suite of test solutions and monitoring systems to network service providers, cable TV operators, telecom system vendors and component manufacturers in approximately 70 countries. For more information about EXFO's Telecom Division, visit www.EXFO.com, and for its Life Sciences and Industrial Division, visit www.EXFO-LSI.com.