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ScopeLite 200 Light Source for Microscopy

Photonics.com
Aug 2012BIRMINGHAM, N.J., Aug. 9, 2012 — Optical Building Blocks Corp. has introduced the ScopeLite 200 metal halide lamp-based microscope illuminator.

It delivers stable, high-intensity illumination in a small footprint. It optimizes the performance of a pre-aligned, self-focusing 200-W metal halide lamp, combining the line output of a mercury lamp spectrum with the versatility of a broadband lamp in the 300- to 800-nm wavelength range.

With short-term stability of <0.1% rms and long-term drift of <1%, it is suited for applications such as intracellular calcium imaging with Fura-2, high content screening, multiwavelength fluorescence imaging microscopy, photodynamic therapy, machine vision and UV curing.

The ScopeLite 200 can be coupled to virtually any microscope using a model-specific adapter to provide uniform illumination. It includes a 200-W short-arc mercury lamp in a ventilated housing, a stabilized DC power supply and a 2-m liquid lightguide with a 3-mm core diameter. Five-position intensity control and transistor-transistor logic-actuated shutter are standard features.

Typical lifetime of the lamp is 2000 h, rendering it a good alternative to conventional arc lamps that have to be replaced every two to 300 h and aligned each time. It displays elapsed hours of operation on the front panel, indicating when the lamp needs replacement. A side panel opens and allows easy access to the lamp, which snaps into place in seconds, with no realignment required. A built-in temperature sensor protects the lamp from overheating in case airflow is restricted.