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EXFO Lamps

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Shaw, Andrew-2

EXFO Lamps

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

On a related note. I have read from others on the list about how incredibly
bright the EXFO lamps are. We recently bought one and have found that while
the field is very evenly illuminated,the light really isn't all that bright. We
always have to use it maximum intensity and still have about 1/2 the
brightness we had with our old Hg HBO-103 bulbs. Have other experience the
same, or do you think we have a faulty light / optic guide?

Fred Mast

Re: EXFO Lamps

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

The EXFO provides a more even illumination. It has weaker the hot
spots and excitation wavelength spikes as compared to the Hg bulbs. So
for GFP, or other fluorophores excited around 488, you won't get as
high of a signal.

The downside to the EXFO is that their coupler is a liquid that breaks
down over time. We had to replace ours already after only 2000 hours
of use and were told that they should last for 5000+ hours but
depending on length of time in storage and/or temperature during
transport the lifetime of the cable can be shortened.

Fred

On 25-Apr-08, at 8:34 AM, Andrew P. Shaw wrote:

> Search the CONFOCAL archive at
> http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
>
> On a related note. I have read from others on the list about how
> incredibly
> bright the EXFO lamps are. We recently bought one and have found
> that while
> the field is very evenly illuminated,the light really isn't all that
> bright. We
> always have to use it maximum intensity and still have about 1/2 the
> brightness we had with our old Hg HBO-103 bulbs. Have other
> experience the
> same, or do you think we have a faulty light / optic guide?
>

Fred D. Mast
Department of Cell Biology
Medical Sciences Building Room 5-14
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2H7
Canada

Tel: 1-780-492-7407
[hidden email]

Julio Vazquez

Re: EXFO Lamps

In reply to this post by Shaw, Andrew-2

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal =

Andrew,

Just some quick and dirty results:

On a DeltaVision with an HBO 100, through a FITC Ex filter (480-500 nm), we typically get ~ 10 mW of power right after the filter, and about 4-5 mW of power at the lens (10x/0.4), with a new lamp.

On our Zeiss Axiovert, with EXFO lamp (about 200 hours old), I get ~ 30 mW at the lens (10x/0.3) at full power, and about 7 mW at the lowest setting, also though a FITC Ex filter (~465-500 nm, I think...I can't check its exact specs at the moment). In this set-up, I can not measure the light output right after the filter. In any event, in our particular set-ups, the Exfo at full power seems to give about 4 times the power of the HBO at the objective for the FITC excitation channel, after correction for filter efficiency. I guess these numbers may vary depending on how the light is delivered, how well the lamps are centered and focused (HBO), and other parameters.

We typically use the lowest settings on the Exfo, and only need the highest settings when samples are really weak, or lamp is getting old. The EXFO is on a confocal, so we use it for viewing only, not for imaging.

We had one or two EXFO lamps dying prematurely (around 500-600 hours).

Julio Vazquez

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Seattle, WA 98109-1024

[hidden email]

http://www.fhcrc.org/science

On Apr 25, 2008, at 7:34 AM, Andrew P. Shaw wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

On a related note. I have read from others on the list about how incredibly
bright the EXFO lamps are. We recently bought one and have found that while
the field is very evenly illuminated,the light really isn't all that bright. We
always have to use it maximum intensity and still have about 1/2 the
brightness we had with our old Hg HBO-103 bulbs. Have other experience the
same, or do you think we have a faulty light / optic guide?

Knecht, David

Re: EXFO Lamps

In reply to this post by Fred Mast

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal What is the sign that your liquid light guide is breaking down? Dave

On Apr 25, 2008, at 11:54 AM, Fred Mast wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

The EXFO provides a more even illumination. It has weaker the hot spots and excitation wavelength spikes as compared to the Hg bulbs. So for GFP, or other fluorophores excited around 488, you won't get as high of a signal.

The downside to the EXFO is that their coupler is a liquid that breaks down over time. We had to replace ours already after only 2000 hours of use and were told that they should last for 5000+ hours but depending on length of time in storage and/or temperature during transport the lifetime of the cable can be shortened.

Fred

On 25-Apr-08, at 8:34 AM, Andrew P. Shaw wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

On a related note. I have read from others on the list about how incredibly
bright the EXFO lamps are. We recently bought one and have found that while
the field is very evenly illuminated,the light really isn't all that bright. We
always have to use it maximum intensity and still have about 1/2 the
brightness we had with our old Hg HBO-103 bulbs. Have other experience the
same, or do you think we have a faulty light / optic guide?

Fred D. Mast
Department of Cell Biology
Medical Sciences Building Room 5-14
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2H7
Canada

Tel: 1-780-492-7407
[hidden email]

Dr. David Knecht

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology

Co-head Flow Cytometry and Confocal Microscopy Facility

U-3125

91 N. Eagleville Rd.

University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT 06269

860-486-2200

860-486-4331 (fax)

Fred Mast

Re: EXFO Lamps

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

For us it was a dramatic decrease in overall light output (over a period of about a week or two) and a change in bulb didn't fix the problem so we replaced the light guide and the problem was solved.

Cheers,

Fred

On 25-Apr-08, at 2:47 PM, David Knecht wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
What is the sign that your liquid light guide is breaking down? Dave

On Apr 25, 2008, at 11:54 AM, Fred Mast wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

The EXFO provides a more even illumination. It has weaker the hot spots and excitation wavelength spikes as compared to the Hg bulbs. So for GFP, or other fluorophores excited around 488, you won't get as high of a signal.

The downside to the EXFO is that their coupler is a liquid that breaks down over time. We had to replace ours already after only 2000 hours of use and were told that they should last for 5000+ hours but depending on length of time in storage and/or temperature during transport the lifetime of the cable can be shortened.

Fred

On 25-Apr-08, at 8:34 AM, Andrew P. Shaw wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

On a related note. I have read from others on the list about how incredibly
bright the EXFO lamps are. We recently bought one and have found that while
the field is very evenly illuminated,the light really isn't all that bright. We
always have to use it maximum intensity and still have about 1/2 the
brightness we had with our old Hg HBO-103 bulbs. Have other experience the
same, or do you think we have a faulty light / optic guide?

Fred D. Mast
Department of Cell Biology
Medical Sciences Building Room 5-14
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2H7
Canada

Tel: 1-780-492-7407
[hidden email]

Dr. David Knecht
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Co-head Flow Cytometry and Confocal Microscopy Facility
U-3125
91 N. Eagleville Rd.
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT 06269
860-486-2200
860-486-4331 (fax)

Fred D. Mast

Department of Cell Biology

Medical Sciences Building Room 5-14

University of Alberta

Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2H7

Canada

Tel: 1-780-492-7407

[hidden email]

Arvydas Matiukas

Re: EXFO Lamps: how expensive the light guide

I need one more mercury light source and was considering between EXFO and HBO type. HBO bulb life

is only 100hrs so long term cost is almost identical.

It was quite a surprise that that EXFO lightguide has limited hours. I wonder how expensive

is lightguide replacement.

Thanks,

Arvydas

Arvydas Matiukas, Ph.D.
Director of Confocal&Two-Photon Imaging Core Facility
Department of Pharmacology
SUNY Upstate Medical University
766 Irving Ave., WH 3159
Syracuse, NY 13210
tel.: 315-464-7997
fax: 315-464-8014
email: [hidden email]

>>> Fred Mast <[hidden email]> 04/27/08 1:39 PM >>>

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

For us it was a dramatic decrease in overall light output (over a period of about a week or two) and a change in bulb didn't fix the problem so we replaced the light guide and the problem was solved.

Cheers,

Fred

On 25-Apr-08, at 2:47 PM, David Knecht wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
What is the sign that your liquid light guide is breaking down? Dave

On Apr 25, 2008, at 11:54 AM, Fred Mast wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

The EXFO provides a more even illumination. It has weaker the hot spots and excitation wavelength spikes as compared to the Hg bulbs. So for GFP, or other fluorophores excited around 488, you won't get as high of a signal.

The downside to the EXFO is that their coupler is a liquid that breaks down over time. We had to replace ours already after only 2000 hours of use and were told that they should last for 5000+ hours but depending on length of time in storage and/or temperature during transport the lifetime of the cable can be shortened.

Fred

On 25-Apr-08, at 8:34 AM, Andrew P. Shaw wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at

http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

On a related note. I have read from others on the list about how incredibly

bright the EXFO lamps are. We recently bought one and have found that while

the field is very evenly illuminated,the light really isn't all that bright. We

always have to use it maximum intensity and still have about 1/2 the

brightness we had with our old Hg HBO-103 bulbs. Have other experience the

same, or do you think we have a faulty light / optic guide?

Fred D. Mast
Department of Cell Biology
Medical Sciences Building Room 5-14
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2H7
Canada

Tel: 1-780-492-7407
[hidden email]

Dr. David Knecht

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology

Co-head Flow Cytometry and Confocal Microscopy Facility

U-3125

91 N. Eagleville Rd.

University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT 06269

860-486-2200

860-486-4331 (fax)

Fred D. Mast

Department of Cell Biology

Medical Sciences Building Room 5-14

University of Alberta

Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2H7

Canada

Tel: 1-780-492-7407

[hidden email]

Nowell, Cameron

Re: EXFO Lamps: how expensive the light guide

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

Hi Arvydas,
We priced some light guides about a year ago and found they were around $500-700 US (depending onwhich company you used). The limited hours problem is a bit frustrating. You also need to keep in mind that the ~3 year life span rating has nothing to do with you actually using the light guide. If you have one sitting on the shelf it will degrade, so you can't always keep a spare on hand. My understanding is that bubbles develop in the gel inside the guide, thus reducing its effective light transmition.

Cheers

Cam

Cameron Nowell
Microscopy Research and Imaging Facility
Cell Cycle and Development
Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre
7 St Andrews Place
East Melbourne, 3002
Victoria AUSTRALIA

Phone: +61396563759
Fax: +61396561411
Mobile: +61422882700

________________________________

From: Confocal Microscopy List on behalf of Arvydas Matiukas
Sent: Mon 28/04/2008 4:34 AM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: EXFO Lamps: how expensive the light guide

I need one more mercury light source and was considering between EXFO and HBO type. HBO bulb life
is only 100hrs so long term cost is almost identical.

It was quite a surprise that that EXFO lightguide has limited hours. I wonder how expensive
is lightguide replacement.

Thanks,
Arvydas

Arvydas Matiukas, Ph.D.
Director of Confocal&Two-Photon Imaging Core Facility
Department of Pharmacology
SUNY Upstate Medical University
766 Irving Ave., WH 3159
Syracuse, NY 13210
tel.: 315-464-7997
fax: 315-464-8014
email: [hidden email]

>>> Fred Mast <[hidden email]> 04/27/08 1:39 PM >>>

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

For us it was a dramatic decrease in overall light output (over a period of about a week or two) and a change in bulb didn't fix the problem so we replaced the light guide and the problem was solved.
Cheers,
Fred

On 25-Apr-08, at 2:47 PM, David Knecht wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
What is the sign that your liquid light guide is breaking down? Dave

On Apr 25, 2008, at 11:54 AM, Fred Mast wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

The EXFO provides a more even illumination. It has weaker the hot spots and excitation wavelength spikes as compared to the Hg bulbs. So for GFP, or other fluorophores excited around 488, you won't get as high of a signal.

The downside to the EXFO is that their coupler is a liquid that breaks down over time. We had to replace ours already after only 2000 hours of use and were told that they should last for 5000+ hours but depending on length of time in storage and/or temperature during transport the lifetime of the cable can be shortened.

Fred

On 25-Apr-08, at 8:34 AM, Andrew P. Shaw wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at

http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

On a related note. I have read from others on the list about how incredibly

bright the EXFO lamps are. We recently bought one and have found that while

the field is very evenly illuminated,the light really isn't all that bright. We

always have to use it maximum intensity and still have about 1/2 the

brightness we had with our old Hg HBO-103 bulbs. Have other experience the

same, or do you think we have a faulty light / optic guide?

Fred D. Mast
Department of Cell Biology
Medical Sciences Building Room 5-14
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2H7
Canada

Tel: 1-780-492-7407
[hidden email]

Dr. David Knecht
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Co-head Flow Cytometry and Confocal Microscopy Facility
U-3125
91 N. Eagleville Rd.
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT 06269
860-486-2200
860-486-4331 (fax)

Fred D. Mast
Department of Cell Biology
Medical Sciences Building Room 5-14
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2H7
Canada

Tel: 1-780-492-7407
[hidden email]

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Petrak, Lara J.

Re: EXFO Lamps

In reply to this post by Knecht, David

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

Dave,

If you suspect that your light guide is breaking down, you can remove the guide from the lamp housing and microscope adaptor, hold up the lamp housing end to a bright room light, and look at the window on the other end. The light should look bright and evenly illuminated. If it’s dim and/or uneven then it’s got problems. It also helps if you have second light guide for comparison.

Best,

Lara Petrak

From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of David Knecht
Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 4:47 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: EXFO Lamps

What is the sign that your liquid light guide is breaking down? Dave

On Apr 25, 2008, at 11:54 AM, Fred Mast wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

The EXFO provides a more even illumination. It has weaker the hot spots and excitation wavelength spikes as compared to the Hg bulbs. So for GFP, or other fluorophores excited around 488, you won't get as high of a signal.

The downside to the EXFO is that their coupler is a liquid that breaks down over time. We had to replace ours already after only 2000 hours of use and were told that they should last for 5000+ hours but depending on length of time in storage and/or temperature during transport the lifetime of the cable can be shortened.

Fred

On 25-Apr-08, at 8:34 AM, Andrew P. Shaw wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at

http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

On a related note. I have read from others on the list about how incredibly

bright the EXFO lamps are. We recently bought one and have found that while

the field is very evenly illuminated,the light really isn't all that bright. We

always have to use it maximum intensity and still have about 1/2 the

brightness we had with our old Hg HBO-103 bulbs. Have other experience the

same, or do you think we have a faulty light / optic guide?

Fred D. Mast
Department of Cell Biology
Medical Sciences Building Room 5-14
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2H7
Canada

Tel: 1-780-492-7407
[hidden email]

Dr. David Knecht

Department of Molecular and Cell Biology

Co-head Flow Cytometry and Confocal Microscopy Facility

U-3125

91 N. Eagleville Rd.

University of Connecticut

Storrs, CT 06269

860-486-2200

860-486-4331 (fax)

Glen MacDonald-2

Re: EXFO Lamps

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

Another lab called me about uneven illumination from the liquid light
guide attached to a Sutter DG-4. directing the adapter at the wall
showed a pattern of more or less concentric rings, dark in the
center, that was not corrected by focusing light guide in the
adapter. In this case the problem was that the light guide had been
bent too sharply coming out of the DG-4 after a recent move to a new
lab. It had been allowed to drop directly down to the floor from its
connection to the DG-4. Fortunately, they had a spare on the shelf. I

Regards,
Glen
Glen MacDonald
Core for Communication Research
Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center
Box 357923
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195-7923 USA
(206) 616-4156
[hidden email]

************************************************************************
******
The box said "Requires WindowsXP or better", so I bought a Macintosh.
************************************************************************
******

On Apr 28, 2008, at 7:42 AM, Petrak, Lara J. wrote:

> Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-
> bin/wa?S1=confocal
> Dave,
>
> If you suspect that your light guide is breaking down, you can
> remove the guide from the lamp housing and microscope adaptor, hold
> up the lamp housing end to a bright room light, and look at the
> window on the other end. The light should look bright and evenly
> illuminated. If it’s dim and/or uneven then it’s got problems. It
> also helps if you have second light guide for comparison.
>
> Best,
> Lara Petrak
>
> From: Confocal Microscopy List
> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of David Knecht
> Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 4:47 PM
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: Re: EXFO Lamps
>
> What is the sign that your liquid light guide is breaking down? Dave
>
> On Apr 25, 2008, at 11:54 AM, Fred Mast wrote:
>
>
> Search the CONFOCAL archive at
> http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
>
> The EXFO provides a more even illumination. It has weaker the hot
> spots and excitation wavelength spikes as compared to the Hg bulbs.
> So for GFP, or other fluorophores excited around 488, you won't get
> as high of a signal.
>
> The downside to the EXFO is that their coupler is a liquid that
> breaks down over time. We had to replace ours already after only
> 2000 hours of use and were told that they should last for 5000+
> hours but depending on length of time in storage and/or temperature
> during transport the lifetime of the cable can be shortened.
>
> Fred
>
> On 25-Apr-08, at 8:34 AM, Andrew P. Shaw wrote:
>
>
> Search the CONFOCAL archive at
>> http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
>>
>> On a related note. I have read from others on the list about how
>> incredibly
>> bright the EXFO lamps are. We recently bought one and have found
>> that while
>> the field is very evenly illuminated,the light really isn't all
>> that bright. We
>> always have to use it maximum intensity and still have about 1/2 the
>> brightness we had with our old Hg HBO-103 bulbs. Have other
>> experience the
>> same, or do you think we have a faulty light / optic guide?
>>
>
> Fred D. Mast
> Department of Cell Biology
> Medical Sciences Building Room 5-14
> University of Alberta
> Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2H7
> Canada
>
> Tel: 1-780-492-7407
> [hidden email]
>
> Dr. David Knecht
> Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
> Co-head Flow Cytometry and Confocal Microscopy Facility
> U-3125
> 91 N. Eagleville Rd.
> University of Connecticut
> Storrs, CT 06269
> 860-486-2200
> 860-486-4331 (fax)
>
>
>

luigi gentile

Re: EXFO Lamps

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal COMMERCIAL RESPONSE

Thank you all for the excellent discussion. I'd just like to add a couple of points from EXFO which may be useful.

EXFO light guides should have a life time of 2-3 lamp changes depending on use. Typically 3-4 years is recommended before changing guides. Lamp hours in the X-Cite 120 XL have been extended since the previous model. The previous warranty on the X-Cite120 was 1500 hours, with a typical life time of 2000 hours. The new warranty is 2000 hours, with a typical lifetime of 2500 hours. Each lamp also has an Intellichip embedded in it which records the lamp hours and monitors operating temperature and power.

We have launched a new X-Cite illuminator called the Exacte, designed specifically for live cell and quantitative imaging which incorporates several features to prolong light guide lifetime. These include a bandpass filter (340nm to 675nm), which cuts out the deep UV which is damaging for the guide, a light guide detector, which ensures proper insertion, as well we have moved the light guide to the front of the unit to minimize accidental damage that may occur when the system is moved. The Exacte is an ultra-high stability unit that uses closed-loop feedback through a photo-diode to provide an exact photometric output of the lamp, with nearly no variability (<1% variability in output over many hours, and <2% variability over days). The lamps for the new X-Cite Exacte although different from the X-Cite 120, provide nearly identical output and have the same long lamp life and Intellichips. We have a companion product to the Exacte which is called the Radiometer. The Radiometer allows you to read the light guide output in Watts and calibrate output in Watts. This way, if you conduct an experiment today at 1W of power and you want to repeat the experiment one year later, you can use the Radiometer to recreate the exact same lighting conditions when you first conducted the experiment, therefore compensating for both lamp and light guide deterioration. The Radiometer can also be used to calibrate several systems (normalizing output over several Exactes) as well as a simple light meter to check the lamp and light guide output from X-Cite 120 units.

I hope that's useful. If you would like more information, or have any questions, please feel free to contact us at:

http://www.exfo-lifesciences.com

Best regards,

Luigi Gentile
RSM Americas & EMEA
Life Sciences

EXFO Life Sciences & Industrial Division
2260 Argentia Road
Mississauga, Ontario
L5N 6H7

On Mon, Apr 28, 2008 at 1:23 PM, Glen MacDonald <[hidden email]> wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

Another lab called me about uneven illumination from the liquid light guide attached to a Sutter DG-4. directing the adapter at the wall showed a pattern of more or less concentric rings, dark in the center, that was not corrected by focusing light guide in the adapter. In this case the problem was that the light guide had been bent too sharply coming out of the DG-4 after a recent move to a new lab. It had been allowed to drop directly down to the floor from its connection to the DG-4. Fortunately, they had a spare on the shelf. I

Regards,
Glen
Glen MacDonald
Core for Communication Research
Virginia Merrill Bloedel Hearing Research Center
Box 357923
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195-7923 USA
(206) 616-4156
[hidden email]

******************************************************************************
The box said "Requires WindowsXP or better", so I bought a Macintosh.
******************************************************************************

On Apr 28, 2008, at 7:42 AM, Petrak, Lara J. wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal
Dave,

If you suspect that your light guide is breaking down, you can remove the guide from the lamp housing and microscope adaptor, hold up the lamp housing end to a bright room light, and look at the window on the other end. The light should look bright and evenly illuminated. If it's dim and/or uneven then it's got problems. It also helps if you have second light guide for comparison.

Best,
Lara Petrak

From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of David Knecht
Sent: Friday, April 25, 2008 4:47 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: EXFO Lamps

What is the sign that your liquid light guide is breaking down? Dave

On Apr 25, 2008, at 11:54 AM, Fred Mast wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

The EXFO provides a more even illumination. It has weaker the hot spots and excitation wavelength spikes as compared to the Hg bulbs. So for GFP, or other fluorophores excited around 488, you won't get as high of a signal.

The downside to the EXFO is that their coupler is a liquid that breaks down over time. We had to replace ours already after only 2000 hours of use and were told that they should last for 5000+ hours but depending on length of time in storage and/or temperature during transport the lifetime of the cable can be shortened.

Fred

On 25-Apr-08, at 8:34 AM, Andrew P. Shaw wrote:

Search the CONFOCAL archive at

http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal

On a related note. I have read from others on the list about how incredibly
bright the EXFO lamps are. We recently bought one and have found that while
the field is very evenly illuminated,the light really isn't all that bright. We
always have to use it maximum intensity and still have about 1/2 the
brightness we had with our old Hg HBO-103 bulbs. Have other experience the
same, or do you think we have a faulty light / optic guide?

Fred D. Mast
Department of Cell Biology
Medical Sciences Building Room 5-14
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2H7
Canada

Tel: 1-780-492-7407
[hidden email]

Dr. David Knecht
Department of Molecular and Cell Biology
Co-head Flow Cytometry and Confocal Microscopy Facility
U-3125
91 N. Eagleville Rd.
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT 06269
860-486-2200
860-486-4331 (fax)