Low level lighting in microscopy rooms

[Alessandro Esposito]

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Dear all,

    we are refurbishing our imaging facilities and we were considering the
installation of low level lighting in the rooms for two different purposes:



1) Safely working in the room without generating background signal in
images



2) Safely working in the room avoiding activation of light-inducible systems



We do have desk lamps, sometimes positioned on the floor or LED spot
lights of different colour when we need the room to be a dark room (in
green or red light).



However, I was thinking to get a more elegant solution such as LED strips
positioned under the data and power trunking we have in each room. I was
also considering that, for those rooms where a corridor is present, perhaps
these strips could be a.) dimmed at an appropiate and fixed intensity  and
b.) activated by motion.



We are designing this with off-the-shelf LED strips and controllers, but I
was wondering if any of you had already implemented something like this
and could advice solutions or things that seemed good ideas but then
resulted in inefficient or unuseful gadgets.



Kind regards,



Alessandro

[Avi Jacob]

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Alessandro,

I recently added an Ikea white light LED strip, (about 60cm long, don't
remember exact model #, meant for kitchens I think, there is a smaller one
too) mounted under the shelf above the table.
Then I added a wooden strip of wood at an angle, on the edge of the shelf,
extending down about 12 cm, ending up a few cm above the upper edge of the
monitor.

It ended up giving a nice warmish (not too cold, in spite of it being
"white light" leds) diffuse light, not too strong and no heat. We feel this
avoids background signal. I cannot say with regarding to photo-activatable
systems.
Of course you can add strips to block the light according to your own
configuration. I think it's nicer than the small G8T5E florescent lights we
have on the rest of the systems.

We did not try to use red or color leds, because when the light is on, you
want to have light, and non-white is annoying.
Ill try to send you a picture later to your mail.

Avi J.


-




On Wed, Apr 23, 2014 at 1:06 PM, Alessandro Esposito <
[hidden email]> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> Dear all,
>
>     we are refurbishing our imaging facilities and we were considering the
> installation of low level lighting in the rooms for two different purposes:
>
>
>
> 1) Safely working in the room without generating background signal in
> images
>
>
>
> 2) Safely working in the room avoiding activation of light-inducible
> systems
>
>
>
> We do have desk lamps, sometimes positioned on the floor or LED spot
> lights of different colour when we need the room to be a dark room (in
> green or red light).
>
>
>
> However, I was thinking to get a more elegant solution such as LED strips
> positioned under the data and power trunking we have in each room. I was
> also considering that, for those rooms where a corridor is present, perhaps
> these strips could be a.) dimmed at an appropiate and fixed intensity  and
> b.) activated by motion.
>
>
>
> We are designing this with off-the-shelf LED strips and controllers, but I
> was wondering if any of you had already implemented something like this
> and could advice solutions or things that seemed good ideas but then
> resulted in inefficient or unuseful gadgets.
>
>
>
> Kind regards,
>
>
>
> Alessandro
>

[PEARSON Matthew]

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*****

Hi Alessandro,

We recently installed something similar to the underside of our  
electrical trunking (roughly 1m above floor).  Adhesive 5m per reel  
LED strips, each LED has an RGB component so you can produce various  
colours if your heart so desires.  They also come with a small battery  
powered IR remote which allows you to change the colours, dim to  
various levels etc.  We don't have motion detection but the LED's are  
left on most of the time and the low intensity is enough to stop you  
tripping over anything but doesn't affect imaging.

They were purchased from ebay of all places and have no complaints:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5M-3528-SMD-RGB-300-LEDs-Waterproof-Flexible-Strip-Lighting12V-Receiver-Remote-/261286546761

cheers,

Matt




On 23 Apr 2014, at 11:06, Alessandro Esposito wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your  
> posting.
> *****
>
> Dear all,
>
>    we are refurbishing our imaging facilities and we were  
> considering the
> installation of low level lighting in the rooms for two different  
> purposes:
>
>
>
> 1) Safely working in the room without generating background signal in
> images
>
>
>
> 2) Safely working in the room avoiding activation of light-inducible  
> systems
>
>
>
> We do have desk lamps, sometimes positioned on the floor or LED spot
> lights of different colour when we need the room to be a dark room (in
> green or red light).
>
>
>
> However, I was thinking to get a more elegant solution such as LED  
> strips
> positioned under the data and power trunking we have in each room. I  
> was
> also considering that, for those rooms where a corridor is present,  
> perhaps
> these strips could be a.) dimmed at an appropiate and fixed  
> intensity  and
> b.) activated by motion.
>
>
>
> We are designing this with off-the-shelf LED strips and controllers,  
> but I
> was wondering if any of you had already implemented something like  
> this
> and could advice solutions or things that seemed good ideas but then
> resulted in inefficient or unuseful gadgets.
>
>
>
> Kind regards,
>
>
>
> Alessandro
>

*****
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*****

The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in
Scotland, with registration number SC005336.

[Craig Brideau]

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*****

Sunbrite LED power strips work really well.  They sell a controller that
lets you set a brightness level, then toggle them on and off with a touch.
You can get them from digikey:
Strips:
http://www.digikey.ca/product-search/en/optoelectronics/leds-high-brightness-power-modules/525140?k=sunbrite

Control and power modules:
http://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/SSP-DM0/67-2154-ND/3065105

DC Power supply:
http://www.digikey.ca/product-detail/en/SSP-PW024/67-2157-ND/3065102

Note you can chain multiple strips together on one controller. Here's a
link to all the bits and bobs that support the strips:
http://www.digikey.ca/product-search/en?FV=fff40008,fff80054,ffec8294

I glued a bunch of high strength magnets to one of mine and stuck it on the
underside of a steel cabinet. When I need light up close I can just pull it
off and use it like a light wand.

Craig Brideau



On Wed, Apr 23, 2014 at 6:13 AM, Matthew Pearson <
[hidden email]> wrote:

> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> Hi Alessandro,
>
> We recently installed something similar to the underside of our electrical
> trunking (roughly 1m above floor).  Adhesive 5m per reel LED strips, each
> LED has an RGB component so you can produce various colours if your heart
> so desires.  They also come with a small battery powered IR remote which
> allows you to change the colours, dim to various levels etc.  We don't have
> motion detection but the LED's are left on most of the time and the low
> intensity is enough to stop you tripping over anything but doesn't affect
> imaging.
>
> They were purchased from ebay of all places and have no complaints:
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5M-3528-SMD-RGB-300-LEDs-
> Waterproof-Flexible-Strip-Lighting12V-Receiver-Remote-/261286546761
>
> cheers,
>
> Matt
>
>
>
>
>
> On 23 Apr 2014, at 11:06, Alessandro Esposito wrote:
>
>  *****
>> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
>> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
>> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
>> *****
>>
>> Dear all,
>>
>>    we are refurbishing our imaging facilities and we were considering the
>> installation of low level lighting in the rooms for two different
>> purposes:
>>
>>
>>
>> 1) Safely working in the room without generating background signal in
>> images
>>
>>
>>
>> 2) Safely working in the room avoiding activation of light-inducible
>> systems
>>
>>
>>
>> We do have desk lamps, sometimes positioned on the floor or LED spot
>> lights of different colour when we need the room to be a dark room (in
>> green or red light).
>>
>>
>>
>> However, I was thinking to get a more elegant solution such as LED strips
>> positioned under the data and power trunking we have in each room. I was
>> also considering that, for those rooms where a corridor is present,
>> perhaps
>> these strips could be a.) dimmed at an appropiate and fixed intensity  and
>> b.) activated by motion.
>>
>>
>>
>> We are designing this with off-the-shelf LED strips and controllers, but I
>> was wondering if any of you had already implemented something like this
>> and could advice solutions or things that seemed good ideas but then
>> resulted in inefficient or unuseful gadgets.
>>
>>
>>
>> Kind regards,
>>
>>
>>
>> Alessandro
>>
>>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *****
> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
> http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
> Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
> *****
>
> The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in
> Scotland, with registration number SC005336.
>
>

[Barbara Foster]

*****
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*****

Dear Alessandro

Good thinking!  Ambient light has much more impact than most
microscopist think about.

Several thoughts:
a. If you install "local" lighting around a station, consider having
a foot pedal for off/on.
b. Nightsea (nightsea.com) is just coming out with a "dark tent" to
put around microscopes.  I haven't seen it yet, but it has been going
through beta testing and is very promising.  I don't think it is big
enough to encompass a research stand (although inventor, Dr. Charles
Mazel, is always open to new ideas), but may be very useful for
lab-level stereos and compounds.

Good hunting!
Barbara Foster, President & Chief Consultant
Microscopy/Microscopy Education*
www.MicroscopyEducation.com

*A subsidiary of The Microscopy & Imaging Place, Inc.
7101 Royal Glen Trail, Suite A
McKinney, TX 75070
P: 972-924-5310
F: 214-592-0277

MME is currently scheduling courses for now and through Fall 2014.
Call us today for a free training evaluation.



At 12:09 PM 4/23/2014, you wrote:

>*****
>To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
>http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
>Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
>*****
>
>Dear all,
>
>     we are refurbishing our imaging facilities and we were considering the
>installation of low level lighting in the rooms for two different purposes:
>
>
>
>1) Safely working in the room without generating background signal in
>images
>
>
>
>2) Safely working in the room avoiding activation of light-inducible systems
>
>
>
>We do have desk lamps, sometimes positioned on the floor or LED spot
>lights of different colour when we need the room to be a dark room (in
>green or red light).
>
>
>
>However, I was thinking to get a more elegant solution such as LED strips
>positioned under the data and power trunking we have in each room. I was
>also considering that, for those rooms where a corridor is present, perhaps
>these strips could be a.) dimmed at an appropiate and fixed intensity  and
>b.) activated by motion.
>
>
>
>We are designing this with off-the-shelf LED strips and controllers, but I
>was wondering if any of you had already implemented something like this
>and could advice solutions or things that seemed good ideas but then
>resulted in inefficient or unuseful gadgets.
>
>
>
>Kind regards,
>
>
>
>Alessandro

[Alessandro Esposito]

*****
To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy
Post images on http://www.imgur.com and include the link in your posting.
*****

Thank you all for the advice. I found something quite cost-effective on
Farnell and I'll test it over the next days. If it works I'll post the link and we
may get several of them.



Cheers,



Alessandro