http://confocal-microscopy-list.275.s1.nabble.com/FW-Deconvolve-1-42-Components-Setup-now-OK-tp590745p590763.html
Another vendor to consider in the LED technology is Zeiss. They have
introduced the Colibri system with ten LEDs being currently available. A
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Confocal Microscopy List on behalf of Barbara Foster
>> Sent: Tue 06/11/2007 17:27
>> To:
[hidden email]
>> Subject: Re: Non-arc source for IX-81 - semi commercial
>>
>> Search the CONFOCAL archive at
>>
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal>>
>> Dear Glen
>>
>> As a strategic consultant in microscopy, I get to see the latest
>> technology and there is, indeed, a great deal of flurry about LED
>> technology. In the summer of 2006, I had a chance to evaluate the
>> AFTER/FluoLED from Fraen and was very impressed with the design, ease
>> of use, and flexibility. I have been working on assignment with
>> Fraen more recently and was surprised to see how much both LED
>> technology and this product line had evolved. So here are
>> observations on both LED technology in general, and the Fraen system
>> in particular.
>>
>> Fraen's FluoLEDs are now available in UV (354nm), Royal blue (450nm),
>> Blue (480nm), Cyan (505 nm), Green (535nm) Yellow (590nm) and red
>> (630nm). While Fraen is a new name in the microscopy arena, most of
>> you already know them: they are the world's largest manufacturer of
>> the LEDs used for the pointers/indicators for the speedometers, gas
>> gauges, etc., on the dashboard of your cars.
>>
>> Until recently Fraen's AFTER/FluoLEDs were only available in
>> transmitted light version for upright microscopes, currently, over 17
>> different models from all the major manufacturers and several of the
>> smaller ones. For us "old timers", transmitted light has typically
>> been seen as less efficient, but the superb images from FluoLED tell
>> a very different story: Bright features against wonderfully velvet
>> black background. In other words: great S/N. Fraen will be
>> releasing the first systems for inverted stands next month and have
>> begun work on an epi version as well.
>>
>> As with any technology, there is up side/down side to LEDs
>> The good news is the consistency, lack of fuss, and economy of
>> LEDs. When they are on, they are on. When they are off and you need
>> them on, you can turn them on immediately - no cycle time.
>> Also, they exhibit much less drop off over time than HBOs. That time
>> factor is critical. Life expectancy of an HBO is on the order of
>> 200-300 hrs; for Fraen's LED's (I don't have figures on the others)
>> 30,000 hrs. No error in decimal points here: you can run them 8 hrs
>> a day, 5 days a week, for 5 years without changing a lamp. If you
>> plot drop-off versus time, a 100 fold increase in time is
>> significant, especially for those of us doing long term experiments.
>> When it comes time to switch out the lamp, there is no alignment, no
>> disposal issue.
>> The economy issue is also an interesting. Fraen's European office
>> did the following calculations (Euros) for the LED cassette for a
>> standard Blue excitation kit vs. an HBO arc lamp:
>> Cost of LED cassette: Eu720 Cost of HBO lamp: 160
>> Lifetime LED casette: 30,000hrs Lifetime HBO lamp: 300 hrs
>> Eu/hr LED cassette: EU 0.024 Eu/hr HBO lamp: Eu 0.53
>> Assumption: if you run both systems for 2000 hrs/year
>> Cost of LED cassette/yr: Eu48 Cost of HBOs/year: Eu1060.
>> Savings, using LEDs: Eu1012
>>
>> One more bit of good news: LEDs are also a much cooler source so
>> there is dramatically less photobleaching.
>>
>> The down side really isn't very down, just something to be aware of.
>> Because of the state of LED technology, green and yellow LEDs
>> generate less power so the resulting images will be somewhat less
>> bright than with HBO. This is not much of an issue when the
>> fluorescence is viewed at magnifications up to about 60x but if you
>> routinely use 100x objectives, you should run the test to see if it
>> is a problem with your particular samples. The good news is (a) for
>> green LEDs, research is powering ahead. Fraen expects to have new,
>> brighter LEDs in Feb 08. (b) For Yellow (Texas red, etc.), research
>> is slower. However, they also have a good news side: they exhibit
>> better S/N ratio, even at the lower power, than HBO.
>>
>> The FluoLED family has a number of things to recommend it:
>> a. They have engineered a clever "multi-cube" device so that you can
>> have 1 LED, 2 LEDs, or 3 LEDs and can switch conveniently from one to
>> another
>> b. For multi-user labs, the LED cassettes can be switched quickly and
>> easily. This feature reminded me of the old Reichert Polyvars, one
>> of my favorite microscopes, especially for teaching. The
>> fluorescence (and reflected light DIC and Darkfield) cubes came on
>> "lolly pop" sticks so that you could just slide in what you
>> needed. FluoLED has mimicked that flexibility with their cassette
>> approach. A lab can have a set of cassettes sitting in a drawer next
>> to the microscope or each group can have what they need in their own
>> area, so they can have whatever excitation/emission they need by just
>> plugging in their cassette and tightening the locking
>> screw. Immediate change out... no alignment!
>> c. Fraen has engineered intelligent electronics into their
>> controllers. Different wavelength LEDs require different amperages
>> to drive them. With Fraen's system, when a cassette is plugged into
>> position, the controller intelligently senses which LED is in the
>> cassette and provides the appropriate amperage, even with the 3
>> cassette system.
>> d. The controller also allows the user to change intensity so that
>> you can balance different channels for optimum imaging.
>> e. Finally, and as a past high school teacher, I loved this one...
>> Fraen has engineered less expensive "baby" systems in Blue and Royal
>> blue, so that we can finally get fluorescence into teaching labs.
>>
>> That's the story. I hope it was helpful. I am at Neuroscience this
>> week and LEDs are, indeed,grabbing a lot of interest.
>>
>> Best regards,
>> Barbara Foster, President
>>
>> We've moved!
>> Microscopy/Microscopy Education
>> 7101 Royal Glen Trail, Suite A
>> McKinney TX 75070
>> P: (972)924-5310
>> Skype: fostermme
>> W: www.MicroscopyEducation.com <
http://www.microscopyeducation.com/>
>>
>>
>> MME is now scheduling customized, on-site courses through
>> December. Call us today for details.
>>
>> P. S.
>> Need a good general reference or light microscopy text for next
>> semester? Call us today to learn more about "Optimizing LIght
>> Microscopy". Copies still available through MME... even for
>> class-room lots ... and we give quantity discounts. Just call us here
>> in the MME office for details.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> At 07:21 AM 11/6/2007, Gerard Whoriskey wrote:
>> >Search the CONFOCAL archive at
>> >
http://listserv.acsu.buffalo.edu/cgi-bin/wa?S1=confocal>> >
>> >Hi Glen,
>> >The argument for LED systems is very strong on reliability and
>> operational
>> >costs and is continually improving with regard to performance,
>> measured in
>> >choice of wavelengths and intensity.
>> >I assume that in your confocal set-up you are only using the mercury
>> based
>> >bulb system to check and align samples and that you only need excitation
>> >regions that match the laser lines you are using. An LED system that you
>> >can switch on and off as you please is ideal for such applications and a
>> >very cost effective replacement to bulbs.
>> >Commercial bit:
>> >We have only recently included 445nm and 505nm options to our range. Now
>> >users can choose from 7 options of 400nm, 445nm, 465nm, 505nm, 525nm,
>> >595nm, and 635nm.
>> >I will contact you directly with more commercial information.
>> >
>> >Best Regards,
>> >
>> >Gerry
>> >
>> >Gerard Whoriskey
>> >Development Engineer
>> >CoolLED Ltd
>> >CIL House
>> >Charlton Road
>> >Andover
>> >Hampshire
>> >SP10 3JL
>> >
>> >Mob: 07789535762
>> >Tel: +44 (0) 1264 321321
>> >Dir: +44 (0)1264 320984
>> >web site: www.coolled.com <
http://www.coolled.com/>