Posted by
Julio Vazquez on
URL: http://confocal-microscopy-list.275.s1.nabble.com/LEDs-tp4283200p7312608.html
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Hello Jacques,
How much power you get at the sample will depend to some degree on the light path and light delivery system of your specific microscope, in addition to the light source itself.
The only LED system we have is the Insight SSI (solid state illuminator) on our DeltaVision system. It has LEDs rated from 22 mW (505-515 nm) to 89 mW (563-588 nm). I am assuming these are nominal LED output power levels, although the brochure does not specify. For our lines, we measured 20 to 50 mW at the sample, or about 35-50% of the rated power for any given line, which would be really good delivery efficiency (our laser scanning confocal is about 10%). This is several times the power levels we were getting with a conventional mercury bulb and excitation filters on a comparable (but not identical) system (about 6 to 20 mW depending on excitation filter used, if I remember correctly). For most wavelengths, this is as bright or brighter than our Exfo or Xenon illuminators, which are typically brighter (at the sample) than our older Hg bulb illuminators. However, these illumination systems are also installed on newer microscopes with possibly improved light delivery. We haven't had the system for long enough to encounter any potential issues, but we like the brightness and the speed of wavelength switching. Also, we do not have to worry about burned out excitation filters or UV leaking, and we do not have to worry about replacing bulbs, heat, or keeping track of when lamps are turned on and off. Also, no worries about anyone forgetting to turn off the lamp on Friday night. I can't think of any downside at this time. My second choice in terms of convenience would be the Exfo or similar systems (long life and easy to replace bulbs, combined with good brightness).
For reference, the InsightSSI specs can be found here:
http://www.api.com/downloads/pdfs/lifescience/InsightSSI.pdfJulio Vazquez
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Seattle, WA
http://www.fhcrc.org==
On Feb 22, 2012, at 2:07 AM, jacques wrote:
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> To join, leave or search the confocal microscopy listserv, go to:
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http://lists.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A0=confocalmicroscopy> *****
>
> Hi all,
>
> two years later, and a quite similar question.
>
> I use a Zeiss epifluorescence microscope, and I'm thinking to replace my HBO
> housing by a LED multicolor source.
> Of course, Zeiss sells the colibri setup, but the choice on the market is
> growing day after day, and for example, Thorlabs also sells something with 4
> colors and a control unit, with the Zeiss mounting system.
> I'm sure many other manufacturers do the same.
>
> Do anybody compared the HBO to a LED system for classical epifluorescence ?
> What should be the LED power to have something similar to a 100W at common
> wavelenghts (dapi, gfp, rhodamine, etc) ? Even after checking this page :
>
http://www.olympusfluoview.com/theory/noncoherentsources.html> It is still difficult to know which valeus and units should be considered...
>
> Thanks for the help
>
> J.
>
>
> -----
>
> Jacques FATTACCIOLI
>
> Département de Chimie
> Ecole Normale Supérieure
> 24 rue Lhomond 75231 Paris Cedex 05
> Email :
[hidden email]
> Web :
http://jacquesfattaccioli.wordpress.com> --
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