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FOTO/Analyst® Luminary/FX® Systems

System Configurations

Component Options  
Cooled CCD Camera
(choose one)


Learn more about
Quantum Efficiency (QE)
FX/2.0
  • QE at 425-500 nm: 53-57%
  • Resolution: ~2.0 Mpix
    (1600 x 1200)
  • Digital Output:
    12-bit (16-bit files)
 
FX.4.0
  • QE at 425-500nm: 49-56%
  • Resolution: ~4.0 Mpix
    (2048 x 2048)
  • Digital Output:
    12-bit (16-bit files)
 
FX/HiQE
  • QE at 425-500nm: 60-70%
  • Resolution: ~1.4 Mpix
    (1344 x 1024)
  • Digital Output:
    12-bit (16-bit files)
 
Component Options Recommended for . . .
Transilluminator
(choose one)
UV, single wavelength,
21 x 26 cm viewing surface
Gels stained with ethidium bromide, FOTO/Vision, SYBR Green, SYBR Gold, Gel Red, Gel Green
UV, single wavelength,
25 x 28 cm viewing surface
Large gels stained with ethidium bromide, FOTO/Vision, SYBR Green, SYBR Gold, Gel Red, Gel Green
UV, dual wavelength,
25 x 28 cm viewing surface
Depends on wavelength selection
Dual light (UV plus white),
single UV wavelength,
21 x 26 cm viewing surface
Gels stained with ethidium bromide, FOTO/Vision, SYBR Green, SYBR Gold, Gel Red, Gel Green, Coomassie blue, Silver stain
Dual light (UV plus white),
single UV wavelength,
25 x 28 cm viewing surface
Large gels stained with ethidium bromide, FOTO/Vision, SYBR Green, SYBR Gold, Gel Red, Gel Green, Coomassie blue, Silver stain
Dual light (UV plus white),
dual UV wavelength,
25 x 28 cm viewing surface
Large gels stained with ethidium bromide, FOTO/Vision, SYBR Green, SYBR Gold, Gel Red, Gel Green, Coomassie blue, Silver stain
Epi-Illumination
(not required, can choose more than one)
Dual wavelength UV Module
Choose from:
254 nm, 312 nm, and 355 nm bulbs
(standard combination is 312 nm plus 366 nm)
TLC plates, GFP, SYBR Green, Fluorescent westerns
Blue Fluorescent LED Module GFP, SYBR Green Nucleic Acid Stain, SYBR Safe
Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) Fluorescent LED Module Fluorescent westerns, and a broad spectrum of fluophores, including Cy3, Cy5, Alexa dyes, and more
Filters
(can choose more than one)
Ethidium Bromide (Fluorescent Red) Included with all workstations.
Ethidium bromide, FOTO/Vision, SYPRO Red, SYPRO Ruby, SYBR Orange, Gel Red
Fluorescent Green GFP, SYBR Green, SYBR Safe, Gel Green
Fluorescent Gold SYBR Gold
Fluorescent Blue  
Coomassie Blue Included with all dual light workstations.
Coomassie blue, Methylene blue
Neutral Density Autorads, silver stain
Fluorophore Specific Filters Tell us about your application, and we will find the best match.

Quantum Efficiency (QE) = Sensitivity

The sensitivity of a camera is determined largely by its quantum efficiency (QE). This is defined as the percentage of light received by the camera which is then converted to an electric signal. It is important to note that QE measurements are wavelength specific - the higher the QE at a certain wavelength, the better the camera is at detecting corresponding sample signal.

Chemiluminescent signals typically emit in the 425-500nm range. The FOTO/Analyst Luminary HiQE camera delivers superior quantum efficiencies of 60-70% in this range (Figure 2). This is 13-20% more sensitive than the next closest competitor (B) and 25-45% more sensitive than another popular competitor (A). QE data from other competitors were not available.

Many suppliers publish commonly recognized specifications such as dynamic range (bit-depth) and resolution. Although these are important specs, they are not indicators of sensitivity. For research involving low-level chemiluminescent signals such as Western blots, quantum efficiency is arguably the best predictor of an imaging system's sensitivity. If QE data is not offered on product literature, it is important to ask for it.