Blood analysis without pain for neonates

November 14th, 2011 by Admin

Background
Jaundice is a common and often harmless condition in neonates. However, especially preterm neonates have an increased risk for developing jaundice related brain damage, which is the reason for close monitoring of the blood bilirubin concentration (the indicator of jaundice) in these patients. The bilirubin concentration is determined from a blood sample obtained by a heel stick, often up to three times a day. Naturally, this is a very painful and harmful procedure for the child. In addition, this diagnosis creates an unwanted delay in the treatment of the patient, since it may last more than one hour. Read the rest of this entry »

Paper Sorting Using NIR Spectroscopy

September 7th, 2011 by Admin

Near infrared spectroscopy is a viable alternative to density and dynamic behavior techniques as a method for sorting paper in recycling operations. Moisture and crystallinity are among the criteria that can be used to differentiate a mixed stream of paper. Read the rest of this entry »

Reflected Color Setup

August 16th, 2011 by Admin

Overview
Color measurement involves determining the reflection spectrum of a sample and applying it to a standard illuminant. The amount of light energy the sample reflects is manipulated and reduced to tristimulus values X,Y and Z. These values correspond to the physiological response of the three types of color receptors in the human eye. X, Y and Z values are combined into uniform colorspace values such as L* a* and b*. Read the rest of this entry »

CSI Spectroscopy – New technology for solving crimes

July 18th, 2011 by Admin

Researchers from the Academic Medical Center in Amsterdam have established a novel method to determine the age of bloodstains; which can be crucial in reconstructing crime events. Today, no reliable methods are available to assess the age of a blood stain on crime scenes.  Bremmer et al. established a method to determine the age of a bloodstain by measuring a bloodstain’s reflectance spectrum. The results are published in PLoS One. Read the rest of this entry »

Optical pH Measurements of Microtiter Wells

July 13th, 2011 by Admin

Novel optical pH sensors based on proprietary sol gel coatings have been designed to measure pH with high resolution and accuracy. Unlike electrodes, these pH sensors are immune to  changes in ionic strength, turbidity and temperature, and work well even in low salinity environments. Read the rest of this entry »

Conformational Analysis of Lysozyme Using Intrinsic Tryptophan Fluorescence

June 6th, 2011 by Admin

Introduction:
Tryptophan residues in a protein result in inherent fluorescence with UV excitation. As the protein goes from a folded (native) to denatured state, the emission spectrum will change slightly reflecting the change in folding state. Read the rest of this entry »

Fluorescence of Quinine Sulfate

May 9th, 2011 by Admin

Background:

Fluorescence spectroscopy analysis is a great tool for investigational research and analytical science applications. It is used often in biochemical, chemical, pharmaceutical, and medical applications, in addition to mineralogy, fluorescent labeling, sensors and forensics applications. It is also used to aid in the identification of proteins, organic compounds, oils and dyes and is used for environmental monitoring and laser induced chlorophyll fluorescence for crop yield assessments. Read the rest of this entry »

Testing the Stability of Polymeric Semiconductor Materials

April 6th, 2011 by Admin

Introduction
The stability of polymeric semiconductor materials like poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) is a key challenge in the commercialization of devices like organic solar cells and organic field-effect transistors. Although there are many polymers that show better performance in organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, P3HT has still, by far, the highest commercial relevance in OPV. Read the rest of this entry »

Vapor Deposition of Carbon Nanotubes

March 2nd, 2011 by Admin

The unique chemical and physical properties of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which make them suitable for a wide range of applications, have stimulated interest for research since their discovery.

Among the developed methods for growing CNTs, the catalytic chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) of hydrocarbon gases turns out to be very promising because of its comparative simplicity, ease of control and low cost. Read the rest of this entry »

Absorbance Measurements of Crystals for Quality Assessment

February 15th, 2011 by Admin

Background

Our customer supplied us with three laser crystals for this feasibility study. Those crystals, labeled QC08_Rectangular, QC-9_Rectangular and QC09_Cylindrical are shown in Figure 1. The objective of this test was to perform absorbance measurements over 200-1000 nm. Laser crystals are typically used as a gain media for solid-state lasers. Read the rest of this entry »

Reflection and Transmission of Chlorine Content Color Wheel

February 2nd, 2011 by Admin

Background

The customer supplied us with a special wheel used for chlorine content measurements.  The provided sample has nine windows of varying shades of yellow, with a clear center window for reference, as shown in Figure 1.  Read the rest of this entry »

Using the HR2000+CG for Reflection Testing

January 24th, 2011 by Admin

The Ocean Optics HR2000+CG Spectrometer is a versatile, high-performance option for a range of applications. In this experiment, we conducted a feasibility study for a customer measuring reflectance of ceramic discs. Read the rest of this entry »

NIR Analysis of Photovoltaic Panels

November 3rd, 2010 by Admin

Near Infrared Spectroscopy is Useful Tool in Photovoltaics Panel Development

With their modest cost, compact size and great flexibility, miniature fiber optic spectrometers are attractive analytical tools for photovoltaic materials research and quality control. Typical applications include analysis of the optical properties of solar cell materials, spectroradiometric measurement of solar simulators used in panel testing and quality control in panel production. In this case study, we evaluated NIR spectroscopy as a tool to measure the reflection properties of potential photovoltaic panel materials. Read the rest of this entry »

Bioreflectance of Feathers

October 1st, 2010 by Admin

Feathers are one of the most complex epidermal structures found in vertebrates. Plumage serves a wide array of functions, from protection, insulation, tactile sensitivity, and flight to an integral part of communication, courtship and display in birds. The color of plumage is formed in two different ways – either from pigments (melanins, carotenoids, or porphyrines) or from light refracted by the complex micro and macro structures. These structures are primarily responsible for iridescent color. Read the rest of this entry »

Raman Analysis of Pharmaceutical Ingredients

September 2nd, 2010 by Admin

A range of options is available for Raman analysis, including systems suitable for handheld, laboratory and educational applications. Systems typically include a spectrometer, laser, operating software and sampling accessories, while modular options are available for users to configure their own Raman systems. Most applications are handled in the 150-3200 cm-1 range, with resolution of ~6-10 cm-1. Read the rest of this entry »