Raman and general spectroscopy Equipment

Raman Spectroscopy X-Ray Fluorescence. General Spectroscopy Equipment manufacturers (Links)

Raman Spectroscopy:

We currently have three Raman systems, one for confocal microscopy, one fibre probe based system, and one for high throughput.

The microscopy based Raman system is a Jobin-Yvon LabRam Infinity (below) which was installed in January 2001, and is used for a wide variety of research projects.

This confocal system was funded via the HEA PRTLI-II programme  and is located in Lab 166 in the School of Chemistry. The picture shows the confocal microscope located in the centre, with the control PC on the left. At the rear is a video monitor and the lasers with the cooling fan for the Ar ion laser above the monitor.

Motorized XY sample stage for automated Raman Imaging, Autofocus attachment for automatic z-axis imaging (depth profiling), Polarizing filters in excitation and scattering beam-paths,
Dual laser excitation (785 nm & 488 nm), Liquid Nitrogen cooled 1024x256 pixel CCD detector,
Cuvette & macro sample holders,
The LabRam infinity system has a spatial resolution of about 1 micron which allows for the analysis of single cells, micro-machined devices, fluid inclusions, and even human hair.

In late 2008 we intend to modify the system by fibre coupling the 488 laser to reduce instrument footprint and improve operational issues.

An Avalon Instruments system was installed in our second laboratory in Physical Chemistry (Dec. 2005) as part of our collaborative project with Bristol Myers-Squibb to develop new analytical methods. This system is optimized for bulk materials, and high throughput analysis and uses a 785 nm laser. There is also a fibre probe attachment for remote sampling. We had a second, nearly identical system in operation on the Hazard-IQ project during 2006.

A Kaiser Optical RAMANRXN2™ 1000 Analyzer has been in the lab since early 2011. The system which uses a 993 nm excitation source and a NIR sensitive detector. We have been using this system for the quantitative analysis of complex materials used in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. The 993 nm excitation allows us to sample materials that are too fluorescent for our other Raman systems which operate at 785 nm.

FT-IR Spectroscopy:

The group has just taken delivery (March 2008) of a Spectrum 100 FT-IR from Perkin-Elmer. The system will be used for the analysis of biological samples. The system is equipped with a Specac Golden Gate ATR.

X-Ray Fluorescence spectroscopy:

In 2006 we took delivery of an Oxford Instruments Twin-X benchtop X-Ray fluorescence spectrometer.  This system is being used on the CBAS project to measure the mineral content of organic materials. XRF is a non-destructive technique which can be used for the analysis of solids, liquids, and thin films. The system has dual detectors for light and heavy elements.

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General spectroscopy:

Within the Nanoscale Biophotonics laboratory we are building up a suite of modern, compact spectroscopic tools to enable the development of new instrumentation and analysis methods.  This is being facilitated by research grants from Science Foundation Ireland and Enterprise Ireland. The following is a list of what is available at present and due to arrive in the next couple of weeks:

- extensive range of cage system optomechanical components for instrument building.
- Hamamatsu metal package PMT detectors.
- Ocean Optics, USB2000-FLG portable fluorescence spectrometer.
- Thermoelectric fibre optic coupled cuvette holder (TLC-50F) for precise temperature controlled studies.
- A range of fibre optic components for instrument building. 
- TGR1040 synthesised RF signal generator.
- a Stanford Computer Optics 4-Picos fast gated CCD camera is also available and is being integrated into a microscope based FLIM setup.
- Andor LUCA EMCCD camera is used for analysis of protein deposition on surfaces.

These components can be combined with existing Raman and Fluorescence instrumentation to deliver specific measurement methodologies when required.  
We are in the process of acquiring more instrumentation and facilities, and the details will be added on a regular basis.

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Links to Equipment manufacturers:

This is a selection of useful web-sites from a range of manufacturers.

Fluorescence Lifetime equipment (detectors, lasers, counting boards, software):
Andor Technology, CCDs & ICCDs detectors, and now spectrographs.
APhS, fast laser diodes, etc.
Becker & Hickel, TCSPC systems, boxcar averagers, fast electronics, detectors, amplifiers etc.
Edinburgh Instruments, TCSPC systems, pulsed LED's (1MHz max.). 
FastCom Tec, fast timing electronics.
Hamamatsu, detectors, light sources etc.
IBH, TCSPC systems, pulsed LED's (1MHz max.).
ISS, lots of lifetime & FCS instrumentation,
Kentech, gated image intensifiers and other FLIM equipment,
Oriel Instruments, spectrometers, spectrographs, light sources etc.
PerkinElmer Optoelectronics, some EG&G divisions are now part of this company: detectors, flashlamps, imaging etc.
Photek, MCP image intensifiers and photomultiplier tubes.
Photonic Research Systems, FLIM systems.
Picoquant, pulsed laser diodes & LED's, Fluorescence lifetime TCSPC systems.
PTI, photonics instrumentation.
Stanford Computer Optics, fast gated ICCD cameras.
Ultrafast Systems, femtosecond spectrometers etc. 

Raman Spectroscopy Equipment suppliers:
Avalon Instruments, Benchtop Raman systems.
Aventes, portable spectrometers & fibre optics.
Bruker FTIR, FT-NIR, FT-Raman and microspectroscopy
ChemIcon, Raman Imaging systems.
Chromex, Raman systems.
Digilab, LLC FTIR, FT-Raman and microspectroscopy, and Sadtler Databases
Foster + Freeman, forensic Raman instrument.
InPhotonics, Raman systems & accessories.
Jasco, Raman & other spectrometers.
JY Horiba, Raman & fluorescence spectrometers etc.
Kaiser, Raman spectrometers & holographic notch filters.
Nicolet,  FT-IR and Raman spectrometers.
Princeton Instruments, CCDs & ICCDs.
Process Instruments, Raman systems & diode lasers.
Renishaw, Raman spectrometers and metrology equipment.
Witec, confocal Raman instruments
Schimadzu, a whole host of analytical instrumentation.

Lasers, pulsed & continuous wave:
Coherent, lasers and accessories.
JDS Uniphase, diode lasers and air cooled Argon Ion,
Laser2000,
LaserMax,
Lexel, vis & UV lasers.
Nichia, makers of violet and blue diode lasers and LEDs.
Optek,
Optima,
Photon Systems, deep UV lasers (HeAg, NeCu).
Polytec,
Roithner,
Spectra-Physics, gas, semiconductor  & solid state lasers.
TUI-Optics, Excimer lasers.
Topica Photonics, diode lasers (tunable, Raman, etc.)

Detectors, components etc.
Advanced Photonix,
Elliot Scientific, lens, filters, lasers, optical components etc.
Fluorosense
LaVision, Fast CCD's, ICCD's, FLIM equipment.
LaserLines,
LASinc
Linkam, Heating/freezing stages for microscopy.
Linos, lens, filters, optical components etc.
Matteson (FT-IR)
New Focus, lens, filters, lasers, optical components etc.
Ocean Optics, fibre based spectroscopy products.
Olympus, microscopes, digital imaging.
OptoSigma, lens, filters, optical components etc.
OZ Optics
Rolyn,
Spectronic
Stanford Research
Time Bandwidth

Biology & Chemistry supplies:
AGB (Ireland),
Bioconcept,
Lennox Lab Supplies, Irish based.
Merck,
Molecular Probes, fluorescence probes -- plenty of info on dyes.
Sigma-Aldrich, got nearly everything a lab needs (useful catalogue).

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