Product News

Prior Scientific has announced two additions to their wide range of illumination products for microscopy: the new LDB100F and LDB101F Brightfield LEDs. Using a Brightfield LED with a 550 nanometre flip-in filter in the light path reduces background fluorescence attributed to stray light. The Brightfield LED replaces the standard light source and provides all the advantages of LED illumination in a flexible package that can be fitted to most modern upright and inverted microscope systems.


Isotope mass spectrometer
The mass spectrometer MAT 261 is a computer controlled instrument for the determination of isotope abundances in solid samples using thermal ionisation. It has an automatic turret-type magazine for 13 samples, a stigmatic focusing 90 magnetic sector field for high dispersion and high transmission and a linear (4 ppm) ion detection device. The complete measuring .procedure and data evaluation of up to 13 samples in a sequence is performed automatically, without breaking the vacuum, under computer control.
The software is modular. Each software module controls a defined instrument function and can be adapted to each particular measuring problem by calling the appropriate set of parameters from store. Together with the high sensitivity of the mass spectromater the automatic measuring procedure leads to reproducibilities of the ratio measurements in the range of 10-s.
Radiorneter's ABL3 Acid-base laboratory Fraction collector The LKB 2111 MultiRac fraction collector is based on the moving head principle.
Rather than position the vessel under the drop head, the latter positions above the vessel, the height being adjusted manually so that most types of receiving vessel can be accommodated, with an adaptor for large vessels. Transverse movement is controlled of manipulations required in routine analysis: plate insertion, call-up of stored scanning programme and withdrawal of complete analysis report. It also ensures precision and accuracy of analyses as variations in distance between samples, and slight skew of the chromatogram tracks are compensated by automatic peak centering. Camag,

Recorder IEEE interface
An IEEE interface for the Store range of magnetic tape instrumentation recorders is announced by Racal Recorders. The result of an intensive development programme, the Model 11.0 interface is both a listener and a talker device which integrates any machine in the Store range into a computer controlled instrumentation system.

Product News
The Saitron 9601 dual channel automatic analyser Peristaltic pump LKB Instruments has produced the LKB 2132 MicroPerpex peristaltic pump. By pumping a known volume through the pump a wide range of calibrated flow rates is obtained. Pump parameters can be continuously monitored through the LED display. These parameters include flow rate, on/off, rotational direction and calibration status. The microprocessor controlled instrument processes and stores information from the calibration and a uniform motor speed is ensured by the quartz crystal which regulates the microprocessor signal frequency. The Micro-Perpex features a new roller system which consists of ten peripheral rollers and one central spring roller which is claimed to make it possible to maintain a constant optimal pressure on the tubing. The pump is supplied with two pump heads, each with a flow range of 0.5 500 ml/h. These heads may be operated separately,or in parallel to achieve a maximum flow rate of 1000 ml/h. LKB Instruments L td, 232 A ddington Road, Selsdon, South Croydon, Surrey, CR2 8YD, UK.

Dual channel automatic analyser
One of the latest additions to the Saitron range of laboratory instruments is the 9601 dual channel automatic analyser available in the UK from Arnold Horwell.
The unit consists of a microprocessor, controlled dual channel system which can dispense up to three different reagents in the sample preparation stage, enabling it to carry out most types of colorimetric and kinetic -enzymatic analysis. The preparation unit has two 80-place sample plates with a variable ratio diluter and two dispensers for each. Road, Sheffield S11 9EF, UK.

Computing integrator Pye
Unicam's CDP4 computing integrator is a microprocessor based unit which incorporates permanently stored programs to handle most common chromatographic analyses. Six standard data reduction procedures can be completed and these can be supplemented with features such as peak height, multi-level calibration, and statistics. Entries are shown on an eight-character LED display to permit verification before acceptance. Up to four complete method fries can be stored in the RAM memory of the CDP4. Each contains information necessary to collect and reduce the data for a given analysis, and may also include a sample file with multiple samples. The CDP4 is a selfcontained unit which can be used with most chromatographic systems. It is equipped with six programmable switch closures to control external devices such as autosamplers, valves or alarms. Hard copy record VT100 users can now obtain a printer port option (VT1XX) from Rapid Recall which allows an entire screen's contents, specified sections of a screen or incoming data, to be printed at will, Available communication rates range from 150 to 9600 baud. All screen-to-printer operations are implemented using keyboard commands. The VT1.00 is also available from Rapid Recall. It is a compact video terminal which offers a wide range of features as standard. All functions such as baud rate, character size, screen format, tabs etc, are set using the keyboard and are stored in non-volatile random access memory within the unit. Characters are presented on the VT100 in a 7 x 9 dot matrix character font.
Also available are double-width and double-height charac- A range of software programs for the Commodore PET microcomputer have been developed by EDT. These allow the user to acquire up to four spectra as well as a carbon black reference spectrum for subsequent manipulation and processing. Further spectra can be stored on a floppy disc which is an optional extra with the system. Two spectra can be added, subtracted or given as a ratio allowing baseline subtraction and normalisation of lamp intensity. User specific programmes can be developed using the optional BASIC compiler.
The program in standard form is designed to run on a 32K PET with cassette program storage. An alternative version designed for. use with the Comp-u-Think diskette is also available.

Liquid scintillation counter
Microprocessor control and automatic analysis of up to 300 samples per run are.features of Beckman's LS-7500 liquid scintillation counter. The counter has a built-in library of ten standard counting programs that satisfy the most freqUently requested liquid scintillation applications. Command tower programming gives the operator the versatility to edit counting parameters.
Command towers, inserted in the conveyor belt preceding a group of samples, select any one of the 10 programs. The user sets a command tower and pushes the Auto button to activate the program.