"The drawbacks of FT-IR are tackled, while NIR technology goes portable"

High cost and poor performance have hampered development ofFT-IR imaging technology in the past. All that could change withthe development of new detector technology. At the same time, advances in NIR technology have produced a portable analyser capable of laboratory-quality results.

The ability to rapidly extract information about molecular composition from a wide range of materials enhances laboratory capabilities and speeds up problem solving. One technique that has promised a great deal in this area is FT-IR imaging, but its progress to date has been hampered by high cost and relatively poor performance.

Now, however, new patented detector technology has been used to overcome these traditional limitations and provide laboratory scientists with much quicker access to the complete chemical information they need.

Known as the Spectrum Spotlight 300 and developed by PerkinElmer, the new system features Duet detector technology. According to the company, this eliminates difficult, time-consuming step-scan data collection and, because it operates over a wider wavelength range, provides state-of-the-art FT-IR microscopy capabilities and faster imaging which also makes it applicable to an extended range of applications.

Spectrum Spotlight also includes an integrated suite of powerful software tools that enable small differences in chemical content to be easily identified, providing vital information about defects, impurities and composition from all sample types.

Among the many ways that Spotlight has advanced FT-IR technology is its use for the first time of a rapid scan spectrometer rather than the expensive and complex step scan spectrometers used by older, alternative designs. Rapid scanning makes Spotlight ideal for laboratories that are not familiar with FT-IR, dramatically simplifying data acquisition and removing the need to invest substantial time in learning a new technology.

The there is its sensitivity: acquiring information is important, but not if the sensitivity is so poor that the results are meaningless. Spotlight is very sensitive and also collects a high-quality background is collected in less than 25 seconds, a huge improvement on alternative systems which take several minutes to do the same task.

Another innovation is the generation of images of any size and aspect ratio. This saves time, whether it is a small sample area or the entire sample that is of interested. Images are generated on a computer monitor, in real time, so data collection can easily be stopped if sampling conditions or location need changing.

In addition to fast FT-IR Imaging, Spotlight includes the full functionality of a state-of-the-art FT-IR microscope. Its Duet detector incorporates a NBMCT array detector and single point MBMCT detector on the same substrate, in the same Dewar. As a result, PerkinElmer says there is none of the alignment worry associated with other dual detector systems and none of the lost pixels and poor longevity often associated with large array detectors. The single point detector is useful for the toughest of spatial resolution problems and for the ultimate in sensitivity, easily outperforming top-of-the-line IR microscope systems.

Detector mode is changed with a single click of the mouse. The system generates transmission and reflectance spectra in both modes and includes a micro-ATR objective that operates in single point mode, giving Spotlight the versatility to deal with virtually any type of sample.

Spotlight's technology advantage comes from its simplicity. According to PerkinElmer the expensive military array technology offered by alternatives is out-of-touch with the real life problems of its customers, who value performance, reliability, and speed of implementation.

The array was designed specifically for use with a 1300K FT-IR source, not for picking out military targets against an ambient environment. Coupled with very high quality signal processing electronics, this delivers much higher FT-IR sensitivity for any given sample area and analysis time. Additionally the technology increases the range of available applications by extending the wavelength range, enabling for the first time high-performance FT-IR imaging down to 720 cm-1.

Spotlight generates a vast wealth of chemical knowledge to perfectly complement other imaging techniques that are used to understand materials, including electron microscopy and scanning probe microscopy. Powerful software routines use each molecule's unique, well-defined spectral 'signature' to identify chemical composition, revealing areas of homogeneity and difference. This signature discriminates between very small differences in structure or chemical content, providing vital information about defects, impurities and composition.

Users will find generating images and extracting information easy. Simply by placing a sample on the Spotlight stage, a visible image is generated on the screen. All they have to do then is draw a box around the area of interest and click start. An IR image comprising hundreds or even thousands of spectra is generated on the screen in real time as a false colour visible image. Each pixel represents an individual spectrum and the color intensity shows potential areas of difference.

Lab quality NIR in a portable

As the nutraceuticals industry becomes increasingly regulated, lot inspections are taking on a new importance. The success of such inspections depends on product purity and, therefore, standardisation of ingredients.

Nutraceuticals manufacturers now have a new tool to help check this following the late November launch of a portable, high-speed near-infrared (NIR) analyser by Analytical Spectral Devices. Known as LabSpec Pro, the new analyser is a laboratory-quality NIR spectrometer that allows nutraceutical manufacturers and others to efficiently carry out 100 per cent lot inspections of raw materials ­ without the need for costly sample preparation.

"Most manufacturers don't have the time to do 100 per cent inspection because it takes too long. With the LabSpec Pro you can test materials at the loading dock and release them to the warehouse within seconds,“ explained ASD director of sales and marketing John Enterline.

The new analyser can carry out 3600 highly accurate measurements per hour, producing results similar to those found in a normal laboratory environment.

The instrument is capable of a full range scan from 350­2500 nm in 0.1 seconds and produces a spectral resolution of 3 nm in the 350 nm­1000 nm range and 10 nm in the 1000 nm ­ 2500 nm range. It also performs particularly well in the 2200 nm­2500 nm range where many competitors perform poorly. Furthermore, the company says that LabSpec Pro's high signal-to-noise ratio provides excellent repeatability, which minimises sampling errors.

Packaged in a sleek housing that includes a built-in handle for easy transportation, the LabSpec Pro measures just 13 inches long, 4.5 inches wide and 16 inches high. It weighs less than 20 pounds, so users can easily perform QC inspections on the loading docks, on the production line, or in the warehouse.

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