LF 402 Metabolic

Overview   |   Principles of Operation   |   Technical Specifications   |   Applications

Principle of operation:

Fluorescing molecules make it possible to monitor processes in nature or technology. Reaktion kinetics or system parameters can be watched. By combining recent laser technology with light-guiding fibre technology and highly sensitive electronics we constructed an instrument for routine use. Laserfluoroskop LF 402 is a flexible and user-friendly fluorescence measuring system. All components (Laser system, fluorescence detection and data preprocessing have been integrated in a portable, rugged and compact housing. By integrating a dye laser and a filter changing unit excitation and emission wavelengths can be adapted to specific measuring tasks. As sterilisable fibre-optic probes are available, the instrument is well-suited for the determination of NADH-Autofluorescences in metabolism monitoring. An entirely new method of bioreactor monitoring is opened by measuring laser-induced NADH fluorescence. With the Laserfluoroskop LF 402 a direct "view " into the culture vessel of a bioreactor can be made. Using optical fibres, the compact computer-based instrument yields fast and very sensitive information about the metabolism state of a cell or tissue culture - during the entire fermentation cycle and without any intrusion into the bioreactor.

In the area of biotechnology the main application of Laserfluoroskopes is the long-term monitoring of miniaturised high cell density culture systems. Speed and significance of such measurements from the hidden inside of of hollow-fibre bioreactors are superior to conventional methods, such as cell countng and measuring glucose consumption. Critical cell culture states or the optimal time for harvest can be estimated much better now.

In the instrument all required components (compact laser to produce invisible and innoxious excitation light, sensitive electronic circuitry, microcontroller-based control logic) have been integrated. By selection of a specific probe design the measuring system can easily be adapted to other types of investigation.