LumiMax-C : Attomoles Luminometer
Detecting Proteins and Nucleic Acids with Ultra-Sensitivity
By Maxwell Sensors Inc. (562) 801-2088 USA, http://www.maxwellsensors.com
LumiMax-C is a compact model designed for ultra-sensitive chemiluminescence and bioluminescence detection. The system measures luminescence intensity in a 96-well microplate (black, white, or opaque). These microplates have microwells with clear bottoms, allowing the luminescence to be detected from the bottom of the well. Many companies, such as Nunc, Costar, Corning, BD Biosciences, Perkin Elmer, etc., have microplates for luminescence applications. Because LumiMax-C uses a state-of-the-art photoncounting multiplier tube as the detector, the system is extremely light sensitive. LumiMax-C has the ability to accurately count the number of photons generated from a chemiluminescent or bioluminescent experiment, allowing the system to detect very small amounts of analyte, in the range of attomoles, in the samples. The detector is sensitive in all visible ranges.
LumiMax-C combines the latest, low-noise detector and electronic circuitry to provide very low background noise and very high signal levels. Its broad dynamic range covers over 6 orders of magnitude. The superior mechanical design eliminates most of the cross-talk down to ~ 10-5 between the adjacent wells. The system is flexible and easy to use. The user can select to scan any one or any set of the 96 wells, at a measuring time of 0.1-10 seconds per well. The system can also be used for kinetic and luminescence time profile studies. After clicking on the “Go” button, the system will automatically and quickly scan all of the reactions in the microwells and display the results.
LumiMax-C utilizes a Windows-based PC or notebook as its microprocessor. The system is interfaced to a computer by a simple plug-in (serial port or USB) connection. A CD, with user-friendly software, is provided for easy installation. The resulting data is displayed as a spreadsheet in Microsoft-Excel or other format. The data, reported as number of optical counts, is displayed as it is collected. The system also offers software with easy click on data processing for routine calibration or operation. The system dimensions are approximately 16” x 11 “ x 4” and at 20 lb, it is easily portable for sharing between laboratories or researchers.