Temperature control for Varian Cary line of UV/Vis Spectrophotometers and the Eclipse Fluorometer Temperature Control without Compromise: rapid changes, precise temperatures, powerful complex functionality. Use a Quantum Northwest temperature-controlled cuvette holder to upgrade a new spectrometer or retrofit an existing instrument. page 2 TLC 40 for UV/VIS Spectrophotometry Cuvette holders are available for all current Varian UV/VIS spectrophotometers such as the Cary 50, Cary 100-300 and Cary 4000-6000, as well as to retrofit earlier models. The TLC 40 provides high precision temperature control to the sample. page 3 TLC 42 for UV/VIS Spectrophotometry The TLC 42 provides independent temperature control for the sample and reference solutions in a dual-beam UV/VIS spectrophotometer such as the Cary 100-300 or Cary 4000-6000. page 4 TLC 50 for Fluorescence The 4-windowed TLC 50 temperature-controlled cuvette holder available for the Varian Eclipse Fluorometer or for use in UV/VIS spectrophotometers such as the Cary 4000-6000 when additional optical access to the cuvette is required. page 5 TURRET 400 for UV/VIS Spectrophotometry or Fluorescence The TURRET 400 provides four samples with precise temperature control and magnetic stirring. The TURRET 400 may be used in the Cary 50. page 6 TC 125, TC 201 and TC 425 Temperature Controllers Each sample holder is provided with a matched, computerized, high precision temperature controller. page 8 Performance Performance of the sample holders is illustrated for very low, moderate and high temperature ranges. The temperature ramping capability is also presented. page 10 Working at Low Temperatures page 10 USB for Computer Control page 10 Bath 100 water circulator page 11 Ordering Information page 12 Specifications
TLC 40 Cell Holder for UV/VIS Spectrophotometry The TLC 40 is a two-windowed cuvette holder that provides precision temperature control for the Cary 50, Cary 100/300 or the Cary 4000/6000 models. In the Cary 50, it is provided with a simple base. In the dual-beam Cary 100/300 it is provided on a larger base with a second, non-regulated holder. In the Cary 4000/6000 it is provided on a small base that can be mounted in either the sample or reference position. Peltier temperature control, -55 to +105 C (±0.02 C) Variable speed magnetic stirring Dry gas purge Optional remote computer control TLC 40 for the Cary 50 Technical Description The insulated temperature-controlled tower of the TLC 40 holds a standard 10 x 10 mm square cuvettes. To maximize thermal contact, the cuvette is held into one corner of a tower by a metal spring clip. Two 10 x 10 mm optical ports on opposite sides of each tower permit the passage of the spectrophotometer beam. The height of the optical center from the bottom of the cuvette is 8.5 mm to permit the use of standard microcuvettes requiring this dimension. (Other dimensions such as 15 or 20 mm are also available please inquire.) A magnet and small motor below the cuvette permit magnetic stirring to minimize temperature gradients in the cuvette. The temperature-regulated cuvette holder contains a thermoelectric cooler (Peltier device) for controlling the temperature. Circulating water (or other fluid) passes through a heat exchanger to draw off the heat generated by the cooler. A temperature probe is buried in one corner of the tower, even with the optical centerline next to one of the cuvette windows. Dry gas may be directed through small holes in the optical ports next to the two cuvette windows. The dry gas may be used to limit condensation when 2 TLC 40 for the Cary 100-300
working at low temperatures. An opaque lid with an access cap can be placed over the tower and cuvette. An additional stream of dry gas purges the inside of the cap to further limit condensation, and, if needed, to limit the access of moisture and ambient air to the top of the cuvette. Cuvette holders are mounted on removable accessory plates. Hose barbs are provided on the cuvette holder for circulating water and dry gas. A 15-pin electrical connection provides power to the thermoelectric device as well as wires to the temperature sensor and drive lines to the magnetic stirrer motor. The TLC 40 is provided with the TC 102 Temperature Controller. The cuvette holder is matched to a specific temperature controller and calibrated against a NIST-traceable thermometer. Calibration data are provided. TLC 42 The TLC 42 provides two independently controlled cuvette holders, one for the sample and the other for the reference. It is available for the dual-beam, Cary 100-300 and Cary 4000-6000 models. Peltier temperature control, -55 to +105 C (±0.02 C) Independent control of the sample and reference temperatures Variable speed magnetic stirring in each cuvette Dry gas purge TLC 42 for the Cary 100/300 Technical Description Each of the two towers of the TLC 42 are identical in construction to the TLC 40 tower and each may be temperature controlled independent of the other. The TLC 42 is controlled using the TC 200 Dual Temperature Controller (page 7). For the Cary 100-300, the TLC 42 is configured on a base and provided with a bulkhead panel that fits on the underside of the Cary extended sample compartment cover. The TLC 42 configured for the Cary 4000-6000 is provided with the sample chamber accessory plate. TLC 42 for the Cary 100/300 TLC 42 for the Cary 4000/6000 3
TLC 50 Cell Holder for Fluorescence The TLC 50 is a temperature-controlled cuvette holder for fluorescence measurements in the eclipse or for special uses in the Cary 4000-6000 Peltier temperature control, -55 to +105 C (±0.02 C) Variable speed magnetic stirring Dry gas purge Optional remote computer control Optional windowed jacket (shown on p. 10) for work at extreme temperatures Compact size that fits into most fluorometers Optical slits provided TLC 50 mounted for use in the Cary 4000-6000 Technical Description TLC 50 on the lockdown base plate of the Eclipse fluorometer The TLC 50 cuvette holder consists of an insulated, temperature-controlled tower for a standard 10 x 10 mm square cuvette. To maximize thermal contact, the cuvette is held into one corner of the tower by a flexible metal clip. Four optical ports (10 mm wide by 12 mm tall) on each face of the tower permit the passage of the excitation and emission beams. The height of the optical center from the bottom of the cuvette is 8.5 mm to permit the use of standard microcuvettes requiring this dimension. (Other dimensions such as 15 or 20 mm are also available please inquire.) A magnet and small motor below the cuvette permit magnetic stirring to minimize temperature gradients in the cuvette and to flush unwanted photoproducts from the illuminated volume. The cuvette holder contains a thermoelectric cooler (Peltier device) for controlling the temperature. Circulating water (or other fluid) passes through a heat exchanger to draw off the heat generated by the cooler. A temperature probe is buried in one corner of the tower, even with the optical centerline next to two of 4
Dry gas may be directed through small holes in the optical ports next to the four cuvette windows to limit condensation when working at low temperatures. An opaque cover with an access cap can be placed over the tower and cuvette. An additional stream of dry gas purges the inside of the cap to further limit condensation, and, if needed, to limit the access of moisture and ambient air to the top of the cuvette. The cover also limits stray light in the sample compartment. TURRET 400 Peltier-Controlled Four-Position Turret for Fluorescence The TURRET 400 is a four-position cuvette holder for Cary 50 Thermoelectric temperature control: -25 to +105 C (±0.02 C) Magnetic stirring in all four positions Powerful stepping motor for position control Dry gas purge Optional remote computer control TURRET 400 mounted for the Cary 50 Technical Description The TURRET 400 consists of an insulated cuvette tower attached to the turret body. These units rotate together over a thin-section support bearing mounted to a base plate. Standard 12.5 x 12.5 mm square cuvettes are placed in the temperature-controlled cuvette tower. Optical access is provided on 12 cuvette faces through 10 x 10 mm optical ports. As with the TLC models, the optical center is 8.5 mm above the bottom of the cuvettes and therefore suitable for standard microcuvettes of these dimensions. (A 15 mm version is also available please inquire.) An insulated cover isolates the tower from the ambient environment and provides three optical ports for each cuvette. Three optical slits may be placed to limit excitation and emission light. An opaque cap can be placed over the cuvettes. Dry gas passes through a heat exchanger and is blown onto the 12 exposed cuvette surfaces and under the cap. 5
A set of optical slits provided with the TURRET 400 may be used to limit light access to the cuvettes. The body of the turret tower contains the Peltier device and four stirrer motors that rotate with the turret tower. A motor housing next to the turret tower contains a powerful stepping motor that can rapidly rotate the turret using gears. The necessary utilities, including electrical connections, water connections and a gas line connect to the motor housing. An optical interrupt is used to sense a home position for remote homing capability. The Peltier device in the turret is considerably larger than that used in the TLC 40 and TLC 50, temperature response is quite rapid despite the much larger thermal mass (see test results on page 9). Note also on page 9 that the symmetrical design ensures that the cuvettes are maintained at extremely uniform temperature. TC 125, TC 201 and TC 425 Temperature Controllers A temperature controller is included in the price of each sample holder. Quantum Northwest temperature controllers achieve their high precision and extended temperature range through the use of high precision analog to digital circuitry. The controller is operated by an internal computer that uses a modified PID algorithm. All temperature control functions may be controlled from the face of the controller. Alternatively, a serial control option may be purchased that permits external control of the controller via a Serial interface. Three controllers are available for Varian Instruments, the TC 125 for a single temperature-controlled cuvette holder, the TC 201 for dual, independent temperature control of the reference and sample cuvettes and the TC 425 for control of the TURRET 400 four-position turret. The TC 125 and 425 have a separate thermometer function. Plug a standard Series 400 or Series 500 thermistor probe and the controller will display the probe temperature. Thus, the sample holder and actual sample temperatures may be monitored simultaneously. 6
For the TC 125, a start/stop button permits turning the temperature control on or off. Up and down arrows permit the setting of the temperature. A knob can be turned to set the magnetic stirring rate. Face of the TC 125 Temperature Controller The TC 201, on the other hand has two buttons for turning temperature control on or off independently for the sample and reference. Two pairs of arrow buttons permit independent setting of two temperatures and two status indicator lights report on the sample and reference cuvette holders. Face of the TC 201 Dual Temperature Controller The TC 425 for the TURRET 400 combines the controls of the TC 102 with four buttons to move the four cuvettes into measurement position. The TURRET has a sensor for a home position. Holding a button in for 5 seconds, will first home the turret and then move it to the selected position. Face of the TC 425 Temperature Controller for the TURRET 400 7
Performance of the TLC 40, TLC 42 and TLC 50 Since each of these sample holders has similar construction and uses the same temperature control technology, their performance is nearly identical. Some examples of this performance are given here. Temperature Steps The serial control option was used to automatically cycle a TLC 50 through a series of temperatures. The blue line shows the resulting temperature of the sample holder next to one of the optical ports. The red line shows the temperature measured inside a cuvette. The cuvette, containing ethylene glycol and water, was stirred using the magnetic stirring feature of the TLC 50. Low Temperatures To go to low temperature, the windowed jacket was placed over the top of the TLC 50 and the unit was connected to a refrigerated water bath containing a methanol and water mixture at approximately -13.00 C. The sample holder was equilibrated at 0.00 C, taken to -20.00 C, and then taken down to -40.00 C. Dropping the sample holder temperature from 0.00 to -20.00 C required about 4 minutes. Dropping from -20.00 C to -40.00 C required about 20 minutes. High Temperatures The TLC 40 readily achieves temperatures up to 105 C, suitable for example, for the melting of high GC DNA samples. 8
Temperature Ramping External computer control is required for ramping. The user first equilibrates the sample at a particular temperature, and then specifies a final temperature and increments for temperature and time. The serial control option, allowing external control from a computer, is required for temperature ramping. Acceptable ramping parameters permit the relatively rapid ramps shown, to much slower ramps taking days. Performance of the TURRET 400 Despite its much larger thermal mass, the TURRET 400 responds rapidly. A TURRET 400 was cycled through a series of temperatures between - 15 C and +80 C. The blue curve shows the temperature of the cuvette holder. Overlapping red and yellow lines indicate temperatures measured inside of two cuvettes in the holder. Note the rapid changes in temperature and the excellent agreement between the temperatures of the two cuvettes. 9
Working at Low Temperatures Operated inside a Cary instrument with adequate dry gas purging to prevent condensation and with cold circulating fluid to remove heat from the Peltier unit, any of the cuvette holders will operate down to about -25 C. However, for more rapid changes and stable operation when working below -10 C or so, it is preferable to enclose the TLC 40, TLC 42 or TLC 50 with a windowed jacket. This minimizes convection heating of the cuvette windows and provides thermal insulation. Insulating jacket for the TLC 40 and the TLC 42 with two AR-coated fused-silica windows. The sample holder cap and cover also fit over the Insulating jacket The windowed jacket for the TLC 50 includes four AR-coated fused silica windows. Serial Interface for Computer Control The USB interface option includes: a serial cable and a serial control program. The control program plots temperature vs. time and can run user-written text scripts to automatically change the sample holder temperature. The serial control program permits complex temperature ramping functions separate from the capabilities of the Cary spectrometers. BATH 100 All shipments to the Continental US and Canada include a Bath 100 for circulating cooling water for the Peltier device. The Bath 100 consists of a submersible pump, a brass fitting and a plastic bucket. Attach the fitting to the pump and connect the sample holder via 1/8-inch I.D. vinyl tubing. Run the return water back into the bucket. To lower the temperature, just add ice to the bucket. 10
Ordering Information Cary 50 Model TLC 40/Cary50 TURRET 400/Cary50 Four-position turret Temperature control for sample, no reference cuvette TURRET 400/Cary50 TLC 40/Cary50 Cary 100-300 Model TLC 40/Cary300 TLC 42/Cary300 Temperature-controlled sample holder, no control for the reference Independent temperature control for both the sample and reference TLC 42/Cary300 TLC 40/Cary300 Cary 4000-6000 Model TLC 40/Cary5000 TLC 42/Cary5000 TLC 50/Cary5000 Cary Eclipse Temperature-controlled sample holder, user provides reference cuvette holder Independent temperature control for both the sample and reference Four-windowed temperature-controlled sample holder, user provides reference cuvette holder TLC 42/Cary5000 TLC 40/Cary5000 TLC 50/Cary5000 Model TLC 50/Eclipse Four-windowed temperature-controlled sample holder TLC 50/Eclipse For work below -10 C, order a windowed jacket for each temperature-controlled tower. Use a twowindowed WJ-40 for a TLC 40 or TLC 42 and a four-windowed WJ-50 for a TLC 50. Sample holder purchases include the temperature controller. Each temperature-controlled holder is matched to a controller and calibrated against a NIST-traceable thermometer. All sample holders are provided with calibration data, a length of tubing, and a stir bar. Domestic orders are provided with a Bath 100 circulating pump and bucket. TLC 50 orders include a set of optical slits. Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery. Warranty: Two years parts and labor on all equipment manufactured by Quantum Northwest. 11
Specifications Holder TLC 40 & TLC 42 TLC 50 TURRET 400 Normal highest temperature 105 C 105 C 105 C Highest temperature with extended range option (1) 150 C 150 C Lowest temperature (2) -25 C -25 C -25 C Lowest temperature with added windows (3) -40 C -40 C Lowest possible temperature (4) -55 C -55 C Precision (5) ±0.02 C ±0.02 C ±0.02 C Reproducibility (6) ±0.05 C ±0.05 C ±0.05 C Window size (h x w) 10 x 10 mm 12 x 10 mm 12 x 10 mm Magnetic stirring yes yes yes (all 4 positions) Dry gas purge yes yes yes (1) An extended temperature option in available for the TLC 40, TLC 42 and TLC 50 that permits temperatures up to 150 C. (2) When provided with 0 C circulating fluid to remove heat from the Peltier unit and enclosed inside a Cary instrument with adequate dry gas flow to eliminate frost formation, these cuvette holders will maintain a low temperature of -25 C. (3) Operation down to -40 C requires optical windows to eliminate convection next to the cuvette surfaces. (4) While only tested down to -40 C, these cuvette holders may be controlled as low as -55 C. Please contact us for further details. (5) Precision refers to the ability of the temperature controller to hold the body of the sample holder at a constant temperature, and is expressed as ± one standard deviation. (6) Reproducibility presents the temperature range, expressed as ± one standard deviation, over which the temperature of the cuvette holder may vary from hour to hour or day to day, as measured by a NIST-traceable thermometer. If accurate knowledge of the sample temperature is critical, independent verification is required. 9723 W Sunset Highway Spokane, WA 99224-9426 phone: 509-624-9290 fax: 509-624-9488 e-mail: quantum@qnw.com www.qnw.com 10/30/06