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Non-UV Transilluminator: The Dark Reader™ |
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The Dark Reader™ is a Non-UV Transilluminator that uses a novel patent-pending technology to visualize fluorescently stained DNA, RNA, proteins and other biological samples. Dark Reader™ devices use a visible light source that excites fluorophores between about 420 and 500 nm. This range includes many popular dyes such as SYBR® Green, SYBR® Gold, SYPRO® Orange, fluorescein and its derivatives like Alexa® Fluor or red-shifted GFP variants.
Features:
- Very safe to use with essentially zero UV output and no risk of sunburn or eye damage. The extent of DNA sample damage is drastically reduced and cloning is increased over 100-fold.
- No damage to precious DNA samples
- Very Sensitive: Dark Reader™ apparatus is at least as sensitive as UV for the detection of many popular dyes and can be used to see, directly by eye, less than 100 pg of stained DNA.
- 100% compatible with photographic and video documentation systems
- Excitation light passes through most plastics and glass, allowing detection in 96well plates and viewing of DNA fragments during gel electrophoresis
and even in transgenic plants and animals.
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The Dark Reader™ uses 2 Filters to reveal Fluorescence
If visible light is used for excitation of a fluorophore, any fluorescence from the sample is not directly detectable by the naked eye due to the large amount of incident light from the light source itself that reaches the observer. The Dark Reader™ achieves the removal of incident light in 2 steps. The first filter is between the light source and the DNA. This removes any green and red components from the lamp and allows through to the DNA only blue excitation light. A second filter is placed between the DNA and observer that removes the blue incident light but allows passage of the red and green fluorescent components.
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DarkReader™ Transilluminators:
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The Dark Reader™ Transilluminators use pure visible blue light for excitation so no ultraviolet light is emitted. With the Transilluminators you will be able to view a wide range of fluorescent samples.
MoBiTec offers you three different sizes of Transilluminators:
The compact DR46B that has a viewing screen of 19 x 15 cm is suitable for DNA and protein mini gels or smaller samples.
The midsize DR88X with a screen of 25 x 22 cm can be used for the most lab applications whereas the large DR195M with a screen of 46 x 30 cm fits for multiple samples and extra large gels.
Along with the Dark Reader™ Transilluminators you get a compatible amber screen that absorbs the blue excitation light after illuminating the dye so you can clearly see the fluorescence. Also, the amber screen can be used as camera filter.
Other included accessories are viewing glasses that absorbe the blue light like the amber screen. They are convenient for cutting bands out of the gel.
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DarkReader™ Transilluminators:
DR46B Transilluminator
Viewing surface dimensions: 19 x 15 cm
Overall dimensions: 22.5 x 18.5 x 8 cm
Weight: 0.6 kg approx
Optical: Multiple blue LEDs
Included accessories: Amber screen and DR viewing glasses.
DR88X Transilluminator
Viewing surface dimensions: 25 x 22 cm
Overall dimensions: 29.5 x 26 x 12 cm
Weight: 2.5 kg approx
Optical: Multiple blue LEDs
Included accessories: Amber screen and DR viewing glasses.
DR195M Transilluminator
Viewing surface dimensions: 46 x 30.5 cm
Overall dimensions: 50.8 x 34.8 x 12.5 cm
Weight: 6.4 kg approx
Optical: 2 x 32W compact fluorescent lamps
Included accessories: Amber screen and DR viewing glasses.
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Lamps:
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The Dark Reader™ lamps are convenient for viewing fluorescence for variable purposes. Examples are the analysis of viral infection in whole plants, the bacterial metabolism of toxic waste or GFP expression in mice and other animals. We offer two versions of lamps:
DR Hand Lamp (HL32T): Like the Transilluminators they use pure visible blue light for excitation, so you don’t have to worry about UV. It smoothy illuminates an area of about 20cm diameter and is suitable for bigger gels or in general larger samples.
HL32T Hand Lamp Specifications
Overall dimensions: 17 x 16 cm (l x d)
Illumination area: ~ 20 cm diameter
Weight: 450 g approx
Electrical: 9 V DC wall transformer
Optical: 4 x 3 W luxeon LEDs |
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DR Spot Lamp (SL8S): The spot lamp provides a narrower beam about twice as intense as the Hand Lamp with about 5cm diameter. Because of its remarkable efficiency it can be powered by a standard alkaline 9V battery, so you can use it in remote locations for minigels or other smaller samples.
Both the Hand Lamp and the Spot Lamp come provided with a free pair of viewing glasses which are convenient for cutting bands out of gels.
SL8S Spot Lamp Specifications
Overall dimensions: 7.5 x 7.5 x 6.5 cm (l x w x h)
Illumination area: ~ 5 cm diameter
Weight: 110 g approx
Electrical: 9V battery or wall transformer
Optical: 2 x 3 W luxeon LEDs |
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Dark Reader™ Gel Head:
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The Dark Reader™ GelHead (DG345) is a unique electrophoresis unit with an integrated Transilluminator. With the Dark Reader™ GelHead you can monitor the progress of DNA fraction in real time until your DNA bands of interest are separated. Depending on the complexity of the sample, this can occur in 30 minutes or less.
DG345 GelHead Specifications
Overall dimensions: 27 x 20.5 x 13 cm (length x width x height)
Gel bed dimensions: 12 x 8 x 0.5 cm
Weight: 1.7 kg approx
Electrical (lamp): 12V DC. Wall adapter included. (A separate power supply to provide the voltage across the gel is required.)
Optical: Single 9W lamp
Combs: 17 well (~15 µL), 10 well (~30 µL) and 6 well (~60 µL). Two combs per gel for up to 34 samples. |
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Accessories: |
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Viewing glasses
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All Dark Reader models are provided with a free pair of viewing glasses, as well as an amber screen. Both the glasses and the screen function to block the blue excitation light generated by the Dark Reader, so that the sample fluorescence can be clearly seen. The glasses are particularly useful for cutting bands out of gels.
Model AG16 are compact and can be worn over most styles of prescription glasses. |
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The `classic` AG15 style viewing glasses are still available when ordered as a separate item. |
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Camera Filters: |
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 The filters offered by Clare Chemical have exactly the same optical properties as the amber screen. They have been introduced for those researchers who prefer to operate their Dark Reader transilluminators without the amber screen. Substituting the screen with a camera filter can be helpful, for example, in humid climates where condensation tends to form more rapidly under the screen. Also, if you wish to photograph materials illuminated by the Hand Lamp or Spot Lamp, you will need a separate filter. In the case of the GelHead, the amber screen is an integral part of the electrophoresis apparatus and must be in place for the unit to function.
Attaching a filter to a digital camera usually involves additional accessories. For example, with most cameras, a 'lens adapter tube' is required. The tube screws to the body of the camera, over the lens. A filter can then be screwed onto the other end of the tube. In some cases, the thread size of the tube is 'non-standard' and so it is also necessary to purchase a 'step-up ring'. The ring is threaded at both ends: one end attaches to the tube and the other end will accept a standard-size filter. Tubes and rings are purchased from the camera supplier. |
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Note: a separate camera filter is not needed for the photography or imaging of fluorescent samples using any of our transilluminators or GelHead! All these units are equipped with an amber screen that effectively functions as a camera filter. |
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Currently available filters:
| order# |
Size (mm) |
Use |
| AF370 |
37 |
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| AF405 |
40.5 |
Polaroid DS34, Olympus 5060 |
| AF460 |
46 |
Olympus 3000** |
| AF490 |
49 |
Kodak DC290*, Minolta Dimage A2 |
| AF520 |
52 |
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| AF550 |
55 |
Fuji S20* |
| AF580 |
58 |
Canon G6* |
| AF620 |
62 |
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| AF07*** |
75x75 |
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* Adapter tube required.
** Adapter tube and step-up ring required.
*** The AF07 is a square filter that requires a separate holder.
Be sure to check with the camera manufacturer regarding the appropriate filter size - specifications change.
Just because a camera is listed above does not mean we recommend it.
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Order Information, Shipping & Storage:
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| ORDER INFORMATION: |
| order# |
description |
amount |
| DR-46B |
Dark Reader™ (DR) transilluminator, 19 x 15 cm |
1 |
| DR-88X |
Dark Reader™ (DR) transilluminator, 22 x 25 cm |
1 |
| DR-195M |
Dark Reader™ (DR) transilluminator, 30 x 46 cm |
1 |
| DG-345 |
Dark Reader™ (DR) Electrophoresis/Transilluminator |
1 |
| HL-32T |
DR Hand Lamp |
1 |
| SL-8S |
DR Spot Lamp |
1 |
| AG-16 |
DR glasses 'compact' |
1 |
| AG-15 |
DR glasses 'classic' |
1 |
| AF-370 |
DR 37mm screw-on camera filter |
1 |
| AF-405 |
DR 40.5mm screw-on camera filter |
1 |
| AF-460 |
DR 46mm screw-on camera filter |
1 |
| AF-490 |
DR 49mm screw-on camera filter |
1 |
| AF-520 |
DR 52mm screw-on camera filter |
1 |
| AF-550 |
DR 55mm screw-on camera filter |
1 |
| AF-580 |
DR 58mm screw-on camera filter |
1 |
| AF-620 |
DR 62mm screw-on camera filter |
1 |
| AF-670 |
DR 67mm screw-on camera filter |
1 |
| AF-07 |
DR filter 75x75mm |
1 |
| AC-301 |
Comb set for GelHead345 |
1 |
| AL-06 |
Lamp for 45, 88, & 345 |
1 |
| AL-13 |
Lamp for DR195 |
1 |
| AA46 |
Amber screen for DR46B |
1 |
| AB46 |
Blue screen for DR46B |
1 |
| ESU12VUKA-46 |
Power supply for DR46B |
1 |
| AA-88 |
Amber screen for DR88 |
1 |
| AB-88 |
Blue screen for DR88 |
1 |
| AA-195 |
Amber screen for DR195 |
1 |
| AB-195 |
Blue screen for DR195 |
1 |
| AA-45 |
Amber screen for DR45 |
1 |
| AB-45 |
Blue screen for DR45 |
1 |
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Downloads:
Handbook Dark Reader (pdf, 1. MB) |
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Literature:
Reference Genetic Engineering News (pdf , 674 kb)
Reference Modern Drug Discovery (pdf, 451 kb)
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Dark Reader is a registered trademark of Clare Chemical Research, Inc. Dark Reader® devices including transilluminators, hand lamps and electrophoresis units as well as associated accessories such as viewing glasses, screens and camera filters are for use under one or more of US patents 6198107, 6512236, 6914250 and international patent pending. |
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