Perkin-Elmer ‘3D’ System

Some commercially available detectors have a number of detection modes built into a single unit. Fig. 2.4o is a diagram of the detector used in the Perkin Elmer 3D system, which combines uv absorption, fluorescence and conductivity detection. The uv function is a fixed wavelength (254 nm) detector, and the fluorescence function can monitor emission above 280 nm, based on excitation at 254 nm. The metal inlet and outlet tubes act as the electrodes in the conductance cell. The detection modes can be operated independently or simultaneously, using a multichannel recorder. In the conductivity mode, using NaCl, a linear range of 103 and a noise equivalent concentration of 5 x 10 8 g cm-3 have been obtained. 

A multipurpose detector essentially comprises of three detectors combined and housed together in a single unit. A typical example of such a detector is the one developed by Perkin-Elmer known as Perkin-Elmer 3D System which is depicted in Figure 30.10. 

FIG. 1. A confocal image from a freshly isolated uterine myocyte from pregnant rat. The SR was loaded with mag-fluo-4 to show its structure and distribution. The stack of images was acquired using a Perkin Elmer Ultra VIEW LCI confocal imaging system. Images were combined to visualize the 3D distribution of the SR (A.V. Shmigol S. Wray, unpublished data). 

---