SPACE on the lab bench seems to always be at a premium, and as a result many equipment manufacturers promote their products on their small physical size. Latest to join the trend is UVMan, which says its Slimline UV Transilluminator is only the size of a typical laptop computer, yet promises most of the features of larger and more costly alternatives.
Slimline UV transilluminator demands little lab bench space
At a little under 30x36x6cm, the device is slightly less wide but also slightly deeper than a laptop, but the comparison seems valid. It delivers peak intensity of 9000uW/cm2 at 312nm on the filter surface, and is useful for the visualisation and imaging of mini gels.
The company says the filter glass used will considerably extend filter life by inhibiting solarisation, and that the diffusing screen gives better light distribution to eliminates confusing striations caused by the tubes. Photobleaching and photodimerisation are minimised by the elimination of harmful 254nm radiation. This in turn means that samples last longer.
The device has a hinged cover, protecting users from UV radiation and shielding the glass from objects dropping onto it.