IT’S NOT exactly a case of life imitating art, but this laboratory viewing cabinet looks just like the thing Mr Spock spent many hours peering into. A couple of weeks ago we made a light-hearted photomontage of the life of a lab technician, using just such an image, and we think the similarity is uncanny.
The actual device, from UVman, is the CM-10MP mini viewing cabinet and is said to be suitable for any life science application using high-contrast fluorescence analysis.
Moulded of high-impact plastic for durability, it has a contoured eyepiece (suitable for humans and Vulcans alike) with a built-in UV-absorbing window for safe viewing. It can accommodate one or two MiniMax UV lamps through the openings on its top face.
The cabinet weighs just 1.8kg, so it can easily be placed over the lab samples being examined, such as TLC plates or circuit boards. The UV lamps are switched on, and the fluorescent response can be observed.