Spectrophotometer

Hi All,
Had my Solin PM fitted Dec 2010, Happy 40th Birthday!! A few teething problems and a humiliating trip to the airport and everything is ok now :0)
I am studying biomedical science at Uni and we are in the LAB tomorrow using spectrophotometers. I am reading my notes now to try and understand out what this piece off equipment does but the red light that keeps flashing is "electromagnetic". I have an email in to my cardic doc and also the lecturer but thought I'd ask if there is anyone who knows a bit about scientific research and could shed some light.
Cheers
Lisa

7 Comments

Lab work

by busby - 2011-07-02 11:07:00

Hi Lisa,
I have been working in a hospital lab for years and have never had a problem with the equipment, so a spectrophotometer should be OK. I did worry a bit at first when I had my PM installed 8 years ago. I was convinced that when I was using a fume hood that I was getting palpitations and the hood said that it was electromagnetic, but I don't even think about it now. BTW I live just south of the border near Byron Bay. I am about to have a replacement put in next month at John Flynn hospital.
Good luck with your Uni degree. I work in a Microbiology department now, but have worked in biochemistry before.
Hope this helps
Robin

How A Spectrophotometer Works

by SMITTY - 2011-07-02 11:07:13

Hi Lisa,

It has been 20+ years since I used a spectrophotoimeter and my memory is not that great. But I went to Google and what that shown below.

The simple explanation of how a spectrophotometer works is:

"A spectrophotometer is a device to measure light intensity at different wavelengths. It produces light with a light source, and after the light passes through a subject, the light is diffracted into a spectrum which is detected by a sensor and interpreted into results we can use. The output of a spectrophotometer is usually a graph of light intensity versus wavelength. The data collected to generate this graph can typically be saved as a table of wavelengths and intensities. The y values of the graph can be represented as either transmittance or absorbance."

I do know that the only electromagnetic fields you will encounter are those generated by the very small cooling fans in the spectrophotometer. In short the spectrophotometer will not effect your pacemaker.

Smitty

Spectrophotometer

by ElectricFrank - 2011-07-03 01:07:50

There are a wide range of spectrophotometers intended for different purposes. The light sources can range from simple LED lights of different colors (wavelengths) to fairly powerful lasers. The Pulse Oximeter they put on a finger to measure blood oxygen % is an example. It uses 2 light sources that are sequenced off and on. The light passed through the capillaries in the finger and is picked up by a photo detector. The ratio of red light to infrared light is used to calculate hemoglobin saturation.

I use an adaption of this in my Biofeedback instrument. The sequential light sources are focused into the skull and the light reflected from the brain picked up. (it's hard to believe, but our skull is actually translucent enough to pass the light). It's an interesting application. The result is displayed on a computer screen and the person is able to voluntarily change blood flow in the brain.

Hope you enjoy your lab. By the way unless they are using one of the very powerful systems there is nothing that should have any effect on your pacer. There is a far greater magnetic field in a desk lamp.

frank

Spectrophotometer

by ElectricFrank - 2011-07-03 01:07:56

There are a wide range of spectrophotometers intended for different purposes. The light sources can range from simple LED lights of different colors (wavelengths) to fairly powerful lasers. The Pulse Oximeter they put on a finger to measure blood oxygen % is an example. It uses 2 light sources that are sequenced off and on. The light passed through the capillaries in the finger and is picked up by a photo detector. The ratio of red light to infrared light is used to calculate hemoglobin saturation.

I use an adaption of this in my Biofeedback instrument. The sequential light sources are focused into the skull and the light reflected from the brain picked up. (it's hard to believe, but our skull is actually translucent enough to pass the light). It's an interesting application. The result is displayed on a computer screen and the person is able to voluntarily change blood flow in the brain.

Hope you enjoy your lab. By the way unless they are using one of the very powerful systems there is nothing that should have any effect on your pacer. There is a far greater magnetic field in a desk lamp.

frank

Thanks Frank!

by Lisa40 - 2011-07-03 08:07:25

WOW! That is very impressive!! I think we will just be looking for proteins and peptide bonds using Biuret reagent....I am very excited tho as this is only the third time I've been in the lab and we will be writing a long lab report of our findings. This is a completely new world for me, I love it!
Cheers
Lisa

Thanks

by Lisa40 - 2011-07-03 12:07:56

Phew, sounds like I'm up for a great LAB tomorrow!!
Hey Robin, sounds like you will be seeing Dr Trim then? I've just been in for a checkup and won't have to go back for a year! If you fancy a cuppa give me a yell, I'm literally round the corner from the hospital :0) Good luck!
Smitty, much appreciated! Still have to decipher what it all means, but at least I can attend the LAB! Lots more googling for me!
Cheers
Lisa

Great

by ElectricFrank - 2011-07-04 12:07:04

My age must be getting to me..I repeated myself above.

I love teaching lab. I taught electronics for many years, and we had 2 hours of lab for each hour of lecture. I made my labs as much real world as possible knowing that's where the students learned the most. I always conducted each experiment myself during lab time to let the students see how I did it, and how I dealt with my own goofs.

frank

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