The very low light levels produced in bioluminescence experiments mean that photon counting sensors are usually required. Due to the very high sensitivity of such detectors it is essential that the experiment is conducted in a fully light-tight enclosure. At Cairn we can offer either cuvette holders, for population studies in suspension; or bespoke dark chambers to suit specific customer requirements. A typical light-tight chamber may take the form of a large dark box to house a complete microscope or a smaller assembly with an integrated photon-counting photomultiplier and stage. Our modular design allows us to engineer custom boxes with a range of features at economical prices.

This will take the form of one or more photon-counting photomultipliers or ultra-high sensitivity CCD cameras. If spatial information is not essential then a photomultiplier can produce excellent performance for dynamic studies at an affordable price. For imaging a specialist image-intensified or deep-cooled camera with very high Quantum Efficiency (QE) is needed.

Cairn dark boxes can be equipped with manual or computerised stages, light sources and shutters for combined fluorescence measurements and beamsplitter assemblies for multiple detector configurations. If you have any other requirements then please let us know as we are happy to tailor each chamber to suit the precise application.