Replaceable Slit Spectrometers Offer Applications Versatility

Field-replaceable slits add flexibility to Ocean Optics spectrometers

Duiven, Netherlands. October 11, 2013.

Precision laser-cut slit and aperture assemblies from Ocean Optics add flexibility to the company’s Jaz, Torus and QE65 Pro miniature spectrometers. Replaceable slits give users more freedom in spectrometer design and the ability to switch easily from one application to another with the replacement of a few screws.

Modular spectroscopy makes possible thousands of applications by mixing and matching optical bench and other components in various configurations. The availability of field-replaceable slits in the Jaz, Torus and QE65 Pro spectrometers adds another layer of customer flexibility.

Spectroscopy is a technique in which the design criteria exist as a set of trade-offs. The optimal spectrometer depends upon the application. For some users, one of the most vexing trade-offs involves the choice of entrance aperture (slit). A larger slit increases throughput, but at the expense of optical resolution. A smaller slit yields higher optical resolution, but decreases throughput. Typically, changing the slit requires spectrometer rework that has to be performed at the manufacturer’s facility.

With replaceable slits, users can change the spectrometer’s performance directly in the field. Changing slits can be accomplished within minutes, without the need for realignment. For example, QE65 Pro users who need great sensitivity for low light applications such as fluorescence can change slits from a larger slit size to a small one, avoiding saturation in absorbance applications. Or a Torus configured to resolve closely aligned emission peaks for one application can be adjusted make low light level measurements for another application.

To learn more about replaceable slits and the Ocean Optics QE65 Pro, Jaz, and Torus spectrometers, visit www.OceanOptics.com, or contact an Ocean Optics Applications Scientist at +31 26 319 0500 or info@oceanoptics.eu.

About Ocean Optics:

Ocean Optics is a leading supplier of solutions for optical sensing - fundamental methods of measuring and interpreting the interaction of light with matter. With locations in the United States, Asia and Europe, the company has sold more than 200,000 spectrometers worldwide since 1989. Ocean Optics’ extensive line of complementary technologies includes chemical sensors, analytical instrumentation, optical fibres, thin films and optics. The company is part of the Halma group of safety and detection companies.

• www.oceanoptics.com