UVP has announced that its Visi-Blue transillumination technology now features enhanced visualisation and imaging capabilities.
Visi-Blue transillumination is recommended for viewing a wide range of fluorescent stained gels that emit light at 460-470nm, including Gelgreen, SYBR Green, SYBR Gold, SYBR Safe, Gelgtar, Sypro Ruby, Sypro Orange and other fluorescein stains.
Visi-Blue technology, including transilluminators and converter plates, does not produce UV light and therefore eliminates UV exposure and minimises damage to samples.
In addition, the technology is said to be UV safe, allowing researchers to perform experiments without concern about harmful UV effects.
The Visi-Blue instruments' specially designed filter glass and lighting combination enables bright gel illumination and excitation.
Visi-Blue light reduces background noise and increases image signal, creating a higher image contrast for enhanced visualisation and analysis.
An amber cover, included with Visi-Blue transilluminators and optional on converter plates, absorbs the blue excitation and provides a clear view of the stained gel's brilliant fluorescence.
When viewing the fluorescent gel through the amber cover, researchers can see the critical aspects of the sample, facilitating band cutting.
For researchers that currently use a UV transilluminator, the Visi-Blue converter plate converts UV to a safe 460-470nm excitation wavelength.
The Visi-Blue instruments are available in a variety of filter sizes to accommodate gels ranging from 21 x 26cm to 20 x 40cm.
For researchers photographing gels using Visi-Blue instruments with a UVP gel imaging system, a UVP-proprietary camera filter is provided with all Visi-Blue equipment.
Captured gels clearly display the sensitivity and high image contrast that Visi-Blue instruments provide.
Mike Capps, UVP's marketing product manager, said: 'Visi-Blue technology allows lab researchers to use a wide variety of newer and safer stains for fluorescence imaging.
'These stains, described above, are much safer than ethidium bromide, which is both a known carcinogen and mutagen.
'By eliminating EtBr from the lab setting, user safety is increased, hazardous material control costs are significantly decreased and both mutagenic and UV damage to samples are virtually eliminated,' he added.
UVP supplies a UV-safe method for the visualisation and capture of a wide range of fluorescent stains.
