This 64-bit data acquisition software for spectroscopy and scientific imaging from Princeton Instruments provides comprehensive control of PI cameras and spectrometers, automatically saves data to disc during acquisition, applies time stamp, retains both raw and corrected data with full experimental details,and  is compatible with 64-bit Windows 7 and Windows Vista.

Anasys Instruments has introduced the nanoIR platform that combines the nanoscale spatial resolution capabilities of atomic force microscopy (AFM) with infrared spectroscopy’s ability to characterise and identify chemical species.

Scientists in the research group of Professor Dr Alfred Meixner and Dr Dai Zhang from the Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry at the University of Tübingen, Germany, have developed a near-field microscope that can measure the optical properties of, for instance, semiconductor thin films with a spatial resolution and sensitivity long thought unachievable due to fundamental physical laws (the diffraction limit). Both the optical spectrum and the topography of a surface can be mapped simultaneously with nanometre precision.

Horiba has announced the construction of a new research facility and European headquarters on the campus of the École Polytechnique in Paris. The new centre will give Horiba access to a pool of innovative technologies, resources and personnel from nearby academic, government and commercial research centres. It is due to open in late 2011.  www.horiba.com/uk/scientific

ChemImage has been selected for $2 million of US defence funding for further development of the Eye-Safe Stand-Off Fusion Detection of chemical, biological, explosive and improvised explosive device threats. The system will combine multiple sensing technologies, including Raman and shortwave infrared chemical imaging.  www.chemimage.com

Andor Technology has acquired Bitplane AG that produces microscopy image analysis software specialising in medical and life sciences.  www.andor.com,  www.bitplane.com

Andor Technology has announced improved performance for their interline CCD camera, the Andor Clara.

Espinosa Alonso, a chemist from Utrecht University, The Netherlands, used four different spectroscopic techniques to study catalysts in the course of their preparation: UV-vis-NIR-microspectroscopy, IR microspectroscopy, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and tomographic energy dispersive diffraction imaging (TEDDI). Whilst MRI and TEDDI are already frequently used in other research fields, but they are not commonly used to study the preparation of catalysts.

The winners of the 2010 Pittcon Awards include a good number of spectroscopists, and names that will be familiar to readers.

Andor Technology’s electron multiplying CCD camera is being used in combination with an imaging spectrograph and a sheath flow cuvette by researchers at the La Jolla Bioengineering Institute in California, USA. They have been able to analyse individual nanoparticles at rates of 100 per second or faster. This will remove current bottlenecks with characterising single nanoparticles, potentially leading to the development of brighter and more uniform tags for use in biomolecular detection and cancer therapeutics. www.andor.com/scientific_cameras/newton/

William J. FoleyEvolution, Ecology and Genetics, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra 0200, Australia

Introduction

Imagine going to the supermarket to do your daily shopping unsure about being poisoned by the food on the shelves. Imagine having to first identify the aisles that contained the poisonous foods and those that did not and then having to choose between two apparently identical packets, one of which was toxic and the other not. To make it even harder, the toxicity of your choices can change seasonally or even after a short shower of rain! And then imagine if, when you went on vacation, all the foods were different with different types of toxins and some of them so strange that you were not sure exactly how to eat them!

Carl Zeiss has launched a new field emission scanning electron microscope. The Merlin combines the contradictory requirements of ultra-high resolution imaging and analytical capabilities and supports the user with a wide range of detailed solutions for tasks that could not be performed in the past. This has been achieved by the company's complete detection system which consists of an in-lens SE detector for surface imaging, an in-lens EsB detector for material contrast and an AsB detector for widely dispersed backscattered electrons which contains specific information on the crystal orientation of samples. The electronic system permits flexible instrument configuration. Additional detectors can be retrofitted quickly to adapt the system for growing requirements.

Princeton Instruments has introduced an intensified CCD camera, the PI-Max 3. It is a fully integrated camera that provides a combination of frame rate, gating and low-noise capabilities for improved performance in applications such as fluorescence lifetime imaging measurements, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, pulsed Raman spectroscopy, nanotechnology studies and plasma diagnostics. Features include a built-in timing generator, the SuperSynchro, which makes setting up complex time-resolved imaging experiments easy, SyncMaster technology helps reduce lab clutter by eliminating the need for an external timing generator, it can be configured with either a 1024 × 1024-pixel interline transfer CCD or a 1024 × 246-pixel full-frame CCD and it also features photocathode cooling for ultra-low light or single-photon imaging as well as special readout modes for single-shot measurements and particle imaging velocimetry applications.

Princeton Instruments Acton Issue: 21/05 RSN: 112 More information via

Renishaw has enhanced the capabilities of its inVia microscope which now offers remote system diagnosis and control of key system functions such as laser wavelength change, rapid switching between viewing modes, automated system optimisation and validation, the ability to queue multiple measurements and measurement templates that enable non-expert users to apply identical experimental conditions continuously. The microscopes now offer complete automation, remote control, large area imaging and faster operation.

Renishaw Plc Issue: 21/05 RSN: 118 More information via

ChemImage have reported improvements in the ability to enhance the contrast of untreated fingerprints on paper substrates. Using the Condor Hyperspectral Imaging System, scientists have applied new developments in software and hardware configurations resulting in the enhancement of more ridge detail of untreated latent prints on paper. The system uses liquid crystal imaging technology which enables examiners to non-destructively enhance contrast between the print residue and the substrate. When combined with the ChemImage Expert software package, users have access to a significant number of image filtering algorithms, which is particularly important when examining fingerprints on dark substrates or substrates with complex backgrounds.

ChemImage Issue: 21/05 RSN: 138 More information via

Malvern Instruments has launched a 64-bit edition of the ISYs chemical imaging data analysis software which has applications across many technologies. It provides a single platform that supports the import of MIR, NIR and Raman imaging and mapping data files from a variety of vendors. It includes all the tools needed to understand chemical imaging data in spectral and spatial dimensions simultaneously.Malvern Instruments LtdIssue: 21/03 RSN:

Hamamatsu has introduced the improved S10420 series, with reduced etaloning effect, the latest addition to their high-performance, cost-effective back-thinned CCD image sensors. The S10420 comes in two formats, with either 1024 or 2048 pixel length and 64 pixel height. With quantum efficiencies >50% in the UV region and improved response in the NIR, the device provides uniformity and long term stability, reducing costs associated with recalibration of some field instrumentation. Applications include Raman spectrophotometry, UV-vis and emission spectrophotometry, high-speed colour measurement, blood analysis, protein analysis, portable spectrometers and water pollution analysis.

Hamamatsu Photonics (UK) Ltd Issue: 21/03 RSN: 108