horiba FluoroMax-3, Operation Manual, Page: 39 / 220

FluoroMax-3 v. 3.1 (3 Mar 2006) System Operation
3-3
Note:
HORIBA Jobin Yvon Inc. is not responsible for customer errors
in calibration. To be sure that your instrument is properly calibrated,
call Spex
®
Fluorescence Service for assistance. We can arrange a
visit and calibrate your instrument for a fee.
Checking system performance
Introduction
Upon installation and as part of routine maintenance checks, examine the performance
of the FluoroMax
®
-3. HORIBA Jobin Yvon recommends checking the system calibra-
tion before each day of use with the system. Scans of the xenon-lamp output and the
Raman-scatter band of water are sufficient to verify system
calibration
,
repeatability
,
and
throughput
.
•
Calibration
is the procedure whereby the drive of each monochromator is
referenced to a known spectral feature. One verifies the excitation and emission
monochromators’ calibration at a particular wavelength in this step.
•
Repeatability
is the ability of the system to produce consistent spectra.
•
Throughput
is the amount of signal passing through and detected by the system.
The throughput is correlated to the signal-to-noise ratio and sensitivity of the
system.
The FluoroMax
®
-3 is an
autocalibrating
spectrofluorometer. This means the system
initializes its monochromators’ drives, locates the home position of the each drive, and
assigns a wavelength value to this position from a calibration file. While the system
usually maintains calibration by this method, it is wise to check the calibration prior to
the day’s session with the instrument. For the calibration checks detailed here, a single-
sample mount or automated sample changer should be the only sample-compartment
accessories used.
The scans shown herein are
examples
. A Performance Test Report for your new in-
strument is included with the documentation. Use the Performance Test Report to vali-
date the spectral shape and relative intensity taken during the calibration checks.