Section 1- Overview
1. Overview
Instrument Description
The NanoDrop
®
ND-1000 is a full-spectrum (220-750nm) spectrophotometer that measures 1 ul samples with high accuracy and
reproducibility. It utilizes a patented sample retention technology that employs surface tension alone to hold the sample in place. This
eliminates the need for cumbersome cuvettes and other sample containment devices and allows for clean up in seconds. In addition,
the ND-1000 has the capability to measure highly concentrated samples without dilution (50X higher concentration than the samples
measured by a standard cuvette spectrophotometer).
Operation
A 1 ul sample is pipetted onto the end of a fiber optic cable (the receiving fiber). A second fiber optic cable (the source fiber) is then
brought into contact with the liquid sample causing the liquid to bridge the gap between the fiber optic ends. The gap is controlled to
both 1mm and 0.2 mm paths. A pulsed xenon flash lamp provides the light source and a spectrometer utilizing a linear CCD array is
used to analyze the light after passing through the sample. The instrument is controlled by special software run from a PC, and the
data is logged in an archive file on the PC.
Applications
UV/VIS spectrophotometry is simple for samples as small as 1 ul using the NanoDrop
®
ND-1000 Spectrophotometer. The small sample
requirement and ease of use make the NanoDrop
®
ND-1000 Spectrophotometer ideally suited for measuring:
•
Nucleic acid concentration and purity of nucleic acid samples up to 3700 ng/ul (dsDNA) without dilution
•
Fluorescent dye labeling density of nucleic acid microarray samples
•
Purified protein analysis (A280) up to 100 mg/ml (BSA)
•
Expanded spectrum measurement and quantitation of fluorescent dye labeled proteins, conjugates, and metalloproteins
•
Bradford Assay analysis of protein
•
BCA Assay analysis of protein
•
Lowry Assay analysis of protein
•
Cell density measurements
•
General UV-Vis spectrophotometry
Patents
The sample retention technology used in the ND-1000 is covered under US patents 6,628,382 and 6,809,826. Other patents are
pending.
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