Design and function
qTOWER³ / qTOWER³ G
14
Figure 5 Mains and connection cable
Only use the mains cable supplied or a mains cable with the same specifications.
4.2
Function
4.2.1
Fluorescence spectrometer
The detector unit for a thermal block with 96 wells is a patented 8-channel epi-fluores-
cence photometer with fiber multiplexer and a mechanical scanning device.
The following schematic illustration shows the components of the flourescence spec-
trometer:
Detector
Electronic unit
Multi-chip LED light source
Multiplexer
Measuring head above
thermal block
PMT
DCU (CPU)
USB
RS232
Energy
PCR thermoblock
Scan fibers
Optical fiber bundle
Heated lid
Color modules
Stepper
motor
Spindle
motor
Spindle
Lenses in the
measuring
head
Figure 6 Schematic representation of the fluorescence spectrometer
Light source
A long-life, sturdy four-color LED (blue, green, white and red) in the device is used as an
excitation light source for the emission of fluorescent dyes. The LEDs allow for sensitive
excitation of various dyes across a very broad wavelength spectrum that goes deep into
red, with the light source not requiring any warm-up period.
Multiplexer
The light is passed through optic fibers to collimator lenses, bundled and then trans-
ferred to the excitation filter of the color modules fitted to a rotating filter wheel. The
light is deflected via a beam divider and passed through additional optical fibers to a
lens array in a shuttle system scanning the sample block in columns.