SBIR-STTR Award

The introduction in recent years of a multitude of new fluorescent dyes to measure cellular and subcellular events has lead to an increasing demand for high performance fluorometers. Fluorometers currently available to the research community often have limited wavelength selection, slow response, poor spectral purity, large background signals, and are quite expensive. Many of these limitations are due to the use of monochromators to select photon wavelength. Our general aim is to develop a fluorometer that eliminates the expense and limitations of monochromators, and provide the scientific community with an instrument that is considerably more versatile and considerably less expensive.Phase I has several specific aims:1) to prototype a digitally controlled fluorometer with low noise characteristics, multiwavelength excitation and emission modes, high spectral purity and 2 ms data acquisition rate. This prototype will also eliminate the expense and limitations of monochromators.2) to facilitate design simplicity and reduce expense by incorporating all of the hardware for the computer interface and data acquisition onto a single resident PC card.The lower cost of this substantially more versatile fluorometer will make the technology available to many researchers in this rapidly developing field, and accelerate the application of fluorescent techniques and our understanding of subcellular processes.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Our goal is to develop a fluorometer for biomedical research purposes. Recently, there has been a growing use of fluorescent techniques for analytical quantitation fueled by the introduction of many new fluorescent dyes and more successful methods to introduce these dyes into cells. Available fluorometers, however, have one or more design limitations and do not adequately meet the demands of investigators. Most limitations are caused by the continued use of monochromators for selecting photon wavelengths. Our fluorometer uses two synchronized, digitally- controlled wheels containing eight interference filters. This instrument can measure fluorescence intensities at eight excitation- emission wavelength pairs with high spectral purity and high temporal resolution. These enhanced features allow use of the currently available and more powerful multiwavelength quantitative techniques. Moreover, the anticipated cost of this instrument will be significantly less than other fluorometers. The results of Phase I research illustrate that our design approach meets expectations and that no significant technical barriers remain. Phase II will concentrate on required improvements in hardware and software prior to commercialization. A test program in year 2002 will identify final refinements. This new fluorometer will allow for multiwavelength measurments, high spectral purity, 1 msec data acquisition rates, and will reduce the cost of this emerging technology to many investigators.Proposed commercial application:The recent development of multiwavelength fluorescent dyes has led to superior detection methods for biological compounds. This had led to a dramatic increase in the demand for inexpensive fluorometers. The technical superiority and lower cost of the fluorometer of this proposal should put C and L Instruments in a position to capture a major share of the growing market for new instruments.Thesaurus termsbiomedical equipment development, fluorimetry computer human interaction, computer program /software, computer system design /evaluation, computer system hardwareNational Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)