CoolLED LED's for Clinical Fluorescence Applications

A large number of departments within a clinical environment are now using fluorescence microscopy for quick diagnoses. Techniques and applications differ amongst departments:

• Histopathology: In Histopathology, immunofluorescence is being used in skin, liver and kidney pathology to identify pemphigus / pemphigoid and other autoimmune diseases.
• Immunology: The screening of autoimmune diseases within Immunology, is now commonplace. Using single and double colors, autoantibodies from patient serum, using Human Epithelial type2, Hep 2, Neutrophils or animal tissues, can be identified.
• Microbiology: With a view to decreasing result response and screening times, many Microbiology departments are also using fluorescence techniques with Auramine or Rhodamine to identify Mycobacteria or Calcofluor White for fungal infections.
• Cytogenics: Cytogenetics is also moving in the direction of fluorescence for the identification DNA or RNA sequences. For example, in a clinical environment it is being used for breast and gastric Her2 diagnosis.

With long lifetimes and a single alignment procedure, the benefits of LED systems are increasingly being recognized for fluorescence applications.

CoolLED’s LED systems can be used in the majority of these clinical fluorescence applications, providing benefits to laboratories where application and use of the system is equally as important as the removing the health and safety risks, time hassles and cost implications associated with using mercury lamps.

A range of products is available, designed to match the stains being used in the laboratory. The most common unit is the pE-100 which can be specified at any one of 20 different LED wavelengths matching fluorophores. The single wavelength 470nm units can be used for Fluorescein type fluorophores used in Skin fluorescence or immunology and others.

Where two or three stains are routinely tested, the pE-200 (2-wavelengths) and pE-300 (3-wavelengths) can be selected. These systems can be specified for the common stains such as DAPI, FITC, and TRITC and like fluorophores depending on the user’s requirements.

For more demanding applications, the modular pE-2 system can be configured for use with 4 wavelengths – selected from a range of 20 LED wavelengths. This allows users to select the best wavelengths for their application and exchange for other wavelengths when required. These units can be controlled through software or triggered via TTL giving flexibility for experiments if required.