R & D articles from October 2008

R & D archives from October 2008

Coming attractions.(EDITORIAL)
October 1, 2008... As fall sets in here in the Northeast, we at R&D Magazine are looking forward to some changes we are making for 2009. Going into the new year, we will be changing the digital face of R&D as well as what goes on between the covers of this...

Go green: multi-tenant R&D lab buildings: core-and-shell lab buildings can now be LEED certified, and with the right strategy, can maximize sustainability.(Cover story)
October 1, 2008... Increasingly, developers are building multi-tenant core-and-shell lab buildings in certain growing urban markets where government, research institutions, health-care institutions, and pharmaceutical companies have historically created...

Microtube Thermoshaker offers capabilities of three instruments in one.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The "Groovin Tubes" Programmable Benchtop Microtube Shaker/Incubator is designed for applications requiring heating and/or shaking of samples contained in microoentrifuge tubes. This versatile variable speed,...

TepoFlex biocontainer.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] TepoFlex biocontainers are available in standard sizes up to 1000 L in 2-D and 3-D configurations for biomanufacturing operations. TepoFlex biocontainers are available with a choice of Meissner's absolute rated 0.2...

Small-scale automated sample storage.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The RTS A2 is a modular automated storage system that enables the storage of samples in a controlled temperature environment. To maximize sample integrity, this system cherry picks samples, stored in a variety of...

'Auto-Dip' lead-free mass soldering replaces manual methods.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... 'Auto-Dip' is a bench-top fixtureless system that simulates the action of a wave system without the possibility of dislodging components when boards of any shape, retained by a grid of needle supports, are dipped into the solder bath. Solder is...

Finding the right sign posts: an integrated biomarkers approach speeds the road to drug discovery and development.(BIOSCIENCE)
October 1, 2008... Traveling a long road sign without posts to direct you makes getting to your destination all the more difficult. Drug discovery and development is certainly a long road, and for many years there were few sign posts to guide us. Merck Research...

Fluorescent imaging goes hyper: an R&D 100 Award-winning microscopy system enhances its sleuthing credentials with an integrated hyperspectral imaging system.(MICROSCOPY/IMAGE ANALYSIS)
October 1, 2008... In 2005, a young microscopy firm called CytoViva, Auburn, Ala. set out to solve a brand-new problem. They wanted to give live-cell researchers a tool that better informed them of the way fluorescing targets interacted with other, more...

X-FEG electron source further extends lead in scanning/ transmission electron microscope imaging and analysis.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... A new extreme field emission gun (X-FEG) electron source module for the Titan family of scanning transmission electron microscopes (S/TEMs) combines higher brightness-previously available only with more complex cold field emission--with the...

Inverted materials microscope, Eclipse MA200.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The Eclipse MA200 is an inverted materials microscope with a design that has been optimized for digital imaging and ergonomic efficiency. The MA200 uses integrated intelligence to automatically combine captured images with data on their...

The Axio Examiner, tailor-made for electrophysiological experiments.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Electrophysiological experiments can be performed with the Axio Examiner Fixed Stage Microscope from Carl Zeiss with considerably greater ease and with maximum flexibility and safety. Axio Examiner has been designed so that complex...

Improving low-light/small pixel size performance: a low-F/# ultra-fast lens with enhanced depth of focus enhances low-light performance over conventional fixed-focus lenses.(PHOTONICS/OPTICS)
October 1, 2008... The low-light performance of fixed-focus lenses imposes a serious quality limitation on optical systems. With most fixed-focus lenses, it is not possible to change the lens f-number (F/#) in low-light conditions or with small pixel sizes when...

QF600-8-VIS/NIR Fiber Fluorescence Probe.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Ocean Optics has added the QF600-8-VIS/NIR Fiber Optic Fluorescence Probe to its line of spectroscopy and optical sensing technologies. The probe is designed to eliminate the back reflection from excitation radiation, resulting in a greater...

Helica fiber-optic, ultra-high temperature sensor to 1000[degrees]C.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The Helica Temperature Sensor is a robust fiber-optic temperature sensor designed for the most demanding industrial and R&D applications that require stability to 1000[degrees]C. The sensor was designed for applications ranging from weld...

Higher efficiency 12-W green laser.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Coherent's Verdi V12 laser offers a lower cost of ownership than any other 12-W 532-nm laser. A redesigned pumping scheme with higher efficiency has enabled the use of just one pump diode array. Moreover, because the pump diode array is...

Upgrading a thermoforming line for totally integrated automation: Irwin Research & Development installed fully-integrated motion controllers and drives, providing more system flexibility and increased diagnostics on its line of thermoforming machines.(TEST, MEASUREMENT & ANALYSIS)
October 1, 2008... The goal of a machine manufacturer is to build machines with bulletproof mechanical, electrical, and software that deliver a high ratio of production to downtime. One company that has been successful in achieving this goal is Irwin Research &...

New software capabilities for Fluke 287 and 289 True-RMS Logging Multimeters.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... A new, free software package for the Fluke 287 and 289 True-RMS Logging Multimeters delivers a variety of functional benefits; users can download the package free from Ruke and install it themselves. The Ruke 287 and 289 Trending Digital...

Highly secure UPS power monitoring & management system.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The USHA SNMP/HTTP Agent is a remote uninterruptible power supply (UPS) monitoring and management agent. Supporting HTTP and a security-improved simple setwork management protocol (SNMP) v3 together with the latest Internet protocol (IP) v6,...

Low-cost USB data acquisition board.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Data Translation introduces an OEM version of its popular DT9812-10V low-cost USB module. The DT9812-10V-OEM is the newest addition to the company's ECONseries of low-priced modules and provides two 20-pin connectors...

SDA 7 Zi oscilloscope with SDA II.(Tools of the Trade)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The SDA 7 Zi oscilloscope with SDA II visually predicts bit error rate directly on the eye; provides dual methods of decomposing jitter that are presented both numerically and with insightful displays; provides Quick-View, for an intuitive eye...

Engineering an optimal solution with mechanical carbon machine parts: mechanical carbon materials provide solutions to a wide variety of lubrication challenges.(MATERIALS SCIENCE/NANOTECHNOLOGY)
October 1, 2008... For over a hundred years, machine parts composed of mechanical carbon have provided an alternative solution in applications where temperature and atmospheric conditions prevent the use of oil-grease lubricants. Mechanical carbon materials...