Understanding Prizmatix Model Names – A concise guide

Posted by

Prizmatix recently updated their model names and part numbers to make it easier to understand which model fits which application. This guide will help you understand what each section of the part number means.

UHP – Any light source model with UHP is Ultra High Power. This means that the LED chip is being driven with an electrical current as high as 20+ amps. Compare that to a typical  High Power LED which is driven at 1 amp.

Mic – Any part number with Mic-LED is a collimated LED designed for fluorescence microscopes. But thanks to our modular system these LEDs are very versatile and can be used for almost anything. Our  beam combiner modules LEDs combines LEDs into multi wavelength sources, which can be equipped with a microscope adapterfiber coupler adapter or liquid light guide adapter.

UHP-T – The UHP-T family of LEDs are modular collimated LED that have advanced driver electronics embedded in the LED head, as opposed to the older and discontinued UHP-Mic family that had the driver circuits in the controller box. This unique feature makes this LED electrophysiology friendly with no electromagnetic noise and allows for the advance options such as low noise for high speed imaging

UHP-T-SR – SR (Super Bright) indicates the latest generation of High Brightness LEDs. For applications such as microscopy and fiber coupling, the power per millimeter is more important than the total power output. The LED used in the SR line are smaller than the LED used in other UHP-T models, but emit more power per mm. Therefore these LEDs are the ideal choice for most microscope and fiber coupled use.

UHP-T-EP – The EP suffix indicates that the LED installed is optimal for Microscope use. By using the smallest LED available (usually 2mm x 2mm) at the highest current density the brightness of UHP-T-EP LEDs is maximized and the loss in the microscope minimized. EP stands for “ electro-physiology”, indicating that these LEDs are ephys compatible and can be used inside the Faraday ephys rigs. In fact all UHP-T models are ephys friendly and do not emit RF or EM interference. The UHP-Mic-LED which has the LED drivers inside the controller box is the only UHP model that emits RF and EM noise.

UHP-T-DI  The DI suffix indicates that the LED installed delivers as much total power as possible and are ideal for direct illumination applications. By using larger LEDs (usually 3x3mm), the total power is greater than the EP model but the brightness in mW per mm^2 on the emitter is lower and the divergence angle higher As a result, these LEDs are not as good as the EP line when used with microscopes. They are recommended for use when a lot of power is needed over a larger area, such as Petri dish illumination.

UHP-T-MP – The MP suffix means that LED is optimized for microwell plate illumination. A unique rectangular shaped LED (3x4mm emitter) emits a rectangular shaped beam perfect for microwell plates. The specialized optics in the UHP-T-MP are designed to cover a large area with a short working distance. The UHP-T-MP line can be made with a 3x3mm or round LED for Petri dishes when needed. (Not for use inside an incubator.  Read more here)

UHP-T-LA - The LA suffix indicates that the LED installed is an LED array. All the other models (EP, DI, MP) have a single large chip emitter. For wavelengths and colors where a single emitter LED is not available we can supply the UHP-T-LA. With extreme power, these LEDs perform well for most application that need the high power.

UHP-F – The UHP-F Family of LEDs are Ultra High Power LEDs in a robust device coupled to a Liquid Light Guide. With advanced low noise electronics, and sophisticated thermal management these devices are capable of driving LEDs at current levels of over 20 amps. The UHP-F uses the latest LEDs including LED arrays chips that can deliver extreme power of up to 5 watts in a light guide. This is Ideal for microscope use, or OEM applications.

UHP-T2 – The UHP-T2 model delivers a 2 inch beam, instead of the standard 1 inch collimated beam. The larger optics means that the beam is 50% less divergent. This LED is ideal for applications that have a long working distance since the spot size will be ¼ of the size compared to the UHP-T. It is also excellent for applications that need intense light with low divergence angles.

UHP-M – The UHP-M is a specialized Microscope LED light source meant to replace mercury and halogen lamps on fluorescence. It contains a passively cooled Ultra High Power White LED and a high power UV LED combined and ready to mount on the back of most fluorescence microscopes. An optional two channel digital controller and USB interface give full control over both channels.

LN – The LN suffix represents the Ultra-Low Noise option available for The UHP-T and UHP-F families. With this advance LED driver the optical noise in the LED is reduced to an extremely low level. This can be helpful for applications with high rates of data collection (e.g. high speed imaging) or when measuring minute changes (e.g. voltage sensitive dyes).

DF – The DF suffix applies to UHP-T and UHP-T2 models and means “ detached fan”. All the UHP models besides UHP-M have thermostatically controlled fans. For most applications the fan does not cause a vibration problem, and often the LED never heats up enough to activate the fan. But in environments where vibration or air flow is a problem the Detached Fan option can be used. (Our new UHP-M is also a possibility since it uses passive cooling.)

LCC – Any product with LCC is an LED Current Controller or a control box. Technically, the UHP-T-LCC is not a current controller since the current controller is built into the LED head. The box contains the entire interface, such as on/off switch, TTL and Analog inputs and the power dial.

comments powered by Disqus