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The LL-2 can handle flow rates up to 8ml/min. We took special care to minimize electrical noise (low noise operation for patch clamp applications) and surface vibrations (to eliminate mechanical artefacts).
The Level Lock™ uses a contact optical sensor to sense the surface of the fluid in the chamber. The sensor is a fiber optic cable with a section of the insulator carefully removed. The fiber is bent 180o at the point at which the fiber is bare. This bend theoretically does not affect the infrared light passing through the fiber. As the bent part of the sensor contacts the surface of the liquid a percentage of the IR light is absorbed by the liquid (by refraction) depending on the depth of the sensor. Thus, the deeper the sensor, the more IR light is absorbed.
This analog signal is translated into valve activity in relation to the surface position. When the fluid surface just touches the sensor, or is below the sensor, the valve is inactive. As soon the fluid height crosses a threshold on the sensor, the valve begins to function. As the fluid advances up the sensor, valve activity increases to an eventual maximum. A suction source (like the VWK, see other side) attached to the back of the Level-Lock™ controller box pulls the solution to waste as the valve meters it out.
The LL-2 can handle flow rates up to 8ml/min. We took special care to minimize electrical noise (low noise operation for patch clamp applications) and surface vibrations (to eliminate mechanical artefacts).
The Level Lock™ uses a contact optical sensor to sense the surface of the fluid in the chamber. The sensor is a fiber optic cable with a section of the insulator carefully removed. The fiber is bent 180o at the point at which the fiber is bare. This bend theoretically does not affect the infrared light passing through the fiber. As the bent part of the sensor contacts the surface of the liquid a percentage of the IR light is absorbed by the liquid (by refraction) depending on the depth of the sensor. Thus, the deeper the sensor, the more IR light is absorbed.
This analog signal is translated into valve activity in relation to the surface position. When the fluid surface just touches the sensor, or is below the sensor, the valve is inactive. As soon the fluid height crosses a threshold on the sensor, the valve begins to function. As the fluid advances up the sensor, valve activity increases to an eventual maximum. A suction source (like the VWK, see other side) attached to the back of the Level-Lock™ controller box pulls the solution to waste as the valve meters it out.
