Spotlight 400 FT-IR Imaging System

Human hair is typically 50-100 µ in diameter, previous transmission and ATR studies of its cross section1,2 reveal three major identifiable regions.

ATR chemical imaging has advanced the state of the art in chemical imaging of certain types of pharmaceutical tablets. It provides a very large improvement in achievable spatial resolution compared with NIR chemical imaging, and sharper, generally easier to interpret images.

Polymer laminates are materials consisting of multiple layers of different polymers. These materials are ubiquitous in modern day life with a substantial amount of food and pharmaceutical packaging containing laminates. A common requirement of food packaging is that the internal layer must be appropriate to be in contact with food and the external layer must be suitable for printing product information. This application note describes how the PerkinElmer Spotlight^™ 400 Imaging System with the ATR imaging allows layers with thicknesses down to 2-3 µm to be investigated.

The use of IR imaging expands the measurement possibilities by giving information about the individual types of materials present in the collected particles. The information from the IR imaging experiment is not only qualitative (i.e. identification of the particulates), but can also be calibrated to give quantitative information on the components present. The IR imaging measurement will take only five minutes, whereas Ion Chromatography requires solvent extraction of the particulates and would take around 20-25 minutes per sample

Mid-infrared (MIR) microscopy is a broadly employed chemical identification tool that is used to complement traditional light microscopy. In recent years we have seen an explosive growth in the applications of the FT-IR Imaging Microscope and the data resulting from these imaging systems. This application note demonstrates the imaging studies performed on pharmaceutical products for the detection of solid materials (foreign material) observed in Injectibles.

The following data was obtained from a sectioned of tomato seed and analyzed using the PerkinElmer spotlight FT-IR imaging system. The section was placed onto a Barium Fluoride window and the infrared data was obtained in transmission mode.

There are many stomata (thousands per square centimeter) in the lower epidermis of plant leaves. Two crescent-shaped cells called guard cells, which are rich in chloroplasts, flank the stoma. Starch is produced in daytime by photosynthesis within the guard cells, not in adjacent epidermal cells.

Bottled water is marketed as being the clean and pure alternative to drinking tap water. However, there is increasing opposition to the use of single-use plastic bottles and the fact that they end up in the environment either as intact bottles, or as secondary microplastics when they do break down into smaller pieces and particles. A recent study also reports that microplastic particles have been detected in several brands of bottled drinking water. The effects on human health from microplastics are still to be determined, but the presence of microplastics, potentially containing priority organic pollutants (POPs), in food and beverages is a major concern. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is the primary analytical technique for the identification of polymers and the use of IR microscopy allows for the detection and identification of microplastics down to particles of only a few microns in size. This application note describes the analysis of several different brands of bottled water using the PerkinElmer Spotlight 400 FT-IR Imaging system.

Need to ensure quality, safety and reliability of food packaging? This compendium of Application Notes will provide you with R&D and QA/QC insights from plastic food trays, to bags, films and canned goods. The compendium provides research data and experimental results for; mechanical durability testing, analyzing multi-layer flexible laminates, studying extractables and leachables such as epoxyphenal-based coating, and other volatile organic compounds.

FT-IR Microscopy quickly provides a unique fingerprint of a complicated material made up of multiple constituents. Another advantage of this technique is that it requires little or no sample preparation and that it can generate spectra in a matter of a few minutes.

Counterfeiting of pharmaceuticals and the proliferation of substandard drugs constitute a serious health risk for the world population, including both industrialized and developing countries. It is estimated that five to eight percent of the world’s total pharmaceutical sales are counterfeit or of dubious quality. This application note discusses the identification of counterfeit drugs based on differences in the distribution of ingredients within the product.

Today’s plastics are some of the most used materials on a global volume basis. Broadly integrated into today’s industrial and commercial lifestyles, they make a major, irreplaceable contribution to virtually every product category.

In this compendium you will find a wide range of applications for polymers, plastics, rubbers and advanced materials. Discover how to put these applications to work for you simply and efficiently.

Infrared microscopy is a well-established analytical technique for the measurement and identification of small samples down to a few micrometers in size. It is used extensively in the polymer, pharmaceutical, chemical, food, and electronics industries, to name a few, often identifying small contaminants or foreign objects of unknown origin. In forensic applications small particles of materials such as drugs, paint chips, residues or fibers are often collected as evidence and analyzed by IR microscopy. This Application Note demonstrates the advantages of such an automated IR microscopy platform for the characterization of particles and/or foreign objects in different types of materials.

Introducing the PerkinElmer infrared imaging and microscopy systems family.

Innovation is the lifeblood of industrial polymer development – the push to improve materials or develop new ones infuses new life into the industry from R&D through to QA/QC. Manufacturers are continually challenged to ensure effective quality control and streamline processes while meeting stringent standards. Increasingly they must design for recycling and/or reuse in an ever more waste-adverse economy, keep a watchful eye on costs and stay ahead of the competition.

In response, we've gained years of experience developing a range of analytical capabilities to address a wide range of polymer analysis needs.

Download the interactive brochure to learn more about the most common challenges and our solutions in the market.

Choose the PerkinElmer Frontier™ range of near-, mid- and far-IR Fourier Transform spectrometers for superior spectroscopic performance in demanding applications. Powerful and adaptable, the Frontier meets all your current analysis needs and can be expanded as your research goals evolve. And with automated range switching, mid- near- or far-IR techniques are available at your fingertips. An exceptional signal-to-noise ratio and photometric performance assures optimal spectral performance to ensure best-in-class sensitivity. This configurable platform provides dependable, consistent and trouble-free operation through years of service.

Frontier™ is PerkinElmer’s most powerful, adaptable IR solution yet, specially developed to offer superior performance in demanding applications.

Materials characterization challenges come in all shapes and sizes – and as labs expand and become more centralized, increased sample volumes get to be a challenge as well. Whether you’re determining composition or identifying defects in advanced materials, performing pharma QA/QC, supporting forensics teams, or engaging in academic research, you need FT-IR instrumentation that’s flexible and easy to operate, getting you ready for whatever comes your way.

Our Spotlight^™ IR microscope and imaging systems are engineered to help you meet your challenges, large and small. These systems deliver simple operation that’s easy enough for novices to perform, clear software controls for any size sample type, streamlined reporting tools, and the flexibility and sensitivity that make it the perfect addition to any lab setting, in any discipline.

Read the interactive brochure to learn more about the Spotlight IR microscopy and imaging solutions to move your science forward.

With Spotlight 400 FT-IR and Spotlight 400N FT-NIR imaging systems, you experience unprecedented, uncompromising data quality and clear, complete, highly detailed results from all your samples. Spotlight FT-IR systems are purpose-built for a wide range of demanding imaging applications. So you’re able to switch between sampling modes – standard transmission, reflection, ATR imaging, and more – with ease, and your images can be collected.

It’s not every day that a masterpiece is created. But how else does one describe a laboratory instrument that will dramatically improve the understanding of materials across an unprecedented range of industries. With the Spotlight™ 400, IR imaging just became faster, more efficient and more flexible than ever before. It is quite simply the most productive laboratory FT-IR imaging system in the world.

From raw material manufacturers to plastic processors and end users, AIMPLAS is an award-winning technology centre with 30 years of experience in the plastics industry. AIMPLAS analyzes a wide range of multilayer laminate packaging materials which then need to be characterized to ensure that the product is manufactured as expected.

This Case Study recalls how the Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR) imaging technology on the PerkinElmer Spotlight^™ 400 Imaging Microscope enables AIMPLAS to achieve the identification of individual layers within multiple layers of different polymer materials.

The data collected by the Spotlight^™ 400 IR Imaging system not only provides valuable information on the composition of complex multilayer laminates, it also allows AIMPLAS to provide detailed information to their customers about the quality of their packaging materials.

A recent study has demonstrated that the accuracy of kidney stone diagnosis can be substantially improved by switching from conventional optical microscopy and contrast staining to infrared (IR) microscopy. There are over a dozen different types of kidney stone, and diagnosing the type is important because most effective treatment methods vary for each.

Analyses using infrared microspectroscopy; performed by the Michigan State Police Forensic; Science Division (MSPFSD); Lansing Laboratory; helped to win a triple murder conviction by matching paint from one victim’s clothing to the murderer’s car.

The needs for polymer, pharmaceutical, chemicals, food and beverage, and environmental analyses are constantly changing due to innovation demands and regulation changes.

Evolved Gas Analysis (EGA) solutions combine multiple analytical technologies to empower speed and advanced information acquisition. Coupling Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA) systems with other analytical systems such as Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) and Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectroscopy represents the most complete and advanced EGA solutions for gaining insights beyond decomposition of materials, by carrying out in-depth characterization of the evolved gases.

This comprehensive technology guide is your guide to understanding how hyphenation provides the insights - not just WHEN something has happened, but also WHAT happened.

Guide describing all UV/Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, thermal analysis, hyphenation technique solutions for material characterization.

Poster summarizing solutions of thermal analysis, molecular spectroscopy, chromatography and hyphenated techniques for polymers focused on providing more insight into product performance and process optimization that make easier

This poster describes analytical application example of FT-IR microspectroscopy for microplastic analysis which are used as exfoliating microbeads in cosmetics and personal care products

The Polymer Market consists of a huge diversity of manufacturers of industrial products running many different processes yet still facing similar challenges. There is more and more pressure to achieve high product quality and reduce costs in order to stay one step ahead of the competition.

Among the FDA’s top reasons for product recall were problems with sub-potency and tablet dissolution. In addition, recent cases of cGMP violations have highlighted issues in tablet manufacturing. One area where industry is seeking to improve its processes is in the blending area.

Using spectrum touch software and predefined operating procedures in IR and NIR analyses can help fulfill regulatory compliance requirements, decrease error rate and enable better communication of effective analysis with stakeholders

Product note dscribes TIBCO Spotfire for IR Instrumentation software product from PerkinElmer that creates powerful visualizations to ensure the quality and consistency of your results-every time.

There is an increased interest in the microscopic analysis of samples using FT-IR variable-temperature microscopy or imaging. Application areas include polymer studies, pharmaceutical and food analysis and geological measurements. PerkinElmer offers two options for variable temperature analyses – Linkam variable temperature sample cell and the hot stage accessory.

ATR FT-IR imaging offers users easy spectroscopic access to “difficult” samples which are hard to image in transmission or reflection, or which have confusing depth structure.

ATR FT-IR imaging with germanium crystals offers the potential for acquiring infrared spectral images at up to four times higher spatial resolution than is possible using conventional reflectance or transmission imaging.

This white paper explains the problem of microplastics in water and what are the best instruments to trace, identify, and classify microbeads in products, food, and the environment.