Specification Questions

Dimensions

What are the space requirements of the system?

The LM10 system requires room for a desktop PC and (in addition) approximately 400 x 400 mm of bench space.

The LM20 system requires the desktop PC plus 130 x 380 mm of bench space.

What are the dimensions of the sample chamber?

Cell volume: Approximately 0.5 ml

Cell depth: 0.9mm

Laser lifetime

What is the life time of laser source in the NanoSight instrument?

10,000 hours specified by manufacturer.

Safety

Is the system safe?

Yes. Providing the samples that you are analysing are safe. The system is a class one laser product as it has a fail-safe mechanism.

Constituent Materials

What is the unit made of?

The parts of the NanoSight Viewing Unit in contact with the sample are made of glass, '316' stainless steel, nylon 66 and fluorocarbon.

PC & Software

What is the current latest version of the software?

The current version is NanoSight NTA 2.0 (build 128). The version you are using can be found by clicking help -> about in NTA. If you are an existing user of NTA but have not been issued with a user log-in, please contact support@nanosight.com.

Computer Specifications:
The recommended specifications for running NTA 2.0 (build 128) are 2Gb of RAM, and ideally a 2GHz dual-core processor and a hard drive with a minimum speed of 5400rpm (7200rpm+ optimal).

Does the PC used matter, can I use my own?

Experience shows that specification of a computer to guarantee function with NanoSight software is outside of our control. Here are some recent reasons:
1. Hardware performance such as rotation speed of hard drives is a critical performance variable in writing video to disc.

This measure is not a usual part of a computer specification.
2.Different national and local versions of Microsoft Windows have differing dll files and Microsoft change these as they see fit. Language pack differences inevitably cause problems.
3. Camera drivers are proprietary and the set we use has to be prioritised over the Microsoft Windows defaults. If there are further camera drivers on a computer the problems are increased.
4. Models change so fast that we cannot maintain instructions on how to install on a system and machine specific basis.
5. Networking a computer running NanoSight software always gives problems, hence we always use computers as dedicated control machines.

For these reasons we receive computers here, install software and bench test it before it leaves. We can then support these machines, with the supplier's input.

Temperature control

Can the unit be temperature controlled?

The LM14 units have temperature control as standard; these are available with both the LM10 and NS500 systems. A temperature control accessory is also available for the NanoSight LM20 system.

Fluorescence

Can the device be used in fluorescence experiments?

The LM10 and NS500 instruments can be fitted with fluorescence filters allowing particles to be seen under fluorescence when used in conjunction with either the green (534nm) or blue (404nm) laser modules. If this is an area of interest to you please contact us for more information.

Microscope

Does the microscope have an effect on getting a good image, can I use my own microscope?

As we are not imaging the particles, a better microscope will not in general give an improvement. The LM10 microscope has been customised to allow ease of manipulation of viewing unit and allowing attachment of camera.

In addition the fixed field of view must be very accurately set. This cannot be carried out off-site and the tube length/configuration is unlikely to be compatible with our adapter. Therefore we do not offer this as an option, we offer no hardware technical support for systems used with non-standard microscopes and would expect such systems not to work. The LM10 is supplied as a complete system including the microscope and camera.