Device built-in

LumiReader Separation Analyzer: The Core of Professional and Efficient Chemiluminescence Imaging

The LumiReader Separation Analyzer is a specialized imaging system dedicated to chemiluminescence detection. Its core design philosophy is to forgo multifunctionality and instead focus on delivering exceptional sensitivity, outstanding stability, and professional quantitative analysis capabilities in applications such as Western Blotting. As the name implies, its "separation" characteristic refers to its nature as a standalone analysis module that requires users to configure their own high-performance computer and professional software for operation, offering advanced users a high degree of flexibility and customization.

1. Core Functions and Positioning

The LumiReader is not a traditional multifunctional gel imaging system (e.g., Bio-Rad ChemiDoc or Tanon series). It does not include a UV transilluminator for nucleic acid gels or specific excitation light sources for fluorescence detection. Its expertise lies solely in capturing the extremely weak chemiluminescent signals generated by HRP (horseradish peroxidase) or AP (alkaline phosphatase) catalyzed substrates (e.g., ECL, ECL Plus, etc.).

This focus brings significant advantages:

• Ultimate Sensitivity: The optical path and hardware design are optimized for chemiluminescence, minimizing stray light interference. This enables the detection of ultra-low abundance proteins as low as femtogram (fg) levels, with sensitivity comparable to or even surpassing traditional X-ray film, while offering a much wider dynamic range.

• Ultra-Wide Dynamic Range: Equipped with a deeply cooled scientific-grade CCD camera capable of 16-bit or higher grayscale capture, with a dynamic range exceeding 4.8 OD. This allows it to simultaneously capture very weak and very strong signals in a single exposure, avoiding over- or under-exposed bands, and eliminating the need for multiple trial exposures as required with film. This lays a solid foundation for precise quantification.

• Excellent Quantitative Linearity: The signal response maintains a strong linear relationship across a wide concentration range, ensuring that the optical density (OD) values of protein bands accurately reflect their actual abundance. This is essential for reliable semi-quantitative or absolute quantification.

2. Core Components and Technical Features

1. Ultra-Cooled CCD Camera: The heart of the LumiReader. The camera core is cooled to -30°C or lower, significantly suppressing dark current (thermal noise). This enables extremely low background noise even during long exposures to capture weak light signals, resulting in high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) images.

2. High-Efficiency Optical Lens: Features a large-aperture, high-transmittance professional lens (e.g., F0.95), acting like a "big eye" to maximize the collection of faint chemiluminescent photons and enhance detection sensitivity.

3. Sealed Light-Tight Chamber: The analyzer itself is a completely light-sealed enclosed chamber coated with anti-reflective material,彻底隔绝一切外部光源干扰, providing the essential environment for detecting ultra-weak chemiluminescent signals.

4. Modularity and Flexibility: As a "separate" unit without a PC/software, users can freely select computer workstations and image acquisition/analysis software based on their lab's budget and needs. Advanced users can opt for software like Image-Pro Plus, Fiji/ImageJ, or professional gel analysis software to achieve highly customized workflows.

3. Typical Workflow and Applications

1. Applications: Almost exclusively focused on chemiluminescence detection for Western Blotting. It serves as the ultimate detection tool for protein expression level analysis, protein modification studies (e.g., phosphorylation), antibody titer determination, and other experiments in life science research, medical testing, and drug development.

2. Workflow: After completing Western Blot primary/secondary antibody incubation and substrate development, the membrane (NC or PVDF) is placed on the sample platform inside the dark chamber, and the door is closed. The exposure time (ranging from seconds to tens of minutes) is set in the computer software, and the image is captured with a single click.

3. Data Analysis: The captured image is 16-bit raw data (TIFF format). Subsequent analysis in the software includes band identification, background subtraction, optical density integration, molecular weight calculation, and normalization based on internal reference proteins (e.g., GAPDH, β-Actin).

4. Summary and Advantages

The LumiReader Separation Analyzer embodies a philosophy of specialization and high performance. It sacrifices versatility to achieve unparalleled performance in its core application: chemiluminescence detection. Its primary user base consists of researchers and labs with extremely high demands for sensitivity, quantitative accuracy, and reproducibility in Western Blot detection.

• Advantages: Top-tier sensitivity, ultra-wide dynamic range, excellent quantitative linearity, and flexible system configuration (user-selectable PC/software).

• Considerations: Requires users to configure their own computer and software, adding complexity to initial setup; single-function design, incapable of fluorescence or UV imaging.

For users focused on protein research who need to upgrade from traditional X-ray film methods to a more advanced, quantitative, and safer digital imaging system, the LumiReader Separation Analyzer is an highly attractive professional choice. It elevates the final detection step of Western Blot experiments to a new level, providing powerful support for generating high-quality, publication-ready data.