DIY Microvolume Spectrophotometers
Attempt to build DIY Microvolume Spectrophotometers or Fluorospectrometers to quantitate micro-volumes of sample.
The NanoDrop products are very popular in scientific labs. The measurement principle of holding a drop between two points - the light source and the sensor - allows to measure samples as small as 0.5µL up to 2µL micro volume without a cuvette. The simple basic principle should be perfect for DIY lab equipment. Let's try.
To start simple, two approaches are tested, one using an LED and a photo sensor. The second, more advanced, using a DIY spectrometer.
Possible applications:
- Turbidity measurement
- Spectral data and purity analysis
- Measure nucleic acid, protein and colorimetric assays
- Microvolume fluorescence measurements
Now the NanoDrop principle seems to be patented (patent US6628382 and US6809826)
LED-Photosensor
High performance LEDs can replace expensive light source and filters for excitation.