Nepheloskan Ascent Thermo Microplate Nephelometer

The Thermo / LabSystems Nepheloskan Ascent is the first nephelometer adapted to measure from microplates. Accurate measurement of light scattering from microwells makes the Nepheloskan excellent for assays requiring detection of particles from low-volume samples. Nepheloskan is ideally suited for high-throughput solubility tests of drug compounds in the ADME phase of drug discovery.

Nepheloskan Ascent has a dedica-ted optical system to measure light scattering of samples in microplate format, allowing excellent sensiti-vity in particle determinations. A detection limit (theoretical sensi-tivity) as low as 1.0 ng/ml can be obtained with the Nepheloskan when the diameter of the particles is approximately the same as the wavelength of the incident light (580 – 630 nm). Nepheloskan Ascent allows you to raise the detection limit should your samples require, e.g., samples with very small particles or a blue- greenish suspension. This can easi-ly be done with the powerful Ascent Software by increasing the photomultiplier tube or/and lamp gain, which both dramatically increase the sensitivity and dynamic range of the instrument.

As scattered light is measured instead of absorbance, colored and organic compounds do not inter-fere with the measurement, thus avoiding the risk of false positives. The signal-to-noise ratio has been shown to be 10 – 50 times higher with the Nepheloskan Ascent than with photometers. The incubator and adjustable orbital shaker provide added advantages for studying factors that affect the solubility of pharmaceutical components. With the microplate format, several samples can be run simultaneously and only small quantities of com-pounds are needed, saving time and sample compared to conven-tional methods. The Nepheloskan Ascent measures 96 wells in only 18 seconds; thus measurement of 1000 samples takes just over 3 minutes. Specially designed for com-plete robot compatibility, the Nepheloskan Ascent can be used for high-volume tests. The plate carrier allows convenient access for different types of robotic arms, and Ascent Software enables easy inte-gration with robotic systems.