Xite-VI Includes Only:
- Fluorescence excitation flashlight with lanyard
- Matching barrier filter glasses with a microfiber case for storage and cleaning
- Diffuser cap
- High-capacity lithium-ion battery
- Battery charger and USB charging cord
- Instruction sheet
- Padded foam shipping/carry/storage case
Features:
- Tightly focused for a high-intensity illumination spot
- Two power levels plus a unique flashing mode
- Add-on diffuser for a broader, smoother beam
- Each light is paired with matching barrier filter glasses
- Compact and lightweight
- Rechargeable high-capacity lithium-ion battery
- Battery level indication (when removed from flashlight and placed on charger)
View fluorescence in the lab or the field! The Xite™ Fluorescence Flashlight System includes single-wavelength fluorescence excitation flashlights uses with any of the five wavelengths in the NIGHTSEA line, paired with matching barrier filter glasses for maximum viewing contrast. Genotyping your transgenic organisms, screening cell cultures, inspecting parts with fluorescent penetrants, finding fluorescing critters in the field, … the Xite line provides what you need.
Avoid confusion in wavelength selection
There are two common sources of confusion in regard to selecting the best NIGHTSEA wavelength option. Please read the points below to help in selecting the right system for your application.
- Wavelength naming convention
- System names and color-codes by the excitation wavelength (color), not the expected emission color. So if you want to observe green fluorescence, such as you expect from GFP, you do not wish to use the Green (GR) system. Royal Blue (RB) is the recommended wavelength set for that. Refer to articles 1 and 3 in the list directly below.
- NIGHTSEA wavelength recommendations versus excitation maxima from tables
- Many users come to NIGHTSEA armed with a desired excitation wavelength that they have found in a table of fluorescence characteristics for various fluorophores. The systems we recommend do not always correspond to the wavelength maxima listed in tables. Rather, we are often excited on the shoulder of the excitation spectrum. Again, referring to GFP, the listed excitation maximum is at 488nm, which might lead you to think Cyan (CY) light source, which emits primarily in the 490-515nm range, is the best option. Again, Royal Blue (RB) systems are the better choice. Refer to articles 2 and 3 in the list below.
Flashing mode for enhanced detection in ambient light
As bright as fluorescence may appear when you use an intense light source to view it in conditions of darkness, in most cases it actually tends to be a relatively weak effect that is easily masked by other light. If you try to find fluorescence when there is moderate ambient light (room light, sunlight, …), any fluorescing subject will respond to the excitation, but the response may be too weak to notice easily.
But there's a trick - by making the excitation light source blink repetitively (a strobe effect), any fluorescence will blink at the same rate, while the illuminated background will not. This flickering increases the apparent contrast and thus increases detectability.
