Principles Of Operation - Awareness Technology CHROMATE Operator's Manual

Summary of the Instrument (continued)
• User-programmable Memory
The software allows the operator to create, edit and store assays. Standard curves are
also stored in this memory. Test protocols remain stored until either changed or deleted by
the user.

1.1.3 Principles of Operation

The optical system provides an economical and low maintenance design which reads 8
wells simultaneously. A 96 well plate can be read and printed in the absorbance mode in
approximately twelve seconds.
Light from a lamp installed in a sealed light-tight compartment is filtered using a rotating
filter wheel. The filtered light is then divided into 8 channels using a fiber optic bundle.
The plate carrier precisely positions each row of 8 wells into the optical path for reading.
Light passing through the 8 wells is directed to 8 photo-detectors.
The filter wheel moves to a second position to read the 8 wells at a second wavelength.
Using bichromatic differential absorbance values corrects for optical imperfections in the
plastic wells and removes the effects of meniscus and turbidity.
The photo-detectors generate electronic signals which are amplified and interpreted by the
instrument circuitry.
Microplate Reader Operator's Manual Doc. 4300 Rev. Q
ChroMate ® 3