Introduction
A benchtop spectrophotometer is an analytical instrument used to measure the absorbance or the transmittance of the light by the samples, and it is used in the chemistry, the biology, the biochemistry, the clinical, and the many other laboratories for the quantitative analysis of the substances. The benchtop spectrophotometer consists of a light source, a monochromator that selects the wavelength, a sample holder or a cuvette holder, a detector, and a control and a display unit, and it measures the intensity of the light transmitted through the sample at the selected wavelengths, and it calculates the absorbance, which is related to the concentration of the absorbing species by the Beer-Lambert law; the benchtop spectrophotometer provides features such as the wavelength scanning, the measurement of the absorbance at the multiple wavelengths, the kinetics, and the standard curve analysis, and it is used for the measurement of the concentration of the solutions, for the analysis of the DNA and the RNA, for the measurement of the enzyme activity, for the measurement of the color, for the quality control, for the clinical analysis, and for many other applications; the benchtop spectrophotometer is available in various configurations, including the UV-Vis, the visible, and the infrared models, with the different wavelength ranges and the performance. Benchtop spectrophotometers are used in the chemistry and the biology laboratories, in the clinical laboratories, in the pharmaceutical industry, in the food and the beverage industry, and for many other applications. With their quantitative analysis, benchtop spectrophotometers are essential for the laboratory analysis.
Benchtop Spectrophotometer LBS-T2013
Benchtop Spectrophotometer offers a photometric range of 0 to 200 %, providing accurate measurement of high and low light reflectance. It has an advanced sample positioning option, ensur...
Benchtop Spectrophotometer LBS-T2012
Benchtop Spectrophotometer offers a sample distance of >7.5mm, reducing the risk of contamination or damage.It features UV-Vis- coverage, allowing complete analysis using UV, visible, an...
Benchtop Spectrophotometer LBS-T2011
Benchtop Spectrophotometer offers a spectral range of 400 to 700nm, ensuring precise color detection across the visible spectrum. It features a fluorescence sample option, allowing for t...
Benchtop Spectrophotometer LBS-T2010
Benchtop Spectrophotometer A10 offers viewing angles of 2° and 10°, enabling accurate color assessment based on different standard observer conditions. It has portable battery operatio...
Standards
European Pharmacopoeia 2.2.25-Spectrophotometry, ultraviolet and visible
ASTM E275-08(2022)-Standard Practice for Describing and Measuring Performance of Ultraviolet, Visible, and Near-Infrared Spectrophotometers
Complies with the above standards, but is not limited to them.
Features
1. Benchtop spectrophotometer for laboratory measurement of absorbance/transmittance in UV-Vis range.
2. Compact bench-top spectrophotometer with diffraction grating, digital display and sample compartment.
3. Suitable for chemistry, biochemistry, pharmaceutical, food, environmental and educational laboratories.
4. Includes spectrophotometer unit, cuvettes, power cord, and operation manual.
5. Supports quantitative analysis, wavelength scans, kinetics and multi-wavelength measurements on the bench.
FAQ
Q1: What testing scenarios is this spectrophotometer mainly applied to?
A: The benchtop spectrophotometer is used in chemistry, biochemistry, pharmaceutical, food, environmental, and educational laboratories for measuring the absorbance or transmittance of liquid samples at specific wavelengths in the ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) range, enabling quantitative analysis, compound identification, and reaction monitoring in a compact bench-top format. It supports chemistry and biochemistry (quantitative analysis of compounds (concentration via Beer-Lambert law), enzyme assays (kinetics), protein quantification (Bradford, BCA, Lowry, A280), nucleic acid quantification (A260, A260/A280 purity ratio), reaction monitoring, compound identification (absorption spectrum scan, lambda max)), pharmaceutical (drug content/assay, dissolution testing, purity/impurity testing, stability studies, raw material testing, USP/EP monograph compliance), food and beverage (nutrient analysis (vitamins, proteins), color measurement, additive analysis, contaminant testing (aflatoxin, heavy metals via colorimetric)), environmental (water quality (nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, ammonia, chlorine via colorimetric EPA/Standard Methods), soil analysis, air quality), and education/research (teaching labs, student experiments, method development). This is essentially the same product class as 3257 (diffraction grating spectrophotometer) - most benchtop spectrophotometers use diffraction grating. The FAQ content is similar; see 3257 for detailed spectrophotometer fundamentals, calibration, and sample compatibility. This entry focuses on benchtop (compact, bench-top) specifics. Benchtop vs portable: benchtop offers higher accuracy, narrower spectral bandwidth, more stable light source, and larger sample compartment, but is not portable. Typical benchtop specs: wavelength 190-1100 nm (UV-Vis) or 325-1100 nm (visible only), spectral bandwidth 1-5 nm, absorbance 0-3 A, accuracy +/- 0.005 A.
Q2: What standards does the spectrophotometer comply with?
A: The benchtop spectrophotometer follows relevant ISO, ASTM, USP, EP and GB/T standards including ISO 15511, ASTM E958 (spectral bandwidth verification), ASTM E2728 (absorbance verification), USP <857> (UV-Vis spectroscopy), EP 2.2.25, and GB/T standards. The hardware complies with applicable performance (wavelength accuracy +/- 0.5-2 nm, absorbance accuracy +/- 0.005-0.01 A, spectral bandwidth, stray light <0.1%), EMC (IEC 61326), and safety (IEC 61010). For pharmaceutical use, follow USP/EP monographs and cGMP (21 CFR Part 211, IQ/OQ/PQ). For environmental water testing, follow EPA/Standard Methods colorimetric methods. For food, follow AOAC/ISO. For regulated labs (ISO 17025, GMP), maintain calibration records (wavelength with holmium/didymium filter, absorbance with NIST SRM 930 or K2Cr2O7, stray light test). See 3257 for detailed standards.
Q3: What is the warranty period for the whole spectrophotometer and key components?
A: The whole benchtop spectrophotometer is covered by a 12-24 month warranty. The unit (optics, grating, detector, electronics) and software are covered, while light source lamps (deuterium ~1000-2000 h, tungsten ~2000-5000 h), cuvettes (wear/breakable), and calibration filters (wear) are consumables/accessories. Damage from improper use, lamp failure (normal wear), cuvette scratches, liquid spills, dust contamination, wrong cuvette (glass in UV), power surges, or unauthorized repair is excluded. Extended warranty and service contracts (lamp replacement, calibration, optics alignment) are available. Deuterium lamp 1000-2000 h; tungsten 2000-5000 h; detector 5-10 years; cuvettes 1-5 years. See 3257 for detailed warranty.
Q4: Is this device difficult to operate? Is professional training required?
A: Operation is straightforward for lab personnel (blank, insert sample, read). No professional training required for basic use, but proper technique (cuvette handling, wavelength selection, calibration) is important. We provide manuals and training (1-2 days). Proper setup (stable bench away from sunlight/vibration, power with surge protector/UPS, warm up 15-30 min), operation (select mode/wavelength, blank with solvent/reagent blank, insert sample (wipe cuvette windows with lens paper, handle frosted sides only), read absorbance, for scans set range/resolution, for kinetics set interval/time), post-run (remove/rinse cuvettes, turn off lamp or standby, cover instrument), maintenance (daily: wipe, check lamp hours; weekly: clean cuvettes, sample compartment; monthly: wavelength/absorbance verification; semi-annually/annually: professional calibration, lamp replacement, optics cleaning), troubleshooting (no reading: lamp/door/cuvette/software; low/unstable: dirty cuvette/bubbles/warm-up/low lamp/wrong wavelength; high: wrong blank/contaminated cuvette/calibration/turbidity/wavelength), and safety (UV light hazard (do not look at source, interlock), chemicals (PPE, SDS, waste disposal), electrical (grounded, no spills, lamp hot before replacement), cuvette (quartz for UV, glass/plastic visible only, wipe windows, no scratches, fill 70%+, no overfill), do not touch optics, do not move while on, UV solvent selection (water/methanol/ethanol/acetonitrile; avoid acetone/benzene), kinetics temp control, regulatory calibration records, lamp disposal (mercury)) are important. See 3257 for detailed operation and spectrophotometer fundamentals.
Q5: What is the typical lead-time for order delivery?
A: Standard models require 7-30 working days. In-stock units can ship within 3-7 working days. Custom configurations or large built-to-order systems may require additional time, and we confirm the exact schedule before order confirmation.
Q6: Is regular calibration required? What is the recommended calibration cycle?
A: Calibration every 6-12 months: wavelength (holmium/didymium filter), absorbance (NIST SRM 930 or K2Cr2O7), stray light (NaI 220 nm, NaNO2 340 nm), spectral bandwidth (ASTM E958). Routine: wavelength verification monthly, absorbance check weekly/monthly, lamp intensity daily. If moved, lamp replaced, grating serviced, or readings off, recalibrate. For ISO 17025/GMP, maintain records (NIST traceability, as-found/as-left, filter ID, lamp hours). Quantitative work: calibration curve with standards each batch. Lamp replacement at hour limit or >20% intensity drop; recalibrate after. See 3257 for detailed calibration.
Q7: Are supporting consumables universal?
A: Cuvettes (quartz/glass/plastic - universal from Starna/Hellma/Fisher/VWR, use correct type/path length/matched set), lamps (specific to instrument - OEM or certified compatible), calibration filters (holmium/didymium/neutral density - universal NIST-traceable), cleaning supplies universal. Lamps instrument-specific (OEM/certified). Long-term cost: cuvettes (breakage), lamps (periodic), filters (verification). See 3257 for detailed consumables.
Q8: Can I customize parameters or supporting accessories?
A: Customization includes wavelength range (UV-Vis 190-1100 nm, visible 325-1100 nm, UV-Vis-NIR to 2500 nm), optical system (single/double/split beam), spectral bandwidth (0.1-5 nm), detector (photodiode/PMT/silicon/InGaAs), sample handling (cuvette, micro, thermostatted holder, sipper, microplate, fiber optic, autosampler), software (basic/advanced: scans, kinetics, multi-component, DNA/protein, 21 CFR Part 11, LIMS), features (auto-wavelength, auto-zero, printer, touchscreen, PC control, lamp saver, password), accessories (cuvettes, spare lamps, calibration filters, thermostatted holder, sipper, microplate, printer, PC/software, IQ/OQ/PQ, certifications CE/ISO 9001/IEC 61010/USP). Additional accessories can be ordered separately. See 3257 for detailed customization.
Q9: Does the purchase include on-site installation and commissioning service?
A: Standard delivery includes spectrophotometer, cuvettes (initial), power cord, software (if included), manual (calibration filters often separate). On-site installation/calibration/training typically included or recommended (lamp install, warm-up, wavelength/absorbance calibration, software config, technique training; manufacturer/certified technician standard for GMP/compliance). Basic visible single-beam: self-install feasible but training recommended. Always warm up, calibrate, verify with standard before first use. UV models: deuterium lamp install/alignment may need technician. See 3257 for details.
Q10: What types of samples are compatible with this equipment?
A: Measures absorbance of clear liquid samples in cuvettes: chemical solutions, biological (protein, nucleic acid, enzyme, cell lysates), pharmaceutical (API, dissolution, formulations), environmental (water, soil extracts after colorimetric reagent), food/beverage extracts. NOT compatible with: turbid/particulate (scattering - filter/centrifuge or integrating sphere), opaque (dilute/reflectance), samples attacking cuvette (verify material: quartz UV, glass/plastic visible), outside linear range (A>2 dilute, A<0.1 increase concentration/path length), gases/solids without accessories (gas cell, solid holder, integrating sphere), wavelength beyond range (IR use FTIR, far UV <190 vacuum UV). UV: quartz cuvettes + UV-transparent solvents (water, methanol, ethanol, acetonitrile; avoid acetone 330 nm, benzene 280 nm). Fluorescence: use fluorometer. Micro-volume: micro-cuvette or Nanodrop. See 3257 for detailed sample compatibility and spectrophotometer fundamentals. IMPORTANT: This benchtop spectrophotometer is in the same product class as 3257 (diffraction grating spectrophotometer) - nearly all benchtop spectrophotometers use a diffraction grating monochromator. The key difference is emphasis: 3257 emphasizes the diffraction grating technology; 3256 emphasizes the benchtop form factor. Both measure UV-Vis absorbance via Beer-Lambert law. For detailed fundamentals (how it works, single vs double beam, key parameters, applications, calibration, cuvette selection, common errors, choosing the right instrument), refer to the 3257 entry which covers these in depth. The benchtop form factor is the standard laboratory format - offers better performance (accuracy, stability, bandwidth) than portable/handheld spectrophotometers, but is not field-portable. It is ideal for: - Routine lab quantitative analysis (concentration, assays) - Wavelength scans (compound identification, lambda max) - Enzyme kinetics (absorbance vs time) - Teaching and education - QC in pharma/food/environmental labs It is NOT ideal for: - Field/on-site testing (use portable) - High-throughput screening (use microplate reader or automated system) - Very high resolution spectroscopy (use research-grade double-beam with 0.1 nm bandwidth) - IR/NIR beyond 1100 nm (use FTIR or NIR analyzer)
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