Applications – Ocean Optics MultiFrequency Phase Fluorometer User Manual
Page 10
1: Introduction
The MFPF is used with Ocean Optics’ Fiber Optic Oxygen (FOXY) Sensors and custom probes. FOXY
Fiber Optic Oxygen Sensors are low-power, portable devices that offer high sensitivity, reversibility, and
stability. Their small size is useful for remote monitoring. What's more, the thin film used in the probe
tips consumes no oxygen, allowing for continuous contact with the sample. FOXY Sensors offer other
key advantages: they're ideal for viscous samples and are immune to interference caused by pH change or
from changes in ionic strength, salinity, and biofouling. The MFPF unit supports the following Ocean
Optics sensors (and their respective frequencies):
• FOXY (40 kHz) – Ocean Optics’ standard oxygen sensors designed for monitoring oxygen
partial pressure in gas and aqueous solutions. FOXY is a fiber optic fluorescence probe with
proprietary oxygen-sensing thin-film coating on the tip.
• HIOXY (40 kHz) – Designed for monitoring oxygen partial pressure in nonaqueous vapors
and solutions. The sensor coating chemistry is compatible with oils, alcohols, and
hydrocarbon-based vapors and liquids.
• FOSPOR (5 kHz) – A new generation of highly sensitive sensor coating for monitoring traces
of oxygen in gas and liquids.
more information on probes
available from Ocean Optics.
The MFPF connects to a PC via USB connection and saves your data in an easy-to-use Microsoft Excel
format. The USB connection actually emulates the USB as a serial COM port. The MFPF can be
configured with two-channel LED excitation and detection, and modulation frequencies to 100 kHz. It
will give you lifetime measurements from 200 µsec down to 0.3 µsec. The on-board pressure transducer
measures atmospheric pressure or external pressure with a ¼-inch hose fitting.
The Tau Theta software manages the device and OOISensors software monitors its output via a DDE
software connection so that the Tau Theta software must be running in the background for the
OOISensors to work properly. Tau Theta software is Windows 2000/XP control software that measures
over a wide dynamic range of luminescence intensity, lifetime and phase, and allows you to select
channels, the LED frequency duty cycle and advanced instrument functions. OOISensors can support up
to four MFPF units; up to eight channels can be supported when OOISensors is used with MFPF100-2
(two-channel) units.
Applications
Typical applications include the following:
• Luminescent materials characterization
• Phase/lifetime-based sensor development
• Calibration of phase/lifetime-based sensors
• Stability and photodegradation studies
• Characterization of phase shift over frequency
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