UV Irradiation & Dosimetry

The Tyler Research UV-2 ultraviolet irradiation system is intended for quantitative ultraviolet dose-response analysis in biological organisms. The irradiator consists of a stainless steel primary chamber housing a contoured bank of high-flux UV-fluorescent lights, and a large front-loaded sample carrier (Figure 1). Lamps are cascade-phosphor ultraviolet generators with a sharp 310nm peak output (65% of total UV radiation falls within 20nm half bandwidth of the peak) and 365nm peak output generators. Each wavelength is individually selectable with an indicating rocker switch mounted on the top of the cabinet.

The primary chamber is fully shielded and ventilated. The acrylic sample drawer may be removed for cleaning and UV-opaque ports permit observation of the interior while protecting the operator from ultraviolet radiation. Registration modules provide rapid and reproducible positioning of the test subjects (culture dishes, animal restrainers, etc) in the UV field.

The photonic dosimeter is a completely solid-state microprocessor-controlled detector/analyzer providing real-time digital output of temperature and irradiance at specified wavelengths (Figure 2). Units are user-selectable, with a choice of μW/cm2, ergs/mm2/sec, and Joules/m2/sec. Detector heads are small (18mm x 54mm x 35mm) and may be connected to the hand-held processor via a flexible RS-232 cable. Each detector is internally calibrated, and for this application is configured to correspond to UV-A (365nm) or UV-B (313nm) radiation. Wavelengths from 250nm to 1000nm and with virtually any bandwidth are detectable by the device. The photonic dosimeter is self-contained, and powered by a standard 9-volt battery.

Three animal restrainers are included with the irradiator (Figure 3). Available in a variety of sizes, these modules provide absolute restraint of the animal in the desired dorsal orientation, permitting quantitative dose delivery. The animal’s sensitive eyes, ears, nose and feet are fully shielded from ultraviolet radiation, and they appear to be comfortably contained. The UV-2 can accommodate as many as 6 mouse restrainers simultaneously.