The Model CMS8400

Design Features

  • COMPACT -- Portable, Lightweight, Table-top ESR spectrometer
  • EASY TO USE -- Auto Tuning & Computer Control
  • IMPROVED SENSITIVITY -- Maximum Sensitivity Over Previous Units
  • LOW COST -- Fraction of the Cost of Competitive Systems

    CMS8400 ESR SYSTEM

       The Model CMS8400 is an X-band Electron Spin Resonance spectrometer. It is a completely self-contained instrument, incorporating a microwave Gunn oscillator, microwave bridge apparatus (circulator, reference arm, etc.), a type TE102 microwave cavity, lock-in amplifier circuitry, field controller, electromagnet and power supply. These inner workings are contained in one table-top sized cabinet of dimensions 26cm x 48cm x 46cm. Users operate the CMS8400 using a software program operating in Windows(tm)XP/Vista running on a personal computer.

       The CMS8400's micromolar sensitivity & resolution are exceeded only in instruments many times its price and size. Its compact electromagnet and power supply result in the spectrometer's desktop size. This along with its ability to operate in the absence of water lines for cooling, means that the CMS8400 is truly portable. Its automated features make it easy to use and easy to learn to use.

       To download an CMS8400 data sheet click here:    

       To download an application note by Wayne Openlander that describes how to predict the shelf life of pasteurized beers click here:    

       To view three papers related to cardiac reseach that mention the Resonance Instruments 8400 click below.

          1.Rosuvastatin Anti-inflamitory Effects...

          2.Inhibition of Heart Transplant Injury...

          3.Overexpression of Human Copper/Zinc Superoxide...


    MICROWAVE BRIDGE

        At the heart of the microwave bridge is a highly stable solid state Gunn oscillator operating at approximately 9.6 GHz. A circulator provides good isolation and low signal loss, and the use of a reference arm allows for balanced detection which enhances overall system sensitivity.


    MICROWAVE CAVITY

       The spectrometer cavity is a rectangular TE102 cavity having a 9.6 GHz center frequency and an uploaded Q-factor of 5,000. Its variable iris aperture matches a wide range of sample holders and dewars. Critical coupling of the cavity is accomplished automatically through a motor-driven iris. The 100 KHz magnetic field modulation may be set up to 10 G.


    LOCK-IN AMPLIFIER

       A 100 KHz LIA performs the signal processing function for the CMS8400. The initial amplification and impedance matching between the microwave detector and the lock-in amplifier is provided by a fixed-gain preamplifier in the microwave bridge. Gain, phase, and time constants are user selectable in software from the instrument's operating program. Very weak signals may be signal averaged by recording multiple scans.


    FIELD CONTROLLER

       The Field Controller sets and maintains the magnetic field at the sample. A Hall effect probe mounted between magnet pole pieces is the field sensor. Field center, scan width, scan time, and number of scans are selectable in software.


    ELECTROMAGNET

       Very homogeneous fields up to 7,000 G (700 mT) are available. Three-inch diameter pole caps are shimmed to provide high homogeneity over the entire sample area. A reduced magnet gap results in a homogeneity eqivalent to that of a four inch magnet.


    MAGNET POWER SUPPLY

       The compact, Field Controller-regulated supply is capable of delivering 16 Amperes.


    SOFTWARE

       Operating parameters and data acquisition are displayed by the 8400's Windows(tm)-based operating software.


    ACCESSORIES

       Resonance Instruments offers a line of accessories to enhance the CMS8400's capabilities, as well as the capabilities of other spectrometer makes and models. These include the following:



    CURRENT APPLICATIONS

    Pharmaceutical Research -- A large Midwestern pharmaceutical firm uses the CMS8400 to monitor aptosis in incubated kidney cell lines.

    Undergraduate Instruction -- The CMS8400 is being used to complement Freshmen, Inorganic & Physical Chemistry lectures by experimentally demonstrating concepts in atomic and molecular structure such as electron spin, orbital effects, ligand fields, etc., and to crystallize hard-to-grasp concepts from the quantum theory curriculum.

    Fermentation -- In the Central Nervous System research lab of an internationally known pharmaceutical firm, the CMS8400 helps boost yields in an antibiotic biosynthesis. During a fermentation process unwanted free radical buildup is easily monitored and, if found, corrected for.

    Veterinary Research -- Free radical generation occurring among animal feed constituents (from the dominant US feed supplier) are studied using the CMS8400 by a value-added manufacturer.

    Industrial Polymer Production -- In on-line, industrial-scale polystyrene production line located outside Houston, the CMS8400 is used to monitor free radical initiator concentration.

    Supertanker Engine Wear -- At international ports an American oil company uses the CMS8400 to monitor Supertanker engine oil. The presence of undesireable metals -- which are easily detectable -- in engine oil indicates wear and signals that its time to change the oil.

    Biological Research -- Researchers at NIEH in North Carolina use the CMS8400 for free radical studies in biological systems. It is used in a program involving a novel hybrid technique where ESR is being combined with MS and HPLC.

    Cancer Research -- As part of human trials in Mexico, the CMS8400 is being used to assay a proposed anti-tumor Molybdenum compound.